A New Door

A New Door

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

And she still asked what was wrong.

Zhong Lingfan looked at Xu Zhi's rather innocent expression and found herself at a loss for words. After a subtle two-second pause to sort through the thoughts Xu Zhi had thrown into disarray, she finally said,

"Isn't this a little too hasty?"

"Even if we really are moving there, there are many details that need to be discussed first."

Besides, this had all happened too suddenly. Even now, she still felt completely bewildered. She had merely received a somewhat strange supernatural being—how had it suddenly become a matter of moving all her people somewhere else to live?

"Mm, what other problems do you have?" Xu Zhi looked at her as if she were very open to discussion.

"Resource allocation, security measures, future planning—aren't all of those problems?" Zhong Lingfan had a headache. She felt as though she were explaining things to a child who had no interest in hearing them.

And the very person who had proposed this seemed not to have considered any of these practical issues at all.

"Well... you can think about those things slowly. I don't understand that stuff. When the time comes, just do whatever you think is best." Xu Zhi's words were rather shameless, but they were indeed what she thought.

Why should she worry about all that?

She only needed to ensure a steady income of cores. To do that, she merely had to establish a safe territory and pack more people into it. People meant productivity.

As for management, she was neither good at it nor knew how to do it. Wouldn't it be enough to leave it to someone who could?

As long as she remained in a position no one could challenge, she would not need to worry about things like people refusing to obey her and trying to rebel.

So, she did not need Zhong Lingfan's loyalty. She only needed her to know what was good for her.

"That's far too irresponsible. This isn't some small matter." Zhong Lingfan frowned in disapproval.

Sure enough, her instincts had been right. Xu Zhi's attitude toward this matter was so casual that it bordered on childish. She cared about nothing, and her only insistence seemed to be that everyone on Zhong Lingfan's side had to move over.

"So, why?"

Zhong Lingfan asked, "Why do you want us to move there?"

Xu Zhi did not hide it. "Because I need cores."

"I need cores, but I don't want to be a robber. So I provide you with protection, and you provide me with cores."

"It's like rent. You rent safe territory from me, along with an environment nearby that's suitable for weaker supernatural beings to train in, and I only charge a tiny little fee."

"Training?" Zhong Lingfan caught the key point.

"Yes." Xu Zhi nodded. "I'll clear out any Mutated Animals nearby that are too powerful for you to defeat."

Thinking of the constant casualties caused by Mutated Animals from the early days of establishing the garden up until now, as well as the foreseeable benefits if Xu Zhi's words were true, Zhong Lingfan was somewhat tempted.

But she still said, "With your attitude of forcing a deal down our throats, I really find it hard to trust you."

By ordinary logic, upon hearing such words, one should obviously show some sincerity and try to earn the other person's trust. But the moment Xu Zhi spoke, she shattered Zhong Lingfan's understanding.

The girl before her smiled and said,

"But Professor, I don't need your trust, because you have no choice but to work with me."

"I haven't harmed a single one of you. Isn't that already my sincerity? Can't you see it?"

"So, for everyone to live well in this city, work with me, okay?"

Overbearing and unreasonable, yet there was nothing anyone could do about it.

In the end, Zhong Lingfan could only say helplessly, "Tomorrow, I'll arrange for people to defend this place. If you can truly enter this room without so much as a scratch, I'll agree to your terms."

"And you must not take any lives or cause injuries that cannot be undone."

In other words, even if Xu Zhi made a move, she had to hold back. It was also a way of weakening Xu Zhi's advantage.

"Of course." Xu Zhi nodded. Those were her little crops, after all. She would be upset if any of them were lost.

Having made this decision, Zhong Lingfan felt a rare trace of confusion arise in her heart. Even when she had originally chosen to remain in Cloud City, she had never felt such uncertainty and bewilderment about the future. Yet now, she was experiencing it because of a young girl.

This really was...

"Has the era really changed?"

Even now, Zhong Lingfan still doubted whether Xu Zhi possessed such ability. Everything would have to wait until tomorrow to be revealed.

But now—

"Professor, do you have any [Lamp] Attribute Cores? Give me one, okay? I'll trade you cores of other attributes."

She herself did not attract [Lamp], but since Zhong Lingfan's attribute was [Lamp], she ought to have a few, right?

"I do, but I have no need for cores of other attributes."

"You don't need them now, but that doesn't mean you won't need them later." Xu Zhi tried to talk her into it.

But ordinary supernatural beings really were different from her. They truly had no use at all for cores of other attributes.

In the end, Xu Zhi traded Zhong Lingfan one core from each of the other seven attributes for a single [Lamp] Attribute Core.

In Zhong Lingfan's words, it was just for the sake of collecting.

Having exceeded the goal of this Spirit Vessel visit, Xu Zhi returned to her original body in a rather good mood. After Xiao Zhen's Spirit Vessel time ran out, it also flew into the sky and left.

After returning to her original body, Xu Zhi decided to wait until she had brought Zhong Lingfan's people over and settled them down somewhat before going outside to trade with the Special Investigations Office.

After that, she found Shen Jinwen and told her that she would be bringing back a group of survivors tomorrow. Among them was a woman named Zhong Lingfan, who managed those people, and Xu Zhi did not intend to strip her of that position.

"If you're interested, you can manage this place with her. If not, just keep collecting cores at the neighborhood office."

Shen Jinwen shook her head. "Not interested."

If Xu Zhi had not required it, she would not even have been interested in collecting cores. Her only interest was going out hunting every day, honing her skills, and improving her supernatural abilities.

"Fine. Then let her keep managing it herself."

After returning from Shen Jinwen's place, Xu Zhi finally opened the warehouse and saw the [Lamp] Attribute Core she had traded from Zhong Lingfan.

It lay quietly in the warehouse, emitting a bright yellow glow.

When Xu Zhi clicked on it, she received information about [Lamp].

[Lamp: The principle of light.]

[It contains mercilessness, knowledge, reason, and radiance. It is more closely connected to the sun and dreams. Its possessors are characterized by mysterious and powerful dreams, and a spirit devoted to radiance.]

"Looks pretty grand."

That was Xu Zhi's assessment.

It seemed like an attribute possessed by a group of believers, but these believers were different from [Cup].

They seemed to be two extremes.

Just then, the narrator suddenly popped up.

[Congratulations. You now understand all attributes. When you successfully advance your own supernatural attribute, you will open a new door.]