"Mr. Qi Wu, congratulations on completing your mission."
"We'll transfer 300 contribution points to your card."
The mission hall of the 749 Bureau's Nanjiang branch.
After returning from killing the Yellow Weasel.
Qi Wu handed his combat recorder to a staff member.
Once the staff had verified it, a receptionist handed Qi Wu a platinum card.
This card was the Salvation Team's account card.
It held the team's contribution points.
Contribution points could be exchanged for all kinds of supernatural items at the bureau.
Out in the wider world, no amount of money could buy these items.
Those 300 contribution points were worth more than three million outside.
"Three hundred contribution points. That's quite a sum."
Qi Wu held a cup of milk tea in one hand and the platinum card in his left, smiling softly.
Beside him, Jiang Qingyue covered her mouth and smiled.
"Mr. Wu, what are you planning to do with our team's first windfall?"
Qi Wu held the unusually textured platinum card between his fingertips and gave it a gentle shake, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Our first windfall, huh..."
"Shopping, of course."
He turned to Jiang Qingyue, his eyes bright with obvious interest:
"Come on. Let's check out the contribution hall on the second floor and get ourselves something good."
"Yay!" Jiang Qingyue replied cheerfully.
Along the way, many passersby cast curious looks at Qi Wu, while others whispered among themselves.
"Isn't that the rookie, Qi Wu? I heard they took a B-rank mission. They've already finished it?"
"No way. That Yellow Weasel Demon from the B-rank mission must've been at least seventh tier!"
"With strength like that, no wonder Wolf Team made an exception and let him form a team..."
People they passed occasionally murmured in amazement at Qi Wu.
[Popularity Points +20] [Popularity Points +30]
His Popularity Points slowly rose.
Soon, the two reached the second floor.
The second floor looked completely different from the first. It was more like a high-tech exhibition hall.
Glass display cases stood throughout the spacious room.
Light shimmered inside the cases, which displayed all sorts of items radiating strange energy fluctuations.
There were potions glowing in different colors, weapons and armor engraved with complex runes, and unusual ores surging with energy.
There were even some decidedly extraordinary-looking biological materials sealed in special containers...
Beneath each item was a detailed holographic label listing its name, effects, and a jaw-dropping contribution point price.
Other display cases held rows of supernatural potions.
Superpower potions were made by humans by refining Demon organs together with rare natural treasures and Exotic Treasures.
After drinking one, a person only needed to refine the energy within it to accelerate the growth of their spiritual power.
Different types of supernatural potions also had different effects.
Qi Wu led her to a huge display screen, where descriptions of various supernatural items and their contribution point costs scrolled past.
A faint trace of energy lingered in the air. The hall was quiet and solemn, and the occasional agents who came to exchange points hurried past, speaking in low voices.
Jiang Qingyue looked around curiously, her gaze soon drawn to a pale-blue bottle filled with liquid that flowed like starlight.
[Name]: B-rank supernatural potion · Stellar Radiance. [Effect]: Slightly improves abilities, with a chance of enhancing a superhuman's precision in controlling their power. [Cost]: 100 contribution points. [Remaining quantity]: 2.
Qi Wu's gaze also settled on the bottle of [Stellar Radiance]. He took a sip of milk tea and commented:
"Hmm, only 100 contribution points. Looks pretty good."
The potion's ability to improve "control precision" had caught his interest.
That effect would be quite useful for strengthening his Limitless.
"Just two bottles left."
"One each."
Qi Wu's fingertips glided over the holographic screen before finally settling on the exchange option for [Stellar Radiance].
"Confirm exchange for two bottles."
As he gave the command, the contribution points were instantly deducted from the platinum card.
The doors of two glass display cases opened in response.
A drone delivered two shimmering bottles of potion.
Qi Wu reached out to take them, feeling their coolness through the glass.
The potion certainly looked gorgeous.
It looked delicious, too.
Qi Wu suspected that the reason Jiang Qingyue had picked this potion.
Was simply its flashy appearance.
"Come on. Let's find somewhere to try these out."
He handed one bottle to Jiang Qingyue, whose excitement was impossible to hide.
The two left the second-floor hall.
The handsome man and beautiful woman drew plenty more glances along the way.
They arrived at the sky garden outside the building, where greenery flourished and the air was fresh.
A fountain sparkled with rainbow colors in the sunlight, while several young agents sat chatting on benches.
Qi Wu and Jiang Qingyue found a secluded corner and sat down. He unscrewed his bottle's cap.
A faint scattering of starlight drifted toward his nose, and the liquid gently rippled in the bottle as though alive.
"Cheers!"
Jiang Qingyue raised her bottle.
Now that she had grown close to Qi Wu, she no longer felt socially anxious around him.
Social anxiety was for strangers.
Qi Wu raised his bottle too, and they clinked them together with a clear chime.
He tilted his head back and took a sip. The pale-blue liquid instantly became a cool stream of energy that flowed through every part of his body.
He closed his eyes, feeling the energy move through him and attempt to merge with his spiritual power.
The B-rank supernatural potion's effects were potent indeed.
There was just one small drawback.
And to Qi Wu, that small drawback mattered a great deal.
His brows creased slightly.
"So bitter!"
Qi Wu's brows knotted together.
After the initial coolness, a bitterness several times worse than herbal medicine flooded his tongue.
For someone with his intense sweet tooth, it was rather unbearable.
Was this shit even meant for humans to drink?
No wonder it only cost 100 contribution points!
Jiang Qingyue took a sip too, and her expression immediately changed.
"Pfft-s-so bitter!"
Her little face scrunched up like a steamed bun. She stuck out her tongue and panted repeatedly, nearly driven to tears.
"It's even more bitter than goldthread!"
Qi Wu looked at the gorgeous potion with its appalling taste, then at the half-finished, double-sugar milk tea in his other hand. An idea flashed through his mind.
They had bought this milk tea on their way back from the mission.
As he gazed at the double-sugar milk tea.
A reckless idea flashed through his mind.
"Got it!"
He carefully poured the remaining half-bottle of [Stellar Radiance] into his milk tea, then stirred it a few times with the straw.
"This should get rid of the bitterness."
Qi Wu felt rather pleased with his own ingenuity.
However...
The pale-blue specks of starlight mixed with the rich brown milk tea, producing a sort of...
Bizarre, mudslide-like color.
"M-Mr. Wu? What are you..."
Jiang Qingyue looked at the specially mixed drink with a sense of foreboding.
"I added the bitter potion to my milk tea. It should balance out the bitterness and taste better!"
Qi Wu gave Jiang Qingyue a thumbs-up, then took a huge gulp through the straw!
I'm a genius!
"PFFT-!!!"
The next second, he sprayed it straight back out. Luckily, he turned his head in time to avoid spraying Jiang Qingyue.
"Cough, cough, cough... What the hell is this?!"
Qi Wu choked and coughed repeatedly, his face turning green.
It was bitter, sweet, and cloying all at once.
It hadn't become even slightly tastier.
Instead, it tasted even worse!
"Urgh... It's like Jizhi cough syrup. I should've just drunk it straight!" he couldn't help complaining.
[Irritation Points +50 (from yourself)]
Seeing Qi Wu lose his composure for once, Jiang Qingyue was initially startled.
Then she couldn't help bursting into laughter. She quickly covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
"You're very cute today, Mr. Wu."
Qi Wu gave two light coughs, already preparing to offload this vile drink on the forum.
Just as he was fretting over the cough-syrup-like concoction, a sweet, alluring female voice sounded behind him.
"Oh my, Qi Wu, what a coincidence~"
He turned around to find a woman dressed in green court robes.
She had a graceful figure and delicate features, with foxlike eyes that seemed able to speak. A beauty mark at the corner of one eye only added to her allure.
This foxlike, mature beauty was Qing Xiaoran, whom he had met once during his assessment.
Behind Qing Xiaoran, her teammate Feng Yuyao had turned her face aside, looking as though she wanted nothing to do with Qi Wu.
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