Chapter Thirty-Three: To Accept the Lord’s Salary Is to Share His Worries

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Qi Xi looked at Watermelon, who was in utter disarray, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “How did you end up like this? Look at me—so suave, aren’t I?”

“Bah! I went face-to-face with ten gene generals. Tell me, is that not enough to be battered? Are you kidding? Why don’t you try it yourself and see if you can win? Just mouthing off now is meaningless. If a senior doesn’t act like a senior, he’ll be scorned!” Watermelon complained with dissatisfaction. “Not only did I have to deal with those ten gene generals, I was also assaulted by countless American squads, and had to fend off those traitors too. It’s infuriating. If it weren’t for the entanglement with the gene generals, I’d have slaughtered them all on the spot!”

Qi Xi showed a hint of surprise. “Traitors?” He soon understood what Watermelon meant. “Oh... you mean those people. Well, it’s not entirely their fault. The saying goes, ‘You eat the lord’s food, you labor for the lord.’ If you take someone’s money, you owe them; if you accept their hospitality, you’re beholden. Now America is supporting them—how could they not exert themselves? You expect them all to sacrifice themselves for the nation? Must living really be so burdensome? If national sentiment is truly such a heavy load, then perhaps discarding it isn’t so bad.”

Hearing this, Watermelon shrugged indifferently. “Of course I understand that, but it still feels a bit vexing.”

“Forget the vexation. I’ve made considerable progress,” Qi Xi said.

Previously, Watermelon had faced an American squad, ten gene generals, and a group of gene-enhanced Chinese attackers. He barely escaped, traversed a long road, spent much time, and finally reunited with Qi Xi.

By now, dusk was falling. The group had entered a civilian house, killed the zombies inside as one would crush bedbugs, and temporarily settled in. Everyone made themselves comfortable; Qi Xi and Watermelon went alone to the rooftop to discuss matters, leading to this scene.

Qi Xi tossed a notebook to Watermelon. “It’s detailed in there. If you don’t understand something, just ask me—I have much more to tell you.”

Half an hour later.

“I never expected the truth to be like this. By the way, the Rockefeller family—isn’t it the mastermind behind this apocalypse?” Watermelon looked up and asked.

“Obviously,” Qi Xi replied, opening his palm.

“That’s rather strange...” Watermelon muttered, rubbing his chin.

“What’s strange? Here, take this.” Qi Xi handed Watermelon the half-used vial of the Immortal Gene Serum. Both he and Watermelon possessed the [Devour] gene and could digest this substance, unlike Xiao Fengyu, Li Feidao, and Qiu Xiaoyan, who couldn’t absorb it.

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“What is this?” Watermelon eyed the vial with suspicion. “What kind of serum is this?”

“The Immortal Gene Serum.”

“Huh?” Watermelon was momentarily confused. “Immortal? Aren’t gene people already immortal?”

“No, not immortal—just ageless. In fact, they can be killed quite easily,” Qi Xi explained slowly.

“Then what is immortality?” Watermelon was clearly skeptical. Immortal—wouldn’t that mean nothing could kill you? Even transmigrators don’t have such a cheat—this is a total bug! He voiced his doubts: “If I devour this serum, I gain immortality? Nothing can kill me, not even total annihilation?”

He expected Qi Xi to give a vague or negative reply, but to his surprise, Qi Xi nodded. “That’s exactly right.”

“What!” Watermelon was stunned. “This thing is that powerful? Even if I’m reduced to ashes, I can recover?”

“That’s how powerful it is. Not for 2999, not for 1999, only 998, only 998—the Immortal Serum to take home!” Qi Xi, out of nowhere, conjured a burst of humor, speaking as if he were a TV pitchman.

Watermelon should have retorted fiercely, but instead, he fell eerily silent... and continued to be silent... Qi Xi said nothing, either. The awkward silence lasted three minutes.

Reduced to ashes... and still can recover? Watermelon felt he must have misheard. Surely he’d asked the question wrong, so he tried again, muttering internally: Normally, this senior is calm, cold, and cool—how could he suddenly blurt out such silly, comedic lines? It’s just not scientific!

Qi Xi was a little embarrassed, frowning as though weighed down by gravity. Under Watermelon’s expectant gaze, he explained, “It’s true. The principle is that this serum elevates a crucial gene sequence to the fourth dimension. So any attack from the three-dimensional perspective has no effect. Even if every atom is obliterated, it’s only the three-dimensional body that’s gone—the fourth-dimensional gene sequence is untouched. Given a little time, it can fully restore itself.”

Listening to the explanation, Watermelon nodded in shock. “I never imagined it would be like this—the effect is that potent.”

Qi Xi didn’t reply. Watermelon, after expressing his amazement, half-expected to hear that sales pitch again: ‘That’s how powerful it is. Not for 2999, not for 1999, only 998, only 998—the Immortal Serum to take home!’ He waited a full thirty seconds, but the voice never came. Once again, the atmosphere fell into awkward silence.

So it was just an auditory hallucination earlier!

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Watermelon was finally certain.

Qi Xi broke the awkward silence, asking, “What was it you wanted to say just now?”

“What was I about to say?” Watermelon countered.

“That strange thing you mentioned. You said, ‘That’s rather strange.’ What did you mean?” Qi Xi pressed him.

“Oh... I remember now. What I wanted to say is that, in Base No. 3, there’s a gene-enhanced person whose surname is Rockefeller!”

“That’s impossible!” Qi Xi was incredulous. He’d assumed every Rockefeller was a gene general, yet now there was a gene-enhanced person from the Rockefeller family, which struck him as bizarre.

Watermelon’s expression was earnest. “I didn’t mishear. Last time in the cafeteria, I saw a proud, bearded man pass by, and heard people address him as Lord Rockefeller. I was surprised—a big shot being fawned over like that. But I didn’t dwell on it, since big shots in this world, no matter their hidden cards, have nothing to do with us. I distinctly sensed his aura—he was indeed a gene-enhanced person.”

“How can this be...” Qi Xi narrowed his eyes and abruptly stood. “Let’s go!”

“Huh?”

“Let’s go, right now. Since we’ve learned this, we can’t just sit idle. We’ll go together and capture that Rockefeller fellow—make him spill what he knows,” Qi Xi said, each word serious and deliberate.

Watermelon, after his initial surprise, calmed down and mused that a senior truly was a senior. He stood up as well. The two turned and vanished into the night.