Chapter 80 – Boss Lin is Going to Support
Si Qinian did not leave the base. He waited until Si Xu brought people back.
Si Qinian didn’t give Si Xu a warm welcome. As soon as he returned, he was dragged to the meeting room for a talk.
Now, the anxious one was Si Qinian. Si Xu, however, was in no rush.
Si Qinian: “Speak, what are your conditions?”
Si Xu: “There are still six doses. Shouldn’t we test them? What if the effects are unstable?”
Si Qinian: “…”
Si Qinian’s temple throbbed again. With these four doses successfully enhancing four second-phase individuals, there was no need for further testing.
Si Qinian, his face dark with anger, said, “I saw the effects. There’s no need for more testing. Tell me your conditions.”
Si Xu: “I want the energy crystal.”
Si Qinian almost thought he’d misheard. “What did you say?”
Si Xu: “I have the formula for the gene enhancer. As long as the formula is followed, gene enhancers can be made. I’m willing to exchange this formula for the energy crystal…”
“Si Xu!” Si Qinian shouted, “Are you crazy? What are you going to do with that thing?!”
Si Xu: “That’s none of your concern. This is my condition for the exchange.”
Si Qinian: “Impossible! The energy crystal of the ‘Special Security Department’ is untouchable!”
Si Xu: “Won’t you reconsider?”
Si Qinian: “There’s nothing to consider. No one would agree to that condition!”
Si Xu: “In that case, I will have to find a buyer willing to trade energy crystal.”
“Bang!”
Si Qinian slammed the table in anger. “You’ve lost your mind! If you dare take the formula out of the country, I’ll be the first to come after you!”
Si Xu stood up. “Without the energy crystal, no one can make me hand over the formula. Not even my father.”
Si Qinian was so furious he could barely breathe. He forced down his anger. “Change it—any other condition, and I can discuss it with the higher-ups. But this one is impossible. If we had spare unknown energy crystals, we would trade them, but we don’t!”
Si Xu replied, “It doesn’t necessarily have to be the one from the ‘Special Security Department.'”
Si Qinian retorted angrily, “If we could get other unknown energy crystals, would we still be waiting till now?!”
Si Xu: “That’s not my concern. I’ll only wait three days. If there’s no result in three days, I’ll go find someone else.”
Si Qinian was infuriated. “It’s one thing to say this in front of me, but if you say it outside, you’ll be detained in no time, believe me!”
Si Xu chuckled lightly. “If it comes to that, it won’t just be detainment. They’ll try to seize it, won’t they?”
Si Qinian: “…”
Si Qinian felt that if he spoke another word with this rebellious son, he would have a heart attack.
He waved his hand repeatedly, “Get out, out, out, leave immediately!”
Before leaving, Si Xu reminded him again, “I’ll only wait three days.”
“Get out!” Si Qinian threw something at him.
Si Qinian realized that there would be no outcome from continuing the discussion. Si Xu was dead set on the energy crystal.
Si Qinian understood how important this serum was for a country, but the energy crystal was equally important. Which to choose was a decision for the higher-ups.
If possible, Si Qinian naturally leaned toward the formula, which was faster, safer, and had more potential for the future. After all, energy crystals would eventually be depleted. Comparing the two, the formula was clearly better. However, even the best formula had limitations, such as detecting RT values and cultivating energy-infused crops…
Whatever Si Qinian thought, he could not express it first. After all, the person holding the formula was his son, and he had to avoid suspicion.
The next three days were anything but peaceful.
After much deliberation, the world’s nations finally decided to publicly announce the existence of enhanced individuals.
The public, having speculated for a long time, still felt uneasy when the official confirmation came.
Suddenly, the scientific world didn’t seem so scientific anymore. As enhanced individuals began to emerge, people were concerned about safety.
Along with the announcement of enhanced individuals, nations also introduced corresponding measures and regulations.
Anyone experiencing abnormal changes in their body must go to a designated department for testing and confirmation.
Those already confirmed as enhanced individuals must register with the designated department.
The enhanced individuals currently identified can be categorized into four major types:
Physical Enhancement, Mutation, Elemental, and Mental.
Among them, Physical Enhancement individuals are the most common. They display enhancements in specific physical abilities, such as speed, strength, jumping height, flexibility, and so on.”
“Mutant-type ability users are uncontrollable, and their powers are known for being bizarre. What they will transform into and what abilities they will possess are unpredictable.
Natural-type ability users have the power to control natural forces. They are few in number but extremely powerful.
Mental-type ability users operate primarily on a mental level, making their abilities and attacks difficult to defend against or control. Powerful mental-type users are extremely dangerous.
The news about ability users sparked widespread online discussion, and the workload of the ‘Special Security Department’ will only increase in the future.
During this busy period, the high-ranking officials of the ‘Special Security Department’ held several emergency meetings each day.
Si Xu was also busy, being called in for various talks. When the high-ranking officials of the ‘Special Security Department’ couldn’t come to an agreement, they brought in even higher leaders for discussions. Regardless of how many times they talked, Si Xu’s condition remained the same.
Give him the energy crystal, and he would give them the formula. It was that simple.
During these three days, Lin Jiu found himself with some free time. He only needed to provide three meals a day for eight people, all of them are magic meals. Seizing the opportunity, he even prepared late-night magic meals for them. Lin Jiu worked hard to complete his task.
As long as Si Xu had time during these three days, he would go to the Demon Fish Restaurant for meals and update Lin Jiu on the progress of the negotiations.
Si Xu was waiting, and so was Lin Jiu. The more times Si Xu was called in for discussions, the more it showed how much they valued the formula.
On the evening of the third day, just after the eight enhanced individuals finished their magic meals, Lin Jiu received a notification that his task was complete.
[Chef God System congratulates the host for completing the task of earning 20 million yuan! Reward: 10 magic points.]
[Chef God System congratulates the host for completing the task of selling 100 magic meals! Reward: 10 magic points, 1 wooden treasure chest.]
Although the magic points reward wasn’t much, the wooden treasure chest was crucial.
Lin Jiu used 300 reputation points from the Demon Fish Restaurant to exchange for three wooden treasure chests. Combined with the wooden treasure chests he had saved, he now had exactly 10.
Ten wooden treasure chests could be combined into one black iron treasure chest.
It was said that combined treasure chests had the highest chance of containing something good, so Lin Jiu pinned all his hopes on this combined chest.
Lin Jiu currently had two opportunities to draw blind boxes, which earned him one black iron treasure chest, plus the one he could combine into a black iron chest.
Lin Jiu didn’t rush to open the combined chest. He wanted to wait until he saw Si Xu to open it and share in Si Xu’s good luck.
Lin Jiu waited until late, but Si Xu didn’t show up, so he had to go to sleep.
In his sleep, Lin Jiu was startled awake by the sound of the door opening. He turned on the bedside lamp and saw a tall figure already entering.
Si Xu walked over, hugged him, and kissed his forehead repeatedly. “Did I wake you?”
Lin Jiu, still half-asleep, asked, “Why are you here at this hour?”
Si Xu handed him a small, finely crafted box. The material of the box was unclear.
Before Lin Jiu could ask, the system’s voice already told him what it was.
[Energy Collection System reminds the host: Magic crystal detected. Would you like to collect it?]
Lin Jiu was very surprised. He hadn’t expected Si Xu to actually obtain it, and in such a short time!
Si Xu said, “This box can prevent radiation leakage, so it’s best not to open it or take it out.”
Lin Jiu nodded, indicating he understood.
With so many residents in the building, Lin Jiu couldn’t afford to take risks with people’s lives.
Lin Jiu shifted over and made room on the bed. “Do you want to rest here?”
Si Xu looked longingly at the soft bed, but unfortunately, the situation didn’t allow it.
“No, I have to head to S City now.”
Lin Jiu glanced out the window. “Right now?”
Si Xu: “Yes, the situation is urgent. You should rest. I’m leaving.”
Lin Jiu didn’t even have a chance to ask why, as Si Xu had already left.
[Energy Collection System reminds the host: Magic crystal detected. Would you like to collect it?]
Lin Jiu: Collect.
The lid of the box suddenly popped open, and the magic crystal inside had already vanished before Lin Jiu even got a look at what it looked like.
[Magic crystal collected. Would you like to convert it?]
Lin Jiu: Convert.
[Magic crystal energy conversion in progress. Please wait…]
Lin Jiu was wide awake now. He opened the combined treasure chest.
Everything was riding on this moment!
Si Xu, bless me!
Open!
[Congratulations, host, for obtaining 1 vial of Primary Bloodline Purification Serum.]
Lin Jiu: “!!!”
Lin Jiu: “!!!!!”
Lin Jiu: “!!!!!!!!”
Lin Jiu wanted to shout, scream, and jump for joy!
After all this preparation, it finally paid off. It actually worked!
Worried about disturbing others, Lin Jiu restrained himself and rolled around on the bed for a while to calm down.
The Primary Bloodline Purification Serum was a potion, and without hesitation, Lin Jiu downed it in one go!
After waiting for a moment, there was no reaction.
Lin Jiu felt relieved. The Bloodline Purification Serum was probably different from the gene enhancer, with no strong sensations.
He checked the energy conversion progress and saw it was only at a few percent. It was still a long way from being fully converted.
Unable to sleep, Lin Jiu lay in bed playing with his phone.
His social media account was buzzing. Netizens were all discussing which category Boss Lin’s ability fell into. Most guessed it was physical enhancement, thinking Boss Lin’s arm strength must be incredible. Just look at how he wielded that metal harpoon with such ferocity—it was clear no ordinary person could do that.
Aside from curiosity about Boss Lin’s enhancement type, the most frequent topic of discussion was ‘How to become an enhanced individual.’
Countless people tagged Lin Jiu, asking if the food at the Mo Yu Restaurant could really grant superhuman abilities.
Lin Jiu didn’t respond, but many netizens replied on his behalf, and the answer was: Yes!
Many had seen reports from a while back about someone who gained strength abilities after eating several meals at the Mo Yu Restaurant. That report was later deleted. At that time, the news about superhuman abilities was still confidential. Now that it had been made public, this incident was brought back to light.
To many, gaining superhuman abilities seemed like the coolest thing ever. Countless people were now focused on the Mo Yu Restaurant, believing that eating there could give them superpowers. But this was definitely a misconception.
Lin Jiu specifically posted a status to clarify the situation.
Lin Jiu: Whether one can possess superpowers depends on their genetics, not the Mo Yu Restaurant!
Just after Lin Jiu posted this, he suddenly saw a push notification with a very eye-catching headline:
—”Massive Rainstorm in S City, Ocean Monsters Invading the City!”
This evening, a heavy rainstorm began in S City and continued for several hours. Mutated sea creatures swarmed onto the shore, prompting coastal areas of S City to sound alarms and prepare for emergency defenses. Under no circumstances could they allow the mutated sea creatures to enter the city!
Lin Jiu continued searching for news about S City, and several new videos popped up.
He immediately clicked on one to watch.
The video, taken in dim lighting, showed the face of a young woman in front of the camera. She was holding an umbrella and trying hard to speak louder than the sound of the rain.
“The rain is too heavy, and there aren’t many customers in the store, so we’re closing early today. I’m heading home now. Streaming while walking at night has become almost a habit for me. I’m pretty timid, and this makes me feel braver. If I run into any trouble, the viewers in the stream can call the police for me, hahaha…”
Suddenly, there was a loud “boom!”
From an empty spot in the frame, Lin Jiu saw a private car driving down the road that suddenly flew into the air and flipped over, crashing in the middle of the street.
A manhole cover then fell into place.
The camera shook violently, and the woman’s face disappeared from the frame, replaced by the overturned car.
Her anxious voice came through, “Someone’s had a car accident… Should I go help them?”
The woman cautiously approached the car. “The car… shouldn’t explode, right? Maybe I should just call an ambulance first…”
Her voice cut off abruptly as something dark suddenly shot out of the manhole a short distance ahead. The manhole was too small, and the creature emerging from it was too large. The steel ring of the sewer grate was stuck around the creature’s “neck,” and it lifted the surrounding ground as it forced its way out!
The woman seemed to be in shock, as the camera remained focused on the spot, unmoving, while more monsters crawled out from the opening.
The camera then shook violently as the woman let out a terrified scream, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps before the footage cut off.
Lin Jiu recognized the creature—it looked similar to the one he encountered outside the Mo Yu Restaurant, though this one was clearly much larger.
Lin Jiu clicked on another video. As soon as it opened, there were terrified shouts and loud banging sounds.
The footage showed two men in security uniforms holding a wooden door closed in the security room. With each impact, the door would open a crack, revealing glimpses of menacing fangs.
One of the security guards saw his colleague filming and angrily shouted, “Why the hell are you filming this?!?!”
The video ended.
Lin Jiu clicked on another video. The scene was chaotic, with the sounds of rain, shouting, screaming, and running footsteps all blending together. The camera was filled with people, and a man’s voice could be heard saying, “We’re evacuating. We thought we’d be safe here since we’re not near the coast, but it turns out even here isn’t safe…”
Suddenly, piercing screams filled the air, and the crowd began to run. The person filming was also running.
Amid the chaos, there were sounds of gunfire.
“A monster is charging this way…”
The video ended.
Even though Lin Jiu wasn’t at the scene, he could sense how urgent the situation was. Otherwise, Si Xu wouldn’t have rushed to S City overnight.
Lin Jiu lay in bed for a while, unable to sleep. He got up and started brewing plum wine and preparing magic meals, trying to stockpile as much as possible. He kept himself busy until dawn without feeling tired.
Since the restaurant was to open as usual today, Lin Jiu went to the store early to prepare.
The two servers were unfamiliar faces. When he asked, he learned that the Team Seven members had all gone to S City to assist.
Lin Jiu kept checking the news about S City. It had been raining heavily there for days, and the situation was dire.
At lunchtime, all the customers were discussing the disaster in S City.
Suddenly, someone asked, “Isn’t Boss Lin going to help in S City? People online are organizing free agents to go to S City for rescue efforts. I heard those who go can earn a 100,000 yuan reward.”
Lin Jiu frowned. “Who’s organizing this?”
The customer shook their head. “Not sure exactly, but I heard it’s a fishing crew with a license to capture.”
Another added, “The Blackbeard Fishing Crew.”
“Yeah, that’s the one. I heard they have strong backing, are highly capable, and their boss is filthy rich!”
Lin Jiu: “…”
The name of that fishing crew sounded like villains.
Lin Jiu didn’t like Blackbeard.
“In terms of financial power, the Little Harpoon Fishing Crew should be stronger, right? Their capabilities are also impressive.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
What kind of strange names were these?
If you didn’t know better, you’d think the Little Harpoon Fishing Crew was owned by Lin Jiu himself!
Someone continued to ask, “Boss Lin, aren’t you an enhanced person too? Aren’t you going to pitch in?”
A different customer objected, “Why should he go? Does Boss Lin need that 100,000 yuan?”
“It’s not about the money. It’s about contributing to the effort. If I were an enhanced person, I’d be out there helping already.”
“You’re only saying that because you’re not enhanced yourself.”
“How is that a cheap shot? I regularly volunteer in disaster areas…”
Lin Jiu ignored their bickering and took out his phone to check the news from S City.
The disaster had already made the news, and when Lin Jiu clicked on the latest update, a photo nearly filled his screen. A massive creature was mostly hidden underwater, but the bone spurs visible above the surface were taller than a human.
Enhanced individuals were desperately trying to stop the monster from coming ashore. Several enhanced individuals had already been injured, and one had been killed.
Lin Jiu’s heart tightened. Who had died? Did he know them?
He was deeply worried about Si Xu.
With a tight expression, Lin Jiu put away his phone and turned to the customer still arguing, “I think you’re absolutely right. The more people helping, the better. So, I’m going to S City as a volunteer.”
All the customers: “…”
“But wait, if you go, what about dinner?”
“All you care about is food! Is dinner really that important compared to saving lives?”
“It is important! You don’t understand the pain of being unlucky! After struggling to reserve a spot, I finally got both a lunch and dinner reservation today. If Boss Lin leaves, what happens to my dinner?!”
“Boss Lin, you better not go. It’s too dangerous over there. The monsters eat people, and even guns can’t kill them. It’s terrifying.”
Mentioning guns reminded Lin Jiu that he had one, though unfortunately, he didn’t have any magic-powered bullets.
Lin Jiu said, “I’ll make up for dinner when I get back.”
Someone muttered quietly, “What if you don’t come back?”
Lin Jiu sneered, “Then you better pray I come back safely, or the Mo Yu Restaurant will close for good.”
The customers: “…”
“Boss Lin, you really shouldn’t go. With your skinny arms and legs, you won’t even be a mouthful for the monsters.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t go and get in the way of the rescue teams. Just stay here.”
“This place is your battleground. You’re supposed to be support, so why are you trying to go to the front lines?”
Lin Jiu: “I’ve already made up my mind.”
Lin Jiu: “Sister Wen, I’m leaving the shop to you. I’m going.”
Jiang Xiwen: “…”
The customers: “…”
“Boss Lin, aren’t you going to reconsider?!”
But Lin Jiu had already run out.
“Boss Lin, where are you going?” Fu Jiu asked as he approached from the parking lot.
“I’m heading to S City. Where’s your car? Take me to the airport.”
Fu Jiu: “…”
