Chapter 49

There are quite a few mutants in the training room.

Not far away, a burly man lifted an oversized dumbbell in each hand, his muscles taut, and roared as he repeatedly raised the dumbbells overhead. The force of his stomping feet even caused tiny cracks to appear on the stone slabs on the ground.

But soon, the crack repaired itself and eventually looked brand new.

Jiang Zhi guessed that a lot of mutated materials were used in the construction of this training room.

A little further from the aisle, several mutants skilled in speed were speeding along the obstacle course, their figures like ghosts. Even with Jiang Zhi's eyesight, she couldn't clearly see their movements.

Jiang Zhi watched with great interest for a while, and there was even a space sphere specifically for training superpowers.

The mutants release their powers inside, and all of those powers are absorbed by the space sphere.

Jiang Zhi was engrossed in watching when a figure near the glass window caught her attention.

The man was shirtless, his taut muscles bulging and contracting with each punch, sweat trickling down his back, leaving glistening streaks on his bronze skin.

The opponent's eyes were focused and resolute, and his fists pounded the sandbag alternately like a storm, the muffled thuds echoing in the room.

Seemingly noticing Jiang Zhi's gaze, the man's eyes swept sharply over.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Then.

Jiang Zhi withdrew her gaze expressionlessly.

The man paused, then looked away.

After a while, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but look over again and finally confirmed that she had seen this man in the No. 3 collection area.

—The other party was carrying several gold items at the time.

At this moment, a staff member came over and said, "Ms. Jiang, it will be a while before your turn for testing. Would you like to come in and take a look, and try out our equipment?"

Jiangzhi: "Do you need money?"

The staff member smiled and said, "The first time is free, but the competitive training and physical strength training are only half an hour each."

"Then could you please explain the instruments inside to me?"

The receptionist smiled and nodded, "Yes, Miss Jiang."

The two arrived at the physical strength training area, where all the equipment was adjustable, and the training intensity could be adjusted according to different mutation levels.

After the staff gave a brief introduction, they finally came to a strength training machine and said, "Ms. Jiang, I'll adjust it to level one for you first. Try it and see if you can adapt."

Jiang Zhi nodded.

The strength range of a Level 1 mutant is between 150 and 500 jin.

She usually observes her own strength, which should be between level two and three.

She picked up the heavy marshmallow and felt a little resistance, but not much.

The staff immediately looked at them with newfound respect.

"Miss Jiang, you are quite strong."

As she spoke, she began to give Jiangzhi more strength.

The host asked, "Training usually requires reaching the limit and persisting for more than half an hour in order to improve the upper limit."

Jiang Zhi's lips twitched. It only takes half an hour to be effective... which means that she has to pay as soon as the training starts to work.

What a shrewd businessman.

Seeing that Jiang Zhi was still handling things with ease, the staff increased the power boost to the maximum.

"So, Miss Jiang? Can you accept it?"

Jiang Zhi pretended to be struggling, lifting herself up a few times as if pushing her limits, before finally being unable to support herself and putting it down heavily.

She let out a breath and laughed, "It's still too difficult for me."

The hostess smiled and said, "You're already doing very well. It seems your strength is at the level of a level one mutant."

Jiang Zhi smiled. "Miss Zhu, I'm a little thirsty. Could I have a glass of water?"

Receptionist: "Of course, please wait a moment."

After everyone left, Jiang Zhi adjusted the power sand hammer to level two, the maximum level.

Then I lifted it up and found it a bit difficult, and I immediately realized the extent of my strength.

I looked up and met a pair of deep, dark eyes.

It's that man...

The other person's eyes seemed to see right through you.

Jiang Zhi frowned.

Did the other party see what I just did?

Before she could think it through, the waiter returned with a glass of water.

"Miss Jiang, would you like to continue trying mental strength training?"

Jiang Zhi glanced at the man again, and seeing that he had already looked away, she stopped worrying and replied to the receptionist, "Okay."

The two then arrived at the mental training ground.

The staff led Jiang Zhi to an empty mental training pod.

Jiang Zhi lay down inside, and the staff put a helmet on her.

Soon, several spherical metal objects appeared in Jiang Zhi's mind.

The receptionist whispered in her ear, "Ms. Jiang, try to concentrate and imagine making these balls move."

With a thought, Jiang Zhi sent several balls into the air, which then circled around her a few times, following her wishes.

Jiangzhi: "And then?"

The staff member was taken aback.

"Miss Jiang, are you done?"

Jiang Zhi realized something was wrong. She hadn't expected the mental training to be so simple; it was just about making the ball float.

Just as she was about to say something to make amends, the receptionist said, "You can connect to the internet and challenge the records left here by previous mutants. The challenge is to control the metal ball to complete the objectives set by the instrument."

Jiangzhi, "What's their highest record?"

"There are currently 100 levels in total, with the highest record being 45 levels, and the challenge time is 1 hour."

Jiang Zhi: "What level of mutant is the highest record holder?"

The staff member smiled and said, "He is a level four peak mutant, and also our vanguard team captain, Captain Ji Xing."

It was him.

The staff noticed Jiang Zhi's interest and said, "You can take a look at the function area in the lower right corner. It records the progress of the top 100 players."

After Jiang Zhi made the request, she discovered that many of the users were anonymous.

A thought struck her, and she asked, "Can I participate anonymously?"

The staff member smiled and said, "Yes, after you finish customs, you can choose to remain anonymous. Also, our equipment has a security function, which you can set yourself."

Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and she nodded, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

She used her mental power to enter the level competition.

After quickly clearing the first ten levels, Jiang Zhi realized that this level competition actually tested the mutants' level of control over their mental power.

Generally speaking, the stronger one's mental strength, the more stable one's control over the metal sphere.

But this was easy for Jiangzhi.

Previously, manipulating the dashboard in her head required a long period of mental effort. Later, in order to reduce the consumption of mental energy, Jiang Zhi practiced for a long time.

Jiang Zhi cleared 40 levels in one go, leaving all the mutants who joined the competition behind her.

The challenges are cleverly designed, and the later you go, the higher the mental strength required from the challengers.

After entering level 45, Jiang Zhi finally began to feel some resistance.

By the time Jiangzhi cleared level 60, more than half an hour had passed.

By level 75, Jiang Zhi's mental energy seemed to be stuck in a swamp, unable to move.

Even with all my might, I couldn't complete the challenge.

Helpless, Jiangzhi had no choice but to click "End".

She chose to remain anonymous and extended her time limit by half an hour.

She knew that many people, in order to keep their abilities secret, either refused to release their results or obfuscated the timing of the results release.

Looking at her highest score of 45, Jiang Zhi couldn't resist the urge to play around—she wondered if these people would be shocked when they saw her score.

Jiang Zhi took off her training helmet, and her vision was immediately drawn back into the man's eyes.

The two looked at each other for a second, then looked away as if nothing had happened.

A staff member approached and asked, "So, Miss Jiang, how many challenges did you pass?"

Jiang Zhi's face showed just the right amount of unwillingness. "I can't continue after a dozen or so levels. There are too many powerful people. I can't keep up with their pace."

Upon hearing this, the staff were quite surprised. They hadn't expected that this seemingly delicate girl could actually pass more than a dozen levels. She must be at least at the level of a Level 1 mutant.

Her smile became much more genuine as she comforted Jiang Zhi, saying, "It's alright. Improving mental strength is inherently difficult, and most of those who participate in online challenges are mutants from exploration teams. Their mental strength is at the top level in the base. In comparison, your mental strength is already quite impressive among ordinary people."

He then added, "You can also apply for our monthly card when you have time. It can improve your mental strength through training, and it only costs 15,000 points per month."

All you need is...

What kind of insolent and lewd words are these?

Even though Jiang Zhi is rich now, she is still very stingy in this regard.

She would rather buy land, build a house, and buy food and drinks than spend points on this.

Jiang Zhi: "No need, thank you, I don't have that much money."

The staff member paused, about to say something, when a loud bang suddenly came from the mental training pod.

—"This challenge is over. The first place winner is anonymous. He successfully completed 75 challenges in one hour and forty minutes."

A loud announcement echoed throughout the training room.

Everyone present was stunned by the announcement.

The training room was completely silent.

A moment later, someone suddenly shouted, "Where are the repairmen? That machine over there is broken, hurry up and fix it!"

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It turned out the machine was broken.

I knew it! How could anyone possibly pass level 75? They'd need at least level 5 or 6 mental strength!

And it took so little time.

The staff member next to Jiang Zhi also thought the machine was broken. After apologizing to Jiang Zhi, they called the repairman.

Afterwards, he smiled apologetically at Jiang Zhi and said, "Miss Jiang, I'm so sorry that you encountered such a thing on your first time using it."

Jiang Zhi: "Do I still have to pay the extra points for the overtime?"

The staff member said, "No need, no need. It was our mistake this time. If you would like to try it again, you can wait until the maintenance staff has fixed it."

Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "No need, thank you."

Just then, Jiang Shu came out of the testing room.

After coming out, he couldn't find the ginger twigs and was looking around furtively.

Jiang Zhi knew he had used his ability, so she waved in that direction.

Jiang Shu's voice was incredibly loud: "A-Zhi—"

Jiang Zhi's lips twitched.

"Miss Zhu, I'm going over now." Jiang Zhi greeted the staff and then ran over.

Jiang Zhi didn't notice the pair of deep eyes watching her from behind.

"Brother, how is it?"

Jiang Shu looked like the sky had fallen, "Sis! I'm doomed!"

Jiangzhi: "What happened?"

"The professor inside said I have strong mental strength but weak physical health, and am prone to genetic breakdown, sob sob sob—"

At this moment, an elderly man in a white coat with a long white beard walked out of the testing room. "Wait, wait, young man, don't make false accusations. I didn't say that. What I said was that an ordinary person like you would have had a genetic breakdown long ago—so why haven't you had a genetic breakdown?"

Jiang Shu shouted, "Aren't they all the same thing?!"

Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Grandpa, who are you...?"

Following behind the old man, the inspector said, "This is Professor Yan from our research institute, who specializes in studying the development direction of mutants."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi immediately felt a deep sense of respect.

She had always held researchers in high esteem. "Professor Yan, have you never encountered a situation like my brother's before?"

Professor Yan stroked his beard. "No, most of the people who have come here for testing have physical strength greater than mental strength. Only a small number are the opposite. But even if these mutants have mental strength greater than physical strength, they are all within the same level. I have never seen anyone like your brother. If we follow the usual logic, his genes should have collapsed long ago."

Jiang Zhi pursed her lips and said bluntly, "If that's the case, then your common sense isn't entirely correct."

Upon hearing this, the inspector behind Professor Yan said with dissatisfaction, "Ms. Jiang—"

Professor Yan raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Xiao Guo, Miss Jiang is right. Practice is the only way to test the truth."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi jokingly said, "Perhaps having a strong enough mental power is the key to stabilizing the mutant's genes."

In Jiang Zhi's mind, only those with strong mental strength can use their superpowers without harming their bodies.

Upon hearing this, Old Yan was visibly shaken.

He stared intently at Jiang Zhi, and finally murmured, "You're right! Why didn't I think of that before?!"

As if remembering something, Old Yan suddenly rushed into the elevator.

"Hey, Mr. Yan! Mr. Yan!?" The inspector was stunned for a moment and wanted to chase after him, but Jiang Shu stopped him. "Hey, hey, hey, my sister hasn't been checked yet!"

The inspector then remembered his real task.

He glanced at the direction of the elevator, then at Jiang Zhi, and finally said with a complicated expression, "Wait here for a moment, I'll write a report for your brother."

He then walked straight into the testing room.

Jiangzhi and Jiangshu looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Jiangzhi asked, "Brother, what just happened?"

Jiang Shu scratched his head, "I don't know the specifics. There was some kind of testing chamber inside. As soon as I went in, they told me to lie down inside. I was scanned for a long time before I came out. After that, they made me lift dumbbells..."

"Then suddenly an old man ran in, staring at me and muttering something like 'impossible, impossible,' which really gave me a headache."

Jiang Zhi: "Brother, what level is your mental strength?"

Jiang Shu: "I think I just heard that old man mention something about it, saying that there are three levels."

Jiang Zhi frowned: "Why didn't you hold back a little?"

Jiang Shu died unjustly. "I accepted it! How could I not accept it? I hadn't even used my full strength yet!"

"How much mental energy did you use?"

Jiang Shu said, "At most, it's a 7 out of 10."

Jiang Zhi pondered.

If a score of 7 points is enough for a level 3 mid-range score, then her brother, if he goes all out, should be able to reach the edge of a level 4 mid-range score.

But if I'm not mistaken, Jiang Shu's strength level can reach the middle of level one.

Sure enough, the inspector came out with the report shortly afterward.

"This is Mr. Jiang's report. Congratulations, Mr. Jiang Shu, you are now a mutant. According to regulations, mutants must be reported to the base for record-keeping."

The ginger tree's report was filled with delight.

Jiang Zhi asked, "How are taxes levied on mutants?"

The base has a rule that mutants who do not join the official ranks, like ordinary citizens, must pay a certain amount of tax.

The tester said: "The taxes required for different levels of mutants are different. Generally speaking, the higher the level of the mutant, the more taxes they need to pay. You need to go to the Consular Affairs Office and consult the relevant department for details."

"Huh, why isn't there a level?" Jiang Shu looked at the report over and over again, but still couldn't find his level assessment.

The tester said, "Your case is rather special, and we need to discuss it with Professor Yan and other researchers before we can make a determination. We will call you to let you know the final results."

Jiang Shu pursed his lips.

The inspector then said to Jiang Zhi, "Ms. Jiang, it's your turn. Please come in."

Jiang Zhi nodded.

Just before I went in, I saw several maintenance workers carrying maintenance equipment walking towards the training room.

Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow.

The challenge is a multi-track event; even if someone is overtaken, the challengers can continue to move forward until the last challenger finishes.

With so many people attempting the challenge, the time it takes for everyone to upload their scores is not real-time.

Therefore, ginger twigs take advantage of this time difference.

Besides, she only tried it out today and didn't register it, so even if someone suspects something, they won't be able to find it on her.

Jiang Zhi smiled, walked into the testing room, and closed the door, shutting out the noise from outside.

*

In the training room, several maintenance personnel checked all the mental training pods twice, but still couldn't find the problem.

The receptionist, Zhu Min, exclaimed incredulously, "How is that possible?"

Maintenance worker: "We have checked all these training cabins, and they are all normal and there are no problems. The data also shows that everything is normal."

Zhu Min: "Then why does it show that level 75 has been solved?"

The mutant who was doing strength training nearby also said, "That's right. You know, even our Captain Ji Xing only cleared 45 levels. How could someone have cleared 75 levels?"

"That's right! If someone can clear level 75, they should already be a level 6 mutant, right? We've never heard of such a person before."

Someone else joked, "If there really were a Level 6 mutant, that power would be enough to kill several of us with one punch, right?"

Everyone laughed.

The repairman was in a dilemma. "If only one of us thought there was no problem, it's possible that we might misjudge the situation, but none of the three of us noticed anything wrong..."

Zhu Min was somewhat at a loss. "Should we ask the chief engineer to come and take a look?"

The repairman looked grim; didn't that mean they didn't trust his skills?

However, the equipment in the training room was related to the interests of all mutants, so the maintenance personnel could only call the chief engineer.

The chief engineer arrived shortly afterward.

After inspecting the equipment, the chief engineer said, "All of these mental training pods are fine, and the data is correct. Someone really did break through level 75."

These words caused an uproar among everyone present.

"Someone actually made it to level 75?! Our base actually produced a level 6 mutant?! When did this happen? Old Li, have you heard of anyone advancing to level 6?"

Old Li said, "I've never even seen a level 5, let alone a level 6."

"Did someone get promoted secretly without being announced?"

"The most likely candidate I can think of is those guys in the military..."

More and more mutants are discussing this matter.

While everyone was discussing, Zhu Min secretly asked the chief engineer, "President Wei, do you know who broke the record?"

Wei Cong shook his head. "When this equipment was designed, the technology was limited, and it couldn't store too much information. Therefore, once you leave the training pod, your personal information will be deleted. At most, you can only know which training pod produced the record."

Zhu Min's heart tightened. "Which channel is it?"

Wei Cong retrieved the data from the main control room and pointed to the training pod where Jiang Zhi had just been.

Zhu Min had a headache: "Even if we know it's this one, it's hard to find out who it is. Everyone just randomly chooses the training pod, and we didn't register..."

Wei Cong: "Who used that training pod just now?"

Zhu Min was taken aback. "A customer was using it just now. What's wrong, Mr. Wei?"

"It's nothing, just a casual question. Let's report this and see how they react."

Even in the capital base, there is only one Level 6 mutant.

That was an old general who had experienced real battlefields.

If their base really produced such a person, their base might be able to secure more resources.

Lin Yuan heard both of their conversation.

He glanced at the testing room without making a sound.

Thinking of the girl's exaggerated acting skills, he smiled slightly.

Inside the testing room, several instruments emitted beeping sounds.

Jiang Zhi glanced around and saw several rows of medical beds against the wall.

The inspector casually pointed to a testing cabin and said, "Go up there."

"It might be a bit stuffy inside, and the scanning time might be a bit long, but don't worry, you can just take a nap inside."

Jiangzhi obediently lay down inside.

The feeling inside is similar to that of the training pods in the training room.

The testing equipment next to it was buzzing, the indicator lights were flashing, and various pipes were sticking out and wrapped around the head of the ginger branch.

After the hatch was closed, the testing chamber felt a bit stuffy, but soon a stream of high-oxygen gas was sprayed out from above.

Then the inspector's voice rang in Jiang Zhi's ears, "Ms. Jiang, just release your mental energy according to my instructions."

Jiang Zhi: "Okay."

Inspector: "Now, slowly release your mental energy until you can't release any more, then you can stop."

Jiang Zhi knew this was a test of endurance.

She reduced the time she had taken to complete the test in the training pod to fifteen minutes and then stopped.

"That's the limit."

The inspector heard this, pressed the button, and then a mist containing energy similar to that of Suyuan malt cakes sprayed in.

Jiang Zhi realized that her mental strength had been restored to its peak state.

The inspector then said, "Now, please unleash your mental power completely as quickly as possible."

It's impossible to do as instructed.

After releasing one-tenth of her spiritual power, Jiang Zhi kept the timing perfectly controlled.

Next, the inspector instructed Jiang Zhi to perform a number of tests.

After completing these steps, the inspector said, "Okay, now we'll perform a full-body scan. It will make you drowsy, or even put you to sleep, but don't be afraid."

Jiang Zhi agreed.

Not long after, the testing chamber began to shake, and then Jiang Zhi felt something invading her consciousness.

She subtly condensed her mental energy into the size of a fist. The thing couldn't break through her restraints and left after circling around once.

After an unknown amount of time, the testing chamber opened, and a voice said, "Miss Jiang, you can get up now."

Jiang Zhi reluctantly got up. "Hello, how were my test results?"

The inspector smiled and said, "Ms. Jiang, it seems that your mental strength is at level 1."

Jiang Zhi feigned disappointment, "Only level 1..."

"Level 1 is already very good, and yours is Level 1 High-level, which is better than many people."

Ginger branches laugh.

Unexpectedly, even though she had tried her best to compress her mental power, she still managed to reach the high level of level 1. It seems that her control over her mental power is not accurate enough.

Next, Jiang Zhi tested strength, examining endurance and explosive power.

The final rating was Level 1, High-level.

The inspector also breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, she wasn't a monster like her brother, otherwise the entire research institute would have been in an uproar.

He smiled and said, "Your body is currently very stable, with virtually no risk of genetic collapse. Keep up the good work."

Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Thank you."

After completing the tests, the brother and sister prepared to leave, and as always, the staff saw them off.

Jiang Shu muttered to Jiang Zhi, "The service here is really good."

Jiang Zhi thought to herself, "Of course, all the customers here are mutants."

Even a little bit that slips through their fingers would be enough for an ordinary person to eat very well.

As Jiang Zhi was about to take the elevator, she noticed people walking up the stairs next to her, carrying things in their hands.

Jiang Zhi asked Zhu Min curiously, "What's up there?"

Zhu Min said, "The floors above the third floor belong to the Mutant Organism Detection Center, which also includes research on some mutant plants and animals."

Jiang Zhi was a little itchy to go, wondering if her father's office was up there.

Jiang Shu, standing nearby, exclaimed in surprise, "So many places are used to study mutated plants and animals?"

Zhu Min laughed and said, "That's right, our old man Yan also thinks the land is too small and wants to expand it."

Jiang Shu curled his lip: "That old man is really greedy."

Zhu Min was somewhat dissatisfied upon hearing this, "Old Yan, that's not greed. You haven't seen those mutated creatures. Some of them can take up hundreds of square meters just by their bodies. Every time the exploration team members bring back so many mutated creatures, this little space is simply not enough to house them."

Jiang Zhi became interested. "Can we go up and take a look?"

"This..." Zhu Min was in a dilemma.

Jiang Zhi pulled out the bone stick from the ginger tree. "We also want to test the special props."

Zhu Min immediately changed her tune, saying, "Of course, but the testing fee is 5,000 points."

Jiang Shu gasped, "This is way too expensive! How do you make a profit like this?"

Zhu Min resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Do you know how much resources have been invested in this research institute base? 70% of the reason our base is where it is today is due to the research conducted by the institute. Now the institute's fees are very low, and the testing fees they charge are completely at cost price."

Jiang Shugan chuckled, "I was just saying it offhand..."

Zhu Min glanced at him, her expression saying, "If I weren't so professional, I would have already scolded you."

"Come up with me."

Jiang Shu scratched the back of his head and followed them up to the third floor.

The third floor is about 7 or 8 meters high, roughly the height of a three-story building. In other words, this one floor alone occupies one-third of the entire research institute.

Zhu Min: "The third floor is divided into two parts: the left side is the mutant organism detection room, and the right side is the mutant organism exhibition room."

"A showroom?" Jiang Zhi asked with interest. "Can we go take a look?"

Zhu Min remained silent.

Jiang Zhi then said, "You have sales figures, right? We can test two items today."

Zhu Min was very tempted.

Jiang Zhi added another bombshell: "We can offer annual memberships for the training room."

"...Come in with me."

Zhu Min swiped her employee card and let the two of them in.

Jiang Shu tugged at Jiang Zhi's hand and whispered, "Are you crazy? Spending so much money at once, be careful your mom doesn't beat you up."

Jiangzhi comforted him, "It's okay, just say you spent it."

Ginger Tree gritted his teeth: "Ginger—Branch!!"

Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Brother, I was just kidding. You forgot about the points I got from selling that giant mole? I didn't transfer them to Mom."

The implication is that Ye Qingyun wouldn't know she was wasting her points.

Actually, Jiang Zhi didn't waste money.

The purpose of testing the ginger tree's bones is to verify whether the results obtained from the base are consistent with those on their own dashboard.

Another reason Jiang Zhi wanted to test whether the replica made from the white eagle eggshell was similar to the original.

These all need to be verified.

As for the annual pass...

While we were in the training room, she had already thought about getting Jiang Wen a yearly membership.

Jiang Wen's ability to activate the pangolin scales in an instant proves that his mental strength is definitely not bad.

As for why she didn't become a mutant, Jiang Zhi speculated that it was because of the limitations imposed by her physical body.

So Jiang Zhi wanted to try having Jiang Wen come to the training room.

Jiang Shu snorted and gave her a look that said, "You're really cunning and treacherous."

"Transfer some points to me, or I'll tell my mom."

Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes, but still transferred 1,000 points.

"Hush money? If Mom finds out, I'll just say you spent all the points."

Jiang Shu happily looked at the pocket money in the detector, completely ignoring Jiang Zhi's words—as long as he didn't say anything, how would his mother know?

The brother and sister walked into the exhibition hall while saying these words.

What comes into view are glass cabinets of various sizes, each containing a different kind of mutated creature.

A two-meter-tall mutated carnivorous plant was bound to a corner of the wall with thick iron chains, and half-digested rats were stuck to its scarlet petals.

To Jiang Zhi's right was a specimen of a mutated wild boar, with tusks curved into hooks and a row of sharp spikes growing on its back, just like the one the brother and sister had seen in the wild before.

The brother and sister both opened their eyes wide and looked left and right.

For a moment, I only regretted that I didn't have enough eyes, there were so many strange and mutated creatures that I couldn't take them all in.

The mutated creatures here are also divided into zones.

The glass cabinet on the left is full of mutated plants.

The animal placed on the right is a mutant.

With so many specimens of mutated organisms right in front of her, Jiang Zhi recalled what Zhu Min had said earlier.

No wonder the research institute complained that its space wasn't big enough.

Just placing these specimens takes up a lot of space.

While Jiangzhi was pondering, Jiangshu had already run ahead.

Jiang Zhi calmed down and looked at them one by one.

—In the glass cabinet on the right, dozens of mutated spiders, each the size of a face plate, were curled up in shock-absorbing cotton, their eight legs covered with ice-crystal-like blue-purple down.

The giant mutant corn is as tall as half a person, with plump and round kernels, but the husks look like rusty saw teeth.

Continuing forward, a large glass box ahead contained a mutated raccoon. Its fur was mottled like melted wax, and its front paws had grown joints similar to crab claws, glistening with a wet, black sheen.

If it weren't for the unusual specimens displayed, this place would resemble an old-fashioned museum, offering a truly eye-opening experience.

"Ah Zhi! Look!"

Jiang Shu pointed to the center.

Jiang Zhi looked over and saw a round glass case the size of a basketball court, containing a whole giant octopus specimen.

Those eight claws were so big they were almost frightening.

Zhu Min looked at the shocked expressions on the brother and sister's faces with satisfaction and proudly introduced, "This level 6 mutated octopus is the largest mutated creature that our base can capture so far. Its main ability is mimicry and shape-shaping, which allows it to transform into all kinds of creatures. Back then, the base lost many excellent ability users in order to capture it."

Jiang Shu grasped the key point this time: "Mainly? It has other superpowers?"

Zhu Min nodded, "Any mutated creature that reaches level 4 or above will have superpowers, and those at level 5 or above will generally have two or more."

Jiang Shu: "Will humans be able to evolve new superpowers after 5?"

Zhu Min shook her head: "Currently, there is too little data on the human side, so we dare not draw any conclusions. But theoretically speaking, if mental strength allows, humans can increase their superpowers without limit through special tools."

Jiang Zhi: "Theoretically?"

Zhu Min: "Yes, based on the current data, this is very likely, but in reality, most people... no, it should be 99% of people, cannot have a mental strength level that exceeds the upper limit of their physical strength."

As she spoke, she gave Jiang Shu a meaningful look.

Jiang Shu was overjoyed. "So, I'm a genius among geniuses?"

Zhu Min: ...

Jiang Zhi seemed to be deep in thought.

In other words, someone with good mental strength like her can obtain and use many kinds of superpowers as long as they find a golden item that can enhance their abilities.

This is good news for them.

Jiang Zhi steered the conversation back to the specimens in the glass case: "Aren't these sea creatures? How did our base's mutants manage to capture them?"

Zhu Min smiled again: "Do you know about the dangerous river in Collection Area No. 3?"

Jiang Zhi thought of something and said incredulously, "Could it be because this big guy used his superpower to change his size, swam to the Danger River, and bumped into the mutants at the base?"

Zhu Min smiled and nodded, "More or less."

"That dangerous river has been renamed the Wei River, and it is the only river in Ancheng that leads to the open sea."

Jiang Zhi understood.

She then thought of the vast, undeveloped area hidden in the cave within Collection Zone 3.

—Could it be that there was something attractive there that made the octopus go there?

However, Jiang Zhi quickly rejected this idea.

If that were the case, the entire No. 3 mining area would have been in complete chaos long ago, and it wouldn't be as peaceful as it is now.

After learning about the octopus, the group continued walking.

In the vast space, the central air conditioning hummed with cool air.

Not far away, against the wall, there was a huge iron frame wall covered with sealed glass jars.

There were many mutated insects inside, most of which the brother and sister had seen before, but some they had never seen before.

Jiang Shu only regrets that we don't live in the age of mobile phones now, so he can't use a mobile phone to record these strange and mutated creatures.

Jiang Zhi noticed that not all of the mutated insects in these glass jars were lifeless.

Some of them even started to multiply inside.

Seeing their interest, Zhu Min elaborated, "Currently, most of our research at the institute uses these highly fertile mutant insects for experiments. Sometimes we hybridize them, and the results are quite good. For example, the combination of mutant wasps and mutant butterflies can increase the yield of certain plants. Also, mutant dogs born from mutant dogs and mutant wolves are very friendly to humans. The base is currently experimenting with whether it can be bred on a large scale. If the experiment is successful, then humans will have more help..."

Zhu Min gave many examples, which the brother and sister listened to with great interest.

Jiangzhi, in particular, felt that the points she spent today were really worth it.

To be able to get so much information that I don't usually get to access.

Just then, a mutated beetle was rattling inside the glass jar, its shell shimmering with multicolored light.

Jiang Shu whispered to the cricket, "Can these glass jars really contain the mutated insects? What if they escape one day and infest the whole base?"

Zhu Min: "Don't worry, these glasses are made of special materials, and their pressure resistance is even stronger than that of diamonds."

Just then, the staff elevator not far away opened, and several researchers pushed out a huge glass case.

Inside was a white mushroom covered in filamentous strands. The researcher, dressed in protective gear, looked extremely cautious.

Jiang Zhi could tell at a glance that these employee elevators were equipped with space stones.

I just don't know how many square meters are inside.

Zhu Min was a little nervous. "We should go out now."

The brother and sister glanced over there curiously. Jiang Zhi felt a little regretful that she hadn't been able to see all the mutated creatures inside.

The two men didn't make things difficult for Zhu Min and left with her.

After leaving the exhibition hall, Jiang Shu asked, "What was that thing just now? It looked really creepy."

Zhu Min: "I'm not sure either. It should be something the exploration team has just brought back."

Zhu Min led the two back to the mutated organism detection room.

As soon as I entered, I heard a woman's voice screaming, "Impossible! This earthworm has such a strong ability to divide, how could it just be an ordinary earthworm?! You must not have tested it properly!!"

The ginger twig and the ginger tree looked at each other in bewilderment.

Why does that voice sound so familiar?

The two looked over at the same time and sure enough, they saw a familiar face—their former sister-in-law, Hu Qian.

The staff member standing in front of Hu Qian was also helpless. This woman went crazy after seeing the test report on the mutated earthworm, and even questioned their professional competence.

"Our instruments don't malfunction. If you think there's a problem with our skill level, you can file a complaint."

Hu Qian was going crazy.

She spent such a high price, and all she got was an ordinary mutated earthworm!?

120,000!!

This was her secret stash of money, saved up over several years!!

Jiang Shu walked over with a smile, "Oh, isn't this our former sister-in-law? What happened? Why are you so angry?"

Jiang Shu knew about Hu Qian's extramarital affair, and seeing her suffer a setback, he couldn't help but want to stand up for his older brother.

Hu Qian recognized who it was, took a few deep breaths, and barely managed to suppress the anger on her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with disdain. "Is this a place you can afford to spend your money?"

Jiang Shu shrugged. “Whether we can afford it or not is none of your concern. After all, we’re not like some people who spend 120,000 yuan on some kind of thing… oh wait, it’s not completely useless. We can even eat earthworm meat once or twice a day. Ex-sister-in-law, tell us about these mutated earthworms and see if they’re tasty?”

It has to be said that Jiang Shu is quite adept at infuriating people.

"You!" Hu Qian broke down in an instant. "Did you all already know about this damn earthworm?!"

Jiang Shucai wasn't stupid; how could he admit it in front of everyone? He gave him a "don't try to scam me" look. "If I had known you would buy it, I wouldn't have only asked for this price. After all... you're so rich, you'd be willing to pay more for your son, right?"

These words are absolutely devastating.