She was called half-human, half-ghost for a reason. Her face had been burned beyond recognition, one eye and part of her mouth barely visible, the rest of her features twisted together in a grotesque mask of scars. Terrifying didn't even begin to cover it.
At this moment, she obediently walked up beside Jing Shu, her vacant eyes unmoving, completely indifferent to any calls or commands.
"D! Tis! My god, what did this evil Asian do to Tis?!" Mrs. C shouted in horror.
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow and tilted her head back, speaking calmly, "Can we even cooperate properly? If you're not sincere, there's no point in talking anymore."
"No, no, no, dear lady! I have a plan we can discuss, it's highly feasible! Don't act rashly, let's sit down and talk slowly. I promise it'll satisfy you!"
…
Dealing with these people meant showing strength and mystery. These weak-on-the-outside, bullying-on-the-strong con artists never acted honestly, but after witnessing Jing Shu's ability, they were completely put in their place.
Especially after brainstorming with Dr. B, both sides saw mutual respect in each other's eyes. Dr. B was a master of deception, while Jing Shu had a perfect grasp of strategy and the big picture. It was a battle of brilliance—he could come up with countless schemes, but Jing Shu's skill was weaving them together flawlessly, leaving even Dr. B impressed. Their plan had become near-perfect.
Jing Shu also made clever use of the Chinese understanding of human nature and attitudes. Sometimes, hiding and holding back was far more effective than forcing oneself onto someone. Studies have shown humans can be petty, so going against expectations often made the most sense.
This grand conspiracy quickly unfolded under their transnational collaboration. Excited, they'd high-five at moments of agreement, leaving Mrs. C utterly confused.
"Beautiful lady, we'll need your cooperation next. Here's to a successful partnership."
"To a successful partnership," Jing Shu replied.
Jing Shu hadn't expected that just by checking out the castle's Luminite materials, within half an hour, they'd already laid out a plan for stealing the equipment, transporting it, and escaping.
When she later told Yang Yang and the others about the dangerous radiation from the Luminite in the castle, and how she'd staged a con with Dr. B to take the supplies, Yang Yang immediately abandoned his 'conservative' ten-day plan. He'd been busy himself, but he still thought Jing Shu's plan was far safer and allowed them to transport another batch of supplies back home.
"Mirror lucked out this time. Her approach is easier to execute and more reliable. We just need to tweak the original plan a bit and move quickly. The radiation is intense, so the faster we finish, the better," Yang Yang said.
"The Imperial City team will still provide support outside and contact the informants to escort the equipment. On the day of the plan, they'll act as the main force to clear obstacles. I'll I take Hao Yunlai and Monkey to arrange all the remaining matters. Mirror, you follow your original plan, Xiao Hei translates, and Monks guard. If anyone feels unwell, let Mirror know immediately."
Zhen Nantian stretched out his long, bony fingers under the Luminite's glow, eyes half-closed in pleasure.
"No need to exaggerate. Before mutation, it's all treatable. With our constitution, we can last five months without issue. Actually, I want to see Dr. B, get my hands on some of this stuff, let the radiation penetrate my body, let my body produce antibodies under pressure, constantly challenge my limits, boost strength and immunity, until I no longer fear radiation."
It was shocking—Zhen Nantian had never spoken so much. He'd always appeared indifferent, understanding the essence of 'free-range' living. His team respected him but had their own ideas. As the strongest man, he usually followed quietly, stepping in only at critical moments.
Jing Shu hadn't understood before, until the last time Zhen Nantian tried various moves, including her hypnotic techniques, and even let her attack him with bugs. Then she realized.
This calm, seemingly indifferent man was a complete madman!
He loved challenging limits. He respected decisions and methods not because he had none, but because he was playing—testing different levels of difficulty as if clearing a game. Confident and proud, he believed no matter how reckless his teammates were, he could always solve things with his strength.
He even enjoyed seeing his teammates struggle. Only when they faced real difficulty did his usually indifferent expression turn amused. Arms crossed, leaning against the wall, he watched events unfold.
But no matter how extreme, Jing Shu had never heard of anyone using radiation to kill their own cancer cells to make themselves stronger! Was she mistaken? Everyone else avoided radiation, but Zhen Nantian sought it out?
Were all Chinese S-tier people this extreme? Seeing him in this sub-zero weather wearing a simple black vest with two stripes, while she was bundled in a thick coat, made the contrast painfully clear. She, terrified of death, couldn't compare.
"So…" Zhen Nantian glanced at Yang Yang, "I'll protect this woman. Xiao Hei and Monk, you go outside."
The Imperial City team looked helpless. Monk shrugged casually and shared a fun fact: "Our captain spent the first year of his career in extreme heat, insisting on wearing a non-breathable down jacket in 50-degree Celsius saunas, saying he wanted to conquer nature." Whether he got heatstroke or not, no one dared to ask.
Yang Yang was stunned by Zhen Nantian's idea, shrugging after a while. It was the only S-tier demand. "Fine, translation's on you. Mirror's a lousy student anyway."
Jing Shu wanted to dig a hole and hide. She didn't want to be in a team with Zhen Nantian. His gaze was terrifying, calm yet seemingly all-seeing. Being with him would be cumbersome, and like Yang Yang, he was hard to fool—her secrets would be exposed.
But she couldn't refuse.
The arrangement was set. Jing Shu teamed with Zhen Nantian, while the others split into two groups to prepare.
The real show started the next day.
It was a peaceful scene: Jing Shu worked tirelessly in the Medicinal Herb Cultivation Room. Zhen Nantian, her new teammate, lounged under the Luminite, soaking evenly in its glow, while Xiao Dou sat under the table, incubating two black-market American eggs.
When Eiffel arrived with seven or eight people, that's exactly what they saw.
"Miss Mirror, god is watching over you! Dr. B agreed! You're officially the experimenter for the latest research trial!"