From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 173 - 164: Probing and Bait

Chen Yun stared at Ye Xin, clearly not entirely believing her words.

He had once solemnly promised her that Cheng Chen was the most successful counterfeit he had ever created—that anything Gu Xi could do, the counterfeit could do too...

But they both knew that Chen Yun had people watching Ye Xin. A woman as clever as Ye Xin would never tell such a blatant lie, one so easily exposed.

’So, could it be that there’s really a problem with the counterfeit?’

’If that’s the case, the heavens are truly on my side!’ Chen Yun rejoiced inwardly.

"What did he say, then?" she asked Ye Xin after a moment’s thought.

"Him..." Ye Xin frowned slightly. "He said it seems there’s a problem with the Crystal Core in the counterfeit’s brain. She still can’t control her abilities with perfect precision. Because of that, promoting her to Divine Rank right now is probably going to be a bit difficult..."

Chen Yun’s frown deepened. "But as far as I know, Xiaoxi’s current ability is only at a mere level four; she hasn’t returned to Divine Rank. And that Yang Qiao is a genuine level-two ability user."

’So, it’s not just Divine Rank ability users who can make plants evolve in reverse.’

’Clearly, he was just making up an excuse to placate them.’

Chen Yun had the strange feeling that things were going off the rails, straying further and further from her original plan.

She narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin tilted her head and gave a lazy yawn. "Who knows? That’s what he said, anyway..."

"Oh, right." She seemed to suddenly recall something and looked up at the old woman on the light screen. "Mr. Chen, he also said that if you’re willing to give him ’that thing,’ the counterfeit could become the real deal..."

While Ye Xin spoke nonchalantly, she secretly observed the old woman’s expression.

Sure enough, the moment she mentioned "that thing," Chen Yun’s pupils contracted sharply, though they quickly returned to normal.

But Ye Xin had still keenly caught that momentary anomaly.

’So what exactly is this "thing" Yun Ye was talking about?’

Ye Xin was very curious, but she didn’t ask anything, even acting as if she didn’t care at all.

But Chen Yun was clearly suspicious. "Ye, aren’t you the least bit curious?"

"Curious about what?" Ye Xin raised an eyebrow, her tone mocking. "That so-called thing that can turn a counterfeit into the real deal?"

To be honest, Ye Xin didn’t really believe such a thing existed.

After all, it had been nearly sixty years since the apocalypse, and Xiaoxi was the only Divine Rank ability user to ever emerge. Even though they had fragments of Xiaoxi’s Crystal Core, they still hadn’t managed to create another Divine Rank user in all these years, had they?

Besides, if such a wonderful thing really existed, why wouldn’t the Chen sisters keep it for themselves? Why leave it for someone else?

’Wouldn’t that be foolish?’

But the anomaly in the old woman, Chen Yun’s, expression just now didn’t seem fake...

Just as Ye Xin was feeling uncertain and suspicious, Chen Yun suddenly dropped a bombshell. "Actually, Li Ming gave that thing to me."

Li Ming?!

Ye Xin’s eyes widened in astonishment.

She subconsciously looked up at the old woman on the other side of the light screen.

But Chen Yun wasn’t looking at her. She just sighed. "Actually, I only ever suspected that thing existed. I tried to sound out Li Ming about it many times, but he always managed to put me off..."

Ye Xin frowned slightly, not doubting the truth of this statement. Li Ming was incredibly clever, a sly fox since childhood; getting information out of him was never easy.

Chen Yun glanced at Ye Xin impassively before continuing, "However, just a few days ago, he had Xiao Yu deliver that thing into my hands..."

"Ye, do you want to know what it is?" she asked, staring at Ye Xin, not missing the slightest change in her expression.

Ye Xin nodded bluntly, making no effort to hide her curiosity. "Of course."

Chen Yun stared at her for a long time before looking away. Then, she produced a box only the size of a baby’s fist and looked up at Ye Xin. "The thing is in this box. Ye, if you want to know, come back and get it. Deliver it to Yun Ye for me."

’As if I would agree.’

She realized almost instantly: this thing was bait that Li Ming had set for the elder Chen.

She connected it to the assassination attempt on the younger Chen a few days ago. The tacit understanding born from years of fighting side-by-side allowed Ye Xin to instantly guess Li Ming’s intentions. He had thrown out this bait to lure the elder Chen out of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute, perhaps even out of Central Base entirely.

But Chen Yun was deeply calculating and perpetually suspicious; she clearly had no intention of taking the bait. So, she’d tossed it to Ye Xin instead...

Without any hesitation, Ye Xin made a decision. No matter what the bait was, she had to cooperate with Li Ming and make Chen Yun take it!

But Chen Yun was extremely shrewd; she couldn’t refuse outright.

"Mr. Chen, aren’t you worried I’ll keep this thing for myself?"

Ye Xin gestured toward the box in Chen Yun’s hand with a charming and elegant smile. "After all, from what you’re implying, this is a treasure that can help an ability user advance to Divine Rank..."

"That’s far more valuable than Xiaoxi’s Crystal Core fragments. And I..."

She pointed a delicate fingertip back at herself and sighed as if in resignation. "I’ve also been stuck at the peak of level nine for many years. If I don’t break through soon, I worry I’ll wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and find my youth gone, my hair gray..."

For a level-nine ability user with a full head of silver hair, these words were quite a jab.

But Chen Yun’s self-control was superb; her expression didn’t betray the slightest hint of anything.

Instead, she nodded in agreement. "You have a point. I’d almost forgotten. You and Xiaoxi advanced to level nine in the same year, didn’t you?"

Ye Xin: "..."

’Great. A jab for a jab. Now we’re even.’

"So, is Mr. Chen still going to give me the item?" she asked bluntly.

She even added with feigned eagerness, "How about I head back right now?"

At this, Chen Yun became hesitant.

’I tested the DNA on the item in the box as soon as I received it; the thing is real.’

’Ye Xin has a point. This thing is extremely precious and hard to come by. Entrusting it to someone else might not be safe...’

After a long moment of contemplation, the old woman made her decision.

"That can wait. What you’re doing over there is more important," she said. "Right now, our priority is to find those Hibernation Chambers as quickly as possible..."

Speaking of which, she suddenly seemed to remember something and changed the subject. "Ye, I heard that Li Xiao also went to Area 0569?"

Ye Xin nodded, her expression languid. "It seems I’ve underestimated our Mr. Li..."

Chen Yun frowned. "Li Xiao must have someone backing him. He’s rushing to Area 0569 now, which means he’s probably caught wind of something. Ye, those Hibernation Chambers absolutely cannot fall into the hands of an outsider. As for Li Xiao... I’ll have to count on you to handle him."

Ye Xin leaned back languidly in her chair and started to haggle. "But Mr. Chen, I’m not very good at keeping tabs on people."

Chen Yun: "..."

’Who is she trying to throw shade at?’

She took a deep, silent breath and said meaningfully, "From what I understand, Xiaonan has also signed up for the Military Department’s ability user training program..."

They were both smart people; there was no need to spell it out.

Ye Xin raised an eyebrow slightly and promised with a smile, "Rest assured, you can leave Li Xiao to me. Whether the chambers are here or not, I guarantee they will absolutely not fall into his hands..."