"Ding dong!"

Lin Chen pressed the doorbell, and then the room door opened by itself, and Zhang Zhongjiu’s voice came through.

"Come in."

Lin Chen walked into the room and saw Zhang Zhongjiu sitting cross-legged on the balcony, in a meditative posture.

Zhang Zhongjiu looked up at Lin Chen: "I heard you guys have been busy drinking wine everywhere, how come you have time to find me?"

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "This is called company team building. Everyone was quite unfamiliar at first, so we drank some wine to build relationships. Some people were even mortal enemies before, but drinking wine can resolve grievances." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Zhang Zhongjiu calmly asked: "Are you here to ask about how to advance to a Level 8 Martial Artist?"

Lin Chen wasn’t surprised that Zhang Zhongjiu could guess, and nodded calmly: "Yes, I’ve hit a bottleneck. I’ve used most of the potion from the competition rewards and noticed some improvement, but not much effect, and the bottleneck doesn’t seem to be loosening."

"I don’t know your strength, but clearly you’ve faced things I have too. I want to know how you overcame and got through them initially, if you could share, it might be of reference to me."

Zhang Zhongjiu said in a flat tone: "But why should I help you? We’re not friends, right?"

Lin Chen wasn’t surprised at all and responded with a smile: "We’ve only had a couple of interactions, but I’m grateful to you, at least you didn’t wipe us out in one go back then."

"We’re not really friends now, but who can say for the future? You probably encountered some issues in life, and now you’re likely at a low point."

"I heard you always wanted recognition to return to a certain planet. I don’t know if it’s to reclaim something lost or for revenge."

"I don’t necessarily have to help you later, but if I become a Level 8 Martial Artist or even higher, by then, if I owe you a favor, using that to help you might be of some use?"

Zhang Zhongjiu squinted at Lin Chen: "Are you willing to owe me a favor for some words of mine?"

Lin Chen candidly replied: "If what you tell me helps me advance to a Level 8 Martial Artist, then the favor stands, right?"

After a pause, Lin Chen added: "Rest assured, I won’t tell anyone else, and even if it doesn’t work, you lose nothing, right?"

"Using some information to get potential help doesn’t seem like a loss. What do you think?"

Zhang Zhongjiu stared at Lin Chen, frowning: "Why are you so sure I know something?"

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "Advancing from Seventh Level Peak to Level 8 is difficult, not because the peak really can’t advance, but because the real way to advance is only held by a few."

"Even if some Seventh Level Peak Warrior gets a chance and obtains a high-level potion to advance, they don’t know the potion’s formula, raw materials, or how to produce it, because the formula for advancing from Seventh Level to Level 8 is controlled among major forces."

"As far as I know, there isn’t just one method to advance to Level 8, there are many, but all controlled by the Federation’s senior management. Small planets like Planet 49 can’t possibly know the formula or origin."

"And you, perhaps know some of the methods."

Zhang Zhongjiu was silent for a few seconds, then asked: "Did Dr. Ning tell you?"

Lin Chen said with a laugh: "Dr. Ning told me the truth about the control of martial artist high-level advancement methods by senior figures; he doesn’t know if you have a way, but I thought you might."

Zhang Zhongjiu sneered: "Could I have obtained a finished potion?"

"Yes."

Lin Chen said with a smile: "That’s also a channel; you tell me how you got it, then I might think of a way too. Although it might not succeed, what if it does?"

"Looking at your situation now, do you still need to keep secrets for others?"

Perhaps Lin Chen’s last words touched Zhang Zhongjiu, whose expression turned even colder, and finally said: "I can tell you, but you cannot tell anyone, including your wife."

Lin Chen thought for a moment: "Alright!"

If the method is feasible, I won’t tell them. I’ll try to get the advancing stuff for them, won’t I?

Zhang Zhongjiu continued: "If you seek what I mentioned and succeed, I need a share."

Lin Chen nodded straightforwardly: "As long as there are extras, even if only two, you get one."

Zhang Zhongjiu stared into Lin Chen’s eyes: "As you said yourself, if you succeed in advancing, you owe me a favor. If I claim this favor, you have to do something for me."

"You don’t need to risk your life; just try your best. Success or failure doesn’t blame you; it counts as fulfilling the promise."

Lin Chen nodded: "Can do!"

Although Ning Xiuzhu is a genius researcher with quite a high status in the Science Council, he genuinely doesn’t know the method to advance to Level 8.

Although Ning Xiuzhu doesn’t know the prescription, he knows the methods to advance are controlled by major forces among the Federation’s senior management, developed over long years.

These methods aren’t singular, with varied effectiveness. You might find one and acquire the advancement material but still fail.

Methods aren’t absolutely effective; if not for you, they might be for others.

If one method doesn’t work for you, then a method someone else holds might work for you.

Mo Shuyan was also not level seven before, but Ning Xiuzhu said asking her is pointless; she’s with the military, promoted through military merits and exchanged for potion to successfully advance.

For her, military merit is the key; what the potion is, she doesn’t know, nor does it matter.

Lin Chen isn’t in the military, without the chance for military merit, naturally without exchange eligibility.

The Honorary Planet Leader, similar to Mo Shuyan, is also with the military, advancing with battle merit, exchanging for potion, successfully advancing, so he likewise doesn’t know.

Apart from them, Ning Xiuzhu thinks Zhang Zhongjiu might be the most likely to know.

Zhang Zhongjiu’s source, he himself didn’t mention.

Ning Xiuzhu has some guesses, but it’s about Zhang Zhongjiu’s privacy, so Ning Xiuzhu didn’t say, only gave suggestions to Lin Chen, letting him ask Zhang Zhongjiu himself.

Luckily, Lin Chen persuaded Zhang Zhongjiu.

Zhang Zhongjiu slowly nodded: "My family does know a method to manufacture advancing potion..."