Chapter 104: Change of Tone (Revised)

Chapter 104: Retraction (Revised)

A loud explosion jolted Charles out of his thoughts. He pushed open the door and hurried out of the command center. Before he could even step outside, he saw the Deputy Commander rushing toward him. Spotting Charles, the Deputy Commander immediately reported, "Commander-in-Chief Charles, another superpowered individual controlled by a Psychic Superpowered zombie has self-destructed. We were incredibly lucky—the person triggered the Psychic Superpower trigger outside. If they had entered the command center, we'd all be finished."

Charles' face turned as dark as a storm cloud. He demanded, "What about those Psychic Superpowered? Weren’t they supposed to guard the entrance? Everyone entering or exiting the command center is required to undergo a Psychic Superpower scan. Only those cleared as safe are allowed in. How did another infected superpowered slip through?"

The Deputy Commander forced a bitter smile. "Chief Charles, we followed your orders and stationed Psychic Superpowered at the entrance. But even so, not all superpowered individuals implanted with zombie mental suggestions can be detected."

"Why can’t they detect them?" Charles snapped.

The Deputy Commander hesitated before answering, "If the zombie that implanted the mental suggestion has higher psychic superpower than our Psychic Superpowered, it can fool our Mental Scanners."

"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!" Charles bellowed. "Those Psychic Superpowered promised me that once their psychic superpower reached max level, they could perform miracles. Fine, I gave them everything—unlimited zombie psychic energy and Superpowered Crystal Cores. I fed them until they were well-fed and powerful, their psychic superpower maxed out. And now, at max level, they dare tell me they can’t detect zombie mental suggestions?"

The Deputy Commander didn’t dare argue with the enraged Charles. In his fury, Charles was irrational—he would kill without hesitation.

Charles continued his rant. "They can’t crack the brain of an ordinary, non-superpowered woman from the Capital City Base, and they can’t replicate any of their research breakthroughs! Nutrient agents, healing pods, Mental Scanners, holograms—they can’t produce any of it! What the hell are these Psychic Superpowered good for?"

Factories in Luoshi Base were burning midnight oil. The entire base had just been raided by zombies, and everyone expected a period of hardship. Yet, before suffering could set in, holograms arrived. Overtime production followed, and before they knew it, their wallets were full, their bellies not empty. Luoshi Base seemed more prosperous than before the apocalypse.

They also realized the benefits of joining the Capital City Base. Nutrient agents that once cost dozens per dose now cost just a few or a dozen credits—dirt cheap. But the most enviable was the holo-tech. Buying a holo-terminal and a holographic helmet in their own base cost at most two to three months' wages, while outsiders had to pay double. Six months' pay for a set was considered a steal.

The base’s official external pricing even reached a year’s wages, reviving a pre-apocalypse profession—scalpers. Many would secure internal purchase prices from the base and resell to outsiders at half the official price. The only downside was no after-sales service, yet people still scrambled to buy.

He Tao returned cheerfully from outside and went to the research institute to find Ji An. "Researcher Ji, do these clean, untainted plants and animals meet the requirements?"

After arriving at Luoshi Base, Ji An had expanded his business of collecting uninfected flora and fauna. Those familiar with him knew he was the one purchasing these items and would keep an eye out for him.

Ji An replied, "Thank you. These are exactly what I need. If you find more, please bring them to me. I can offer any supplies in exchange, as long as I have them."

He Tao waved his hand with a grin. "Researcher Ji, no need for that. Just provide me with more Mental Scanners and terminals. You have no idea how crazy people outside are for them."

Ji An smiled. "As long as you can get uninfected plants and animals, these won’t be a problem." He retrieved several terminals and Mental Scanners from his space—he was their developer and had an endless supply.

He Tao accepted them gleefully. "Researcher Ji, you’re like a Santa Claus of wealth! The money I’ve made as a scalper these past few months surpasses what I earned as Commander-in-Chief in Haishi Base all those years."

Ji An chuckled. "There are even more opportunities to earn ahead."

He Tao nodded. "Researcher Ji, I won’t disturb you further. I’ll head out."

"Alright." Ji An acknowledged and had his team screen the uninfected specimens. Occasionally, mutated ones were found and discarded, but most remained untainted.

After verifying their safety, Ji An stored them in his space, noting that the ambient energy had grown denser. The *Magic Spring* had evolved into a river. With more marine life collected, it could even form an ocean.

Ji An’s terminal rang. The device functioned like a phone, replicating all its features. He answered the video call, and Gu Jinsheng’s image appeared mid-air.

Ji An smiled warmly. "Jinsheng, got a break now?"

Gu Jinsheng replied, "For now. What about you? Any progress on the new experiment?"

Ji An nodded. "Still crunching data."

Gu Jinsheng asked, "There have been a lot of scalpers reselling goods in the base recently. Should we do something about it?"

Ji An shook his head and said, "No need to intervene. It doesn’t matter—let them resell. In the end, we’re the ones making the profit. Besides, even if they get their hands on the holo-terminals, it’s not like they can use them freely."

In T Base, Wan Hong finally managed to purchase several terminals at a high price from scalpers and hurried over to Dewitt, presenting them like prized treasures.

"Commander-in-Chief Dewitt, I got the terminals!" Wan Hong beamed.

"Really?" Dewitt stood up from his chair excitedly and walked toward Wan Hong, even cracking a rare smile. "Good job," he praised.

Wan Hong was flattered and quickly replied, "You’re too kind. This is just what I should do."

Dewitt’s compliment was just offhand. He took the terminals from Wan Hong and asked, "How does this thing work?"

Wan Hong himself wasn’t sure either, so he looked up a terminal manual online on his phone before figuring it out.

"Hit the power button here. Once it’s on, you just need to enter your ID details," Wan Hong instructed Dewitt on how to register his details. Of course, Dewitt couldn’t use his real identity—he entered fake information instead.

Finally, Wan Hong added, "You’ll also need to put a drop of blood on this part of the terminal, then put on the helmet for an iris scan."

Dewitt frowned. "Why the blood?"

"It’s for genetic registration. Each terminal can only be used by one person, directly bound to the genetic data of the registrant."

Dewitt grumbled, "What a pain."

Despite his complaints, Dewitt obediently went through the genetic and iris verification. Just as he eagerly awaited the results, the terminal suddenly emitted an ear-splitting alarm—like a Code Red sounded during a base attack.

"We regret to inform you that your genetic and iris test results indicate European ancestry, which does not meet the criteria for terminal usage. Terminals are for China citizens only. The method by which you obtained this terminal may be unlawful, and the terminal will now enter hibernation. However, if you are a European who has acquired China citizenship, please contact the manufacturer immediately for unlocking and registration."

Europeans and Asians can be distinguished through genetic testing. The blood drop on the test strip at the terminal's port is used to monitor genes and differentiate between Asians and Europeans.

Dewitt's face darkened as he glared at Wan Hong with a menacing expression. "What does this mean?"

Wan Hong explained, "I don’t know. I haven’t used it before either. I just got it and immediately brought it to you."

Dewitt said coldly, "Now you try it."

Wan Hong's hands shook as he pricked his finger, dropping his blood onto the terminal and undergoing an iris scan. *Beep beep beep—* "Your genetic and iris test results indicate you are Asian. However, your identity is detected as Wan Hong, current Commander-in-Chief of T Base now affiliated with M Base, and no longer a former citizen of China. Therefore, your identity does not meet the conditions for terminal use, and access is denied. The terminal is not available to non-Chinese citizens. How you got this terminal might be illegal, and the terminal will enter hibernation mode. Of course, if you are a European who has acquired Chinese citizenship, you may immediately contact the manufacturer to unlock and register the terminal."

Wan Hong’s face instantly turned ashen.

Dewitt snapped, "You idiot! When did your blood sample get leaked? Didn’t you even notice?"

The fact that the terminal could instantly identify Wan Hong through his blood meant that the capital city base had long possessed his blood data and preemptively uploaded it to the terminal, preemptively flagged him.

"Go find someone from the mainland in your base and see if they can use it."

There were many mainlanders in T Base, stranded there for various reasons, so it was easy to find one.

Following the same steps as before, this time the identity verification passed. Both Dewitt and Wan Hong exchanged dark looks.

Dewitt didn’t let the user log off immediately. Instead, he took advantage of their login to investigate and discovered how far behind they were in getting the terminal. Currently, the number of terminal users had already reached hundreds of thousands, including even regular civilians.

Dewitt glanced at the rankings. The top of the psychic abilities leaderboard was Ji An, followed by Gu Jinsheng, Owen, and Wan Xueying. The combat power rankings also placed Ji An first, Gu Jinsheng second, Owen third...

These names were all too familiar. Dewitt hadn’t expected them to boldly use their real names on the terminal—the sheer nerve of it.

Dewitt ordered, "Challenge Ji An. I want to see if it’s really him."

The person complied, but Ji An was offline. The terminal prompted that Ji An only logs in twice a week, for one hour each time—half an hour for guidance and half an hour to accept challenges.

Wan Hong gritted his teeth and said, "Such an arrogant style must undoubtedly be Ji An himself. But while it makes sense for him to rank first in psychic abilities, how is he also first in combat power? How could Gu Jinsheng, that useless fool, lose to a mid-tier psychic?"

Dewitt said coldly, "It's not that he can't win—it's just some lovers' game."

At the same time, Charles also obtained a terminal and encountered the exact same problem: having the terminal but being unable to log in. Charles' serpentine eyes gleamed coldly as he ordered, "Bring that woman from the capital city base here."

Soon, Tang Tang was brought in. She was now so emaciated that even Ji An wouldn’t recognize her if he stood before her.

Charles tossed a terminal down and said, "Try logging her in."

Tang Tang was like a soulless puppet, letting the assistant manipulate her. After completing the process, the assistant shook his head at Charles. "It won’t log in. The prompt says this woman is named Tang Tang, the developer’s sworn enemy, so she’s denied access."

Charles suddenly smiled. "It seems we’ve caught a treasure. This Tang Tang must know some major secret of Ji An’s, which is why he’s targeting her so harshly."

"Take her back and treat her well—don’t let her die. Look at the state we’ve left our guest in—that won’t do. And as I said before, for every day her mind stays closed, I’ll kill one psychic super. Has today’s been dealt with?"

Meanwhile, the capital city base dispatched numerous fighter jets to airdrop terminals over major foreign bases. The jets would circle above these bases, drop some terminals, and vanish into thin air.

Regarding this action, He Tao asked in confusion, "Researcher Ji, why are we distributing terminals to these bases? Aren’t our terminals not meant for foreigners?"

Ji An explained, "These terminals were never meant for foreigners—they’re for our own people in China.

Many of our people are stuck overseas—not because they don’t want to return, but because they can’t yet. Their loyalty remains with China, and one day, we’ll bring them back."

"Bring them back?" He Tao was taken aback by these words, sensing that Ji An might be planning something even bigger.

After handling matters at the Luo City base, Gu Jinsheng and the others returned to the capital city base. Zhou Qin, along with top-tier supers from the base, was already waiting at the airport.

As they landed and exchanged greetings, many couldn’t help but steal glances at Ji An.

Ji An naturally knew why they were looking at him this way—it was because of Gu Jinsheng’s firework proposal stunt that night at the Luo City base, which had spread back to the base, hence their reactions.

Zhou Qin grinned playfully and joked, "Boss and Divine Ji, when’s the wedding after this return?"

Zhou Qin expected Ji An to answer, but to everyone’s surprise, Gu Jinsheng—who usually avoided speaking—replied this time, "We’ll check the almanac and pick an auspicious date. You’ll all be invited to Xiao An’s and my wedding."

The crowd’s curious stares could no longer be restrained, all turning to Ji An. If not for Gu Jinsheng’s presence, they would’ve broken into excited chatter on the spot.

Zhou Qin gaped. "Boss… are you really the boss? Have you not been mind-controlled by something? Why do you seem so unlike yourself? The old you wasn’t like this."

Wan Xueying said, "Love. The boss has been mind-controlled by love—something no psychic, no matter how strong, can break."

That evening, a surprise guest (though not entirely unexpected) arrived at Ji An’s villa—Gu Jinsheng’s mother, Dai Xin.

Dai Xin was just as poised as always. Though not a woman from the Jiangnan water towns, she carried their delicate elegance.

"I heard you were back, so I came," Dai Xin said with a warm smile. "I made dinner tonight—would you like to come over and eat?"

Ji An didn’t immediately agree. After his mental link with Gu Jinsheng, the two had no more secrets between them. Ji An’s space and the Magic Spring—Gu Jinsheng knew it all. Likewise, Ji An knew everything about Gu Jinsheng, including how, after their childhood separation, Gu Jinsheng had been sent to a closed-off school for years of rigorous training.

Gu Jinsheng felt nothing about those memories, but Ji An’s heart ached for him. At such a young age, when he should’ve been playing and causing mischief, Gu Jinsheng endured drill-sergeant treatment, barely seeing his parents once a month despite having them.

This upbringing left Ji An unable to hate Gu Jinsheng’s parents, yet he couldn’t forgive them either. So instead of answering Dai Xin directly, Ji An said, "Aunt Dai, one moment—let me ask Jinsheng."

"Jinsheng, Aunt Dai invited us for dinner tonight. Do you have time?"

Gu Jinsheng walked out from inside and acknowledged Dai Xin with a nod, his face unreadable—just as detached as with strangers.

Dai Xin smiled and said, "I've already prepared everything over there. Come back for dinner. We haven't spent the New Year together, and we all miss you both very much."

Gu Jinsheng nodded. "Alright."

Only then did Ji An follow up, "Then we’ll trouble you this evening, Auntie Gu."

Gu Jinsheng suddenly said, "Just call her Mom."

Ji An's face flushed instantly. Dai Xin smiled warmly, her expression unchanged—clearly, she had been informed beforehand.

Though blushing, Ji An still addressed Dai Xin openly, "Thank you, Mom. We’ll finish tidying up here and come over right away."

"Good." Dai Xin's gaze lingered briefly on the two before she looked away.

After Dai Xin left, Gu Jinsheng said to Ji An, "Thank you."

Ji An was puzzled. "For what?"

Gu Jinsheng replied, "For being willing to change how you address her."

Ji An’s eyes filled with tenderness. Since their minds had connected, he knew that beneath Gu Jinsheng's cold exterior lay a heart full of insecurity.

Gu Jinsheng wasn’t inherently aloof; his detachment was entirely shaped by his upbringing. Any child who saw their parents only a handful of times a year would struggle to feel close to them. Add to that the intense isolation training every summer break—leaving no time for friendships, or causing new friendships to fizzle out after long separations—and it was no wonder his personality grew distant and sensitive.

Falling in love, even the most outgoing become anxious, let alone someone as sensitive as Gu Jinsheng. Through their psychic bond, Ji An sensed that Gu Jinsheng often felt he was unreal, as if he might vanish at any moment to a place beyond reach.

Ji An didn’t want the person he loved to feel insecure. He was willing to give Gu Jinsheng all the reassurance he could, to make him understand that his love was just as deep.

Rising on his toes, Ji An cupped Gu Jinsheng’s face and kissed his soft lips. "Jinsheng, I love you. I’m your partner, so your mother is naturally my mother too. Of course I should call her 'Mom.' There’s no need to thank me for that."

The raw emotion in Gu Jinsheng’s eyes at those words was overwhelming. The next moment, Ji An found himself pinned against the wall in a fierce kiss, as if Gu Jinsheng wanted to crush him into his body.

Dai Xin had prepared a table full of dishes. The entire Gu family was present, clearly missing Gu Jinsheng—yet the strained distance between them was palpable. Ji An didn’t try to ease the tension, quietly eating while occasionally adding Gu Jinsheng’s favorite dishes to his bowl.

After the meal, Gu’s father retrieved a cage from his dimensional storage containing uninfected, purebred animals. "I know you lack nothing, but as a father, I can’t let my son’s marriage pass without a gesture. I heard Xiao An has been collecting unmutated flora and fauna, so I managed to get some as a wedding gift."

Though Ji An needed these items, he didn’t accept them immediately, instead glancing at Gu Jinsheng.

Gu Jinsheng said, "Thank you, Dad."

Only then did Ji An smile and say, "Thank you for the gift, Dad."

As they left, Gu Jinsheng took out a med-pod, three terminals, and helmets from his dimensional storage. "Mom, Dad, little brother—these are for you. Please take them."

Dai Xin chuckled. "You have no idea—ever since the full-dive tech came out, your father and brother have been desperate to get their hands on one. But they refused to use your connections, so they never managed to buy any. These are incredibly hard to come by."

Gu’s younger brother’s eyes lit up as he took the terminal, marveling at it. "Big bro, don’t worry about being the one who marries in. I’ll take care of things here."

Gu’s father smacked his younger son’s head. "How could you say that about your brother?"

Gu Jinsheng added, "Mom, Dad—that med-pod is Xiao An’s latest upgrade. It’s not available on the market yet. It includes ex-vivo tissue regeneration. If you break a leg or something, you don’t need a hospital—just lie inside and it’ll heal you. It’s very rare."

"Oh, I see." Gu’s father was secretly amazed at how quickly the med-pod had advanced.

Only after the couple left did the younger brother remark, "Dad, didn’t you think Big Bro’s last words were weird? It sounded like he was saying the med-pod was valuable enough to cover his bride price."

"Commander-in-Chief Kobashi Ichiro, what should we do? Another damn protest in the streets!" The Deputy Commander hurried in.

Ever since the Jing City Base started flooding R Base with terminals, the citizens of R Country had been in open revolt, with the streets jammed with daily protests.

Kobashi Ichiro massaged his forehead, fed up. Nothing ever went right. Between pressure from M Country’s base and their own superpowered turning restless, he couldn't catch a break.