Chapter 148: Selecting Talents

This gene-ecosystem chain is simply too unscrupulous!

Cao Fusheng looked at the seven cards before him, hesitating for a moment before hardening his heart. Anyway, he didn't have any particular talents right now, and since he had no idea what lay behind these cards, he might as well just pick one at random.

After being showered with praise by Han Shuqing, he felt that his luck wasn't entirely hopeless!

"This is the one! Only this card is facing me directly; it must be destined for me. If I don't choose it, who should I choose?" Cao Fusheng pointed directly at the question mark in front of him and said loudly.

"Does the host confirm? There is still a chance to turn back now. Once issued, you will regret it deeply!"

Cao Fusheng sneered, "Are you messing with my mind on purpose? This one!"

"Drawing in progress... Talent has been granted. Please check it yourself, host."

Upon hearing the final sentence, Cao Fusheng's consciousness returned. The first thing that came into view was Han Shuqing's anxious face, as she had no idea what had just happened.

She had watched Cao Fusheng close his eyes, completely unresponsive no matter how much she called him, and had nearly gone out to find a doctor.

"Fusheng, are you... feeling sick?" Han Shuqing said, hesitating as if she had more to say.

Cao Fusheng smiled. "Not at all. Don't you trust my physical condition? What kind of illness could I possibly have? I'm going to go talk to Gao Yi."

"Okay."

Walking out the door, Cao Fusheng continued to check his status interface.

Host: Cao Fusheng
Human Gene Unlocking Stage: Level One (Advancing)
Talents/Traits: Dimensional Space, Dynamic Vision
[Dimensional Space]: A mobile storage warehouse, seemingly with potential for further development (Unreleased)
[Dynamic Vision]: Can project surrounding reactions into the pupils in extremely slow motion, allowing the host to react quickly. (Note: ① Enemy speeds remain normal; they only appear slowed down from your perspective. ② When facing extremely high-tier opponents, part of this effect will be diminished or rendered entirely ineffective.)
Remaining Available Gene Points: 10,020 points

This was Cao Fusheng's second time viewing his status interface. Compared to last time, it didn't look quite so shabby—at least he now had two talent abilities to hold his own, along with a massive pool of ten thousand gene points.

However, the ecosystem chain was still in the process of advancing to Level Two, leaving nothing available for exchange or upgrading for the time being, so he had to leave it be for now.

Cao Fusheng knocked on Gao Yi's door, and it took a full few minutes before there was any movement.

Gao Yi opened the door holding a towel, wiping his hair and wrapped in a bathroble. Judging by his appearance, he had just taken a morning bath.

After fighting in wars for so many years, it was finally time to enjoy some comfort.

He had wanted to do this in the past, but the conditions didn't permit it. Now that life was getting better day by day, he naturally wanted to live comfortably.

"Captain Cao! Come on in! I was just thinking about coming to look for you after I finished washing, but I was worried I'd interrupt you and sister-in-law's sweet dreams and kept hesitating. Talk of the曹操 and the曹操 arrives!" Gao Yi hurriedly welcomed Cao Fusheng in and warmly poured him a cup of hot tea from the room's complimentary supply—they hadn't even been out to purchase supplies yet.

It was clear that upon receiving the news yesterday that they could finally settle down here, Gao Yi's mood had lifted significantly, and his demeanor was entirely different from before.

Cao Fusheng was genuinely happy for him. His psychological burden was lightened a bit more, and he finally felt worthy of everything his brothers had done for him over these past days.

"Captain Cao, tell me, what arrangements do you have?" Gao Yi pulled over a chair, motioning for Cao Fusheng to sit, while he himself leaned gracefully against the bed.

"I'm here to bring you something. The people at the service department handed this to me just now—your identity badge and the thirty thousand contribution points they rewarded you with." Cao Fusheng smiled and handed the items to the two-meter-tall giant.

Gao Yi looked at the badge with fascination and activated it the very next second, prompting a familiar electronic voice to ring out from within.

It was the exact same voice they had heard when Chu Wei activated hers in front of them.

"Detecting sound source..."
"Detecting fingerprints..."
"Detecting retina..."
"Identity confirmed, Tianzhu Upper Resident, Gao Yi."

Name: Gao Yi
ID Number: ZZ0502
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Status: None
Bloodline: Grade A (Upper-tier Resident)
Spouse: None
Health Status: Good

Perhaps hearing the voice reminded him of Chu Wei, whose life or death remained unknown on a hospital bed, Gao Yi's expression suddenly darkened.

In truth, from Cao Fusheng's perspective, Gao Yi's feelings for Chu Wei felt rather abrupt. The two of them had originally had no intersection, yet suddenly developed an inexplicable mutual affection.

He didn't know what Chu Wei's thoughts were, but Gao Yi's feelings were already obvious, often even becoming the target of public teasing by Shen Dong.

Of course, Gao Yi had never explained the reasons behind it to him, so having doubts was only natural.

This was what they called emotional transfer; in mystical terms, it was simply meant to be.

Gao Yi had harbored a secret crush on Captain Xuehuang for so many years, never daring to voice the thoughts in his heart until Xuehuang's entire troop was wiped out and the captain's fate became unknown, leaving him filled with regret.

Just when his heart was filled with a void and emotional lack, Chu Wei appeared. This woman, who bore a striking resemblance to Captain Xuehuang, instantly captured Gao Yi's attention.

"With these thirty thousand contribution points, you won't have to worry about food and drink in Tianzhu anymore. At the very least, you can live quite luxuriously for a long time. There's food and drink here, electricity, and entertainment venues—it's practically a paradise. Once Chu Wei wakes up, you can try to approach her. Worst comes to worst, I'll use this old face of mine to curry favor with the BOSS and make him bend the rules for you again! Stop being so sad!" Cao Fusheng smiled and patted Gao Yi on the shoulder.

He chose not to ask Gao Yi whether he was still willing to follow him out into a life of displacement and hardship, choosing instead to speak these words directly.

Gao Yi raised his hand tremblingly and said softly, "Captain Cao... I..."

"No need to say more. We're all brothers; what's there not to understand? Everyone has their own choices, and nobody can force anyone. But there's still one matter right now: you should get your things packed. We're going to see Shen Dong off."

Gao Yi watched Cao Fusheng leave, unsure whether his decision was right or wrong, knowing only that in this exact moment, he had truly come to understand that man anew.

"Actually... as your brother, I wanted to continue going through thick and thin with you... but I want a stable home even more..."

The rooms they lived in were right next door. After turning around and leaving, Cao Fusheng closed the door behind him with a click, leaning back against the door panel and letting out a deep sigh.

"I guessed that Gao Yi would choose to embark on the journey with you?" Hearing the sound, Han Shuqing hurriedly walked out of the bedroom.

Cao Fusheng smiled without answering, instead asking, "Don't forget to activate your badge. We still need to be law-abiding citizens."

"I activated mine a long time ago, just waiting for you. You were in such a hurry earlier that you haven't activated yours yet."

"Yeah."

Holding the badge, Cao Fusheng said softly, "Activate."

Name: Cao Fusheng
ID Number: ZZ00001
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Status: Strike Force Cluster 1, First Squad Leader (Acting)
Bloodline: Grade A (Upper-tier Resident)
Spouse: None
Health Status: Good

Cao Fusheng glanced through it roughly. Everything looked fine, but this ID number... 00001?