Lu Heng, who disliked smoking, fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette. After lighting it, he took a deep drag and exhaled a smoke ring into the air before him.
He had learned this trick in college from a roommate who was a heavy smoker and had many ways of smoking. However, Lu Heng only picked up the smoke ring trick.
"Why don't you live with your father?"
Lin Yu stared at the giant bird, which had finished its meat and was now basking in the sun on the ground, saying, "I told Lu Ge before, ever since you saved me, I've been reborn. My past life has nothing to do with me anymore. Yesterday, I was just suddenly informed of my father's news, and my mind went blank, so I followed him. This kind of thing won't happen again.
I've met my father. He's doing well. I told him in a letter to consider me dead as his son. From now on, if we meet, we'll just be familiar strangers."
Before the apocalypse, Lin Yu's relationship with his father wasn't very good. His father often moved around due to mission requirements when he was young and rarely came home. Lin Yu lived with his mother.
After his father transferred to civilian work, he was busy with business all over the country. Besides the substantial living expenses that arrived on time each month, he was rarely home.
"My mother passed away before the apocalypse. She worked too hard in the first half of her life and didn't enjoy much comfort in her later years. Fortunately, she passed away before the apocalypse. Otherwise, with her timid nature, she would have been scared to death seeing those zombies," Lin Yu chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"So, Lu Ge, you don't have to worry about me leaving. As long as Lu Ge still wants me, I'll follow you."
Without many flowery words, Lin Yu finally looked at Lu Heng sincerely, his eyes as determined as when Lu Heng first met him.
"Alright," Lu Heng smiled, stubbed out his cigarette, and ground it under his foot.
"Now that I've heard from you, let me talk about myself."
"These mutated animals weren't tamed by me. You've seen other mutated animals outside. They are very wild, and after evolving their abilities, they become even more ferocious. It's very difficult for ordinary people to tame them."
"Then why do Director and the others listen to you so obediently?"
"Do you understand my abilities?"
Lin Yu was a little stunned. How could Lu Ge change the topic so quickly? They were just talking about these mutated animals, and now it had shifted to his abilities?
Lu Heng heard Lin Yu's thoughts and smiled helplessly. "You all think I'm a multi-element ability user, but that's not quite right. My ability is to contract these mutated animals and obtain their abilities. So, as long as a mutated animal is contracted by me, no matter what they were like before, they will now obey me obediently."
Seeing Lin Yu's shocked expression again, Lu Heng continued, "You also know that I can travel between two worlds, but I don't quite understand why this situation occurs. Also, the zombies in the apocalypse came too strangely. Initially, some people said it was a virus leak caused by humans, which is why people were infected and became zombies. Others said it was a virus brought by aliens.
But these are still mysteries. Even the military people don't understand them now. However, I want to figure these things out, including the reason why I can travel between two worlds.
Of course, even if I die, I won't be able to uncover these secrets. I still hope to lead as many humans as possible to eliminate the zombies outside."
"Lu Ge, I think you can do it," Lin Yu said seriously, finally digesting what Lu Heng had said.
"Flatterer."
"Hehe."
"By the way, the pills you refined last time, I had someone look at them. That person praised you immensely, saying you are a genius alchemist. Moreover, you used the materials for refining low-grade Qi Recovery Pills to create mid-grade Qi Recovery Pills, and their efficacy was much better than pills of the same grade."
"Is that so? Then I'll study them again later and see which pills recorded in those books are suitable for our situation. I'll refine more of them later."
"Yes, but that person also gave me a few more alchemy insights. I'll organize them and give them to you later."
"Okay."
"In a few days, I might have to go to the other world a few times. Please keep an eye on things here, and hurry up with the matters I mentioned earlier."
...
Early that morning, due to the unexpected situation in the apocalypse, Lu Heng's shops in Jinyang City did not open. Some people, not knowing what was happening, asked the disciples of the Danyang Sect who were also squatting at the entrance, but they were also unclear.
Therefore, for most of the morning, the unwilling people and the disciples of the Danyang Sect waited outside the door without leaving.
In the afternoon, Lu Heng returned to Jinyang City. He wanted to ask Wuchenzi if the arrangements for finding people to watch the shops had been made. Since he was only looking for disciples from his own sect, it shouldn't take too long.
When he left, he used the small door in the courtyard. When he circled around to the street in front, he was surprised to see the crowd waiting outside his shop. Those people had almost blocked the street outside.
However, it was getting late, and he didn't want to be held up by these people.
He turned and walked away quickly, his figure gradually blending into the crowd on the street.
...
"Hey, young friend Lu, the disciples reported early this morning that you took away a Roc-beaked Beast in the middle of the night. I thought you were going on a long journey. Why did you come back just after noon? If you find the Roc-beaked Beast useful, you can keep it. However, there's no place in the city to house such a large magical beast."
Wuchenzi was quite surprised to see Lu Heng appear before him. He hadn't expected the person who left in the middle of the night to return so quickly.
It seemed Lu Heng hadn't gone far early in the morning. Had he gone to his alchemy friend's house?
Did that young friend have any problems with alchemy?
Did the alchemy furnace explode?
That shouldn't be the case. Judging by the quality of the pills last time, such a genius wouldn't make that mistake.
Lu Heng sat in Wuchenzi's alchemy room, listening to the old man ramble on and on. When he was done, he started imagining stories. Unable to listen any longer, Lu Heng decided to get down to business.
"Since that's the case, I'll accept the Roc-beaked Beast. Perhaps we have a connection. Every time it sees me, it actively runs out and wants to get close."
He paused and then added, "I had to deal with some urgent matters last night when I took the Roc-beaked Beast away, which is why the shop couldn't open this morning. I've come now to ask if you've found the people to sell on consignment?"
"Regarding this matter, after we finished talking that day, I arranged for Du Feng to handle it. I'll call him over to ask."
Immediately, Wuchenzi sent a disciple who was guarding the sun-protection herbs in the outer hall to call Du Feng.
A moment later, Du Feng rushed over with three people. "Master."
"Yes, are these the three disciples you were looking for who understand accounting?"
"Yes, these disciples usually manage several of our pill shops outside Danyang. I just found them from those shops this morning."
"Lu Xiaoyou, take a look. If it's not enough, ask Du Feng to find more," Wuchenzi pointed to the people behind Du Feng and said, "Step forward, let Mr. Lu take a look."
"Increase the level of these people. I'm afraid they won't be able to handle it," Lu Heng glanced at the three people. They looked presentable, and after reading their minds, he found nothing unusual. He assumed that Du Feng, who had personally selected them, would have chosen trustworthy people.
However, looking at the levels of the three people, they weren't very high. If someone caused trouble in the shop, they might not be able to suppress them, and it would be easy for others to snatch their crystals.
"Did you hear that? Quickly upgrade these three to level five. It should be enough for Jinyang City for now."