Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Are you bringing him here to stir up trouble?" The plant-type Superhuman's expression turned menacing. "I might as well tell you, even though I'm a plant-type with limited combat ability, I know plenty of other Superhumans."

Seeing the man's reaction, Tian Qiao knew he was seething with anger and humiliation, but he remained unfazed. He retorted immediately, "So you think selling fakes is justified? And you're threatening us? Come on, do you really think I'm scared of you?"

The plant-type Superhuman swallowed nervously, perhaps hesitant to confront Tian Qiao directly. He turned to the baby-faced man and snarled, "How much business have you cost us! Don't think you can keep getting away with it. Many people have put a hefty bounty on your head."

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the baby-faced man, surprised that he and this plant-type Superhuman knew each other.

Hearing this, the baby-faced man touched his neck. The plant-type Superhuman thought he was intimidated, but before he could even smirk, the baby-faced man asked, "A hefty bounty? How hefty?"

He seemed genuinely curious about his market value.

The plant-type Superhuman was momentarily speechless, then sneered, "You're on death's door, and you're still being glib? Just wait. It won't be long before you're dead in the streets. The base has rules, but those rules don’t apply to Superhumans outside."

Superhumans who wished to remain in the base long-term indeed dared not violate the rules, but that didn't prevent them from hiring external Superhumans.

External Superhumans, not residing in the base, naturally had nothing to fear—they could simply kill and flee.

Moreover, those who survived outside were no easy targets.

The baby-faced man’s expression finally shifted, but he still couldn’t resist a jab, "Pfft, bring it on. You think I’m scared? If you can’t kill me, remember to kneel and call me grandpa when you see me."

It was clear they couldn’t buy the seeds now. Cheng Zhiyu and the others left, but after a few steps, they noticed the baby-faced man wasn’t following. Cheng Zhiyu turned back and asked, "Why aren’t you coming?"

The baby-faced man had assumed that, given his enemies, Cheng Zhiyu and the others wouldn’t want to be associated with him. He was surprised they called him along.

Excellent! He had been wondering how to mooch a meal off Cheng Zhiyu and the others, especially since he had already done the work.

The baby-faced man quickly scampered after them, turning back to stick his tongue out at the plant-type Superhuman.

Tian Qiao was speechless. "You go around making enemies everywhere. Aren’t you truly afraid of dying?"

Hearing this, the baby-faced man shrugged nonchalantly. "Afraid of what? They already want me dead. If I behave, do you think they’ll just let me go?"

Tian Qiao had no response, feeling that, oddly enough, what he said made a strange kind of sense.

Cheng Zhiyu looked at the baby-faced man. "How did you manage to offend so many Superhumans?"

From what the plant-type Superhuman had said, it seemed the baby-faced man had offended more than just him.

The baby-faced man scoffed, "Pfft, they were scamming people, and I happened to be there. I couldn’t stand it, so I stepped in for justice."

Wang Li nodded beside him, confirming the baby-faced man’s story. He did often show up at trading spots to call out injustice.

Cheng Zhiyu asked, "If you say the vendor is lying, do people believe you?"

Wang Li chimed in, "Because of his ability."

Cheng Zhiyu and the others: "?"

The baby-faced man said with a bitter expression, "My ability is to tell if someone is lying. Ugh, this ability sucks. Why couldn’t I get a combat ability instead?"

Tian Qiao looked at Wang Li curiously. "How do you know all this? Are you two familiar?"

Wang Li shook her head. "I’ve heard about him."

Cheng Zhiyu and the others instantly understood. It seemed the baby-faced man had called out injustice here many times before and had become quite notorious. Even Wang Li, an ordinary person, had heard of him.

Tian Qiao looked at the baby-faced man with a complex expression. "Haven’t you been beaten up before?"

The baby-faced man replied, "I have. In the beginning, when the base’s rules weren’t fully enforced, a few Superhumans nearly beat me to death."

Tian Qiao’s lips twitched. "And you still…"

The baby-faced man sighed. "I can’t help it. I just can’t hold back."

Tian Qiao: "..." Alright then.

Hearing that Cheng Zhiyu wanted to buy ordinary seeds, Wang Li didn’t ask further. She said, "If you want ordinary seeds, there’s no need to go to a Superhuman’s stall. You can buy them from ordinary people too."

The group followed Wang Li to a stall. Compared to the price the plant-type Superhuman had quoted for the mutated seeds, the ordinary seeds seemed cheap.

Cheng Zhiyu didn’t bother haggling much and bought all the seeds he didn’t already have.

The baby-faced man stayed quiet this time. After they finished, he rubbed his hands together and asked, "Anything else to buy? I think, given how fast Auntie cooks, the food should be ready by now."

Cheng Zhiyu found it amusing. There really wasn’t anything else he needed to buy. He would have liked blueprints for a machine gun, but such things were clearly not available at the market. They might as well go eat.

On the way, they bought some odd trinkets, mostly from ordinary people’s stalls. They were cheap and interesting.

They even came across a vendor selling *tanghulu*. Little Black asked curiously, "Is it tasty?"

Cheng Zhiyu knew Little Black well enough by now—when he asked "Is it tasty?", it meant he wanted to try it.

After asking the price, which wasn’t expensive, Cheng Zhiyu bought a stick for each of them.

Wang Li clearly didn’t expect to get one too and quickly waved her hands, saying it wasn’t necessary. How could she accept something from them?

Cheng Zhiyu smiled and said, "Take it. We can’t just eat while you watch."

Wang Li hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted it. However, she didn’t eat it. Instead, she carefully wrapped it in clean paper, thinking about how she could share it with her mother when she got home. A smile involuntarily spread across her face.

The baby-faced man, on the other hand, felt no embarrassment at all. He eagerly took a bite of his *tanghulu* and exclaimed, "So good, so good!"

Cheng Zhiyu held his *tanghulu* for Little Black to try. Little Black took a bite, chewed it, and then his expression changed.

So sour! It wasn’t tasty at all. Even with the sugary coating, Little Black felt it couldn’t mask the sourness of the hawthorn. He couldn’t spit it out, so he forced himself to swallow.

Seeing his expression, Cheng Zhiyu could already guess how it tasted but still asked, "How is it? Is it good?"

Little Black replied, "Disgusting."

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the remaining *tanghulu*. "We can’t waste the rest."

Little Black immediately burrowed into Cheng Zhiyu’s clothes, peeking his head out with a pair of dog-like eyes glaring angrily, as if saying, "How could you make me eat something so disgusting?"

Cheng Zhiyu held back a laugh and patted his head soothingly. "Alright, alright, if you don’t want to eat it, you don’t have to."

Still, he didn’t want to waste the *tanghulu*, so Cheng Zhiyu finished the rest himself.

Little Black watched, both shocked and incredulous. How could Cheng Zhiyu eat what he had left? In his eyes, only people with a very close relationship would eat each other’s leftovers.

When he was little, whatever he left behind, his parents would just throw away. But his father would eat whatever his mother left.

When Little Black was young, he once asked his father indignantly, "Why can you eat what Mother leaves but not what I leave?"

What did his father say back then? Because Mother was his companion…

Companion... Realizing what he was thinking, Little Black's tail went stiff instantly. He shot an awkward glance at Cheng Zhiyu before quickly looking away.

Cheng Zhiyu simply thought it was a waste not to finish the food. Besides, Little Black had already eaten a whole hawthorn berry, and the rest hadn't been bitten. Plus, Little Black was even neater than most people.

The baby-faced man watched from the side and couldn't help but say, "Brother Cheng, can I be your dog?"

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Little Black, who had been hiding inside Cheng Zhiyu's clothes for some reason, immediately poked his head out and glared angrily at the baby-faced man.

The baby-faced man flinched and quickly explained, "I'm joking, just joking, haha."

For some reason, he wasn't afraid of those superhumans, but this little dog made him a bit wary.

Little Black gave the baby-faced man another warning look before snuggling back into Cheng Zhiyu's arms.

Why was everyone competing to be a dog? So annoying!

They arrived at Auntie's place, and sure enough, the food was ready. Since it wasn't convenient to eat there, they decided to take it back to their lodging.

Wang Li, seeing she wasn't needed anymore, said her goodbyes.

Cheng Zhiyu gave her some of the lamb and steamed rolls—the heartiest dish, enough to fill a whole pot. Wang Li tried to decline, but eventually, she reluctantly accepted.

However, she insisted on not taking the two points. How could she accept points after receiving so much from them?

As Cheng Zhiyu tried to transfer the points to her, Wang Li hurried away. He had no choice but to give up.

When he turned back, the food was already laid out on the table, and the three humans and the dog were all watching him with hungry eyes.

Cheng Zhiyu gave a light cough. "If you're hungry, just eat. No need to wait for me."

The baby-faced man, who had come for a free meal, glanced at Little Black. Tian Qiao said helplessly, "We want to eat, but Brother Black wouldn't let us. He insists on waiting for you."

He sighed. "Brother Black sure deserves Cheng Zhiyu's doting."

Little Black's tail gave an uneasy flick.

Cheng Zhiyu smiled, sat down next to Little Black, hugged him, and gave him a kiss. "Thank you, Little Black."

Little Black muttered, "Tian Qiao talks too much."

Cheng Zhiyu smothered a laugh and grabbed his chopsticks. "Let's eat quickly before it gets cold."

Tian Qiao eagerly grabbed a red-braised lamb chop. The chop was as long as a hand, too awkward to eat with chopsticks, so he simply went at it with his hands.

With the first bite, the lamb was tender and flavorful, coated in a thick, savory sauce. It had the rich taste of lamb without any mutton smell. Tian Qiao's mouth was red from the heat, but he couldn't bear to put it down.

Cheng Zhiyu took a small knife and sliced pieces from the lamb leg, placing them on a plate in front of Little Black. He hadn't eaten yet, but he knew it was delicious—not just from the aroma, but from the way Little Black was eating so intently he didn't look up.

Sure enough, the lamb leg was roasted until crispy without being dry. Each bite was juicy and tender, perfectly crispy outside and juicy inside.

The lamb and steamed rolls were even better—even the rolls inside were soaked with the meat's juices.

For a while, no one spoke at the table as everyone focused on eating.

The half lamb's worth of dishes were polished off completely. The baby-faced man wiped his mouth and gazed pleadingly at Cheng Zhiyu. "Brother, Brother Cheng! Can I be your underling? Just feed me!"

Cheng Zhiyu smiled, taking it as a joke. After eating, it was time to rest. They had been traveling day and night these past few days, and even Supers were worn out.

The baby-faced man took the rejection in stride—he planned to come back tomorrow.

Unaware of his thoughts, Cheng Zhiyu waited for the young man to leave, took a shower, and brought the Plant-type Crystal Core he had exchanged today into the system space.

As soon as he approached Big Strong, the plant seemed to sense the crystal core's energy and became strangely excited. Its leaves rustled excitedly as if blown by the wind, and the entire tree shook.

Cheng Zhiyu chuckled reassuringly. "Don't rush. I got it just for you anyway."

Big Strong shook its leaves again, and Cheng Zhiyu sensed its happiness.

He buried the Plant-type Crystal Core near Big Strong's roots. The plant stopped moving, likely focusing on absorbing the core's energy.

Cheng Zhiyu watched for a while to ensure everything was fine, then checked on the other plants, giving each one an affectionate pat before leaving the system space.

He thought Little Black would already be asleep, but instead, he found him waiting on the bed. Seeing Cheng Zhiyu, his tail gave a slow wag.

Cheng Zhiyu's heart softened. He changed clothes, got into bed, and nuzzled Little Black. "Good boy, were you waiting for me~"

Little Black, unsure if he had gotten used to the term, first thought: Cheng Zhiyu hasn't called me that in a long time.

He muttered sheepishly. "I was having trouble sleeping."

Cheng Zhiyu laughed but didn't press him. Little Black was always a heavy sleeper—when had he ever had trouble sleeping?

"Alright~, I guess I was being sentimental." Cheng Zhiyu sighed in mock sorrow, pretending to be sad.

The little dog bought it and felt a bit guilty. Seeing Cheng Zhiyu lying down, he walked over and lay beside his pillow, stealing a glance.

Cheng Zhiyu didn't react, lying straight and still.

Little Black flicked his tail restlessly, hesitated for a moment, then gently rubbed against Cheng Zhiyu's cheek. The puppy's fur was soft and didn't prick, only leaving a slight tickling sensation.

Cheng Zhiyu couldn't help but smile, finally dropping the act. He hugged Little Black and covered him with kisses. "Hehe, was Little Black just being affectionate? So cute..."

Little Black: "..."

He stole another glance at Cheng Zhiyu. Well... he probably wasn't upset anymore, right?

The Crown Prince of the Winged Tribe closed his eyes wearily and fell asleep in no time.

Cheng Zhiyu poked him. Feeling the familiar presence, Little Black only flicked his tail but didn't wake up.

Cheng Zhiyu smirked. "Hah, saying you couldn't sleep, yet you fell asleep in seconds."

He had come to realize that his Little Black was a stubborn puppy who said one thing but meant another.

Adorable.

The next day, they woke up later than usual. Since Auntie's cooking was delicious, Cheng Zhiyu decided to take it easy. He simply brought ingredients for her to prepare, and everyone ate until their faces were full and happy.

As for Wang Li, the lamb and steamed rolls she brought home the previous night caused a bit of a stir.

The aroma of the lamb and steamed rolls was strong. Even though Wang Li ate it indoors with the door closed, old lady Chen outside could still smell it.

The scent was incredibly enticing. Old lady Chen hadn't eaten meat in a long time and immediately noticed it. Suddenly, the meat pie in her hand didn't seem appealing anymore.

The meat pie had been brought back by Feng Rui earlier, claiming it was bought by that female superhuman. The pie was already cold, and most of it was dough with only a little meat inside.

Even so, when Feng Rui brought it back, old lady Chen had been overjoyed by the smell. Holding the meat pie her son had given her, she had been deeply moved.

Feng Hongjian gulped, wanting to share the meat pie with Old Lady Chen. Old Lady Chen glared at him and muttered, "Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is food!"

Feng Hongjian felt utterly indignant. How could she say he only knew how to eat? He had been doing manual labor all day outside and had just returned home, only to have some dry bread. How could he not be hungry?

But Old Lady Chen refused to let him eat now. Having finally gotten a meat pie, she was eager to show it off to everyone. She carried the meat pie and loitered around the neighborhood.

Most people living nearby were regular folks. Even if they earned some credits, who would spend them on meat pies? A single meat pie was worth several dry breads.

The dry bread they usually ate was dry, hard, and bland, but it was cheap—one credit could buy two, enough to fill their stomachs.

Meat pies were much more expensive. Even though there was only a little meat inside, they were fried with oil and tasted infinitely better than dry bread. Usually, they could only afford to smell the aroma but never dared to buy one.

Seeing Old Lady Chen act like this, they scorned outwardly, muttering, "It's just a meat pie, is it really that big of a deal? She’s acting like she’s on top of the world." But they were definitely jealous.

Old Lady Chen noticed their expressions and felt immensely pleased. She had always loved showing off. Before, others had whispered that her son did nothing all day—did she not know?

Now she wanted everyone to see how capable her son was—he had found a Superhuman girlfriend! From now on, the Feng family would eat well and live comfortably!

Eventually, they could even have a grandson. Since his girlfriend was a Superhuman, their grandson would most likely be one too. With a Superhuman grandson, she could strut around the base with her head held high!

Old Lady Chen had grand illusions. In her eyes, Superhumans were powerful and untouchable. Little did she know, the base was crawling with Superhumans. Even with one or two Superhuman grandsons, she wouldn’t be able to "strut around" as she imagined.

After gleefully showing off, she returned to her residence. Feng Hongjian was already eagerly waiting and urged her to split the meat pie with him.

Old Lady Chen said, "What’s the hurry? Where’s that wretched girl Wang Li? I want her to see that we’re eating meat pies today!"

Feng Hongjian impatiently replied, "She just got back and rushed into her room."

Old Lady Chen walked to Wang Li’s door, intending to knock and boast. However, her nose twitched, and she couldn’t believe it. "The smell of lamb? Where’s that lamb smell coming from? Did Wang Li eat lamb? How is that possible?"

Her voice rose a few pitches, unwilling to accept that Wang Li had eaten lamb while her own measly meat pie was overshadowed.

To prove herself wrong, she banged on the door forcefully. Inside, Wang Li frowned as she finished cleaning the bowls, then stood up and carried them out. "What are you doing? Old Lady Chen, have you lost your mind? If you keep knocking, I’ll slap you!"

After saying this, she noticed Old Lady Chen staring fixedly at her bowl and surprisingly didn’t retort with insults.

Wang Li was exasperated and ignored her, taking the bowls to wash them.

Little did she know, Old Lady Chen was fuming. Wang Li really had eaten lamb! This time, she not only smelled it but also saw the bowl that had held the lamb. She couldn’t mistake that smell—it was definitely lamb!

Old Lady Chen looked at her meager meat pie and instantly felt her face burn as if she had been slapped hard.

She lost her appetite for the meat pie. By the time she snapped out of it, Feng Hongjian had eaten the entire meat pie, enraging Old Lady Chen so much that she yelled at him and hit him.

The two started fighting inside the room. The noise disturbed Feng Rui, and he came out to shout at them, finally calming them down.

But Old Lady Chen wasn’t done. She decided she must investigate the next day where Wang Li had gotten the lamb.

And indeed, she managed to find out. After all, several people had seen Wang Li escorting a few Superhumans to the market the previous day. After figuring out the situation, Old Lady Chen’s eyes gleamed with cunning. She couldn’t even focus on work anymore, asked for a brief leave, rushed back, and knocked on Feng Rui’s door.

Feng Rui was still sleeping and was rather annoyed at being woken up. He frowned and said impatiently, "What is it? Why aren’t you out working?"

Old Lady Chen didn’t seem to mind her precious son’s tone at all and eagerly shared the news she had gathered.

Hearing how generous those Superhumans were, Feng Rui’s expression shifted slightly—clearly, he was thinking the same thing as Old Lady Chen.

They exchanged a glance, and Old Lady Chen said, "Those Superhumans are so generous. Wang Li merely guided them around—what a bunch of fools... In my opinion, you should secretly follow Wang Li and seize the chance to meet those Superhumans. Build a good relationship with them, and then..."

Old Lady Chen began fantasizing about her son having generous Superhuman friends and living the good life. To her, her son’s girlfriend was too stingy. After knowing him for so long, all she bought was a small meat pie—how could she even show her face?

Before, she had thought the meat pie was a treasure, but now... well, there was a comparison!

—

Cheng Zhiyu and the others didn’t stick together and instead split up to explore the base.

Tian Qiao and Tian Manman went together, while Cheng Zhiyu went with Little Black.

The baby-faced man shamelessly tagged along. Seeing them separate, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow Cheng Zhiyu.

Then, he watched as Cheng Zhiyu aimlessly wandered around the base all day.

The baby-faced man’s legs were sore from walking, and he complained, "Brother Cheng, aren’t you tired?"

Cheng Zhiyu shook his head. "Not really."

Walking outside all day with little rest was commonplace for him, so he didn’t find it unusual. Seeing the baby-faced man utterly exhausted, he asked curiously, "Aren’t you a Superhuman?"

The baby-faced man plopped down on the ground without a care for his image. "I’m subhealthy."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..." Can Superhumans even be subhealthy?

The baby-faced man explained, "When the base was first established, I was among the first batch of Superhumans to join. Life in the base isn’t as comfortable as before, but at least we don’t have to constantly run around."

Cheng Zhiyu: "Stop talking..."

The baby-faced man: "?"

Cheng Zhiyu joked half-seriously, "I’m going to get jealous."

The baby-faced man was speechless.

Cheng Zhiyu crouched beside him, unconsciously stroking Little Black’s fur. "But I remember the first batch to join the base were only official personnel."

The baby-faced man: "..."

Just then, Tian Qiao and Tian Manman arrived—they had agreed to meet here.

As Cheng Zhiyu stood up to go over, the baby-faced man said, "I was just bragging earlier. Do you believe me?"

Cheng Zhiyu gave him a leisurely glance without replying and walked over to Tian Qiao and the others.

The baby-faced man secretly bit his lip.

After meeting up, Cheng Zhiyu and the others didn’t rush off. They were waiting for Wang Li, who would be off work soon and could show them around the base more.

However, a moment later, Wang Li walked over with an embarrassed expression. "Mr. Cheng, Mr. Tian, Mr. Tian, I’m really sorry... I had no idea someone followed me."

Only after arriving did Wang Li notice Feng Rui tailing her. She instantly guessed his intentions and was so angry she could gnash her teeth.

Ignoring Wang Li’s anger, Feng Rui strutted over confidently. "Gentlemen, actually, compared to Wang Li, I think I’m more suitable—"

Before he could finish, Tian Manman suddenly let out a shriek, covering his head and hiding behind Tian Qiao and Cheng Zhiyu.

This startled both of them. Tian Qiao quickly asked with concern, "Manman, what’s wrong..."

Cheng Zhiyu frowned and looked at Feng Rui, who had suddenly appeared. Clearly, his presence had triggered Tian Manman.

How could a stranger distress Tian Manman, who had been much more cheerful lately?