Chapter 45 I've Taken a Pick for You

From high school onwards, Jiang Rong felt different from his male classmates. Whenever they gathered to discuss which girl in their class was pretty, he was always uninterested. He felt physically uncomfortable whenever he was forced to watch the adult films his classmates enjoyed.

Although he wasn't interested in girls, he enjoyed looking at men's abs and Adam's apples, and sometimes he would stare at models in men's fashion magazines in a daze.

After noticing his unusual behavior, he looked it up online. He learned that there are people in the world who don't like the opposite sex and only like the same sex; they are called homosexuals.

In other countries, two people of the same sex can fall in love and get married. However, in the country where Jiang Rong lives, homosexuality is, to some extent, something that cannot be seen in public.

When Jiang Rong learned he was gay, he panicked for a while. He felt like an outsider, completely out of place with everyone else. His parents noticed his unhappiness, and with their gentle encouragement, he finally confessed his sexual orientation to them.

Jiang Rong's parents initially thought homosexuality was an illness, so they took time off work to accompany him to the hospital to see a psychologist. However, the doctor told them that homosexuality is a genetic issue, and Jiang Rong's attraction to men is likely congenital and incurable.

After a few days of sadness, Jiang Rong's parents calmed down and comforted him. In their view, whether their son liked a man or a woman, as long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.

No matter how open-minded the elderly couple appeared, they still worried about their son's future. They worried that he would be lonely and helpless in his old age without a normal family, and that he would be gossiped about for not having any children.

During Jiang Rong's senior year of college, his parents suddenly came to his school to take him back to his hometown. At first, he thought something had happened at home, but when they were almost there, he learned that his parents had adopted a son for him and were taking him to meet his son that day.

He was stunned, and felt a strong resistance. How could a perfectly healthy young man, who hadn't even experienced adulthood, suddenly become someone's father? Wasn't this a joke?

But when he saw the baby crying so hard in Jiang Zixuan's house, his face flushed, he actually reached out and hugged the helpless, wailing child. Strangely enough, the wailing child stopped crying when Jiang Rong hugged him, and with tears in his eyes, he reached out his little pink hand to Jiang Rong.

The adoption of Jiang Xiaoheng was legal and legitimate. In order to prevent Xiaoheng from being criticized by anyone in the future, Jiang's parents sold their house in Jiangjiaqiao and severed all ties with that village.

If it weren't for the major crisis, Jiang Rong would have lived in City C with Xiao Heng, never having any contact with anyone in her hometown who knew the truth. She would never have revealed her sexuality to anyone other than her parents, nor would she have recalled the unbearable experiences she had endured over the years.

Warm water droplets sprayed from the showerhead, landing on Jiang Rong's shoulders, neck, and back. The young man, his hair damp, had slightly red eyes, and his usual calm and aloofness was replaced by vulnerability and sorrow.

Jiang Rong knew he was taking his anger out on Guan Shao; he shouldn't have vented his frustrations on him. Perhaps because of his injuries, or because he had seen someone he didn't want to see, his emotions were somewhat unstable: "Guan Shao, I like men, are you scared?"

From the year he learned about his sexual orientation, Jiang Rong knew that his romantic path would not be smooth.

Although the Jiang family is not wealthy, his parents are open-minded and have a stable relationship. He hopes to one day meet a good partner who can resonate with him on a spiritual level and be tolerant and understanding of each other in life.

But both the current social discrimination against homosexuals and the permissiveness of the gay community tell him that it is too difficult for him to find someone to live a good life with.

Over the years, he had tried. But the people he encountered either distanced themselves from him after learning about his sexuality, or they only wanted to sleep with him. After several hurts, he stopped thinking about it.

Having experienced his past life, he had witnessed the dark and cruel side of human nature. In this life, all he wanted was to live well with his son, and he no longer wanted to think about anything romantic or sentimental.

He's different from Guan Shao; he likes men, while Guan Shao probably likes women. If Guan Shao had any sense, he should have left the bathroom after hearing those words.

However, Guan Shaolian's expression remained unchanged. "What's so scary about that?"

Jiang Rong thought Guan Shao hadn't heard him clearly, so he frowned and said, "Did you hear what I said? I meant..."

Guan Shao looked intently into Jiang Rong's eyes and brows: "You said you like men. What's so scary about that? I like men too, isn't that a normal thing?"

Jiang Rong: ? ? ?

Guan Shao bent down with a calm expression and said, "Lift your foot."

Jiang Rong followed Guan Shao's instructions in a daze, lifting his left foot while holding onto the wall. Guan Shao held the front half of his foot and bent down to gently lather Jiang Rong's slender ankle. A tingling sensation spread from his foot, and Jiang Rong couldn't help but want to pull his foot back.

However, Guan Shao held on tightly. As soon as Jiang Rong moved a couple of times, Guan Shao said gently, "Don't move. You're not on your balance right now, be careful not to fall."

Jiang Rong's mind was a little fuzzy. Did he just hear Guan Shao say that he also liked men? Did he also say that liking men was a normal thing?

Guan Shao scrubbed Jiang Rong's feet very meticulously, even cleaning between her toes: "The world is full of men and women. What's wrong with liking men? We don't steal, we don't rob, we don't break the law, so why should we be afraid?"

Hearing this, Jiang Rong's eyes reddened even more.

He shared the same view as Guan Shao. During the time when he was viewed with prejudice by those around him, he asked himself countless times: He just likes men, so why is he labeled as gay and dirty?

Guan Shao said seriously, "As adults, I think that as long as we do not harm society, others or ourselves, it is our personal freedom to like whatever we want, and it is none of other people's business."

Jiang Rong's nose stung with tears; Guan Shao's words had struck a chord with him. Yes, he hadn't hurt anyone by liking men, so why should he be criticized?

Guan Shao gently lowered one of Jiang Rong's feet and turned to the other. He could understand Jiang Rong's thoughts; societal prejudices are deadly, and not everyone is as lucky as him to have a group of understanding companions.

Jiang Rong's body trembled slightly, and warm water droplets fell from his body. He felt Guan Shao gently embrace him, and Guan Shao's gentle voice came: "Jiang Rong, don't be afraid. No matter what happens, I'm willing to face it with you."

Afraid of hurting Jiang Rong's severed arm, Guan Shao's embrace was gentle and restrained. He said slowly, "You might not believe it, but I took a liking to you the first time I saw you. When I first saw you at Chenggang Gym, I wanted to get your contact information. But later, when I saw Xiao Heng's photo on your phone, I thought you had a family, so I gave up."

"I thought that was our only meeting, and that we might never see each other again. I never imagined that you would save me on that dark, rainy night. Don't you think this is a sign of fate?"

"If you don't hate me, could you give me a chance to take care of you and your son?"

Jiang Rong's ears turned bright red, and even her cheeks flushed a light pink. "This... is too sudden, isn't it?"

After thinking for a moment, Guan Shao nodded: "Yes, you're right, I was indeed presumptuous. We haven't known each other for long, and you don't know what kind of person I am. I was rash, but Jiang Rong, I'm serious. I hope you can carefully observe me, and if I don't do well, you can kick me out at any time."

Jiang Rong opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

It would be impossible for him to say he had no feelings for Guan Shao. Having spent time together, Yu Xi felt an extraordinary chemistry between them. How to put it? He felt energized doing anything with Guan Shao.

Jiang Rong's parents once told her that when she met the right person, she would feel happy just by seeing his face and at ease just by thinking about him. But she would also feel anxious if she couldn't see him.

Although he hadn't reached that point yet, the sense of security Guan Shao gave him was indescribable. He genuinely wanted Guan Shao to stay, even if Guan Shao continued to live in his house. If it were someone else, he would definitely find an excuse to make them move out.

Guan Shao is a wonderful person, impeccable both as a teammate and a roommate. If he could find another partner, and if that other partner were Guan Shao… he would be willing.

Guan Shao looked down and a smile appeared in his eyes: "Flip it over, shall I wipe it for you?"

Jiang Rong followed Guan Shao's gaze and wished there was a crack in the ground he could disappear into. He turned to face the wall, using his intact arm to protect his private parts: "Stop wiping, it's impolite to keep wiping."

The bathroom door opened, and Guan Shao, with a smile on his face, walked out. He immediately spotted Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao peeking in from outside. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Xiaoheng asked with concern, "Uncle Guan, did you give my dad a proper bath?"

Guan Shao scratched his head sheepishly: "I haven't finished wiping it off."

Jiang Xiaoheng tilted his head and asked, puzzled, "Why wasn't it finished wiping?"

Guan Shao rubbed the two children's heads: "Because it would be impolite to keep wiping them."

After saying this, Guan Shao walked happily toward the kitchen, leaving the two children looking at each other in bewilderment: "Impolite?" It's just wiping your body, how could that be impolite?

*

As evening fell, the well-rested superhumans gathered at Jiang Rong's house. They chose to meet there because what they had to discuss that day was important and could not be revealed to outsiders for the time being.

Of the group, only Ruan Hanyu was visiting for the first time, so she specially brought a box of beautiful pastries. When she saw the little fairy, Ruan Hanyu's eyes widened: What a huge cactus!

Jiang Rong specially reserved a room to use as a conference room. As soon as they entered the room, everyone was attracted by the glittering crystal cores piled on the large round table in the conference room. Apart from Jiang Rong and the other two, it was the first time the others had ever seen crystal cores.

Pan Pan couldn't resist reaching out to touch a brownish-yellow crystal core: "Brother Jiang, what's this?" He really liked it and didn't want to let go. He used to see his female colleagues unable to resist jewelry, and now he finally understood that feeling.

Jiang Rong invited everyone to sit down. "I invited you all here today because I want to tell you something. Why don't you guess what it is?"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, but only Wang Chunlan gave the correct answer: "Are these things energy crystals growing on mutated plants and animals?"

Jiang Rong's eyes lit up: "Sister Chunlan is right. How did you come up with that idea?"

Wang Chunlan smiled slightly. As a doctor, she was particularly sensitive to wounds. The mutated wild boars that had been killed today all had a round hole in their heads. She had been wondering what had happened to these pigs to cause such unique wounds. Now, seeing the crystal cores on the table, she connected those wounds to her experience.

Jiang Rong gave a thumbs up in complete agreement: "Sister Chunlan is right, these things are called crystal cores, and they are taken from the heads of mutated wild boars." Upon hearing Jiang Rong's words, Pan Pan put the crystal cores back on the table as if he had been electrocuted.

Guan Shao added, "Besides the mutated wild boar, all mutated plants and animals will grow crystal cores. The higher the ability level, the larger the crystal core. The color of the crystal core is different for each ability. For example, here, the green crystal core corresponds to the wood-type ability, and the brown crystal core corresponds to the earth-type ability."

Ruan Hanyu's voice trembled: "Brother Guan, are you saying... we also have something like this in our heads?"

Guan Shao nodded: "Yes."

Jiang Rong explained, "Crystal cores can help ability users improve their ability levels." As he spoke, he took out a cyan crystal core from his collection and demonstrated it to everyone. "Use your own ability to guide the power within the crystal core. As long as the power within doesn't conflict with your own ability, you can harness the power of the crystal core for your own use."

A blue supernatural power seeped from Jiang Rong's fingertips, and to everyone's astonishment, the blue crystal core turned into white dust.

Everyone stared in disbelief, exchanging bewildered glances: "This..."

This is absolutely astonishing! If this news gets out, it will definitely cause a huge uproar among people with superpowers.

Jiang Rong said slowly, "Based on my findings, most people with superpowers can accurately find the crystal cores that are suitable for them. Take a look and see if there are any crystal cores that you particularly care about or want to have."

Although he felt a little uncomfortable, Pan Pan still grabbed the brown crystal core again: "I think I quite like it."

Not everyone is as lucky as Pan Pan. Ruan Hanyu and her two daughters, Wang Chunlan and Ruan Hanyu, did not find a suitable crystal core for themselves. They felt that all the crystal cores were pretty much the same.

Jiang Rong comforted them, "Wild boars are good at rooting in the soil, and many of them have awakened earth-type abilities. Don't worry, as we collect more crystal cores in the future, we'll definitely find crystal cores that are suitable for you."

In this hunt, the group obtained 87 crystal cores. Aside from those absorbed by Jiang Rong and those held by Pan Pan, 85 crystal cores remained. Nine of these were colored, while the rest were transparent.

Jiang Rong divided the colored and colorless crystal cores into two piles. After looking around, he solemnly said to everyone, "Now I want to ask for everyone's opinions on the distribution of crystal cores."

Crystal cores will become the most important resource for superhumans in the future. Besides being able to exchange for abundant supplies, they are also their energy reserves. The more powerful a superhuman is, the more crystal cores they need. Everyone present understood this, and their expressions became serious.

Throughout history, the distribution of benefits has been the most contentious issue. If the problem of crystal core distribution is not resolved, it will inevitably sow the seeds of future trouble among the people.

I remember in my past life, there was a powerful base in a neighboring province that attracted many superhumans. But not long after, the base was destroyed. I later heard that the superhuman in power was too greedy and took almost all the crystal cores of the base, which caused a riot among the superhumans.

Jiang Rong didn't want to be taken advantage of, nor did he want to exploit those with superpowers. He said slowly, "We are a team, and I think we should split what we get from missions together equally."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone shook their heads in disapproval. Pan Pan said with a serious expression, "Brother Jiang, I don't think this is appropriate."

Although it's a team, the risks faced by each person are different. Take yesterday's operation for example, Jiang Rong and Guan Shao killed the most mutated wild boars, while Pan Pan and Ruan Hanyu only managed to hunt them with Guan Shao's guidance. They had no right to ask for an equal share of the crystal cores.

Wang Chunlan and the others agreed with Pan Pan's statement: "There is a saying that more work, more reward. I think those who put in more effort should get more crystal cores." Wang Chunlan and Leilei were only doing logistical work. They didn't even have blood on their bodies, so how could they take the crystal cores that their comrades risked their lives for?

Jiang Rong had a different understanding: "I understand what everyone means, and this is how I see it. We are a team. If you think of the team as a bucket, the team members are the planks that make up the bucket. How much water it can hold is not determined by the highest plank, but by the lowest plank."

"If we want to go further and achieve more, every member of the team needs to improve. If we concentrate the crystal cores in the hands of already strong team members, wouldn't that just make the strong even stronger and the weak even slower in their progress?"

“I propose splitting the crystal cores equally, meaning splitting the crystal cores that we can all absorb,” Jiang Rong explained, picking up a transparent crystal core. “From my observation, this type of crystal core is suitable for many ability users. If we’re going to split them equally in the future, let’s split these kinds of crystal cores equally.”

"As for colored crystal cores, if there are any suitable ones inside, everyone can take them directly."

Collecting crystal cores is like opening a blind box; what kind of crystal core you get, and how strong it is, all depends on luck. Jiang Rong used the crystal cores on the table as an example: "For instance, if there are four earth-type crystal cores collected this time, then those earth-type crystal cores will be given to Pan Pan. If the crystal cores collected next time are water-type, then we'll leave the water-type crystal cores for Han Yu. In short, when our team goes on a mission, we try to use the crystal cores we collect for our own people as much as possible."

Jiang Rong also had her own ideas about the crystal cores that her team members couldn't use: "The crystal cores that the team members can't absorb for the time being, I'll keep them here for now. After the base is built, many superhumans will come to join us, and we can leave them as rewards or for exchange."

Chu Qiang hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't hold back: "But Xiao Jiang, if we split it equally, wouldn't you and Guan Tou'er be at a huge disadvantage?"

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao exchanged a glance and laughed: "The most important thing for a team is to be united. Don't worry about one or two crystal cores. Everyone encounters situations where they suffer a loss but gain an advantage. I may suffer a loss this time, but I might gain an advantage next time."

Everyone looked at each other and finally accepted Jiang Rong's suggestion. A short while later, a small pile of crystal cores appeared in front of each person. The cores varied in size, and the number distributed to each person was generally even.

Pan Pan looked ashamed: "Maybe you shouldn't give me the transparent crystal cores. I already have four earth-type crystal cores." Besides the largest brown crystal core, there are three other colored crystal cores of the same color.

Holding these crystal cores, Pan Pan felt particularly ashamed. He had clearly contributed the least, yet received the most.

Jiang Rong laughed and said, "Didn't I tell you? Everyone encounters situations where they suffer losses but gain advantages. What if we don't get a single earth element crystal next time? You'll just have to watch us divide the crystal cores."

Pan Pan scratched his head sheepishly, but finally grasped the crystal core in front of him: "Brother Jiang, I will definitely absorb it well and improve my abilities as soon as possible, so as not to disappoint everyone's expectations."

After a burst of laughter and joking, Wang Chunlan asked, "By the way, Xiao Rong, I wanted to ask if our superpower team needs to recruit more people?" The seven of them are a bit too few; it would be best to have a few more.

After thinking for a while, Jiang Rong said, "We definitely need to recruit people, but we must carefully screen them. We can't let wolves into the house, nor can we miss out on talented people. I think our team should ideally not exceed 15 people; it's too big to manage."

Having too many people also poses risks. If we attract people with bad intentions, they will not only drag down the team, but also harm the people in the team.

Guan Shao said in a deep voice, "After the base is established, many people with superpowers will come to join us. Everyone should keep their eyes open and carefully examine any outstanding individuals you see."

Jiang Rong summarized, "Our team has just been established, and many of our rules and regulations are not yet complete. But that's okay, we'll work through them little by little and improve them gradually."

After allocating the crystal cores, Jiang Rong had something else to say: "We just talked about the allocation of crystal cores during team activities. Now let's talk about the allocation of resources and crystal cores when acting alone."

Jiang Rong looked around and said, "If you find supplies or crystal cores while traveling alone, you can keep the crystal cores, but you must hand over two-fifths of the supplies." The base cannot function without ability users. Since the ability users have chosen the base as their refuge, they should contribute to the base's construction.

In their previous life at the Peace Base, if superhumans found supplies, they had to hand over four-fifths of them. Jiang Rong set this figure, and everyone felt it was acceptable.

With the most critical issue of resource allocation resolved, everyone relaxed. They were filled with anticipation for the base they wanted to establish and spoke freely about their ideas.

Pan Pan couldn't help but say, "When I got home today, the villagers kept asking me all sorts of questions. Didn't we say before that we had no plans to build a base? The villagers were so anxious, they kept begging me to persuade them to build a base."

Of the seven superhumans present, only Pan Pan still lived in his hometown. The nearby villagers dared not come to Chu Qiang's or Jiang Rong's houses, so they could only confront Pan Pan and ask him questions. This morning, several groups of people came to Pan Pan's house, all wanting to join the base.

Thinking that just a few days ago they thought joining the base wasn't worth it, but today they're begging him with all their savings, Pan Pan felt a sense of satisfaction.

Chu Qiang chuckled: "They're scared."

Previously, the locals thought they could survive even without the protection of superhumans. But now things are different. Jiangjiaqiao, such a large village, has been reduced to ruins overnight. Who can guarantee their village will remain intact? Who can guarantee they will survive the rampage of mutated plants and animals unscathed?

Compared to life, money and land are unimportant. Even if you possess a great deal of wealth, you still need to be alive to enjoy it.

Jiang Rong pondered, "I estimate that Qiangzi's family will send someone over in the next day or two."

This was also Jiang Rong's plan. Rather than recruiting people in a big way like other bases, it was far better to have people come to them with sincerity and respect to ask for their protection.

Leilei wasn't interested in the power struggles between adults; she was more concerned about their future home: "Uncle Jiang, when will our base be established? How big will it be? Oh, and what will it be called?"

Jiang Rong raised her eyebrows slightly: "If things go quickly, the base will be taking shape in less than a week. Initially, the base won't be very large, only encompassing a few nearby villages. As more people come to join us, the base will gradually expand. As for the base's name... we haven't decided yet. Everyone should think about it when you get back and come up with a catchy name for our base."

Author's Note:

Guan Shao: I saw it, it's very delicate. It's a pity they don't wipe it, otherwise it would be impolite.

Old Cat: ? ? ? What do you want to do?