Long Worms ≠ Gu Worms

This once powerful and influential man can now only lie quietly in his hospital bed, relying on a ventilator to stay alive.

Of the younger siblings, Gareth Yuan'an is the most likely to inherit the position of family head... it's not fair to let his high school sister inherit it.

Although Gareth Yuan'an is also a university student.

Unfortunately, the collateral branches of the family in Earth City were also stirring at this time, believing that Gareth Yuan'an lacked experience and a sense of seriousness.

After all, Gareth Yuan'an's attire and manner of speaking... were rather too casual.

Internal conflicts are escalating, and the future is fraught with uncertainty, putting pressure on Gareth Yuan'an.

He must take action as soon as possible to stabilize the situation within the family...

If he can overcome this hurdle, then the family's power can be consolidated in his hands, and he can do even better than his father did.

If that doesn't work, then it's all over.

"The main threat comes from my uncle."

Gareth Yuan'an, seemingly not intending to say too much about the collateral branches. And he knew what Cong Yu, who was sitting next to him drinking cola, would say.

"Killing is indeed one way... but that only proves my ruthlessness, not that I am capable of winning people's hearts."

As he said this, Gareth Yuan'an looked at Cong Yu, who had looked away again, and said, "Besides, Uncle didn't become the head of the family for his own sake."

"He just doesn't want me to take the position of family head... not because he's a bad person, but because he doesn't trust or approve of me."

"..." I see, so this is what they call a "family." It's not that I can't understand people like that.

Cong Yu nodded, sipping her drink through a straw while looking out the window. "So you need to win over the Dongshang family's support, right?"

As she said this, Cong Yu laughed, "You might as well just marry that very fat Dongshang Yahui Xiang Huixiang."

Gareth Yuan'an gave a wry smile in response.

"We'll see..."

Cong Yu: "..."

Cong Yu: "???"

Upon hearing this, Cong Yu looked astonished and asked, "Are you really prepared to sacrifice yourself to marry into the Dongshang family?"

Gareth Yuan'an paused for a moment, then sighed, "It's not exactly a self-sacrifice... and Dongshang Yahui Xiang's situation is also quite complicated."

Is it complicated? What does that mean exactly?

Gareth Yuan'an shook his head helplessly at Cong Yu, who seemed to know very little about him.

He shook his head. "Once we get to the Dongshang family, Cong Yu, you'll understand."

Then, Gareth Yuan'an quickly gave a brief overview of the situation.

The main purpose was to tell Cong Yu why he had been invited to make the trip in person.

"Just as I made contact with the Dongshang family, Dongshang Yahui Xiang also hopes to make contact with the 22nd Group through the Yuan'an family."

With that, Gareth Yuan'an stated simply and clearly, "I originally wanted to ask the Doctor, but she said she was too busy and that Cong Yu was more enthusiastic about making friends, so she recommended that I come directly to you."

It seems the Doctor knows Cong Yu quite well.

But if she's been so busy lately, could it be that the K Virus research, which turns kangaroos into zombie kangaroos, has entered the experimental stage?

I need to see Doctor about her condition, just in case she mutates.

--

Achoo!

The petite Doctor sneezed, then rubbed her nose in confusion... wondering which bastard was slandering her.

(Cong Yu: Yay--)

"The Rabbit Man's application for a body swap... Hmm, approve it as soon as possible, do it for her tomorrow, otherwise she'll have an excuse to slack off with pay."

(Rabbit Man: Sad)

"The new member's physical conditioning... the awakening phenomenon is abnormal, the magic power is unstable, but there is potential to become a leader... her name is Zongzheng Ximei, the prototype of the dragon--"

The Doctor commented, noting it on the schedule, and glanced at the recommender. "Cong Yu, Little Shadow No. 10086... As expected."

After all, Hong and Big Shadow were also taken in by Cong Yu.

It seems like Cong Yu always manages to rescue some incredibly powerful thugs... What's this? Is he building his own royal guard?

Knights of the Round Table... or something like that?

Thinking this, the Doctor waved the scalpel in his hand, his tired eyes scanning the full schedule in front of him.

She's been incredibly busy lately.

She single-handedly handled all the research and development work for the entire group... although it was also her own hobby.

However, even with the monster's physique, it seems unlikely that this will last much longer.

As a qualified Frankenstein, the Doctor's first thought was to create some kind of super energy booster for himself.

It's the kind of drink that, once you finish one vial, can keep you going for three days and three nights.

You might need it someday...

But then I thought about it again and realized that I didn't need to work that hard for my hobby or the company.

This is just like paying for your own coffee on the way to work...

No need, no need.

So...

I should get a good night's sleep first, and then think of other solutions, or perhaps consider finding an apprentice or something.

If you're going to look for one, it's best to look for a young child.

A little talent is enough, but the personality must be bad enough... the kind of innocent badness.

It also allows one to maintain a curiosity about the mundane world and find joy in it.

People like this are really hard to find...

With these thoughts in mind, the Doctor, unusually, left his personal area and ignored the greetings from the other oddballs of 22nd Group, heading straight for the door of a conspicuous little room in a large open space.

"Knock knock knock--"

The Doctor gently knocked on the door and greeted the woman inside, "Boss, are you there?"

There is no doubt about that.

"Ah, I'm here... Please come in, please come in. Is there any document you need?"

The boss sounded a little surprised, because the Doctor rarely came to see her... Both of them were shut-in lolis, so neither of them could say anything about the other.

Speaking of which, the density of lolis within the group seems quite high, but there's a difference in age... because the Doctor is actually a bit younger than the so-called lolis.

As for the BOSS, the Doctor pushed open the door and entered the small room, then found a corner to hide in under the BOSS's gaze.

"Let me sleep here."

That's what the Doctor said.

BOSS: "???"

What?! My fellow dwellers have increased?!

"Okay, okay, join us. From now on, we're the three-person 'Dwelling Trio'."

The boss responded with a smug look, handing over the books and cushions beside him, saying, "It feels great to sleep buried in something."

Doctor:"..."

"That won't be necessary."

As he said this, the Doctor found a pile of blankets and covered himself with them. "Life and death, Shunni, the three thousand Source Currents..."

"I won't comment on your habits as a deceased person, but I guess I personally didn't like the feeling of being buried."

The Doctor, noticing the boss's regretful expression, sighed, "But it doesn't hurt to give it a try."

BOSS: "Great!"

Side Story: A Glimpse into the Distant Past

Inside the ship's cabin, the sailors drank rum that was both spicy and cloyingly sweet, while chewing on flatbreads with maggots removed.

Some sailors even carelessly stuffed the plump white worms into their mouths and chewed them... because pulling them out was too much trouble.

In their drunken stupor, everyone's conversations became unrestrained.

"Hey, that navigator named Gwyn Navia, who calls himself Cong Yu... he's prettier than a woman."

Ah!"

"Damn it, I really want to have sex with him!"

"Heh heh heh, after I disembarked last time, I lost all interest in finding women."

As the sailors began to talk wildly about Cong Yu, a burly man with a stubble beard and no clothes tied up also grabbed a glass of wine and sat down.

"You're the men we added last time, right...? Men, I suggest you don't have any bad intentions."

The sailors around looked over at the person who was saying this.

"Haha, First Mate, are you afraid the captain's pointed boots will kick your ass?"

"The captain is so good to Gwyn, I bet they've been having an affair for a while now."

"..." The man known as the first mate laughed and cursed at their teasing, "You bunch of blabbermouths... be careful Navia hears you and throws you into the sea."

As he said this, the first mate looked up and saw Cong Yu entering the cabin to prepare for her meal. "Navia, come this way!"

The crew burst into laughter at the arrival of Cong Yu.

"Gwyn, right? Why don't you dance for us to liven things up!"

"You're going out to sea at such a young age, don't your parents have any objections?"

"..." However, for some reason, those making such jokes were all newly recruited personnel; some people simply waved to Cong Yu.

The new crew members were still joking around, but the veteran crew members had already fallen silent.

The kind-hearted veteran crew member stopped several of the most outspoken new crew members, whispering a reminder: "Tune yourselves down... Cong Yu isn't human. If you keep talking like that, you might get eaten."

New crew member. "???"

Those who make their living by the sea are still somewhat taboo about this kind of thing, and they all stopped their joking and listened to what the old sailor was saying.

"He can tell you how to sail a boat better just by communicating with the fish, and he can even predict the weather and wind direction... He's probably a siren."

"There were a few who were bored at sea before, and they tried to attack him in the middle of the night, but they disappeared the next day. They were probably eaten, who knows?"

"..." Sea... Sea monster?!

Wait a minute, she has fair skin like a woman, can sing songs with lyrics I don't understand but that sound beautiful, and is a navigator who can read nautical charts.

Isn't it just a siren?!

Cong Yu: "..."

"No, that wasn't communicating with fish. I was observing ocean currents, and weather predictions are sometimes accurate and sometimes not... The ocean's climate is inherently changeable, so my experience isn't always reliable."

Cong Yu, dressed in linen clothes, couldn't help but speak up, not wanting these people to demonize her.

He looked down at these ignorant natives from the old era. "And I didn't eat people, I just killed them and threw them into the sea."

Even more terrifying!

Chapter 265 Long Worm ≠ Gu Worm

The Dongshang family's residence doesn't look much different from the Yuan'an family's... but it's not as deserted.

The servants in the house...

Well, or rather, the number of "employees" is even greater.

They all give the same impression of carved beams and painted rafters, but upon closer inspection, one can perceive subtle differences in their entrances.

This place seems more vibrant.

And from a decorative standpoint... in any case, a fountain pool always looks more modern than Deer Scarer- filled water feature.