Little Fei Fei

Lin Xiangdong had secretly gone out with Lin Zongzheng. To the outside world, they claimed he was researching something important. Even Lin Shen had only learned that Lin Xiangdong was not at the base, but had gone out with Third Brother Lin Zongzheng, after Lao Ye arrived.

Yet Lin Xiangdong's absence for over a month had still aroused the suspicions of the Qi and Wang families. Now that Lin Shen had come wearing a mask, their suspicions had only deepened.

Standing behind Lin Shen, Lao Ye's palms were already drenched in cold sweat. This was a situation they had never anticipated.

Faced with such a sudden turn of events, let alone Lin Shen, even Lao Ye himself had no idea how to handle it perfectly in those brief moments.

But if Lao Ye stepped forward now to bail Lin Shen out, it would only make them more suspicious. Yet if he did nothing, Lin Shen might not even get past this hurdle.

Just as Lao Ye could no longer hold back from speaking, Lin Shen made the first move.

Lin Shen suddenly closed in on Wang Tianer, his face nearly smashing into Wang Tianer's. The abrupt movement startled Wang Tianer. Deeply wary of Lin Xiangdong, he reflexively retreated and drew the pistol at his waist.

Firearms were still extremely powerful weapons in this era. Especially against humans, pistols remained threatening.

After all, humans could not maintain Steel Body twenty-four hours a day. Moreover, the vast majority of Gene Mutators did not possess a complete Steel Body; some had coverage of less than fifty percent.

Thus, many people carried pistols not to deal with Gene Mutation Creatures, but with their own kind.

When Lin Shen had gone over the details with Lao Ye last night, he had already taken notice of Wang Tianer. His strength was the same as Lin Xiangdong's—they were both Alloy Gene Mutators—but he particularly loved using guns. Rumor had it that quite a few people had died beneath his gun.

The instant Wang Tianer drew his pistol, Lin Shen's hand lashed out like a venomous snake.

Wang Tianer did not react at all. Before he could even grip the gun properly, he felt his fingers loosen, and the pistol was snatched away.

Even Lin Shen had not expected to seize Wang Tianer's gun outright. Wang Tianer was, after all, an Alloy Gene Mutator. When he erupted at full strength, he was not much slower than a bullet.

Lin Shen had not originally intended to take the gun directly. He had only planned to use the speed of Seven Steps of Conflict to knock aside Wang Tianer's hand as he drew the weapon, then begin his verbal assault.

Unexpectedly, the speed Seven Steps of Conflict granted him seemed even faster than he had anticipated. Wang Tianer, caught unprepared, had not even been able to react before Lin Shen took the gun straight from him.

Lin Shen had not even completed his Gene Mutation, yet he had snatched a gun from the hands of an Alloy Gene Mutator. It was truly astonishing.

Lin Shen was overjoyed inside and immediately aimed the stolen gun at Wang Tianer's head.

Wang Tianer's expression changed drastically. As he swiftly dodged diagonally backward, his skin transformed just as quickly. A mysterious blue substance seeped out, forming an armor-like shell that protected his body. Even his head and face were encased within it. His clothes were split open in many places by the metal carapace, revealing a blue metallic gleam.

Qi Shuheng's gaze held a trace of disappointment. Someone with such methods and speed, capable of forcing Wang Tianer into such a sorry state, could not possibly be an ordinary Gene Mutator. There were not many such people in the Lin Family. It seemed the intelligence had been wrong—Lin Xiangdong had not left the base. The person before them was most likely Lin Xiangdong.

Lao Ye, meanwhile, was both shocked and delighted. He simply could not understand how Lin Shen had done it. Someone who had yet to complete Gene Mutation had actually snatched a gun from an Alloy Gene Mutator. Even if Wang Tianer had been caught off guard, it was still far too astounding.

No matter what, with this move, their suspicions toward Lin Shen should have lessened considerably. Today's hurdle should be passed.

Seeing Wang Tianer's appearance, Lin Shen threw back his head and laughed arrogantly. He casually tossed the gun back to Wang Tianer and said disdainfully, "Wang Lao Er, didn't you want to see the face beneath this mask? I put my face right in front of you for you to lift it, but you were scared into that pathetic state. You're such a grown man, yet you can't even hold a gun steady. How did you survive this long?"

Wang Lao Er was furious and humiliated, just about to say something when Lao Ye beat him to it. "The time for the assembly has already passed. Don't delay important business. And with so many people here, don't let outsiders see the three families make fools of themselves. Miss Bai rarely comes by; it would be bad to spoil Miss Bai's enjoyment."

Lao Ye said this partly to stop Wang Lao Er from truly turning hostile out of shame and anger, and partly to point out Bai Shenfei's identity. No one should be suspicious now.

"Hmph. We'll settle this account another day. Business comes first; I won't hold it against you today." Wang Tianer snorted coldly, turned, and walked off the stage. He needed to change clothes. He could hardly recruit Gene Mutators on stage dressed like this.

Ignoring Wang Tianer, Lin Shen looked at the woman and thought, So this woman really is Bai Shenfei. But why does she have a Fire Seed of Super Gene Evolution on her? Can humans have Fire Seeds of Super Gene Evolution too?

Lin Shen could not figure it out for the moment. Fire Seeds were simply too wondrous. He had initially thought Seven Steps of Conflict merely gave him speed faster than bullets Within Seven Steps, but it now seemed that was not entirely the case.

After Actual Combat, Lin Shen had gained a deeper understanding. The ability's true meaning might be that as long as the opponent used a gun and was Within Seven Steps, no matter how fast they were, his strike would always be faster. That was incredibly powerful, though its limitations were also great.

"A misunderstanding. Let us take our seats first." As Qi Shuheng spoke, he gallantly invited Bai Shenfei to sit in the seat beside him.

Lin Shen remembered Lin Xiangdong saying that Bai Shenfei was his little fangirl. He had guided her in many matters, and their relationship was excellent—half teacher, half friend. Naturally, he could not let Bai Shenfei sit on Qi Shuheng's side now.

"What did Fourth Brother say Lin Xiangdong usually called Bai Shenfei?" After thinking briefly, Lin Shen recalled it. He beckoned Bai Shenfei over and said, "Little Fei Fei, come sit over here with your senior brother."

Previously, Lin Shen had spoken to Bai Shenfei that way, and she had not seemed bothered in the slightest. This made him believe what Lin Xiangdong had said before.

Naturally, he had to interact with Bai Shenfei according to Lin Xiangdong's habits now and could not let her spot any flaw. Lin Shen could not determine whether Bai Shenfei had gone to the Lin Family first, what exactly her relationship was with the Qi and Wang families, or why she had needed their help.

Upon hearing Lin Shen's words, Bai Shenfei did not hesitate. She walked directly over and sat in the seat beside him.

Qi Shuheng could only sit down by himself. Before long, Wang Tianer returned in a fresh set of clothes and sat beside Qi Shuheng.

The Recruitment Assembly officially began. Under the host's arrangements, many Gene Mutators hoping to join the three great families of Blackbird Base began lining up to display their abilities on stage, seeking the favor of the three families' representatives.

Lin Shen had little interest in these people. Turning to Bai Shenfei, he asked, "Little Fei Fei, what are you doing at Blackbird Base?"

Bai Shenfei slowly leaned toward Lin Shen, her lips nearly touching his earlobe.

It looks like Bai Shenfei really does have an excellent relationship with Fourth Brother. Lin Shen could not help praising Fourth Brother inwardly. It seemed he really had some skill; Lin Shen had misunderstood him when he thought he was bragging.

"I don't care who you are. If you dare call me Little Fei Fei one more time, there will be no need for the Qi and Wang families to expose your identity. I'll cut your head off right now." Though Bai Shenfei's voice was soft, her tone was exceptionally hostile.

I've been exposed! Lin Shen's body trembled as he cried out bitterly in his heart, Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, why did you have to brag for no reason? Your little brother has been utterly screwed over by you!