Soft Knife

After ending the call, Chen Feng began studying the Wood Bear Gene.

Honestly, Professor Tao's paper had helped tremendously. Once he understood the principles, Chen Feng could avoid many detours and save quite a bit of Luck Value.

"Let's begin!"

He skillfully started producing the gene, his movements as smooth as flowing water.

Whoosh!

The gene production was complete.

At that very instant, Chen Feng felt a strange warm current flow through his body, and his somewhat weary mind unexpectedly recovered at once.

"Huh?"

Chen Feng's internal gene scan immediately detected something unusual.

His mental strength had increased!

That warm current inside him had raised his pitiful 30 points of mental strength to 31. Through countless rounds of gene production, it had forcibly increased by 1 point.

"This actually increased!"

"Could gene production also count as a form of mental training?"

Chen Feng was somewhat surprised.

Only those with mental-type genes could perform gene production in the first place. Looking at it this way, after several days of continuous hard work, it was only natural for his mental strength to improve.

"Though it's only 1 point, it's still an unexpected gain."

Chen Feng was quite pleased.

What he did not know was that if he said that out loud, people would probably beat him to death! It was only 1 point of mental strength, but how could mental strength be so easy to raise? The original Chen Feng had only managed to reach 30 points from birth until now!

After all—

Who could succeed every time?

Who could get Max Stats every time?

Who could so easily create a Mutant Gene?

Only Chen Feng!

Whoosh!

Gene scan!

A familiar set of data came into view.

Mutant Wood Bear Gene.

Basic Gene: Strength +3, Physique +3.

Gene Ability: Wood Bear's Fury. Increases Strength by 10% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.

"Then..."

"What should I do next?"

Chen Feng murmured softly.

Expose Professor Tao just like that? That would be too boring. The ninety thousand he had earned last time still made his heart race.

Thinking of this, Chen Feng smiled meaningfully.

The next day.

Professor Tao woke from a wonderful dream.

After several decades, he had finally ushered in a second spring in his career! Professor Tao was no longer an outdated producer living off a single guide. He was now a Grand Producer who had spent decades honing his craft before finally achieving success! Mm... he liked that title very much.

However.

After yesterday's experience, Professor Tao had become cautious and told his assistant to keep a close watch on the Trading Department.

And it had to be said, he had made the right call.

He had barely been excited for a few minutes before his assistant hurriedly sent word: another Mutant Gene had appeared at the place called Wind Pavilion!

"What?"

Professor Tao's expression changed drastically.

Another one had appeared? Damn it, wasn't the probability one in a hundred million? That guy's luck was really that good? If this matter were exposed...

"Buy it!"

Professor Tao gritted his teeth.

Nearly a hundred thousand vanished without a sound.

Because Professor Tao had acted quickly, hardly anyone noticed the news. What reassured him was that no more Mutant Genes appeared in the Trading Department.

"Was it a coincidence?"

Professor Tao spent the day in a state of nervous dread.

However.

The moment he woke up the next day, his assistant rushed over with another message—the Mutant Gene had appeared again!

It was still Wind Pavilion!

"How could this be?"

Professor Tao felt ice-cold all over. Wasn't the chance supposed to be one in a hundred million?

Wasn't it supposed to appear only under extremely unlikely circumstances? Even if a Gene Production Master spent an entire day producing Wood Bear Genes, the chance of a mutation was very low. Getting one would already be impressive—how could someone make one on two consecutive days? And such an exceptionally rare Third Gene at that?

So now, he faced a problem.

Buy it, or not?

"Professor..."

His assistant asked cautiously.

"Buy it."

Professor Tao collapsed weakly to the floor, his face twisted with ferocity. "Buy it. I refuse to believe he can keep producing them! I refuse to believe he can make another one tomorrow!"

"Professor..."

His assistant spoke softly.

"Didn't you hear me tell you to buy it?"

Professor Tao's expression turned savage.

"But there isn't enough money."

His assistant said aggrievedly.

"..."

Professor Tao's face darkened. Taking a deep breath, he withdrew every last cent from his account, including the sponsorship funds the Gene Production Association had awarded him after he developed the Third Gene two days ago.

"Buy it!"

Another hundred thousand vanished without a sound.

Professor Tao stared blankly ahead. The students passing by all looked at him with admiration, yet his heart was utterly cold.

Would that gene really never appear again?

How much longer could his glory hold up? He was even beginning to fear sleep, because he was afraid that when he woke up, he would see that damned message from his assistant again!

One wrong step led to another. He could no longer turn back!

Meanwhile.

Chen Feng suddenly received a message from Mu Yuan.

"Chen Feng, where's your gene?"

Mu Yuan was somewhat puzzled.

Chen Feng had made it sound easy, so Mu Yuan had assumed it would be ready soon. Yet two days had passed, and he had not seen even a trace of it. What happened to making another one?

"Sold it."

Chen Feng replied calmly.

"Huh?"

Mu Yuan looked completely baffled. "Sold it? To whom?"

"I don't know. I put them in the consignment shop."

Chen Feng said indifferently.

"Huh?"

Mu Yuan was stunned. "Fuck, bro, don't scare me. This is the proof you need to turn the tables and slap Professor Tao in the face! How could you just sell it? Wait, them? How many did you list?"

"Two. One per day."

Chen Feng smiled.

"One per day?"

Mu Yuan suddenly thought of something. "How much did you list them for?"

"99,999."

Chen Feng answered calmly.

"Gasp—"

Mu Yuan sucked in a sharp breath.

Damn, that was ruthless!

He had always thought Chen Feng was too soft-hearted, but he never expected the guy to be far more ruthless than himself when he made a move. This kind of Soft Knife was even more terrifying. Professor Tao had probably been suffering so badly these past few days he wished he were dead, right? And Chen Feng had quietly raked in a huge sum on top of that. Compared to that level of scheming, he was nowhere close!

"Impressive!"

Mu Yuan exclaimed, "No wonder they say the most terrifying people are the ones who seem restrained on the outside."

Chen Feng: "..."

Was that supposed to be a compliment?

"How long are you planning to drag this out?"

Mu Yuan asked.

"That depends on how long our old professor's finances can hold out."

Chen Feng smiled.

A hundred thousand for one day of honor?

A very worthwhile deal.

Night.

Passed silently.

The next day, as soon as Professor Tao woke up, he saw the news that filled him with terror.

That gene had been listed again!

Professor Tao's face was exhausted, with massive dark circles under his eyes.

He had not rested for several days. Every day, he lived in fear of being exposed, terrified that all the praise he had received would turn into furious condemnation. These past few days, he had been trembling with anxiety.

"If I'd known it would turn out like this..."

Professor Tao regretted it bitterly.

He did not dare buy it anymore. By now, he was utterly certain that the damned fellow had already mastered the technique for producing this special mutation! But if he did not buy it, all his glory might vanish completely. He tortured himself in this agony, torn between gain and loss, nearly collapsing.

"Dad, I'm back."

Professor Tao's son, Tao Li Jun, rushed back early that morning.

"Xiao Jun, help Dad."

Professor Tao grabbed his son's hand, panicking. He knew that with his son's status and position, he might be able to help resolve this matter. At this point, he could no longer care about maintaining his dignity before his son.

"Don't worry, it's nothing."

Tao Li Jun smiled.

"That's good."

Professor Tao felt ashamed. He had not expected that, in the end, he would still have to trouble his son.

"It's a small matter."

Tao Li Jun smiled. "Dad, go eat first. I'll handle it."

Once outside.

Tao Li Jun's expression turned cold. His father had been in the wrong about this matter, but so what? No matter how wrong he was, he was still his father! He was only a Salted Fish—he could not stir up any waves.

"Xiao Mu."

Tao Li Jun placed a call. "Help me take care of something."