CH 137

The safe return of the little gray rat brought relief to many, but of course, there were those who remained restless. In Shi An’an’s eyes, a hint of unhidden shock and panic appeared.

Shi An’an watched the massive owl land, and it was evident that this owl was also a mutated creature. So why didn’t it frenzy when it got close to the gray rat? Could it be that the potion had no effect on owls? It couldn’t be true; items sold in the system market had never failed before. Shi An’an’s inner turmoil stemmed not only from the gray rat’s safe return but also from the failure of the system’s sold items. After all, the latter was his greatest reliance for survival.

No matter how hard Shi An’an thought, he couldn’t figure out where the problem lay. According to his plan, the gray rat was not supposed to survive.

The gray rat was besieged not only by the mutated forest wolves but also by all the mutated creatures it encountered while fleeing. The potion on the gray rat should have made all the encountered mutated creatures go into a frenzy. As a result, not only would the gray rat not survive, but the forest wolves pursuing it would also be killed by the frenzied mutated creatures until the effects of the potion wore off in twenty-four hours.

In this way, the original forest wolf territory would be cleared out. Even if one or two forest wolves miraculously survived, returning to that residential area would be an easy task for the Fei Luo Base team to handle.

Shi An’an’s move could be described as hitting multiple birds with one stone. It allowed him to shift the blame onto the gray rat, “accidentally” discover the residential area while escaping, apply for compensation, eliminate the original resident forest wolves in the area, create a rift between the Shui Jing Gong and the mutated creatures, and facilitate the growth of Fei Luo Base. Of course, it also served to get rid of a team member within the base who was always opposed to him.

These calculations combined were enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. As Shi An’an progressed, his mind had become even more meticulous, and his character had grown colder. Not to mention a mutated rat, even a person was not considered much in his eyes.

While Shi An’an was pondering countermeasures, the little gray rat had already been chattering away and gesturing to Shu Shuishui to explain the situation.

However, while the excited little gray rat was gesticulating wildly, Shu Shuishui suddenly picked it up and carefully sniffed it, then furrowed his brows.

Shu Shuishui smelled something unusual on the little gray rat, though it wasn’t a specific scent. Although he didn’t know what it was, he was certain that there was something on the rat.

“Cheng Que, can you run a test on the kid? It seems like there’s something on its body,” Shu Shuishui requested.

Upon hearing about the incident involving the gray rat, Cheng Que had left the laboratory, which was a rare occurrence for him. He instinctively took out a sealed plastic bag to put the little gray rat into.

The little gray rat recoiled from the plastic bag, finding it unfriendly.

Cheng Que realized this and put the plastic bag back in his pocket. Instead, he extended his hand toward the little gray rat.

The little gray rat looked at Cheng Que, then back at Shu Shuishui. Encouraged by Shu Shuishui’s reassuring gaze, it opened its two small paws. Cheng Que took the little gray rat and hurried towards the dock, heading for the laboratory on the ship.

Curious gazes from the onlookers followed them until Cheng Que’s figure disappeared from sight. Their attention then refocused on the Fei Luo Base team.

Shi An’an, who initially displayed a brief emotional outburst upon seeing the little gray rat, had now returned to his composed state. “Since the gray rat is fine, can we leave now? It seems like we are the only ones who lost a team member.”

Despite Shi An’an’s desire to leave, he was blocked by Gu Langu, and the atmosphere instantly became tense once again.

Shi An’an coldly spoke up, “What does this mean? Is the Shui Jing Gong planning to bully the smaller ones?”

Shu Shuishui nodded from the side. “Exactly.”

Shi An’an sighed internally. The gap between himself and Gu Langu was considerable, and considering the challenges he might face in the future, he decided to cooperate. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

This unexpected turn of events caught everyone by surprise, especially the members of Fei Luo Base, who seemed anxious and might have wanted to dissuade Shi An’an. However, he remained calm and said, “It’s okay. I believe that after the investigation, the Shui Jing Gong will handle this fairly. Otherwise, how can they gain the trust of the masses in the future?”

Shu Shuishui interjected curiously, “The masses? But in the future, the Shui Jing Gong will just plant trees. Why do they need to gain the trust of the masses?”

Everyone present was left in confusion, as it seemed Shu Shuishui and Shi An’an had completely different ways of thinking.

The Shui Jing Gong members were also bewildered by this conversation. It was clear that Shu Shuishui had a unique perspective, focusing solely on tree planting.

Shi An’an, who had always been accustomed to having things go his way, was taken away. He found himself in a separate room, waiting for the Shui Jing Gong representatives to question him. However, to his surprise, he waited all night, but no one came to ask him anything.

He began to feel that something was amiss, but this feeling was baseless, so he dismissed it.

What Shi An’an forgot was that Shu Shuishui was an entirely unpredictable person who didn’t follow conventional logic. So, this unexpected situation caught him off guard.

Meanwhile, Cheng Que, who had taken the little gray rat into the laboratory, stayed up all night conducting various tests and experiments.

“This peculiar substance is not a gas but a unique material that radiates outward. It rapidly decays and disperses after twenty-four hours. However, coincidentally, the function of the palm-sized Lotus conflicts with it. When combined, the energy stabilizes and can be preserved. With this energy and the palm-sized Lotus, we have comprehensively deciphered the cause of the mutation in the mutant creatures. I can say that I’m holding the answer to the original problem, and in the slowest scenario, I’ll be able to develop a vaccine to suppress the mutation of mutant creatures within a month…”

The light in Cheng Que’s eyes was astonishing, and even Shu Shuishui, who only understood the last sentence, was influenced by Cheng Que’s excitement. “Xiao Cheng Cheng, you must be thrilled.”

Cheng Que vigorously nodded. He was indeed thrilled, more than he had ever been before. He had never imagined that the insurmountable challenge he faced in his previous life, even under such favorable experimental conditions, would be conquered on the harsh Cang Zhan Star, and that he would personally be the one to decipher it.

Cheng Que was so moved that he almost wanted to cry. This kind of emotion made his heart, which had become as hard as iron through the vicissitudes of life, melt. “Shui Shui, thank you so much, truly.”

Shu Shuishui extended his hand and patted Cheng Que’s head, offering his unique brand of comfort. “Keep up the good work, Xiao Cheng Cheng. I also have to thank you.”

Gu Langu approached from behind and took Shu Shuishui’s hand. With a slap on Cheng Que’s shoulder, he applied too much force, causing Cheng Que to step back several paces and out of the room.

Gu Langu looked at his own hand. “Sorry, I got too excited and didn’t control my strength.”

Cheng Que didn’t mind at all. “It’s alright. I’m going back to continue my experiments. Shui Shui, rest assured, I’ll research the vaccine as quickly as possible!”

Although Shu Shuishui wanted to say that sleep was the most important thing, it was clear that Cheng Que wouldn’t be able to sleep at a time like this. So, he gave up and said after a moment, “Let’s go, Gu Gu. We’ll go find Xiao Feng Feng.”

Gu Langu nodded and followed Shu Shuishui.

On the other hand, Xie Feng had just woken up and, upon hearing Shu Shuishui’s intentions, assured him that scientists like them were used to this and that Cheng Que wasn’t as fragile as they might think. However, out of curiosity about the vaccine, Xie Feng said he would visit Cheng Que’s laboratory after having breakfast.

Meanwhile, on the Shui Jing Gong’s side, Shi An’an, feeling somewhat uneasy, had finished his breakfast. The Shui Jing Gong members hadn’t taken any action yet, and even the breakfast was varied and delicious. However, this only intensified Shi An’an’s unease.

Finally, at noon, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu arrived.

Shi An’an suppressed his anxiety and sat calmly in his chair, maintaining his composure.

After Shu Shuishui entered, he waved and greeted, “Hello, I’m Shu Shuishui. Can you hear me?”

Shi An’an was puzzled. This phrase sounded very familiar; not long ago, Shu Shuishui had greeted him in the same way. Although it seemed directed at him, it also felt like Shu Shuishui was talking to someone else. This feeling was too eerie. “Mr. Shu, what do you mean?”

“Don’t be nervous; I’m simply saying hello to the system.” Shu Shuishui spoke calmly.

One sentence was enough to change Shi An’an’s expression drastically. In an instant, he was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, extremely cautious. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“No matter the form of alliance, it’s essentially a contract, but contracts where the two sides have unequal power can never last. Your system is preparing to kill you. Haven’t you noticed?”

Every hair on Shi An’an’s body seemed to stand on end as he stared at Shu Shuishui in horror. “What are you saying?”

“In simple terms, you no longer meet the conditions of the contract, so the system intends to change hosts. So, either you voluntarily terminate the contract or it will automatically terminate after your death. The system is no longer providing services for you. It may seem like it’s because of the failure of the previous world’s mission, but why did the mission fail? Is the punishment for failure really the system shutting down its services? How can you, in your weakness, determine that everything the system says is true?” Shu Shuishui had always been interested in Shi An’an’s system. In the dream world, that system had always operated in a business-like manner, seemingly just data or a machine. But was it really so?

“Thinking of yourself as the chosen one, ignoring the system’s power, thinking that the contract is entirely fair, but in a situation of unequal strength, what can you use to discuss fairness with others? Is a human soul so precious? In three thousand worlds, among countless living beings, who is more special than whom? Even slowly, you placed yourself above the system, above all living beings, above the world. Those who ascend and transcend tribulations still show respect, and you… what do you respect?” Shu Shuishui’s speech was neither rushed in pace nor any different in tone than usual. This was a simple statement, but it made Shi An’an feel like a thousand pounds were pressing down on him, and he could barely maintain his posture.