Crops Help Stabilize Abilities (continued)

While Tao Qiu was bustling with activity due to the new crops, Lou Yu was also keeping busy at the human base.

After working overtime for a week straight, Lou Yu finally got his turn to rest for two days.

Knowing he was free today, Xiao Cong had his dad bring him over after breakfast.

Lou Yu compared Xiao Cong's height to his own, then pinched his arm and said with a smile, "Kids develop so fast. You've grown taller and stronger in just a short time."

Xiao Cong said proudly, "My dad is a martial arts instructor, I can't be a weakling."

Lou Yu brought a bowl of snacks made by Chen Lin to Xiao Cong. Seeing that he was eating happily, he asked in a seemingly casual tone, "What are the most popular toys among you kids these days?"

Xiao Cong didn't suspect Lou Yu's intentions and obediently replied, "Weapons? What? Toy guns and toy knives? These have always been popular, both boys and girls like them. Recently, the most popular thing has come from the Central Base, something called building blocks. You can assemble them into houses, cars, and even people. I heard that only very smart kids can assemble them, but they're very expensive. My dad said he'll buy me one if I get in the top five in my class this time."

Building blocks were something Lou Yu's mother used to play with when he was little. Bai Yan was quick-witted and could always help Lou Yu finish building them in the fastest way possible.

Some of the finished products were damaged due to various accidents, and the rest were placed in Lou Yu's room.

He also didn't know what happened to his personal belongings after he left the Lou Family.

I never expected that the kids at the Yong'an Base would start playing with these too. Building blocks can help develop children's imagination and creativity. Lou Yu thinks that with his three clever kids, playing with these toys should be more than enough.

However, unsure if they would like it, and to avoid backfiring, he decided to send one set to each person first to test the waters.

The next day, Lou Yu drove to the market. He first went to a toy store and bought three sets of the most expensive and luxurious building blocks, then picked up three sets of wooden weapon toys, as well as some other items recommended by the shopkeeper, who said they were all recent popular items.

After loading the toys into the car, he went to the children's clothing store.

Because the base places great emphasis on children, the children's industry is booming; two out of the three clothing stores are children's clothing stores, and their business is quite good.

When Lou Yu entered, there weren't many customers. Some knew him, and some didn't. Those who knew him were quite surprised to see him there and came up to greet him.

"Is Captain Lou buying a gift to give as a present?"

Those who know Lou Yu will generally know some of his personal information, such as that he is still single and doesn't seem to have a bed partner or a romantic interest.

In this era of open sexual relations, under the pressure of the possibility of dying every day, having sex has become an effective way to release pent-up emotions.

Two people can satisfy each other's physical needs without necessarily having to consider themselves a couple.

Given Lou Yu's fame throughout the entire base, anyone who slept with him would have already spread the news all over the world with a megaphone.

So far, not a single word has come out. Either that person is tight-lipped, or Lou Yu is truly chaste and has never had a partner.

This is both good news and bad news for those who Lou Yu. The good news is that Lou Yu is alone, so they might have a chance. The bad news is that Lou Yu is so self-controlled, so winning his heart will probably not be easy.

Lou Yu, a bachelor, came to a children's clothing store. Aside from buying a gift for a friend with children, passersby couldn't think of any other reason.

Judging from the way he was carefully selecting items, he didn't seem like someone who was just browsing.

Lou Yu smiled and said, "Yes? It's a gift, but this is my first time buying here. I don't know if I can pick the right one."

The man said enthusiastically, "Tell me about your friend's child's height, weight, and skin color, and I'll help you choose. I have two kids and I shop around all the time; my taste is absolutely impeccable."

Lou Yu didn't correct her on the phrase "a friend's child," but politely replied, "Then I'll trouble you."

The man replied, "No need for such formalities."

Lou Yu told Tao Qiu the height and measurements of the children, and then said, "The three of them are all quite fair-skinned, so perhaps we could choose a brighter color?"

"Of course! Brightly colored clothes only suit fair-skinned babies, and children generally prefer vibrant colors."

"However, I suggest buying clothes and shoes a few sizes larger. Kids grow quickly, and if they only wear them for a month or two, they won't fit anymore, and then you'll have to come back and buy new ones, which is wasteful and troublesome."

Lou Yu wasn't worried about the waste and trouble, but he could only go out every now and then. If he didn't get to buy new clothes and send them over in time, the children would have grown too tall for the clothes, which would be inconvenient for them.

"Thank you for reminding me," Lou Yu said with a smile.

The aunt, momentarily captivated by Lou Yu's handsome face, sighed silently to herself. If she weren't afraid of upsetting Lou Yu, she would have acted as matchmaker on the spot, introducing her relative's daughter to him.

With the help of his aunt, Lou Yu selected two sets of clothes and shoes for each of the three children. He also took a liking to a matching set of parent-child clothes and asked the shop assistant to add three pieces of clothing for the children, which he also packed up.

Lou Yu picked out the most expensive batch, and the shop owner was all smiles, personally carrying the clothes to his car.

The shop owner must have overheard Lou Yu with that auntie. He glanced at the pile of toys in the back of the car and couldn't help but marvel at how lucky he was to be Lou Yu's friend, receiving so many gifts.

After the children's clothing store owner left, Lou Yu went to the adult clothing store next door to buy some clothes for the children. Tao Qiu couldn't be left out either; it would be best if he could buy two sets of matching outfits for couples.

Lou Yu carried the clothes back and put them in the car. He had originally wanted to buy other things, but his car, which he used for commuting, was small and almost full. He could only go back first and come back later when he had a holiday.

There were still some days before his next trip, but Lou Yu couldn't stop missing Tao Qiu and the children. He could only ease his excitement by buying them things.

Seeing Lou Yu return laden with gifts once again, his teammates were used to it. Except for Chen Lin, the other three were too lazy to check what else he had bought. For a bird, these were rather strange things.

The clothes were in bags, so they weren't very clear, but the packaging boxes for the children's toys were quite eye-catching.

Even someone as astute as Chen Lin couldn't fathom what Lou Yu meant by this.

Snow Bird suddenly taking a liking to playing with children's toys? That doesn't make sense, does it?

However, thinking back to the things Lou Yu had brought for Snow Bird before, Chen Lin suddenly felt that even amidst the absurdity, there was a certain degree of rationality.

He tentatively asked, "Captain, could you reveal something?"

Lou Yu knew that Chen Lin had vaguely guessed something about his relationship with Tao Qiu, but he wasn't ready to make it public yet, so he smiled and replied, "No."

Chen Lin: "..."

There's no love left; with Snow Bird, I've forgotten my teammates.

Almost a month has passed since Lou Yu last retrieved the materials. If the fruit had any effect on Zhao Tao, it should be showing its effects by now.

Lou Yu went directly to the research institute to first consult with Old Doctor Li about the situation.

Hearing that Lou Yu had come to inquire about Zhao Tao's superpower status, the doctor's face was filled with a joyful smile.

"I have good news for you. Zhao Tao's superpower is showing signs of stabilizing."

Lou Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately put on a look of surprise. "Really? Tell me in detail."

The doctor said, "As you know, based on Zhao Tao's physical condition and ability, we've arranged two training plans for him. One is for his physical recuperation and training, and the other is for the attraction, control, and stabilization of his ability. The real reason why semi-powered individuals are prone to death is that the uncontrolled ability within their bodies constantly damages them. Only with a strong physique can they live longer and have the ability to control their abilities in return."

The doctor's tone grew increasingly excited as he spoke, "From the end of the awakening experiment until June, both plans proceeded as usual, but the results were consistently mediocre. There was also the incident with Zhao Tao's identity crisis. Thanks to you, Zhao Tao eventually overcame his difficulties and gradually returned to normal, which also played a certain role in promoting our training program. Zhao Tao's physical functions continued to improve after the planned rest and training, which had a positive impact on his supernatural abilities, but the results were not particularly significant."

Lou Yu in at the opportune moment. "Then what happened next that caused his ability to stabilize?"

The doctor said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually, we're not entirely sure of the specific reasons either."

Lou Yu: "What? What do you mean?"

The doctor continued, "Starting around mid-June, Zhao Tao's physique showed a noticeable improvement, but we didn't pay much attention at the time, thinking it was just a normal increase. However, as time went on, Zhao Tao not only repeatedly broke records in physical training, but also made rapid progress in the use and control of his superpower. Yesterday, we conducted a test on him and discovered that his superpower was no longer running rampant uncontrollably within his body, but had instead fallen into a dormant state."

Those who truly awaken their superpowers will have their human genes completely suppress the genes of the mutated monsters, and only then can they slowly fuse with them, turning some of the mutated monsters' abilities into their own.

However, those semi-superhumans, who were considered defective, were unable to suppress the mutated monster genes, causing their superpowers to become uncontrollable and continuously attack the human body until the human died.

Previously, it was one thing for superpowers to wantonly destroy Zhao Tao's body, but Zhao Tao also had to be lured out through various means to use his superpowers, and it was extremely easy for him to lose control during the process.

The fact that Zhao Tao's supernatural abilities are now showing weakness and lying dormant is a sign that the human genes within him are about to completely suppress the mutated monster genes.

This means that if all goes well, Zhao Tao won't die, and their Yong'an Base will have one more superhuman.