Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Powered by Crystal Cores?

Upon hearing this, the man hung his head, looking utterly defeated. "Greed got the better of me," he admitted. "When you came to our place to rent the warehouse, you seemed so innocent and straightforward. I figured a rich young lady like you would be young and easy to fool. I was wrong."

’Innocent and straightforward? Just say I look stupid and loaded.’

A flicker of understanding crossed Chi Wan’s eyes as she listened to the man, but she didn’t say anything else.

After the group left, Zhou Huaijin crouched down to examine the flower on the ground, letting out a resigned laugh. "Using a Golden Silk Horse Tail to pass for a Ghost Orchid... They’ve really got some nerve."

Chi Wan crouched down as well. She shook the dirt from the mangled orchid and picked it up before saying slowly, "Would an ordinary person even think of using this to pass for a Ghost Orchid in a scam?"

’Besides, if they really wanted to run a scam, wouldn’t jade, porcelain, or antiques be better than an orchid? Yet they chose a Ghost Orchid to stage this, almost as if they were certain I would know its value.’

That was what Chi Wan found most bizarre.

She glanced toward the fruit wholesale market in the distance. At first, she wondered if Liu Dali’s group was involved, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

’Considering her feud with Liu Dali and his crew, they wouldn’t have used such a "gentle" method if they were looking for trouble.’

’Perhaps it really was just a coincidence. After all, you never know when someone will have an illogical "stroke of genius."’

But her words made Zhou Huaijin pause.

He dealt with rare plants often, so a Ghost Orchid didn’t seem particularly mysterious to him.

But Chi Wan’s words made him realize: for someone with no connection to the plant trade or orchids, who would even know what a Ghost Orchid was? Let alone use one for a scam.

It was indeed strange.

But Chi Wan seemed to have only brought it up in passing. She didn’t pursue the topic, instead getting up with the orchid in hand and borrowing a small bag from a nearby shop to put it in.

Seeing Zhou Huaijin’s puzzled expression, she smiled and explained, "I’m actually quite fond of orchids. This one’s root system doesn’t look too damaged. Who knows, maybe it can be saved?"

Zhou Huaijin nodded, assuming Chi Wan had a genuine love for plants and couldn’t bear to see a good orchid go to waste.

He seemed to think of something else and added, "My professor loves growing orchids too. Unfortunately, the more valuable the variety, the harder it is to care for. If you manage to save this one, you must let me know. He might want to compare notes with you."

Chi Wan simply smiled at his words, saying nothing.

’After all, while she was fond of orchids and all kinds of pretty plants, when it came to experience...’

’If "killing everything you plant" and "getting really good at regularly replacing them with a new batch" counted as experience, then yes, she was very experienced indeed.’

’She didn’t really get it herself. She would follow all the proper steps, but one problem or another would always pop up, causing her plants to die in the most bizarre ways.’

’Eventually, her small greenhouse, once meant for flowers, had gradually turned into a small vegetable patch. All sorts of green onions, garlic, and chives thrived there under Song Yinghe’s sporadic care.’

’It was hard to say whether her resolute decision to major in plant science for her college entrance exams stemmed from that childhood "unrequited love."’

’This time, however, she picked up the Golden Silk Horse Tail purely because she had a powerhouse with a Wood Ability backing her up.’

’After all, the Golden Silk Horse Tail was quite pretty. She’d always liked it but had never managed to keep one alive.’

’Since it was practically delivered to her doorstep, it would be a shame not to take it. Once Boss Li revived the flower, she could plant it by her window. Just looking at it would put her in a great mood.’

*

While Chi Wan was in high spirits shopping at the market with Zhou Huaijin, Li Xingye was covered in dust, busy building a kitchen from scratch.

Although the base was mostly made up of ordinary people, it had its share of various professionals.

When they heard their leader was planning to build a kitchen, everyone assumed it was for the whole base. People who could draw started making blueprints, others went to find materials, and even the newcomers rescued from Wildfire Base pitched in.

The base was bustling with activity.

A lollipop dangling from his mouth, a look of pure satisfaction on his well-fed face, Qiangzi sauntered over. "Brother Ye, isn’t the base’s mess hall big enough for everyone? Why are we building another kitchen? Don’t tell me... the Space God is going to upgrade our food?"

Li Xingye, who was using his vines to mix cement, replied casually without looking up, "It’s not for the base."

"Not for the base?" Qiangzi’s interest was instantly piqued. He leaned in with a sly grin. "Don’t tell me it’s for the Space God? Hey, Brother Ye, that Space God... is a girl, isn’t she?"

When Li Xingye shot him a look, Qiangzi didn’t flinch. He just pulled Cheng Peng in front of him like a shield. "Wasn’t me who said it! It was this bloodhound here."

Cheng Peng shoved Qiangzi away good-naturedly. "Don’t you drag me into this," he said with a laugh. "The evidence speaks for itself. All these candies and chocolates... that’s stuff girls like. Got nothing to do with me."

Seeing Li Xingye’s silence, Cheng Peng and Qiangzi exchanged a look before slinging their arms over his shoulders from either side. "Boss, so it really is a girl? No wonder you went to all that trouble to find a jewelry box. What’s her name? Don’t tell me it’s some kind of space spirit that came to life just to wait for you, her destined one?"

As their theories grew increasingly absurd, Li Xingye simply retracted his vines and handed each of them a shovel. "If you’re so full of energy, go mix the cement. A full stomach makes for a loose tongue."

With that, he headed for the warehouse.

Qiangzi & Cheng Peng: ...

Haozi, who was busy shaping metal with his superpower nearby, scoffed. "A couple of old bachelors, and you’re worried about Brother Ye’s love life."

Qiangzi and Cheng Peng wrapped Haozi in a pincer headlock with menacing grins. "So we can’t take Brother Ye, you think we can’t take you? Getting bold, aren’t we, kid!"

Haozi casually pulled up two sheets of iron with his bare hands to separate them. "Leave me alone," he said, half-laughing, half-cursing. "If you make me fall behind, Brother Ye will have your hides."

Qiangzi’s curiosity was piqued by the perfectly flat sheet of metal that Haozi had straightened with his superpower. "What are you making?"

Haozi rolled his eyes. "Brother Ye told me to figure out how to make a range hood. A goddamn range hood. I’ve almost forgotten what one even looks like. Oh, and he told me to forge a stovetop, too."

Before the Space God showed up, it had been a long time since they’d had any food that needed to be cooked.

And now they were living so large they were starting to think about things like range hoods.

The three were in the middle of their discussion when Li Xingye returned, this time with another man in tow and a dusty machine slung over his shoulder.

"This gentleman says he used to be a technician," Li Xingye said. "There are a bunch of dismantled machines in the warehouse. Haozi, you work with him to get them running."

Haozi looked troubled. "But even if we fix them, we don’t have a good way to handle the electrical wiring."

To his surprise, the technician spoke up. "Back at Wildfire Base, I heard that Frenzy has developed a power system that doesn’t use electricity. It runs entirely on Crystal Cores."