Lin Qianyi had considered how to present his air of mystery.
Back when he was flexing on the island to impress girls, it wasn't just about appearances it had some value in stabilizing the team. But more than that, it was emotionally driven.
Now, it was different.
This time, it was purely for profit.
Though it might attract some greedy eyes, Lin Qianyi wasn't concerned.
It's a matter of risk versus reward.
Even if things went south, as the holder of valuable resources, the odds of him dying were still low.
And for now, the benefits far outweighed the risks.
He wanted to acquire resources quickly, and this was the easier path.
From his preliminary observations of the Poseidon faction, he suspected he might even be able to get his hands on weapons of mass destruction let alone ordinary firearms.
He wondered, does this world even have nukes?
Maybe he could stash a mini one in his warehouse and make a grand move in a future training mission.
Nuclear weapons, even against second-tier Evolvers, could cause serious injury if they weren't prepared to take the hit.
While these thoughts ran through Lin Qianyi's mind, Su Mandong had already finished negotiating with Poseidon.
Poseidon agreed to assist in the development and use of Poseidon Island and the Super Sea God Grass. Resources such as meteors and regular Poseidon Grass found on the island would be split 50-50.
As for the Super Sea God Grass, Poseidon managed to secure a 20% stake.
But even that was conditional on Lin Qianyi actually supplying the goods.
If Lin Qianyi didn't hand over any Super Sea God Grass, Poseidon wouldn't get his cut.
However, Poseidon claimed he alone had the technology and ability to unlock the full medicinal potential of the Super Sea God Grass. If Lin and his team processed it themselves, more than half the potency would be wasted.
Lin hadn't yet tried the Poseidon Evolution Fluid, so he wasn't sure if this was just bluff.
But it didn't really matter he could just test it and see.
Without hesitation, Lin Qianyi left the Super Sea God Grass with him.
"We'll await your good news," Su Mandong said.
"You have my word," Poseidon replied.
Chu Xu stared at the Super Sea God Grass, his breath catching.
Finally, a new glimmer of hope.
---
On the plane, Su Mandong asked, "Why didn't you keep the roots? What if Poseidon manages to grow it?"
"Even without the roots, there are grafting methods and such to grow new ones… Besides," Lin Qianyi said meaningfully, "I told you it won't grow. It's a product of my ability. Only I can make a second one."
The plants from his farming space were just materials.
They couldn't be replanted either in the space or outside it.
Even their seeds were useless.
He had tested this thoroughly as a kid.
Try to replant them in the farming space? It would reject it. Try to grow them outside? No matter how well you care for them, they won't sprout. Even the liveliest-looking seeds are duds.
Originally, this seemed like a flaw.
But now, not so much.
Everything has two sides.
At the very least, in terms of secrecy, this trait was extremely helpful.
Hearing this, Su Mandong relaxed a bit.
She had set off with confidence, but only after meeting Poseidon did she realize how terrifying he truly was.
Even in casual conversation, he exerted immense psychological pressure and always zeroed in on her insecurities.
She couldn't match him at all.
Thankfully, Lin Qianyi was emotionally attached and on her side.
Thinking this, she subconsciously took Lin Qianyi's hand.
He turned back and smiled at her, though his mind was still on the interference value he had scanned before leaving the Poseidon estate.
Yes, he had secretly scanned Poseidon with the interference detector.
The number wasn't low:
[108]
Poseidon was clearly using the Poseidon Grass effectively.
He had likely also developed some kind of training method.
After all, just consuming it without training would only lead to a plateau once the body adapted.
That said, for someone Poseidon's age to only reach that interference value…
His training method probably wasn't that advanced.
At best, it might be on par with the Sanbao Ru Yi Exercise, and perhaps not even as efficient.
---
That same day, Lin Qianyi and Su Mandong returned to Hengxia City.
Poseidon had tried to make them stay, but Su Mandong refused.
She didn't feel safe around him.
Lin Qianyi also had no interest in being subtly imprisoned. There was still a whole world out there, and plenty of time left in this cycle. He wanted to explore a bit.
After returning, Lin Qianyi asked Su Mandong if there were places nearby to practice shooting.
Though guns were generally banned in Xiang Haoguo, some clubs did offer firearm training.
Su Mandong hadn't done it herself, but she knew it existed.
By the very next day, she had hired a high-paid firearms instructor to meet them at the villa. They then headed to Hengxia Shooting Club.
The place covered over 800 acres its owner clearly had serious backing.
"Turn off the safety, hold it like this, maintain your stance three-point alignment…" the instructor guided Lin Qianyi, while Su Mandong stood nearby, unimpressed after firing a few shots.
Bang!
The bullet struck the bullseye.
It was a stationary target, only 20 meters away. Despite being his first time shooting, Lin Qianyi's physique ensured he wouldn't miss.
"Your hand is steady, your form is great. Try firing a few more to get a feel," said the surprised instructor.
Few first-timers hit the bullseye so cleanly.
Lin Qianyi fired a few more rounds, getting increasingly relaxed.
He quickly realized that the instructor's standard techniques didn't really apply to him.
Recoil, which was hard for normal people to manage, didn't affect him.
He could shoot single-handedly and stay stable.
Of course, this applied to small and medium-caliber pistols. Larger calibers and rifles were another story.
No rush he wanted to try them all.
"Farther," Lin Qianyi requested.
The target was moved to 50 meters.
It looked a lot smaller now.
But Lin Qianyi didn't feel any extra difficulty.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Still hit the bullseye.
Su Mandong couldn't really tell what was happening just that it seemed impressive.
The coach, however, was stunned.
He suspected this guy might be a natural-born marksman.
"Do you have even farther targets?" Lin Qianyi asked.
"We do," the coach replied.
He switched it to a 100-meter target normally reserved for rifles.
In competitions, handgun targets don't go beyond 50 meters.
Lin aimed and fired.
Bang!
It hit but off-center.
Bullets lose power and get affected by wind over distance.
After a certain range, aiming becomes more about predicting trajectory.
Unless you have a high-powered gun with extreme precision.
The instructor was about to praise Lin just for hitting the target at all when
Lin Qianyi fired several more shots.
This time bullseye.
He had adjusted his aim and compensated for the distance.
After swapping magazines and firing some more, he asked:
"Do you have other types of guns I can try?"
"Of course!" the coach responded, snapping out of his daze.
Over time, Lin Qianyi tested many different handguns and rifles.
He concluded that, in comparison, pistols were more convenient.
When it comes to killing, it's not about firepower. The human body is fragile.
A sharpened chopstick to the neck could be lethal. A bullet to a vital point ends it instantly.
Excessive firepower was just overkill.
What really mattered was concealment, speed, and accuracy.
Lin thought: if he kept a pistol hidden in his warehouse, he could pull it out discreetly and take clean shots when needed much more effective.
Pulling out a rifle would instantly alert people, and they'd hide behind cover before he could even shoot.
But he wouldn't settle for just one.
He wanted everything a rifle, two pistols, maybe even a handheld RPG, or some in-game-like high-explosive grenades.
He didn't know what the next trial would throw at him, but his past life had left him with a fear of insufficient firepower.
If possible, he'd even carry a portable tactical nuke.
That said, Su Mandong could only procure illegal pistols and rifles. Getting rocket launchers was a whole other level. He'd have to ask Poseidon for those.
---
Three days after leaving Poseidon's estate
Lin Qianyi harvested his latest round of crops and planted new Poseidon Grass and four-leaf clover.
All ordinary quality, and no god-tier stat bonuses.
The elusive "luck" attribute continued to be his obsession.
That day, after finishing his shooting practice, Su Mandong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Poseidon just messaged. The Evolution Fluid is ready. He made five vials kept one, and sent us the remaining four."
"He probably skimmed off more than half," Lin replied.
"No, really it's only five. I have the full production footage. He sent it to me," she assured him.
"He's actually playing by the rules?" Lin was surprised.
He'd fully expected Poseidon to hoard more privately.
"He's not being noble. He just wants long-term cooperation. For that, trust is essential," Su Mandong said with a sly smile.
She was certain Poseidon couldn't replicate the Super Sea God Grass. If he could, they'd have been cut out already and Lin would be under his control.
But none of that had happened. So, Poseidon was clearly being cautious.
"Alright, let's head back and test the Evolution Fluid," Lin Qianyi said.
As they walked, he suddenly asked, "By the way, that workout routine I taught you. How far did you get?"
"I can do up to move twenty-two in one go now. I really feel healthier these days," she replied.
"Then I can teach you the remaining twenty-four moves. Once you've mastered them, you'll be better than top-tier athletes," Lin smiled.
Su Mandong didn't ask where the routine came from. She just smiled sweetly and said with a hint of flirtation:
"Then I really owe you a big thank-you…"