Chapter 66: Visiting the Base
Lin Jiu wasn’t part of the “Special Security Department,” so he had no authority to interfere in their matters.
Lin Jiu said, “You should head back first. How things will be arranged depends on the ‘Special Security Department,’ and I have no say in it.”
Zheng Yumo stood still, silent, stubbornly staring at Lin Jiu.
Suddenly, she said, “Chang Beimu, I challenge you. If I win, you’ll leave Team Seven and give up your spot.”
Lin Jiu frowned. Zheng Yumo was already an enhanced person, yet she was challenging someone who was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person and still in the reserves. How could she even say that?
Zhao Cheng frowned as well, clearly not approving of Zheng Yumo’s actions.
“I accept your challenge,” Chang Beimu responded without hesitation.
“Good. See you at the base tonight,” Zheng Yumo said before turning and leaving.
Zhao Cheng commented, “You shouldn’t have accepted. There’s no point in taking on such a challenge.”
Chang Beimu replied, “I trust the captain’s judgment. I deserve the spot he chose for me.”
With that, Chang Beimu turned and confidently went back to work.
Lin Jiu: “…”
What was up with everyone in the “Special Security Department”? Were they all this confident?
Lin Jiu quietly asked Zhao Cheng, “What’s her RT score?”
Si Xu had mentioned RT scores before, explaining that the higher the RT score, the stronger the person.
Zhao Cheng sighed, “A little over 8 minutes.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Not even 10 minutes. As expected, she was still in the reserves.
Lin Jiu then asked, “How likely do you think it is that Chang Beimu will win?”
Zhao Cheng shook his head, “Hard to say. Chang Beimu has practiced martial arts since childhood and is very skilled.”
Lin Jiu nodded. So, if it came down to a fight between Chang Beimu and Zheng Yumo, it wasn’t certain that Chang Beimu would lose. Her martial arts skills were her confidence, and there was a chance she could pull off an upset. Of course, it also depended on what kind of abilities Zheng Yumo had developed after her enhancement. If her powers were too tricky, Chang Beimu’s martial arts wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t get close.
Jiang Xiwen returned with the QR code signs, placing one at the cash register and sticking another on the restaurant’s door. She informed the customers waiting outside that, starting tomorrow, they wouldn’t need to line up anymore—they could book a spot directly through the app.
Jiang Ge, having heard about Lin Jiu’s big move of quietly developing a Moyu app, was filled with envy. He personally came over during lunch to ask about it. Creating a fully functional app was incredibly complicated, requiring experts from various fields to work on different modules. Had Lin Jiu hired a team to develop this app for him? Or had Si Xu shown favoritism again and let one of his companies help Lin Jiu out?
Lin Jiu didn’t know or care how complicated or troublesome app development was. The God of Cooking system had created it, and Lin Jiu didn’t understand the details. He wasn’t about to make excuses or lie, so when asked, he simply said, “No comment.”
Bai Ge Wan, one of 17 seafood restaurants officially certified by the authorities, also had long lines of customers daily. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough supply to meet demand, and Jiang Ge could only watch helplessly as customers left. He was both heartbroken and anxious, wishing he could go out to sea himself to catch more seafood.
The mutant seafood at Bai Ge Wan was purchased at high prices from a fishing crew. Despite selling it at such high rates, demand still exceeded supply. Besides the certified restaurant owners, many locals who couldn’t go out to sea themselves also needed it. They would buy directly from the fishing crews and cook it at home, which was cheaper than eating at a seafood restaurant.
Lin Jiu brought Jiang Ge’s lunch up to the second floor. The large space was occupied by Jiang Ge alone. He invited Lin Jiu to sit and eat with him.
Lin Jiu declined, “No need. I’m waiting for Si Xu.”
Jiang Ge had already started eating. “Don’t bother waiting for him. He’s with a mixed-race beauty, probably having lunch together. Why don’t you bring the food up here, and we’ll eat and chat?”
Lin Jiu froze. “What mixed-race beauty?”
Jiang Ge gestured, mimicking an S-shaped curve with his hand. “Black hair, green eyes, great figure, really pretty. I saw them coming out of the mall together, then leaving in the same car. They’re probably having lunch right now.”
Jiang Ge clicked his tongue. “I never thought Ah Xu would be into that type.”
Lin Jiu’s grip on the tray tightened, his heart feeling sour and swollen like a lemon had been stuffed into it.
“He… he likes women?” Lin Jiu had never heard of Si Xu liking men, but Si Xu had told him he liked him, and they were already together.
“What else?” Jiang Ge looked at Lin Jiu strangely. “You didn’t think he liked men, did you?”
Lin Jiu opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
Jiang Ge, trying to explain for his good friend, said, “Don’t overthink it. Ah Xu genuinely cares about you like a brother. No one knows him better than I do. He’s as straight as a flagpole. There’s no way he’d ever like men.”
Lin Jiu’s face paled. “Why is it impossible for him to like men?”
Jiang Ge wiped his mouth. “You should know what the entertainment industry is like. When Ah Xu first got famous, after one night of socializing, he returned to his hotel room. Without turning on the main lights, only a few warm-colored lamps were on. After taking a shower and preparing to sleep, he pulled back the blanket, only to find a naked man under it. The man had a gag in his mouth, a collar around his neck, and his arms tied behind his back…”
“Can you imagine that? Anyone would be scared out of their wits if they walked into that scene. Ah Xu was terrified. Since then, anytime a guy shows interest in him, he avoids them like the plague. I think he’s traumatized.”
Lin Jiu lowered his gaze. “You go ahead and eat. I’ll head back to work.”
Lin Jiu felt a little out of it. Si Xu had never had any romantic scandals—no boyfriends or girlfriends. There had been female celebrities trying to use him for publicity, but the company had always clarified things right away.
If Si Xu really had a fear of men, why did he claim to like him?
After lunch, Si Xu didn’t show up, so Lin Jiu ate with Sister Wen and the servers.
Lin Jiu didn’t rest in the afternoon. He processed all the ingredients, preparing extra sets of meals to store for later. Fortunately, the fridge was large enough to hold a lot.
News of the Moyu restaurant’s app had already spread online. At midnight, exactly 00:00:00, people could start booking spots. That night’s dinner service still required lining up, likely for the last time.
Lin Jiu was a bit distracted all afternoon. As dinner was about to end, Lin Jiu received a call from Si Xu.
Si Xu told Lin Jiu that he needed to go to the base and didn’t know when he would finish. He said he wouldn’t be able to come to the Moyu restaurant tonight and told Lin Jiu not to wait for him and just go home to rest.
Lin Jiu fell silent. He had been waiting since noon. He wanted to see him.
Trying to sound calm, Lin Jiu said, “I’ll bring it to you. I just happen to want to see what the base looks like. You guys mention it all the time, but I’ve never been.”
Previously, Lu Yu and Shi ShuQing had both invited Lin Jiu, but he had declined. He didn’t expect he would now ask to go on his own.
Si Xu said, “Okay, should I send someone to pick you up?”
Lin Jiu replied, “No need, I’ll just go with Zhao Cheng and the others.”
After a few more reminders from Si Xu, the call ended.
Lin Jiu prepared dinner for Si Xu, carefully packed it into a box, and waited for the customers to leave and the restaurant to close.
Zhao Cheng and Chang Bei Mu cleared the plates and put them into the automatic dishwasher. The three of them informed Wen Jie and left first.
Jiang Xiwen was always the last to leave at night and the first to arrive in the morning. She was used to being busy and couldn’t stay idle. The work at Mo Fish restaurant was much lighter than being a manager, and she didn’t feel tired, only that it was too leisurely.
Zhao Cheng drove Lin Jiu and Chang Bei Mu all the way to the city park. It wasn’t until they entered the underground base that Lin Jiu finally understood why his phone often lost service. Even without any signal blockers, the deep underground location made it difficult for signals to get through.
However, Lu Yu and Shi Shu Qing’s phones were exceptions, as they could usually receive his calls. Now that Si Xu was a captain, his phone would probably be able to receive calls anytime too.
Zhao Cheng led Lin Jiu into the training ground. As soon as they entered, the talking stopped, and everyone turned to look at the door.
Lin Jiu and Chang Bei Mu stood together, both with long black straight hair, cold expressions, and wearing masks. They really did look somewhat alike.
Some of the people resting outside the training room recognized Lin Jiu and approached him. “Boss, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
Lin Han’s eyes landed on the thermal box in Lin Jiu’s hands, a look of understanding in his eyes. He was convinced that the relationship between Boss Lin and Captain Si was not simple; after all, he had seen them kiss with his own eyes.
Surrounded by a small group, Lin Jiu walked inside, and Lin Han diligently brought over a chair. “Boss, have a seat and rest. Captain Si is busy and will be here soon.”
In the spacious training ground, some people gathered around Lin Jiu while others stood on the other side, watching him. They had all heard of Boss Lin but had never met him before. Since the higher-ups were prioritizing Team Seven, those who worked part-time at the Mo Fish restaurant were mostly from Team Seven, so many of them had never even been to the restaurant.
They had no choice but to comply with the higher-ups’ decisions, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have grievances. Everyone wanted to have great power, to become an Enhanced human. Besides the painful training, there was a simpler and quicker way to get stronger, yet they were left out just because they weren’t chosen by Captain Si. It was impossible not to feel resentful.
Lin Jiu ignored their stares and quietly waited for Si Xu to arrive.
Chang Bei Mu, who was going to spar with Zheng Yu Mo tonight, changed into her training clothes. As she passed the men’s changing room, she overheard voices inside.
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. Standing together, they really do look alike.”
“Do you think Captain Si chose Chang Bei Mu just because she resembles Boss Lin?”
“What else? Turning a reservist into an Enhanced human in such a short time isn’t easy.”
“That’s not fair. Look at Zhao Cheng and Huang Qi. They went to Mo Fish when they were still reservists, and now they’re on the verge of becoming Enhanced humans. And then there’s Weng Cheng. He was stuck at the last three minutes for half a year, and no matter what, he couldn’t get past it. But after a few visits to Mo Fish, he became an Enhanced human, and his ability is pretty strong. When will it be our turn?”
Someone laughed and joked, “If you have the money, you could follow Lin Han’s example. He paid to eat at Mo Fish and is now close to becoming an Enhanced human. He’s lucky, and we can’t compete with that.”
Chang Bei Mu paused for a moment, then turned back to the women’s changing room.
Lin Jiu stared at the most prominent black room, looking again and again, and asked Lin Han beside him, “Is that your training room?”
Lin Han nodded. “Yes, everyone’s strength is measured there. Go in and you’ll find out.”
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, “I heard Boss Lin is an Enhanced human too. Why not go in and give it a try?”
They had all heard about Zang Ye’s situation. Zang Ye was a powerhouse from Team One, but they didn’t dare gossip about him too much. They had only heard that Boss Lin’s ability had affected Zang Ye, leaving him in a daze for days before he recovered.
Everyone was curious about Boss Lin’s RT score.
Lin Han glanced at the people on the other side, knowing how envious they were of Team Seven now. When Weng Cheng had awakened his ability, it caused quite a stir in the base. Many thought Weng Cheng would never become an Enhanced human because he couldn’t get past those last three minutes. But after visiting Mo Fish a few times, he crossed that line and became an Enhanced human.
Weng Cheng’s good fortune had stirred envy in countless people.
Lin Jiu asked, “Can anyone go in and be tested?”
Lin Han replied, “It’s dangerous inside, so not everyone can enter. But since you’re an Enhanced human, it should be fine for you.”
Lin Jiu handed the thermal box to Lin Han. “I’ll go in and take a look.”
Zhao Cheng said, “You’ll need to change into training clothes. Boss, you can wear mine for now, is that okay?”
Lin Han kicked him lightly. “If the boss wears anything, it’ll be the captain’s training clothes. Yours aren’t qualified.”
Zhao Cheng: “…”
Lin Han smiled. “Boss, I’ll take you to get the captain’s clothes. His locker is never locked, so it’s easy to get them.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu hesitated. Was it really okay to wear Si Xu’s training clothes without his permission?
As he thought about it, he had already put them on. Si Xu’s training clothes were a bit large on Lin Jiu, whose body had remained the same as it was when he was 19—slim and delicate, with a youthful appearance.
Lin Jiu stepped out of the changing room and followed Lin Han and Zhao Cheng to the training room, where a group of people had gathered outside, eager to see Lin Jiu’s RT score.
The heavy metal door opened, and Lin Jiu squinted as the bright white light inside stung his eyes. After adjusting to the brightness, he walked in.
There were a few people sitting inside, and they all turned to look at the unfamiliar face that had just entered.
Under their gazes, Lin Jiu found a place to sit and waited for time to pass.
