C18 Everything Is Under My Control!

"Tsk, that's a death wish if I ever saw one," Blind Chung scoffed dismissively. "You gotta have the chops to make a stand, and he's barely a Level-1 earth-type mutant. Even I wouldn't bet on taking down that beast for sure."

"Mr. Shen, he..."

The folks at Cloud Mountain Base were on edge, some even hoping Yang Hanshuang would lend a hand. Their fortunes were tied to Shen Chen; if he fell, their days in the sun were over.

A few had witnessed Shen Chen slay a Level-4 monster, but luck played a big part. Now, with the stakes raised, this was sheer folly.

"Ms. Yang, are we just going to stand by and watch?"

"Ms. Yang?"

Yang Hanshuang remained silent, her body poised to act should Shen Chen find himself in peril. But...

Nearby, Blind Chung cackled with glee, clearly ready to interfere, perhaps even eager for Shen Chen, the Cloud Mountain Base's benefactor, to meet his end right there.

"Miss Yang, planning to intervene?" Blind Chung asked, eyeing her as he felt the thick presence of fire elements in the air.

"..."

"Hehe, Boss Shen's bold move suggests he's got something up his sleeve. How about we just watch and see?" Blind Chung suggested, his stance clear: he wanted Shen Chen dead at the hands of the Crawler.

"You're reading too much into it."

Yang Hanshuang's tension melted away into a smile.

Blind Chung was taken aback and quickly turned to see Shen Chen approach the Crawler, which seemed oblivious to him and continued to roar towards the Ocean Mountain Base. But in a flash, Shen Chen sliced through its hide with a tiny dagger, prying out a shimmering Level-3 crystal core from behind its head.

"What in the world!"

"Give me a slap; I need to know I'm not dreaming!"

The crowd was stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief. It wasn't until Shen Chen pocketed the radiant Level-3 crystal core that they snapped out of it, swallowing hard. It was no illusion—a lowly Level-1 earth-type mutant had just slain a Level-3 Crawler in full view of everyone!

The folks from Ocean Mountain Base were left agape, exchanging bewildered glances, panic etched on their faces. A casual move that instantly took down a Level-3 Crawler?

What kind of power did Shen Chen possess?

Even Blind Chung, the strongest among them, couldn't achieve such a feat.

Could Shen Chen actually be a Level-4 paranormal?

This bizarre and ludicrous notion swiftly took hold of everyone's minds as they gazed at the composed young man in the center of the field. He was shrouded in mystery, not only able to sell rice at incredibly low prices but also possessing formidable, almost otherworldly strength!

Surely, his supposed weakest Level-1 Earth-type power was nothing but a ruse. It had to be!

This was the consensus, with even Yang Hanshuang sporting a wry smile, finding Shen Chen more and more enigmatic by the moment.

Of course, Blind Chung's face was a picture worth a thousand words. He had just warned Yang Hanshuang against intervening, only to have his warning blow up in his face moments later. Shen Chen's capabilities had taken him by surprise; he was well aware of his own limits, and he knew that not even a peak Level-3 lightning paranormal could dispatch a Level-3 Crawler in the blink of an eye.

"My apologies for startling you all," Shen Chen said with a light smile. The crowd hastily returned the smile, shaking their heads to indicate no harm done, while Baldie put on a strained grin and expressed his thanks.

He quickly had his men tidy up the scene and depart.

With the Ocean Mountain Base group gone, only those from Han Iron Base remained. As Shen Chen approached with a grin, Blind Chung couldn't help but offer a sheepish compliment, "I had no idea Boss Shen was so formidable. Truly an eye-opener."

"It was nothing, just a Level-3 Crawler," Shen Chen responded nonchalantly, leaving the seasoned fighters of Han Iron Base tasting the bitterness of understatement. Just "nothing"?!

"That's right, we once witnessed Mr. Shen take down a Level-4 Zombie Beast," chimed in a member from Cloud Mountain Base. "We had our sights set on that one for quite some time, but Mr. Shen beat us to the punch."

Blind Chung was skeptical until Shen Chen casually produced a dull yellow crystal core. His pupils shrank in shock—it was indeed a Level-4 core!

"This piece is quite the find, but you all are holding a bit of a grudge, aren't you? After all, the spoils go to the slayer."

Shen Chen pocketed the crystal core, and as the pale yellow aura faded into the fabric, Blind Chung was struck with an unexplained fear upon meeting his gaze again. Hastily claiming urgent matters needed his attention, he and his crew left in a rush, their exit tinged with embarrassment.

Once the Han Iron Base personnel vanished from the street's end, Shen Chen exhaled deeply and slipped into the shop, Yang Hanshuang hot on his heels.

Hardly settled in his seat, Shen Chen caught Yang Hanshuang eyeing him with suspicion. He rolled his eyes, "What's with the stare? It's not every day you see a zombie's legs and belly twist like that."

"You must have some secret method that prevents zombies from attacking you," deduced Yang Hanshuang, sharp as ever. Shen Chen neither confirmed nor denied, busying himself with massaging his calves.

Truth be told, it had been a close call. If Blind Chung had struck, it could have been the end for him. Thankfully, he'd bluffed his way through.

"Does your strategy actually work?" Yang Hanshuang was puzzled by Shen Chen's actions that day. With a sly grin, Shen Chen replied, "Just sit back and enjoy the show."

...

Shen Chen instructed his team to keep the doors open for rice sales. Calculations aside, business must go on. He was confident that the Han Iron Base folks wouldn't return after hearing the rumors, and if they did, he was ready with an excuse.

Back in the supermarket courtyard, Shen Chen resumed extracting blue crystal cores and testing them on a hundred zombies. The outcome was a letdown; not one survived the successive explosions.

A two hundred percent failure rate—what on earth was the system up to? Frustrated, he tidied up the mess and retreated to his living quarters.

At dawn, scavengers queued for rice, with no sign of anyone from Ocean Mountain Base, nor the Han Iron Base.

Yang Hanshuang arrived particularly early. "What about the drama you promised? I've waited all night and seen nothing."

It was then that Gouza returned with news. "Last night, Han Iron Base and Ocean Mountain Base clashed. Han Iron instigated the fight, demanding an equal share of rice. Ocean Mountain Base refused, sparking the conflict. Both sides suffered injuries, but there were no fatalities. Han Iron Base managed to seize a few kilos of rice."

The news arrived just in time, catching Yang Hanshuang off guard. After a long pause, she fixed her gaze on Shen Chen and questioned, "Was this your doing?"

In Gouza's presence, Shen Chen wasn't about to confess. "What's it got to do with me? Just dogs fighting among themselves. It's a shame no one died."

"Indeed, it is a shame. Neither side is any good, and I heard a lot of rice got scattered in the scuffle."

That outcome was precisely what pleased Shen Chen the most. He preferred to see the rice go to waste on the contaminated soil beneath his feet rather than fall into their hands—no matter how good the rice, once on the ground, it was inedible.

With Gouza off lending a hand, Yang Hanshuang, her expression icy, pressed him: "How did you manage it?"

"Take a guess," Shen Chen replied, his smile not revealing his teeth, as he stepped into the bank to verify the remaining quantity of rice.

Irritated, Yang Hanshuang followed him once more.