Han Xiao roughly guessed the fourth condition. Separation was basically impossible, with only a 0.3% chance of success, and neither Fording nor Morning Star would be willing to take the risk of another sharp drop in strength. That left only the idea of reconciliation. The fourth condition would definitely be more perfect than the "reconciliation" in the third condition, so it would definitely require more time. Han Xiao naturally preferred the fourth condition, which had the most generous reward, but even without considering the reward, letting Fording develop as in his previous life would be very beneficial to him.
Fording has now decided to join the mercenary group, not as a member, but as an employer in need of help. However, this guy is a potential asset, and if his problem is solved, he can at least get a large portion of Morning Star's savings, a huge amount, which Fording says is in the tens of millions, the wealth Morning Star has accumulated over five years in the entertainment industry.
Of course, Han Xiao would prefer Fording to become a mercenary group officer; that would be a win-win situation!
However, this idea is not easy to realize. Given Fording's personality, he would not become a mercenary after being cured. He is currently with the mercenary group to solve his own problems.
"Although I've temporarily recruited him into the team, he's not really a companion yet, just a client. He can't possibly help in battle." Han Xiao thought to himself, "Hmm... to truly convince him to join us completely, we'll need more time to develop the strategy. We'll have to see how the [Choice] mission goes before taking any further steps."
Having Fording by your side means you need to keep a close eye on him, otherwise he could be in danger. Volga Third Brother is better suited for this job; after all, his fighting ability is so-so, so he can do something else.
[Choice] The task takes time; let it develop naturally and don't expect anything in the short term.
Fording skillfully handled the follow-up issues and became a free man. Han Xiao did not want to stay any longer, so he led everyone to the dock and airport, and arrived at the spaceship's parking orbit.
The spaceship lowered its gangway, and everyone stepped onto it. Han Xiao looked back and saw that Fording was still on the ground, looking at the spaceship with a complicated expression.
Han Xiao said, "Don't just stand there, let's go."
"... good."
Fording took a slow, deep breath. For the first time in five years, he had control of his body. He had missed this feeling for a long time. The noisy Morning Star in his mind quieted down, and he focused on healing his wounds, watching intently.
Once he stepped onto the spaceship, it was another unknown journey. The difference was that this time he was no longer an observer, but the leader. As a lazy person who hated technological progress, Fording felt like he was dreaming. Five years ago, he never thought that he would one day become a famous singing star in the interstellar space, with a woman living inside him, and he would have to compete with her for control of the body. He not only had to follow a group of mercenaries, but also try to train his telekinesis.
Life is unpredictable... Fording sighed. He used to think that his life would be uneventful, living a leisurely life in the wild, keeping a pet as a companion, hunting when he was young, and if he didn't die in the mouth of a wild animal, he would put down his crossbow when he got old, just farm at home, and accompany each visiting dusk, maybe one day falling asleep by the fire and never waking up again... But that crashed spaceship was like a heavy hammer, shattering his plans for life, suddenly and without warning.
"This isn't the life I want, but..." Fording muttered to himself, "It's actually quite interesting."
Just as I was about to step onto the gangway, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance. A large group of people rushed over, calling out Morning Star's name. Looking over in confusion, I saw that it was the group of media reporters who had followed me here for some reason.
Upon further reflection, Han Xiao suddenly realized.
"Yes, Morning Star's assistant team has disbanded; someone must have contacted the reporter."
As he expected, "Morning Star" gave up her singing career and left with a group of mercenaries. This, combined with the suspected kidnapping incident not long ago, made the group of reporters smell a hot topic. They hurriedly turned around and chased after her like madmen.
"Morning Star, what is your intention in doing this?"
Were you being coerced?
"Don't worry about anyone harming you; we'll protect you."
The reporters, chattering and Fording, almost tried to carry Fording away. Fording struggled to break free of the crowd, waving his hands repeatedly, "This is my own decision, I have other things to do..."
As he spoke, he hurriedly rushed up the gangway, and Han Xiao stepped aside to let him in.
The reporters, not wanting to miss Morning Star, also crowded onto the gangway, wanting to rush into the spaceship regardless of the consequences, and reaching out to shove Han Xiao.
Thud--
A burst of energy!
The reporters on the gangway were all thrown off balance, tumbling and falling. They grimaced in pain, struggled to their feet, but dared not go any further. Only then did they realize that a dangerous mercenary was blocking their way.
Han Xiao clapped his hands expressionlessly and closed the hatch.
The spaceship rumbled into motion and departed the colony.
Outside the window was the pitch-black universe. The spaceship moved slowly. In the hall, Fording sat in the center of the group. Volga Third Brother pressed Fording's head, and invisible psychic waves rippled across his forehead. He released his hand after a while.
"I found Morning Star. She's very weak and can't resist my intrusion. I set up four layers of mental barriers to trap her within them, and hypnotized her consciousness to slow down her thinking, which is equivalent to reducing her recovery ability. She won't be able to cause any trouble for the next fifteen days."
Fording nodded. "She's insulting me, so it should be quite effective."
He turned to Volga Third Brother, flashing a smile as warm and unrestrained as the sun, and politely said, "Thank you for your help."
"Uh, no, it's okay." Volga Third Brother's face inexplicably turned red.
Han Xiao sat imposingly in the center of the sofa, with Aroshia on his left and Sylvia on his right. He said in a deep voice, "External forces are ultimately unstable. The right path is to make yourself stronger."
"I know." Fording shrugged, glancing at an ornament on the table. A subtle surge of psychic power emanated from it, causing the ornament to sway and float in the air. "Actually, I awakened my psychic powers on the way here."
Thump!
Sylvia fell to the ground.
She scrambled to her feet, her face filled with astonishment. "W-so fast?!"
Fording chuckled, "Morning Star's memories contain a complete set of Nen training methods, and I can understand what it felt like for her to train Nen. It's very simple to follow. It seems my talent is not bad. It took her three days to awaken her Nen, while it only took me a few hours. By the way, when she was healing herself, I was able to steal some Nen from her. We share a body and don't repel each other."
Morning Star's memories are a vast treasure trove; all the accumulated knowledge was shared with Fording. It's as if Fording has already gone through the entire process, without needing to take any detours. Coupled with his powerful talent and the dual-body factor, only Fording is unaware of just how monstrous his growth rate is.
Han Xiao's lips twitched. As expected of a high-level protagonist's halo, Morning Star, this "old man," is too dedicated!
Sylvia was on the verge of tears.
Comparisons are odious! I want to become a superhuman, not only memorizing texts every day but also getting electrocuted. What kind of luck do you have?!
I really want to stab you to death with a spear!!
Melos snorted, clearly disliking Fording, and turned to Han Xiao, asking, "Where are we going now?"
Han Xiao tapped his forehead with his finger and pondered, "Let me think..."
Han Xiao didn't get the Mission Settlement Card this time, but he wasn't going to give up. This was only the first time, and maybe he would get it next time. Compared to risking his life to deal with Grade A enemies, random rewards, although based on luck, were more reliable.
"Advancing is my primary goal right now. Level 100 is the threshold for a racial ascension, which offers a huge boost. Strength is the most important thing; everything else has to take a backseat. There's still over a year until the next update, so I have plenty of time. I need to find a familiar quest to farm random rewards. Luckily, my quest list has many options. I refuse to believe that with so many chances, I'll never get Mission Settlement Card."
Han Xiao thought to himself.
After thinking for a moment, he chose the closest task and was about to have the autopilot system change the destination when Aroshia had been silent most of the time, spoke up. Her tone was unusually hesitant, and she became more talkative.
"These past few days, I've felt a constraint preventing my abilities from growing stronger. It seems to be the Grade B bottleneck you mentioned. I have a feeling that once I overcome it, my abilities will increase dramatically. However, this bottleneck isn't as solid as you say. I should be able to break through it at any time..."
Aroshia paused.
"Also, I've been having dreams these past few days. I've seen a lot of blurry images in my dreams that feel vaguely familiar, but I can't remember most of them after waking up... Do you think those could be my lost memories?"
Han Xiao was taken aback, and his eyes narrowed immediately.