For those who joined the base later, any surprise, panic, or curiosity they might have felt had already been experienced when they first arrived and sensed the atmosphere, so completely different from the outside world.
Just like before, when Xu Zhuang revealed the special nature of Li Xingye’s superpower, they were indeed surprised and felt fear. But it was a fear born of absolute power and the realization that he could easily control their destinies.
Even if a small minority harbored ulterior motives, hoping to gain sothing from the commotion, they were still just a few. They only dared to hide behind Xu Zhuang, fanning the flas from within the crowd.
Most people remained silent and quiet. They might have had their own opinions, but they wouldn’t voice them easily.
No one dared to be as reckless as Xu Zhuang and confront Li Xingye head-on—and everyone had seen the result of that with their own eyes.
Qiangzi and the others understood what Li Xingye ant.
It was impossible to make everyone in a massive base think the sa way. In the end, most people only looked out for themselves.
But Li Xingye’s power was on full display. The more people looked out for themselves, the more they understood the importance of self-preservation. As long as Li Xingye remained the strongest superpower user, their true thoughts would stay buried in the deepest corners of their hearts.
Before leaving, Haozi handed the signal transmitter to Li Xingye. "Boss, I just took a look at this. I can’t make heads or tails of it. You give it a try."
Li Xingye took the transmitter but passed it directly to Qiangzi. "Brother Qiang, take this to Sister Duan and have her look at it."
Qiangzi had originally tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t help but chuckle as he took the transmitter. "Leave it to , leave it to ."
Liang Yushuang watched their interaction, amused and intrigued. She had never seen a base where the leader and his subordinates addressed each other so freely.
But she had to admit, that kind of camaraderie was sothing to be admired.
*
A few more days passed like this. Li Xingye was busy settling things at the base, and it was almost ti for Chi Wan to start school.
Of course, before school started, she had already packed her parents off on a trip.
Before heading to school, Chi Wan also finally managed to produce the Ghost Orchid she had been dreaming of.
Naturally, it was all thanks to Li Xingye.
Things had been interrupted by Song Yangming’s disappearance, and besides, cultivating a Ghost Orchid wasn’t sothing that could be rushed, so Chi Wan hadn’t been in a hurry.
It wasn’t until Li Xingye and his people arrived in Rongcheng Center that she finally asked him to see if any miracles could be worked on that piece of wood.
To her surprise, it seed Mr. Xu Sr.’s good deed was being rewarded. Li Xingye had actually managed to coax a Ghost Orchid seed to sprout from that piece of wood!
The conditions for a Ghost Orchid seed to germinate are even stricter than those for ordinary orchids. People had tried to cultivate them artificially before, but every attempt had ended in failure.
If not for an invincible "cultivation skill" like the Wood Ability, it would have been nearly impossible to make the seed germinate, even if they knew for certain it was there.
But now, looking at the Ghost Orchid on the table—which had been deliberately suppressed so that only a tiny sprout had erged—Chi Wan felt a headache coming on despite her joy.
Seeing that the excited Chi Wan had suddenly beco downcast, Li Xingye asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong, Wanwan?"
Chi Wan sighed and slumped onto the table, resting her head on her chin. "If this artificially cultivated Ghost Orchid is unveiled, it’ll cause a huge uproar in the global orchid community," she said glumly. "But... it was sprouted using your superpower. What am I supposed to do if Mr. Xu Sr. asks to share my experience...?"
After all, an achievent this revolutionary wasn’t sothing Mr. Xu Sr. and the others would hide. They would publicize it widely—it was a technique no one abroad had managed, yet it had been accomplished first in Hua Country.
Never mind the Orchid Association here in Central China; orchid lovers from all over would likely be drawn to it.
The next step, naturally, would be to exchange experience and cultivation techniques.
She couldn’t just co out and say, ’It’s simple, all you need is a Wood Ability.’
Looking at Chi Wan’s troubled expression, Li Xingye resisted the urge to pinch her cheek. "That’s simple enough."
At his words, Chi Wan imdiately looked up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Li Xingye.
Li Xingye chuckled and said unhurriedly, "Actually, I just followed the normal cultivation steps. I was pleasantly surprised by the result myself. As for why others can’t do it by following the steps... I guess they’re just missing a little bit of luck."
After all, luck isn’t sothing you can quantify, is it?
Chi Wan was stunned for a mont, then it instantly clicked!
’That’s right, why should I get hung up on the process? The result is right here. As long as the process isn’t too outrageous, isn’t it whatever I say it is?’
Chi Wan perked up instantly, and the joy of successfully cultivating the Ghost Orchid flooded back. She said gleefully, "Brother Xingye, you’re so cun—ah, no, so clever~"
Watching Chi Wan, who had finally let go of her worries and reverted to her sly little-fox persona, Li Xingye shook his head. He finally gave in to the urge and pinched her cheek, saying deliberately, "That’s right. I’ve always been very cunning."
Chi Wan rubbed her cheek and obediently poured Li Xingye a cup of tea. Her eyes darted, and a stream of effusive praise ca pouring out: "How could that be! Our Brother Xingye is the best Brother Xingye in the world! A man among n! A superpower user among superpower users! The ruler of the apocalypse, the king of the Plant Elent!"
’Oops, I almost sang that out loud.’
Li Xingye wasn’t sure what part of that awkward flattery struck his funny bone, but he let out a low laugh.
As a girl with a thing for voices, Chi Wan wanted to scream for help in her mind—
That laugh was like an electric current, traveling from her ears straight to her brain, bringing waves of tingling numbness and making her face feel a little hot.
With his sharp perception, Li Xingye easily picked up on sothing from Chi Wan’s reactions all this ti: ’It seems Wanwan... really likes my voice?’
Recalling all the tis Chi Wan had "teased" him before, the corner of Li Xingye’s mouth curved into a faint smile. As if simply curious, he leaned closer, bracing his hand on the back of her chair. "What’s wrong, Wanwan? Why is your face a bit red? Are you not feeling well?"
His slightly lowered voice beca even more magnetic, the tone blurring his usual boyishness and settling into a steady, mature timbre.
Startled by his voice, Chi Wan instinctively looked up and found herself looking directly into Li Xingye’s eyes.
There was a hint of poorly hidden amusent in his deep-set eyes. His face, which had regained its smooth lines thanks to her constant feeding, still had a sharp angle to his jaw.
And his hands, braced on either side of her chair, seed proper enough, yet they completely enclosed her between his body and the back of the chair. The air filled with his scent.
It was like being in a pine forest after a heavy snow.
Chi Wan realized she had never looked at Li Xingye’s face from this close before.
For soone with such a gentle voice, when he looked at her so intently, he gave her a strange sense of... aggression.
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