Chapter 53 Golden Shaded Bean

Jiang Rong remembered that in her past life, when she was on a mission with people possessing superpowers, she overheard them discussing their dreams. One of them said he hoped to wake up in a bed covered with crystal cores. At the time, the other superpowered individuals around him laughed at him, thinking he was being delusional.

Crystal cores are incredibly precious. Every ability user who obtains one either quickly absorbs it to prevent others from coveting it, or tries to use it to gain even greater benefits. Let alone having a bed full of crystal cores, even a dozen would make someone a wealthy person among ability users.

And Little Darling actually made a nest out of the crystal cores. Its nest was located in the southwest corner of Jiang Rong's roof, hidden among the solar panels. As long as you climb up the folding stairs, you can see countless glittering crystal cores scattered on the roof.

While Jiang Rong and the others were working hard for crystal cores, Xiao Guaiguai had already achieved crystal core freedom. Looking at the countless crystal cores on the roof, Jiang Rong's expression was complicated, and he didn't know what to say.

Little Guai Guai twisted the vines; if it had eyes, Jiang Rong and the others would surely see a pair of bright, sparkling eyes. Jiang Rong understood what it meant; it wanted to hear his praise.

Jiang Rong is always generous when it comes to praising family members. Even if Lele brings him a slipper, he will stroke Lele for a long time.

Sensing Jiang Rong's touch, the little darling happily stretched out its vines. The thorns on the vines obediently lay down, ensuring that Jiang Rong wouldn't hurt its hand unless he stroked it against the grain.

Jiang Rong picked up the crimson vine, her slender fingers gently stroking the smooth skin between the thorns: "Thank you, little darling, you're really amazing."

The little darling felt completely relaxed, the vines trembled as if electrocuted, and her voice became several decibels louder: "Be good!"

As Jiang Rong stroked the little darling, a bluish-green energy continuously seeped from his fingertips. This energy was rapidly absorbed by the Bloodthirsty Vine, and the little darling was so happy it almost floated away: "Jiang Gong~"

Hearing her little darling call her that too, Jiang Rong smiled and replied, "Hmm?"

The little darling stretched out a thin vine and wrapped it around Jiang Rong's little finger, whispering, "I like it~"

At first, Little Guaiguai didn't take Jiang Rong seriously. In its eyes, everything that could run and move had only one fate: to become its food. After being severely punished by Jiang Rong, Little Guaiguai was actually very afraid of him for a while. Whenever Jiang Rong raised his voice, Little Guaiguai would tremble uncontrollably.

The more time Xiao Guai Guai spent with Jiang Rong, the more it liked him. Besides the comforting energy he exuded, it also loved seeing Jiang Rong's face and hearing his voice. Aside from cartoons and fairies, Jiang Rong was now Xiao Guai Guai's favorite person!

Jiang Rong's body stiffened abruptly, and her gaze towards Xiao Guaiguai softened considerably. In truth, Xiao Guaiguai was merely an innocent, mutated plant; foraging was its instinct. With proper guidance, it could be far more obedient than a human. Jiang Rong softened her voice: "I love you too, Xiao Guaiguai. You and the little fairy are both my treasures."

Hearing its owner praise it like that, the little darling let out a long exclamation: "Wow~" It happily curled into a ball and rolled around the yard: "I love it! I love it!"

A fairy-like figure leaned to one side, unfurling several flowers and extending them towards Jiang Rong: "Jiang Gong~ Chu chu~"

Guan Shao leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking at Jiang Rong, whose face was covered in pollen, and laughed: "That's great. Not only do people love Engineer Jiang, but even the flowers and plants love Engineer Jiang."

Jiang Rong was both amused and exasperated: "Stop talking, help me carry the crystal cores."

Jiang Rong wasn't a greedy person. He didn't force Xiao Guai Guai to take out the crystals from its nest just because he was its owner. The amount of crystal cores Xiao Guai Guai gave him was a token of its affection, and he wouldn't push his luck.

Outside the window, Little Darling held up a little mouse like a treasure to show to Little Fairy and the two children. Inside the room, Jiang Rong looked at the table full of crystal cores and fell silent.

Before today, Jiang Rong had always assumed that Xiao Guaiguai was one of the mutated plants that advanced through crystal cores. Now it seems that he was being too naive.

When Guan Shao entered, he saw Jiang Rong holding a crystal core, deep in thought. He asked slowly, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Rong slowly began, "I always thought that mutated plants and animals could advance through crystal cores, and even thought that crystal cores were the most important aid for their advancement. Now it seems that this is not the case. Besides crystal cores, mutated plants and animals should have other ways to obtain power."

Guan Shao laughed: "Isn't this normal? In my opinion, mutated plants and animals have just added some defensive and offensive means on the basis of the past, but their essence has not changed. For example, we superhumans still need to eat when we are hungry. Crystal cores can only increase our superhuman abilities, but they can't fill our stomachs."

The reason why Little Darling grows so fast is because it absorbs plenty of flesh and blood. Flesh and blood are like fertilizer for the Bloodthirsty Vine, which allows Little Darling to grow vigorously.

Jiang Rong nodded in agreement: "You're right. Take the little fairy for example. She's grown up so much and her powers have become so strong, yet she's never absorbed a crystal core."

I remember after the great crisis, the little fairy grew thousands of times larger in just a few days. At that time, most plants and animals hadn't yet developed crystal nuclei, so the little fairy couldn't obtain one either. Now it seems it's the same as before, simply drawing nutrients from nature through its leaves, skin, and roots.

Other mutated animals became stronger, but they didn't seem to absorb many crystal cores. In contrast, the degree and speed of human mutation were far inferior to other species, and the only way for them to survive was to stick together for warmth.

Jiang Rong took a deep breath, stood up, and carefully put away the crystal core: "No matter what, this is a good thing for us." If all mutated plants and animals could only advance by relying on crystal cores, it would cause chaos sooner or later.

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao didn't plan to tell anyone that their little darling could collect crystal cores. With so many crystal cores scattered on their roof, who knew what crazy things someone with ill intentions might do if they found out.

*

Having found the grain storage tanks, Jiang Rong felt much relieved, and he would now focus his attention on building the warehouse.

Although Chu Qiang has already led people to build warehouses, the warehouses under construction can only be used to store some less important supplies, such as furniture and other daily necessities. These supplies are all collected by the superhumans from nearby towns. When new people arrive at the base, the warehouses will be opened to distribute some basic supplies.

This results in poor security and secrecy in the warehouse, making it unsuitable to store essential survival items for the base.

Jiang Rong needs to build a large warehouse that can hold thousands of military vehicles and store the base's essential supplies.

After discussing it, the team members chose a remote mountain valley in the northwest of Fishery Village 3 as the location for the warehouse. The valley was surrounded by mountains on all sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. In addition, there was only one road in and out, making it extremely well hidden.

There used to be a village nestled in the mountain valley, with a dozen or so survivors. Jiang Rong had planned to install solar panels for these households, but during a routine pre-installation check, he was ambushed by a mutated snake. Luckily, Xiao Guai Guai was with him, allowing him to escape unscathed. After learning of this incident, the villagers dared not stay in their current location and collectively relocated to the fishing brigade.

Judging from the map, the village is not large, but if the terrain can be fully utilized, a very good warehouse can be built.

After determining the location, the superpowered team began their operation. They selected more than twenty students majoring in civil engineering and design from among the college students they had rescued to form a temporary surveying team.

Although these are all students, they possess far more professional knowledge than complete novices. With them on board, the warehouse design drawings should be completed soon.

However, before the students went to conduct the survey, Jiang Rong and his team had an important task to complete: they needed to take down the mutated snake that would ambush people.

In late August, the mountain forest was stiflingly stuffy. Even though Jiang Rong was a wood-type ability user, his clothes were soaked with sweat. He took out his water bottle and called to Guan Shao, "Take a break and have some water? We've searched here several times already; the snake might be gone by now."

Guan Shao waved his hand, squatted down, and carefully examined the soil on the hillside: "It should still be there. Look at this mark; it was just slipped out."

Jiang Rong leaned closer and saw a long friction mark on the dry, grayish-black soil in front of Guan Shao, leading towards the ravine ahead. His eyes narrowed: "Little darling, go."

Upon hearing its master's summons, the little darling immediately gathered its vines and came together. Jiang Rong pointed to the marks on the ground: "See if you can catch this snake."

Little Darling rolled away silently in the direction of the trail, the thorns on the vines rustling against the dry leaves in the forest. Guan Shao glanced at the receding red vines and laughed, "Did you notice? Little Darling is holding back her anger."

After observing for a while, Guan Shao had figured out the emotions represented by Xiao Guaiguai's actions. When it hung lazily with its vines exposed, it meant it was in a good mood. When it curled up into a ball and didn't move, it meant it was afraid. When it rolled around like a ball and waved its vines, it meant it was excited. And now, curled up into a ball in the middle and moving quickly along the vines on both sides, it meant it was on its way to a fight.

Jiang Rong chuckled: "I can tell. It's angry because the mutated snake got away last time."

Little Guaiguai was extremely fast, and in no time it slid into the ravine. After pausing for a moment in the ravine, it rolled northeastward.

Jiang Rong screwed the kettle lid on: "Let's go, we'll follow them."

Just as Jiang Rong and his group reached the bottom of the ravine, a deep, ferocious roar suddenly rang out: "Roar—" Judging from the tone and volume, it should be a tiger's roar! There's a tiger on the mountain?

The direction from which the tiger's roar came was exactly the direction Little Darling was heading. Could it be that Little Darling collided with the mutated tiger?

The two ran quickly along the ravine. Jiang Rong sighed, "A lot of things have come out since the D City Zoo closed down." First there were mutated wolves, now there are tigers. Will we find other amazing animals in the future?

Guan Shao's eyes darkened: "No matter what it is, if it is harmful to the base, it should be eliminated in time."

After walking several hundred meters forward, a shallow pit with a diameter of more than fifty meters appeared in front of us. This was a naturally formed pond, which had been dried up by the drought and was now completely dry, with a thick layer of fallen leaves piled on top.

Before they even got close to the pond, Jiang Rong and his companions saw countless withered leaves flying up. Among the leaves, a gigantic snake was raising its head and wildly thrashing its tail. Its head was as large as a millstone, and its orange-yellow eyes were filled with a chilling aura. Its entire body was covered in brownish-yellow stripes, and its massive form occupied most of the pond.

Judging from its appearance, this is a mutated boa constrictor. Boas are tropical animals that prefer to live in hot and humid environments.

The Lingshan Reservoir area has abundant water, attracting pythons. However, the water has been polluted by black rain, forcing them to seek shelter in the mountains and forests. Although the pond they found was dry, the thick silt was still rich in moisture.

It is for this reason that the python has taken over the pond and made it its den.

Compared to the python, the other mutated tiger looked extremely small. It was three meters long, covered with black and yellow stripes, and the "king" character on its forehead was clearly visible.

Although tigers are smaller than pythons, they are much more agile.

Three terrifying mutated beasts each occupied a corner of the pond, facing off against each other, and a battle was about to break out.

Just as Jiang Rong was about to step forward, Guan Shao stopped him: "Don't go over there, it's too dangerous." This was a melee between giants, and if Jiang Rong rushed in, he wouldn't be able to help Xiao Guaiguai; he would only end up with more wounds.

The two crouched behind the rocks and peered out. Just as Jiang Rong poked her head out, a huge tail slammed towards her face. In a flash, Guan Shao pulled Jiang Rong close, using his own body to shield her head.

The snake's tail whooshed over Guan Shao's head and slammed heavily onto the rock in front of them. With a loud crack, a long crack appeared on the rock, and flying pebbles landed on Guan Shao's back.

Logically, Jiang Rong and his companion were small targets, and the python shouldn't have noticed them. But its attention was fixed on Jiang Rong, and when its attack failed, it raised its tail and swept it across.

Guan Shao's eyes narrowed: "Not good!"

Just then, a bright yellow figure came galloping after the snake's tail. The giant tiger bit the snake's tail and stood on the boulder.

From a distance, this tiger doesn't appear very large. But when it stands on the rock, the imposing presence of the king of beasts is palpable. Its physique is robust, its coat gleaming, and every stripe on its body exudes its domineering aura.

The tiger glanced at the two of them sideways, giving them a bizarre feeling: the tiger knew them.

The battle between the giant beasts was about to erupt, and they clashed violently in the pond. Because they were moving so fast, Jiang Rong could only see red, yellow, and brown creatures darting around in the water.

Guan Shao calmly looked at the python, silently reached behind him, and set up his sniper rifle on the boulder. After observing for a while, Guan Shao noticed something: Little Darling was cooperating with the tiger.

The two of them were working together to attack the python.

Could it be that, facing a formidable foe, the two slightly weaker ones are preparing to join forces? And then settle the score after defeating the python?

After thinking for a moment, Guan Shao stopped. Perhaps he shouldn't have interfered in this battle.

This was the most intense fight Jiang Rong had ever witnessed in his life. The three creatures were incredibly fast, and their battle was so dazzling that his eyes simply couldn't keep up with their speed.

The python's body was covered in hard scales, which Little Darling's spikes couldn't pry open at all. The spikes rubbed against the scales, making a screeching sound. Little Darling angrily shook its vines, but could only watch helplessly as the python slithered out.

The little snake had initially been holding onto the snake's head, but as it slid out, the area it could hold decreased until it finally caught on the snake's tail. The python's tail lashed out at the little snake, and the Bloodthirsty Vine flew away with a roar.

Jiang Rong and the other could only watch as the little darling flew over their heads. The red vines curled into a ball and flew behind them before rolling away down the ravine.

Seeing Little Darling being sent flying by the mutated snake's tail, Old Hu let out a long howl. He lowered his body and charged towards the python. The python was not afraid at all; it opened its mouth wide to meet the tiger's attack.

After a few quick dodges, the tiger leaped up and landed precisely on the python's neck. Its long, sharp claws hooked onto the edge of the scales, and with a sudden burst of strength, several brownish-yellow scales were forcibly pried off the mutated snake's neck and fell into the mud pit.

The python, in pain and anger, shook its head, trying to throw the tiger off. The tiger's sharp claws gripped its neck tightly, and after a few quick scratches, the scales on the snake's neck fell off like snowflakes.

Unable to shake off the tiger, the python rolled on the ground, trying to crush it with its weight. But how could a python compete with a tiger's speed? Before the snake could even fully roll over, the tiger, sensing something was wrong, had already leaped away.

The tiger then leaped several times, each time landing on the python's neck. After scratching, a wound the size of a washbasin appeared on the snake's neck, from which blood oozed.

The tiger's continuous leaps were perhaps extremely exhausting, or the python's undulating movements made it difficult to find the right moment. After several leaps, the tiger's speed noticeably decreased. On its last attempt to land on the python, the python anticipated its movements.

The tiger couldn't dodge in time, and most of its foreleg fell into the snake's mouth. As the snake's mouth closed, bright red tiger blood spurted out, and the tiger let out a miserable howl. Before the tiger could struggle, the python, having bitten its prey, quickly coiled its body around the tiger's lower body.

Just as the tiger was about to be devoured by the snake, a whooshing sound came from above their heads. Looking up, they saw a large red ball fly past them.

The little darling used the trees in the forest as a fulcrum, its vines as a rope, and shot itself like a bullet.

The ferocious, bloodthirsty vines lashed out at the python's vital spot, digging deep into the wound where its scales had been removed. The python opened its mouth in pain, and in that instant, the tiger finally found its chance to escape.

The tiger limped to the pond and lay down. A row of deep, bloody holes appeared on its front leg, bright red blood dripping from its fur. Boas don't actually rely on their teeth when hunting; they use their size to strangle their prey. The tiger, whose fur had been coiled by the boas, was disheveled, and blood was seeping from its mouth and nose, perhaps from internal injuries.

The bloodthirsty vine was completely unafraid of broken tendrils; no matter how many times the python bit it, it remained firmly embedded in the wound on the snake's neck. The wound that the tiger had risked its life to create was fully utilized by the little darling, and the sounds of sucking flesh and blood could be heard continuously.

The python was in excruciating pain, its mouth agape as it hissed in agony. At first, it tried to strangle the little creature, but no matter how it coiled and writhed, the bloodthirsty vines only pierced deeper and harder.

Finally, the python lost its strength to constrict, and it writhed and rolled in the pond. Its huge tail slapped the ground repeatedly, creating a deep dent in the water with each strike.

Mutated plants and animals entangled by the Bloodthirsty Vines have no chance of survival. Thanks to the wounds inflicted by the tiger, Little Darling achieved an overwhelming victory. The python's struggles grew weaker and weaker, and in less than ten minutes, it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Jiang Rong emerged from behind the rock. The scene of the three giant beasts locked in combat was so spectacular that he was still savoring the thrilling moment. While reminiscing, he couldn't help but ponder this question: if he had encountered a tiger or snake without Little Darling, would he still have a chance to fight back?

The answer is no. In fact, he would have been dead the last time he encountered the mutated snake if it weren't for Little Darling's help.

The little darling was like a red net covering the snake's body, and as it sucked, the snake's body shrank at a visible speed. The bloodthirsty vine, enjoying its meal, swayed slightly, and with its swaying, Jiang Rong felt that it seemed to have grown a little bigger.

Guan Shao reminded him, "The tiger ran away, should we chase after it?"

Jiang Rong looked at the spot where the tiger had just been lying down, and sure enough, it had disappeared. Thinking of the tiger's glance at them while biting the snake's tail, Jiang Rong shook her head: "Let it go. Considering it helped us, let's not push it too far."

Moreover, the tiger was seriously injured, and it's uncertain whether it will survive. If it survives and stays obediently on the mountain without harming anyone, that's fine. But if it dares to harass the base, we can deal with it when the time comes.

The mutated snake was thirty meters long, and it took Xiao Guaiguai an hour to completely digest it. Guan Shao dug out a palm-sized crystal core from the snake's head. Seeing the color of the crystal core, Jiang Rong laughed: "After all that work, it's all for Qiangzi's benefit."

Guan Shao smiled and pointed to the snake skin and bones: "We also have this." The mutated snake's skin is incredibly tough; it must have many uses. As for the snake bones... they should be useful later, right?

Jiang Rong has never liked cold-blooded animals; the mere thought of mutated snakes in the mountains made him feel uneasy. Now that the mutated python has been eliminated, a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

*

They had come through the mountains and forests, but on the way back they could take the main road. The two followed the winding mountain road downhill, and soon they saw the fairy's enormous body.

Normally, the little fairy would greet them warmly from afar when they returned, but today, even as Jiang Rong walked right up to it, it was still hanging on the courtyard wall. Jiang Rong asked, puzzled, "Little fairy?"

The fairy maiden shuddered suddenly, seemingly startled. That was strange. What happened? Jiang Rong raised an eyebrow: "Fairy maiden, what's wrong?"

The little fairy hummed twice: "Engineer Jiang..."

Jiang Xiaoheng's cries came from the yard. A moment later, Jiang Xiaoheng ran out of the yard crying, "Dad, come quick and see DouDou! DouDou is bleeding so much, it's going to die! Waaaaah, Dad, please save DouDou!"

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao exchanged a glance. What was going on? Thinking of the fairy's embarrassed appearance and analyzing Jiang Xiaoheng's words, a terrible thought arose in their minds: Could it be that Jiang Xiaoheng brought a child to their home, only to be pricked by the fairy?

The thought of this possibility made Jiang Rong's hair stand on end.

He can't bear the responsibility when someone else's child gets into trouble in his own home!

The two ran quickly toward the courtyard, the image of the child's tragic death flashing through their minds. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they stopped abruptly, their pupils contracting sharply: a large, striped tiger lay dead against the east wall, and Jiang Hao, holding gauze and iodine, squatted beside it, his face covered in tears, just like Jiang Xiaoheng's.

The giant tiger looked incredibly familiar. Wasn't this the same big tiger that had just defeated the mutated snake with Little Darling in the mud?

Tears streamed down Jiang Xiaoheng's face as he frantically pulled Jiang Rong's hand toward the tiger: "Daddy, DouDou, DouDou is dying... Waaah, please save it..."

Jiang Rong looked at her son and then at the tiger, recalling the words her son had said to her some time ago.

"Dad, the Meow Meow Team has a new member, a little tiger named DouDou."

"Dad, DouDou is so cute, you'll definitely like him."

"Can I bring DouDou home?"

"Dad, can I bring some yummy food for DouDou?"

His vision went black. Good heavens, it turned out his son had been keeping a giant golden chinchilla as a pet, and he, the father, had only realized it today!

Author's Note:

Jiang Rong: Should we slap the palms or make the person kneel?

Jiang Xiaoheng: A real man doesn't make choices, he wants them all!