Chapter 101

Chapter 101

After all the dishes were served, Cong Ao casually introduced them, making it seem unintentional.

"This radish soup is a new dish at the Shennong Star Restaurant, and it tastes very delicious. Miss Hao, Mr. Jin, do give it a try."

Cong Ao turned the radish soup towards Yun Wan, who tapped her fingers lightly, scooped some into her bowl, and tasted it.

The radish was from Shennong Star, but this dish was not a new item at the Shennong Star Restaurant.

Noticing Yun Wan's lack of response, Cong Ao slapped his head. "Oh, my apologies, I got it wrong. This radish soup isn't from Shennong Star. I'm embarrassed in front of Mr. Jin!"

Yun Wan glanced at him. "Actually, I prefer to be called 'Baba.'"

Hearing this, Cong Ao couldn't tell if Yun Wan was joking or serious.

"Sounds more commanding than 'Mr. Jin,' doesn't it?" Yun Wan tilted her head and asked.

Cong Ao's face twisted as if in discomfort. "It is quite commanding."

Even the hierarchy had doubled! What kind of parents would give such a name?

Cong Ao still wanted to discuss the dishes, but the thought of calling this person 'Baba' made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"...Ba..." He opened his mouth several times, but the two words still couldn't come out.

Yun Wan gave him an encouraging look, and he began to suspect that this man had forged a certificate just to mess with him.

"Mr. Ba, being from Shennong Star, must have dined at the Shennong Star Restaurant often. I heard the taste there is quite good," Cong Ao found a compromise in addressing.

Yun Wan lowered her eyes. What a waste of expression—no one dared to call her by her name?

"I'm not sure, I haven't heard of it," Yun Wan said.

"How can that be? Aren't you from Shennong Star? You haven't heard of it?" Cong Ao raised his voice.

"Am I supposed to know? Is the Lord that interested in Shennong Star? Why do you know more about it than I do?" Yun Wan leisurely retorted while talking to Cong Ao and tasting each dish.

Though not as good as the Shennong Star Restaurant, it was still quite tasty. The standout feature was the innovative dishes, which kept the ingredients' freshness intact. It must have been costly; it appeared the Lord of Liuhong Star went all out for this banquet.

Yun Wan was a hard nut to crack; no matter how Cong Ao tried to probe, she just wouldn't take the bait. After some eating and drinking, he still couldn't extract any useful information from her.

The more he didn't know about this person's background, the more Cong Ao wanted to figure it out. If he couldn't get any information, someone else could.

His eyes darkened briefly, and he signaled to a nearby soldier, issuing a few commands. Soon, a troupe of dancers entered the hall, gracefully beginning their performance.

Hao Li and Yun Wan exchanged looks and watched with keen interest. Lu Huai recognized the lead dancer, Cong Ruyi, and emitted a vague "tsk."

As the music reached its climax, the dancers' movements became even more graceful. With a twirl, Cong Ruyi dodged Hao Li and landed in Yun Wan's arms.

With a beauty in her arms, her bright eyes slightly moist, Cong Ruyi stood up in a panic. "I'm sorry, guest, I slipped accidentally."

Yun Wan pinched her hand. "It's fine. It's an honor to have a beauty grace me."

She crossed her legs, like a playboy among thousands of flowers.

Lu Huai let out another almost imperceptible "tsk."

"Hahaha, a beauty for a hero. If Mr. Ba fancies her, feel free to take Ruyi to your room for a nice chat."

Even though Yun Wan had known Ruyi was Cong Ao's subordinate, his actions still disgusted her.

Before she could decide whether to refuse or accept the offer, she heard Lu Huai click his tongue as if enjoying the show.

Is this ever going to end?

"Tsk tsk tsk, calling her a dog?" Yun Wan glared at him irritably, "Do you like her? Why don't you take her home? The lord is generous, just ask him, he'll surely agree!" (Note: "Baba" is a term of endearment or respect in this context.)

Lu Huai suppressed a laugh, but before he could say anything, Cong Ruyi anxiously called out, "Baba... sir!"

Glaring at Lu Huai who was gloating, Yun Wan gently comforted Ruyi, "I was just joking, such a beautiful woman is, of course, mine, Jin Baba!"

Yun Wan wrapped her arm around Ruyi's waist, then felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Thank you, lord, for the gift of such beauty. I'll take her back now for a good chat."

Yun Wan's eager demeanor made Cong Ao's expression improve considerably.

Even the toughest person has a weakness; his half-sister, the delicate one, might actually be of some use.

He hoped Jin Baba had no connection to Shennong Star and wasn't here for the Z3458 star people. He also hoped the weapon theft really had nothing to do with them.

But why did they act so nervous when his men searched the rooms? It felt like they were hiding something...

*

Inside the tunnel.

For the first time, the second-class subjects activated the energy sources, illuminating the tunnel brightly.

The Black Rock Bees were neatly aligned in mid-air inside the tunnel, their buzzing deafening, yet the second-class subjects felt no irritation. As the Black Rock Bees methodically stacked the transported materials in front of them, the second-class subjects looked at the small mountain of dark root-like objects and lovely red-pink plants, along with a large disc that floated automatically in mid-air. Finally, the Black Rock Bees held up a white note hanging in front of Luo Jie.

Luo Jie took the note, which clearly stated the usage methods of these items.

"Angelica, a sacred medicine for replenishing blood, used to treat external injuries and replenish blood," Luo Jie read aloud, identifying the Angelica from the abstract hand-drawn pictures on the note, and instructed Xiao Jin to bring some injured persons to test its effects.

The injured person brought by Xiao Jin was named Qiang Zi, known for his great strength, originally one of the main combatants. However, after narrowly escaping the siege on Liuhong Star, he injured a leg. Their medical conditions were so poor that Qiang Zi's leg repeatedly worsened and festered; only amputation could save his life.

But amputation would require a hospital visit, which would mean certain death, not treating the leg would also mean death. Qiang Zi chose the latter; he didn't want to die on Liuhong Star's soil, nor did he want to see those noble faces again.

When Xiao Jin summoned him, Qiang Zi was still in a daze.

"Why did you bring Qiang Zi here?" Luo Jie's tone carried a hint of reproach.

"Qiang Zi really needs this," Xiao Jin insisted.

Luo Jie sighed, glanced at Qiang Zi, whose face was as pale as paper, and whispered to Xiao Jin, "Do you think he can handle any more shocks?"

They were unsure of the effectiveness of Angelica's blood-replenishing properties. If it didn't work as hoped, giving Qiang Zi false hope would be too cruel.

Xiao Jin remained silent.

"Alright, let's give it a try."

Since he was already here, Luo Jie couldn't let him leave without trying.

Qiang Zi cooperated with the drug test, opening his mouth when told, drinking water when instructed, slowly chewing the Angelica. A bitter taste spread through his mouth, making him feel nauseous. Despite the awful taste, he endured the nausea and swallowed it, then gulped down a mouthful of water after eating one Angelica.

He held no hope for this herb; even going to the hospital for surgery and taking special-effect drugs barely saved his life. How effective could this unrefined, natural herb be?

Facing the expectant eyes of his companions, Qiang Zi wanted to say not to waste their efforts, that they couldn't defeat the nobles, and these herbs were useless... but suddenly, a strong surge of heat flowed from his abdomen, his blood rushed upwards, straight to the top of his head, forcing him to spurt two streams of nose blood.

"What the heck happened?!"

"Qiang Zi, how do you feel?!"

A group of people curiously gathered around Qiang Zi. A mediocre doctor from the second-class subjects examined him, his calm face slightly tense. He trembled excitedly, his lips quivering, "His complexion has improved a lot, his lips aren't pale anymore. Is the pain any better?"

Qiang Zi quickly wiped away the nosebleed and tentatively moved his injured leg. His eyes suddenly widened in shock, "I can't feel it!"

"Ah? How could that be?" The doctor was puzzled. He gently pressed Qiang Zi's leg and felt the pulsating blood vessels, "It seems fine."

"Oh, no, no, I mean it doesn't hurt anymore. My leg still has sensation!" Qiang Zi trembled as he hugged his leg, excitedly patting it a couple of times.

The doctor stopped him, "Stay calm, patient! We're not done with the examination yet!"

The doctor unwrapped the simple bandage on Qiang Zi's leg, revealing the tender, newly healed skin beneath the dirty bandage. Everyone gasped in amazement.

"Qiang Zi, why don't you try walking a few steps!" The voice was barely controlled.

Qiang Zi nodded, leaned against the wall, and stood up. He cautiously extended his right foot, touched the ground with his toes, then firmly placed his entire foot down. He stomped a few times, the force kicking up dust. Then he tentatively took a few steps and finally leaped several feet in the air with joy.

"No problem, it's completely healed. It even feels stronger than before, and I feel more powerful!" Due to his overwhelming excitement, the nosebleed started again uncontrollably.

"Oh my god, what a shame!" The doctor lamented.

"It's okay, I feel like I have enough blood. Losing a little is no big deal!" Qiang Zi wiped the blood while comforting the doctor. He grinned from ear to ear.

"Do you think I care about a few drops of blood? I'm talking about the Angelica! You clearly went overboard with the blood tonic! Don't eat so much next time! You ate enough for several people, of course you feel great!"

The doctor's words made Luo Jie lower his head in guilt. It was he who told Qiang Zi to eat one piece. He hadn't expected this thing to truly live up to its reputation as a blood-replenishing miracle!

"The Angelica works wonders. It could even revive the dead and regenerate flesh. I wonder if it could regrow missing limbs... I remember Yuan Yuan's hand was broken. I'll take some to try on her." As the doctor spoke, he took a small piece of Angelica and immediately went to test its effects.

Yuan Yuan was a ten-year-old girl living outside the tunnel. The doctor had to go out for a while, so Luo Jie continued to examine the other items.

"Pantao, after consumption, one can activate the Mountain Gate Grand Array, but cannot pilot a mech. The Mountain Gate Grand Array is limited to the leader's use and can be used to ambush enemies. Remember, it is ineffective against robots."

These two items complemented each other. The incantation was easy to learn, but the ambush effect was unknown. This thing had to be set up in a specific location, which was crucial. They needed to think carefully about where to place it.

"There's a cliff peak in the western district. The terrain is rugged, ideal for an ambush," someone suggested.

Prompted by her reminder, Luo Jie also remembered that place. It was indeed a strategic location, easy to defend and hard to attack. The Mountain Gate Grand Array could be set up there.

The last item was something Luo Jie was familiar with—rainbow candy. But this time, besides ten white candies, there were also ten gray misfortune candies.

Luo Jie considered this candy the ultimate treasure. The Lord had generously handed out twenty pieces. If they didn't win this tough battle, he would feel like he had let down the Lord's support!

He had already witnessed the effects of the lucky candy. The misfortune candy couldn't be far behind.

In just a quarter of an hour, Luo Jie's mind was filled with countless battle strategies. After discussions with the second-class subjects, they settled on the most effective one.

"Team one, led by me, will go to the western district to set up the ambush. Team two will disguise themselves as a logistics team and deliver some peaches to the Liuhong Star mech team. Xiao Jin, contact the mole in the Lord of Liuhong Star's residence and distribute the misfortune candies. We'll use the lucky candies at the right moment. Let's aim to take down Liuhong Star in one go!"