Qiangzi

Black Rock City, suburbs.

In an abandoned house, Steward Diao of the Netherworld Organization held his phone, repeatedly dialing the same number, his face full of anxiety and irritation.

Judging by his call logs, he had dialed this number dozens of times, yet each time it rang for a long while without an answer.

"Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable, please..." As the familiar female voice came through the phone again, Steward Diao immediately pressed the hang-up button. Due to the excessive force, he cracked the phone screen.

Steward Diao looked at the shattered screen, originally intending to throw the phone away, but out of stubbornness, he dialed the number once more.

Unexpectedly, it was answered after only two rings.

"Elder Feng!" Steward Diao said excitedly. "I finally reached you. Did your mission go smoothly this time?"

"Mission accomplished, the target has been eliminated!" the voice on the other end replied with a resonant, metallic tone.

"Ah, that's good. With you on the job..." Steward Diao's voice suddenly faltered. "Wait, you killed that woman? Didn't the higher-ups say to keep her alive?"

"Why would I, Feng Buqing, need to explain my actions to anyone?"

"This... yes, yes, you are right. Then, did you get the formula?"

"Half a catty of Solomon's seal, half a catty of astragalus, half a catty of apple, half a catty of orange. Boil two bowls of water until only half a bucket remains. No need to drink it, just pour it out."

"This is the formula?" Steward Diao scratched his head. "Stop joking around."

Hearing this, Steward Diao sensed something was wrong and lowered his voice to ask, "Elder Feng, what happened? You aren't usually like this."

On the other end of the line, Elder Feng began to sing rap: "I wasn't this kind of person, you turned me into a strange person, the first time I've become like this..."

Steward Diao's expression changed, and he barked, "You aren't Elder Feng! Who exactly are you?"

"I am but a delicate maiden, not a man."

Steward Diao was about to press further when he heard a heart-wrenching cry from the other end: "Qiangzi, don't go, Qiangzi..."

The call didn't disconnect, but no matter what Steward Diao said, he received no response, only the repeated cries of "Qiangzi" from the other side.

Furious, Steward Diao clenched his fist, crushing the phone into a lump of scrap metal.

"This matter is of great importance; I must report it to the higher-ups."

He immediately grabbed a subordinate's phone, dialed a number, and reported the sequence of events.

"The person on the phone kept mentioning someone named 'Qiangzi.' Perhaps it's related to this matter; we can start the investigation from that angle."

"Additionally, the Hunters who escorted Liu Wenyin should be returning to Black Rock City one after another. I will question them one by one."

"How about this one? What do you think?" Liu Wenyin looked at Su Ze beside her and asked.

"It's quite good. The surroundings are quiet, the space is large enough, and there's a courtyard. Most importantly, it's clean."

"Then it's settled!"

Su Ze had spent the whole morning accompanying Liu Wenyin to look at houses, and they had finally picked a decent one.

They immediately signed the lease through an agent and paid six months' rent.

Although they might not even stay for a month, there was no choice; the landlord required a six-month payment.

Wasting a bit of money was a small matter.

Afterward, they brought Aunt Yun from the hotel to the house.

The newly rented house needed many things, such as bedding and toiletries, so Liu Wenyin dragged Su Ze out to the street to shop.

Passing by the vegetable market, Liu Wenyin said, "Let's go buy some groceries."

"Sister, you know how to cook?"

"I've learned."

"That's fantastic."

Su Ze was somewhat excited. Living in the Luofan Kingdom, eating was a major problem; he truly lacked the constitution to enjoy the local cuisine.

It was said that a Cocoon Breaking Stage powerhouse from another country had eaten street food in the Luofan Kingdom and suffered from diarrhea until they were exhausted.

The local food, which even Evolvers couldn't handle, was perfectly fine for ordinary Luofan citizens. One could only say that the digestive systems of the Luofan people were among the most evolved in the world.

They bought some vegetables and seasonings, then headed to the busiest street nearby to purchase daily necessities.

This street had high foot traffic, with several shops specializing in evolution items, and many Hunters came here to trade.

As Su Ze and Liu Wenyin passed by, they heard a few Hunters chatting loudly.

"Jabani and his crew really hit the jackpot! They actually found two Tier 2 Exotic Beast corpses while in the mountains this trip!"

"Not just him. That degenerate gambler next door to me joined a team into the mountains yesterday and came back today. They just took a stroll halfway up the mountain, and the loot they found filled their entire team's bags!"

"What is going on these past two days? Exotic Beast corpses keep appearing in the Black Rock Mountain Range, and the Evolution Substances are perfectly preserved—the kind that can be used to make extracts."

"I'm so envious, I'm going into the mountains tomorrow too!"

Su Ze and Liu Wenyin exchanged glances. Both felt it was a bit suspicious, but it had nothing to do with them, so they didn't dwell on it and walked away.

After buying everything they needed, the two carried their bags back to the rented house.

Liu Wenyin was in charge of the cooking, while Su Ze was responsible for tidying up and making the bed.

By the time Su Ze finished cleaning up, Liu Wenyin had finished preparing the meal.

Looking at the four dishes and one soup on the table, all of which were visually appealing and aromatic, Su Ze's appetite was piqued. He picked up a piece of braised fish with his chopsticks and tasted it. "Mmm! Delicious!"

Su Ze gave a thumbs-up and offered some flowery praise: "Sister, how do you manage to be so capable both on the lecture podium and in the kitchen?"

"Actually, cooking is much like conducting an experiment. What to add first, what to add next, how much oil, how much water—everything has a fixed dosage. How to cook it, how high the heat should be, and for how long—there are standards for everything. Each dish is like a formula; you just plug in the variables. It's very simple."

Su Ze was stunned. Was it really that simple?

However, once Liu Wenyin put it that way, Su Ze noticed that every dish she made turned out exactly as it should, with the saltiness, sweetness, and spiciness all perfectly balanced.

Although it was delicious, it lacked a certain touch of human warmth.

Sometimes, a person's taste buds need the stimulation of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors to achieve true satisfaction, much like life itself.

But Su Ze wasn't a picky child. As long as it tasted good, what more could he ask for?

"After you finish eating, send me your basic information. I'll have the Dongli Kingdom Household Registration Department start a file for you," Liu Wenyin said suddenly.

Su Ze paused, realizing that this meant Liu Wenyin and the Dongli Kingdom behind her had chosen to accept him after completing their investigation.

He nodded and said, "Alright. I don't have much other information. My name is Su Ze, and I'll send you my date of birth in a moment."

Liu Wenyin set down her bowl and chopsticks. "Mhm. And your household registration? How about we list you under my family?"

"Sure, we're family anyway. But... since we don't share a surname, what should we list our relationship as?"

Liu Wenyin thought for a moment and said, "Just write 'siblings' and say you are my father's adopted son."

Su Ze: "Actually, writing 'husband and wife' would be more logical."