You Don't Need to Panic Yet!

You Don't Need to Panic Yet!

Xu Zhi really did not feel much of the atmosphere Zhong Lingfan had deliberately created. Whenever she was in her Spirit Vessel, she always had the mindset of What can you even do to me? As a result, she had almost no sense of reverence.

After Zhong Lingfan finished speaking, she looked at Xu Zhi and waited for her response. She had not expected the first words out of this plain-looking girl's mouth to startle her.

"Professor Zhong, have you finished your new Transcendent research report?"

What?

Zhong Lingfan rarely showed surprise, but she was slightly stunned. How did this girl know?

She had never seen this person at the institute before. If she was not a member of the institute, she should not have known about this.

Xu Zhi's seemingly random remark easily shattered the atmosphere Zhong Lingfan had built, pulling the two of them onto equal footing. Xu Zhi's expression was especially sincere, as though she had merely asked Zhong Lingfan whether she had eaten.

It was a strange feeling. Xu Zhi realized that she could actually tell from Zhong Lingfan's barely perceptible expression that she was very surprised.

Was this Lv3 Insight?

"How did you know? Sit down first, then we can talk." Zhong Lingfan gestured for her to sit.

Xu Zhi did not stand on ceremony and sat down as instructed. After she took her seat, Gyrfalcon adjusted its posture slightly and landed by Xu Zhi's hand.

"Someone told me. Can I see that research report? I can trade for it."

Xu Zhi was not stupid. Even though she did not have much experience with interpersonal interactions, she knew she could not directly ask something like, "I want to know whether you've finished writing it." Asking to see the Transcendent research report was perfectly normal. After such a drastic upheaval, who would not want to know more?

Zhong Lingfan did not find that suspicious either. What puzzled her was who exactly the "someone" Xu Zhi mentioned was.

She first gave Xiao Zhen a particularly attentive look before speaking to Xu Zhi.

"It is not that I cannot show it to you. It is simply that current Transcendents differ greatly from previous ones. I am still researching that point, and this report is not complete."

"Still, even incomplete, it is very valuable. What can you offer in exchange?"

Although Zhong Lingfan held herself a little higher, she was not trying to make things difficult for Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi's origins were suspicious to begin with, so she needed to be cautious. It would be best if she could put Xu Zhi in her place. Who would have thought that this little girl simply did not fall for it?

"Hmm."

Xu Zhi pondered for a moment, then activated [Eye of Secrets] right in front of Zhong Lingfan. She shut it off the instant she saw clearly, then revealed a hint of surprise.

"What did you see?" Even though someone had openly used a Transcendent ability on her, Zhong Lingfan remained composed and did not get angry.

Xu Zhi did not hide it. "I saw your attributes, Miss Lamp."

That was precisely what had surprised her. Zhong Lingfan was the first Transcendent with the [Lamp] attribute she had seen.

"Your Transcendent ability is not just clones. You have two Transcendent abilities?"

Though Zhong Lingfan's tone seemed calm, the fact that she asked the question was enough to show how surprised she was by Xu Zhi.

Xu Zhi blinked at her. "Maybe there are even more?"

How was that possible?

It did not fit the patterns she had discovered through research.

Zhong Lingfan was briefly speechless. She lowered her eyes and thought for a long while before finally speaking slowly. "How about you trade your true purpose in coming to us?"

"Ah, that simple?" Xu Zhi looked slightly confused.

From Zhong Lingfan's perspective, Xu Zhi was mysterious and powerful. If her purpose in coming here was unclear, it would only make Zhong Lingfan uneasy.

"Yes, that simple." Zhong Lingfan nodded, staring straight at Xu Zhi. Her Transcendent ability allowed her to roughly sense whether a person's heart leaned more toward good or evil.

Using the "alignment" she had comprehended through her Transcendent ability, people could roughly be categorized as "evil," "good," or "neutral." It was extremely broad, but sufficient to filter out some dangerous individuals.

At present, Xu Zhi gave her the feeling of being "neutral."

If her Transcendent level rose further, her perception of alignment would become more detailed. Perhaps then she could see Xu Zhi's character more clearly.

Now, she had relied on this Transcendent ability and her own methods to establish this garden. Her purpose was to shelter some people and help them survive in this city. To do that, she needed to eliminate unstable factors.

"My purpose is very simple."

The girl sitting in the chair stroked Gyrfalcon's back with one hand, then spoke in a relaxed tone. "First, I was curious about you, and I also wanted to know about that information. Now, that curiosity has been satisfied."

That should not count as a lie, right?

"Second, I hope you can move somewhere safer."

What she really meant was that she wanted this group to go to the Old Residential District and become her cash cows.

But she definitely could not say it that way.

"Somewhere safer?" For the first time, confusion showed in Zhong Lingfan's voice.

"That's right." Xu Zhi nodded earnestly. "The place where I live now. There are other people there too, and lately I've been worrying about how to get more people."

That did not sound particularly calculating.

Zhong Lingfan even wondered if Xu Zhi was deliberately talking nonsense.

Or had this child truly not realized what she was saying?

She smiled helplessly and asked, "How am I supposed to ensure that the safe place you mentioned is truly safe?"

"There are nearly forty people here with me. How can we ensure everyone's safety during the migration process when we head to your place?"

"If other people are already living there, how can we ensure that there will be no conflict between them and my group, and that we can get along peacefully?"

As she spoke, she sighed.

"I cannot make such an irresponsible decision just because of one sentence from you."

"I know that." Xu Zhi suddenly no longer sounded as unreliable as before.

"What I mean is that we cooperate. I know you can tell whether the people around you are safe, but can you guarantee that people's hearts will never change?"

"You do not look like you have much combat ability. How can you ensure that when people's hearts change in the future, you will not be powerless? In the end, this is an era where strength reigns supreme."

Those words struck right at Zhong Lingfan's concerns. She currently maintained an absolutely stable position because the Transcendents in the garden were mostly not very strong yet, and she had people she trusted assisting her. But who knew whether, once they became stronger in the future, they would still be willing to remain beneath someone else?

"And me." Xu Zhi smiled and pointed at herself.

"My strength is absolutely formidable, and I have no interest in management. I only need someone capable to manage things. You can treat me as a deterrent. You have the ability to manage and a Transcendent ability that can see through people's hearts, while I have absolute force. We are perfectly suited to cooperate."

"Tomorrow, my main body will personally come here. You can have your subordinates try their hardest to stop me, but I guarantee that no one will be able to."

"This room will do. When I walk into this room again without a scratch, you will have to agree to my request and bring your people to move to where I live. How about it?"

"I will guarantee the safety of the migration."

After Xu Zhi finished speaking, Zhong Lingfan thought for a while before asking, "Do I have the right to refuse?"

"You do." Xu Zhi nodded solemnly. "But even if you refuse, I will still come tomorrow."

"At worst, when the time comes, I can just kill anyone unwilling to come with me."

After saying that, the girl suddenly smiled. "That sounds a little scary. I was joking. I would not kill people for no reason."

"Anyway, you cannot refuse me. Then it's settled?"

Zhong Lingfan helplessly rubbed her forehead. "Wait a moment!"

How had it suddenly become settled with you?!