Chapter Thirty-Seven: New Talent (Part Two)

Which is more important, chastity or life? The chubby man following Guo Lang was pondering this question with a melancholy expression, reflecting on his own existence. He recalled a Western-themed period drama he had once watched, about a blind woman whose father struggled to the very end of his life to save her from being sold into a brothel, only to be executed publicly. Before his death, the father entrusted his daughter to a man who appeared upright and honorable.

Yet the blind daughter herself, facing the man whom her father saw as righteous, proactively said, “I heard there is a place where women can survive by selling their bodies. Send me there.” She was clever, knowing that if she did not say this, the seemingly upright man would send her to the brothel anyway. By taking the initiative, she was not denying justice, but in a world gone rotten, human hearts are inevitably twisted. To endure humiliation and survive—perhaps, with luck, she might live to see the day when the world becomes better.

After entering the room, Guo Lang had just closed the door and turned around when he saw the chubby man stripping off his clothes, exposing his pale, jiggling flesh, with a mournful look on his face. Guo Lang’s eye twitched, his expression dark. “What are you doing?”

The chubby man sighed, consoling himself: as long as I survive, the world will eventually get better. Then, softly, he asked, “If I give you my body, will I be allowed to live?”

What the hell? Guo Lang’s eyelid quivered furiously. Where did this guy get such ideas? Suppressing the urge to kick him to death, Guo Lang gritted his teeth. “Put your clothes back on!”

“You don’t have to do this… Actually, I—”

“If you don’t dress right now, I’ll cut off that wiggling thing of yours, believe it or not!” Guo Lang was on the verge of rage.

“Oh, oh, oh!” The chubby man hastily put his clothes back on, surprisingly nimble for his size.

“Ahem, so, sir, what instructions do you have for me?” Once dressed, the chubby man rubbed his hands together, grinning shamelessly.

The atmosphere, once a bit tense, had completely dissipated in the face of the chubby man’s shattered dignity. Guo Lang felt no inclination for ceremony, taking out a dormant life seed and placing it on the table. “Take a close look. Do you notice anything?”

The chubby man grew serious, scrutinizing the seed for a while before exclaiming, “Isn’t this vibrating egg a bit too small?”

Pfft! Guo Lang jumped up and stamped his size 38 shoe right onto the chubby man’s pudgy face, kicking him straight into the corner.

“Vibrate your head! Can you have some dignity? Didn’t you ever farm as a kid?”

The chubby man stood up, wiped away his nosebleed, and replied proudly, “Look at my delicate skin—do I look like someone who’s ever farmed? My dad owns a mine; I’m a second-generation rich kid. Haven’t you seen me drive a Dragon Li (the luxury car of this world) to work?”

“Oh, so proud, are you?” Guo Lang sneered coldly.

“Heh heh!” Seeing Guo Lang’s increasingly ominous smile, the chubby man shrank back, hurried over, and picked up the life seed again for another look. “You say this is a seed? Doesn’t seem scientific—seeds aren’t usually this smooth. I could use it as a mirror. Look how lifelike my handsome face is reflected on it.”

Guo Lang said nothing, stood up, took the seed from the chubby man’s hand, and slowly walked to the door, calling outside, “Alice, clean things up.”

“Okay!” Alice answered from outside.

“Ah! Sir, ancestor!” The chubby man, losing all sense of dignity, lunged forward and hugged Guo Lang’s leg. “I was wrong! Please, give me another chance—just one more!”

They returned to the table. Guo Lang looked at him with a gloomy expression, taking out the seed again. “Listen, chubby. I’m not joking. If you clown around again, you won’t be leaving this room.”

“Yes, yes!” The chubby man nodded obsequiously.

He picked up the seed again. It was dormant, not glowing as it had when Thomas saw it the other day—appearing quite ordinary at first glance. But if one looked closely, the intricate patterns on its surface were mesmerizing, a natural motif of life itself. Anyone who saw it would be deeply captivated, not as a matter of artistic appreciation, but as a primal yearning for vitality.

After watching it for a while, the chubby man’s eyes grew unfocused; his pupils lost their point of reference, and he seemed to fall into a strange trance. Guo Lang’s eyes brightened—just as he expected!

This seed was not meant to be stared at for long. Its patterns were like blazing suns, and ordinary people would have their eyes scorched if they looked too long, unable to resist but in danger of losing their sight unless stopped. But the chubby man was different; the patterns sent him into an ethereal state—a sign of exceptionally high mental talent.

There are people in this world born with innate gifts. Alice was one, and this chubby man another. When Guo Lang and Xiao Tao had sensed Alice’s talents, they had quickly dismissed the possibility that the chubby man was a hidden expert, settling instead on the conclusion that he possessed extraordinary mental prowess.

Seeing the time was right, Guo Lang shielded the chubby man’s view of the seed. The chubby man snapped out of his trance, staring at Guo Lang in shock, pointing at the seed, stammering, “It… it… it’s a monster!”

“Uh…” Guo Lang was momentarily speechless, feeling a bit helpless toward this guy. He sighed and lowered his voice, asking, “Chubby, let me ask you something.” This was a technique—though his voice was lowered, the quality was strong, the words weighted, compelling attention.

“W-what?” The chubby man stammered.

“Do you often have this feeling: sometimes, you realize everything you’re experiencing seems familiar, as if you’ve lived through this scene before, and occasionally you can predict what will happen in the next second?”

The chubby man was stunned, staring at Guo Lang. This was his deepest secret; apart from once mentioning it to his chubby father as a child—who had laughed at him—he had told no one. Now, hearing Guo Lang bring it up, he felt as if the man could see right through him.

“Who are you, really?” For the first time, the chubby man was deadly serious.

“You’ve always acted like a clown—don’t suddenly change your tune, I’m not used to it!” Guo Lang said.

The chubby man: “…”

“I don’t even know your name yet,” Guo Lang smiled.

The chubby man was silent for a moment, then finally said, “Do you use sorcery? If I tell you my name, will it suck me into that seed?”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll flush you down the toilet!”

“Mino Mason!” Faced with the threat, the chubby man instantly caved, then weakly added, “My family has been here for generations—we’re an old power.”

“Mm-hmm…” Guo Lang didn’t want to waste time on digressions. “Interested in working with me—as my subordinate?”

“Why me?”

“You have a unique build and extraordinary talent.”

“Nonsense!” The chubby man picked his nose, “You think I haven’t read those melodramatic novels from your world?”

“Why do you talk so much? Either be my subordinate or I’ll chop you up and feed you to the dogs. Your choice.”

“Boss, I salute you!” Without a shred of dignity, the chubby man dropped to his knees, face full of loyalty.

Guo Lang’s eye twitched at this shameless display. Truth be told, such a person couldn’t be trusted based on personality alone, but there was no other choice; no one would pass up a talent like this. The Nightfolk were highly sensitive as a race, but mages were invaluable in any community, rare talents with immense importance for early development. Guo Lang certainly wouldn’t let this one slip by; in fact, from some perspectives, this chubby man was even more valuable than Alice.