ARBW Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Lin Mian thought seriously for a moment, “I… I haven’t really had much education, and there’s nothing I’m particularly good at.”

“Did you have any dreams when you were a child?”

Like becoming a teacher, a doctor, or a police officer.

When Pei Yuhuai was a child, he wanted to be a judge.

Unfortunately, he was forced to give up that dream later to take over the family business.

“Dreams? When I was very young, I dreamed of becoming a big star. But as you know, not long after, the apocalypse hit, and my dream was put on hold.”

“Hmm, a star? That’s not impossible.”

Hearing this, Lin Mian couldn’t help but giggle.

He found Mr. Pei’s words amusing, as if he could give him anything he wanted.

“Mr. Pei, being a star requires real talent. Someone like me… it’s just not possible.”

He had never studied acting or music, and he hadn’t even been in school for long. In Mr. Pei’s world, someone like him could be considered illiterate.

Entertainment companies aren’t fools; they wouldn’t want someone like him.

“Why not? I think you’d do just fine.”

If no entertainment company wanted Lin Mian, he would just start one specifically for him.

Lin Mian was beautiful, and Pei Yuhuai had both money and connections. Making him famous wouldn’t be difficult.

Hearing Mr. Pei say this, Lin Mian suddenly became excited.

He leaned on Mr. Pei’s chest, his face so close that if Mr. Pei wanted to kiss him, he only needed to lean in slightly.

Lin Mian opened his eyes wide and asked, “Mr. Pei, are you sure you’re not just seeing me through rose-tinted glasses? What do you think is good about me?”

Pei Yuhuai replied seriously, “You’re beautiful, your personality is adorable, and you’re exactly my type.”

Coming from Pei Yuhuai, this was high praise indeed.

Lin Mian, however, didn’t think much of the compliment and poked Pei Yuhuai’s chest, urging him to continue praising him.

What he didn’t know was that Xiao Su, on the other side, was utterly shocked.

She had come up to deliver a fruit platter to President Pei and had just reached the door of his study on the second floor.

What did she hear?

She… heard President Pei on the phone, praising someone for being beautiful and adorable?

And saying that they were exactly his type?

Oh my!

The iron tree had finally blossomed. After nearly thirty years of solitude, was President Pei finally starting to fall in love?

Xiao Su hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. Seeing that President Pei was busy and probably didn’t want to be disturbed, she quietly took the fruit platter back downstairs.

…

Pei Yuhuai praised Lin Mian a few more times, then opened their intimacy system.

Last time, their intimacy level had reached 96. Today, he had added another 20 points, and with their recent interactions, their intimacy had now reached 170.

The intimacy level had risen so quickly mainly because they had been together last night.

Being together once added 50 points, much more than other interactions.

Last time, Pei Yuhuai had claimed the reward for 90 intimacy. Today, he could start claiming from 100.

The reward for 100 intimacy was a Gene Serum.

110 intimacy rewarded 50 crystal cores.

120 intimacy rewarded 100 crystal cores.

130 intimacy rewarded a bottle of Physical Enhancement Serum.

140 intimacy rewarded an Ability Slot.

150 intimacy rewarded a patrol robot.

160 intimacy rewarded a Water-based Ability.

170 intimacy also rewarded an Ability Slot.

Pei Yuhuai claimed all the rewards and first took out the patrol robot.

After carefully reading the instructions, he gifted it to Lin Mian.

Lin Mian, suddenly receiving a small robot, looked at Pei Yuhuai in confusion, “Mr. Pei, what is this?”

It looked like a small robotic dog, smaller than a chicken.

“It’s a patrol robot. I’ve set you as its owner. From now on, you won’t need to go out on patrol; it will patrol the entire town for you.”

Hearing this, Lin Mian followed the instructions to register his face and retina with the robot.

The patrol robot could be charged or powered by solar energy.

It moved quickly and had strong night vision capabilities, making it suitable for nighttime patrols.

The robot’s attack power wasn’t strong; its main functions when encountering strangers were recording and alerting.

It was equipped with a small gun, with the attack power of a regular firearm.

Although its attack power wasn’t strong, its high speed ensured its safety in dangerous situations.

Lin Mian felt that with such a robot, their town would be much safer.

He planned to take the robot out to show everyone after Mr. Pei logged off and to register all the townspeople’s faces with it.

Next, Pei Yuhuai took out the newly acquired Gene Serum and asked Lin Mian, “I have another Gene Serum. Is there anyone you’d like to give it to?”

Lin Mian’s eyes lit up, and the first person he thought of was Cheng Xiaowan.

But then he reconsidered, feeling that an Ability Slot might be better than a Gene Serum.

If possible, he hoped to use his relationship with Mr. Pei to secure an opportunity for Cheng Xiaowan to gain an Ability.

He would likely leave with Mr. Pei in the future, and as a girl, Cheng Xiaowan would struggle to survive in this apocalyptic world.

The Gene Serum was good, but it couldn’t truly protect her.

Only by becoming strong herself could she ensure she wouldn’t be bullied.

“Give it to someone who often goes outside the town.”

“Don’t you want to give it to Cheng Xiaowan?”

Lin Mian knew Mr. Pei was smart and that his little thoughts couldn’t be hidden, so he smiled sheepishly.

“I… I was hoping that in the future, Mr. Pei could give Xiaowan an Ability.”

Pei Yuhuai raised an eyebrow, “You care a lot about her.”

“She… is my only friend in this world.”

“Alright, then I’ll give her an Ability. What Ability do you think would be most useful for your town?”

Lin Mian was a bit stunned, “Mr. Pei, how many of those Slots do you have now?”

“Now? I have two. You can choose two people you think are trustworthy.”

Lin Mian didn’t ask why Pei Yuhuai had such things but excitedly said, “Then… then we can have two more Ability users.”

Lin Mian’s first choice, of course, was Cheng Xiaowan.

She was his friend, and he wanted her to have a good life.

If he was destined to leave, he wanted her to be strong.

The second choice, Lin Mian frowned, thinking it could go to an older man.

The man was kind and had a steady, reliable personality.

If he had an Ability, they would have someone to stabilize the situation.

Thinking this, Lin Mian couldn’t help but worry.

“Would having two more Ability users now cause trouble for you? Maybe we should wait until the town is more…”

Before Lin Mian could finish, Pei Yuhuai said, “It’s fine. I can’t die in your world. Having more Ability users will make the town safer. Don’t worry too much about me; they can’t harm me.”

Assured that Pei Yuhuai would be fine, Lin Mian went to find Cheng Xiaowan and the older man.

Cheng Xiaowan spent most of her days helping out in the town, so she wasn’t often at the villa.

When Lin Mian called them over, they didn’t know what was happening.

Upon learning that Pei Yuhuai was going to give them Abilities, Cheng Xiaowan was completely stunned.

Cheng Xiaowan: “Abilities? Just like that? Mr. Pei, who exactly are you?”

Pei Yuhuai didn’t explain, feeling she didn’t need to know too much.

Seeing Pei Yuhuai remain silent, Cheng Xiaowan didn’t dare to press further and instead looked at Lin Mian with gratitude.

She knew she hadn’t misjudged him.

Lin Mian truly cared for her, and when it came to something as good as gaining an Ability, he thought of her first.

Lin Mian asked, “What Abilities do you want?”

The older man thought seriously, “I’ll take a Plant-based Ability. Our town already has an Earth-based Ability. With a Plant-based Ability, our lives would be much better.”

Cheng Xiaowan looked at the man, “Then I’ll take a Water-based Ability. If the water sources get polluted in the future, having a Water-based Ability would prevent us from dying of thirst.”

The house Pei Yuhuai built could provide clean water.

But since Pei Yuhuai built it, he wasn’t sure if the system would disappear. If it did, the water in the house might also disappear.

As the saying goes, relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself. Having a Water-based Ability would indeed be more beneficial for them.

Pei Yuhuai: “Are you sure?”

The man: “Yes.”

Cheng Xiaowan: “Yes, I’m sure.”

Actually, Cheng Xiaowan wanted a more powerful Ability.

But the man was too upright and had already set the bar high.

If she said she wanted a Lightning-based or Fire-based Ability, it would make her seem petty.

Oh well.

Even if she had an Ability, she couldn’t survive alone.

If she could stay with everyone, a Water-based Ability would be more useful.

Pei Yuhuai then used the Ability Slots on them, granting them the Abilities they wanted.

Once they had Abilities, they no longer needed the Gene Serum.

Now, Pei Yuhuai still had one Gene Serum left.

He thought of the mother with the child.

He had been born from a mother, so he knew how difficult it was for a mother in the apocalypse.

So, when he sent Cheng Xiaowan and the man out, he had them take the Gene Serum to the mother.

Pei Yuhuai had intended it for the mother, but she gave it to her son instead.

Afraid that Pei Yuhuai might be angry, she later brought her son to apologize, and the two knelt at the villa’s entrance.

Seeing this, Pei Yuhuai couldn’t be angry. He truly couldn’t blame a mother who loved her child.

Seeing her love for her child always reminded him of his own mother.

“Let it be. Tell them to go back; I’m not angry.”

Hearing this, Lin Mian breathed a sigh of relief and happily persuaded the mother and son to leave.

“You can go back. Mr. Pei isn’t angry.”

The woman cried as she said, “I know, I know. Mr. Pei has always been very kind to us. I… I just feel guilty.”

Lin Mian: “Alright, don’t feel guilty. Go back quickly. Don’t let others know about this, or they might become jealous and cause trouble for you.”

Now that Pei Yuhuai had created two more Ability users, it would be hard to keep the Abilities a secret.

But the Gene Serum could still be kept hidden.

As long as Cheng Xiaowan, the man, and the mother and son didn’t talk about it, no one would know the child had used a Gene Serum, and no one would know Pei Yuhuai could obtain Gene Serums.

Lin Mian wasn’t worried about the townspeople causing trouble for Mr. Pei over the Gene Serum.

He was mainly concerned that others, out of jealousy, might cause trouble for the mother and son.

Previously, he had received a gun from Mr. Pei, and because of it, he had been envied.

Jealousy is a terrible emotion that can drive people to do irrational things.

Lin Mian was fine; he had a gun, an Ability, and Mr. Pei.

No matter how jealous others were, they couldn’t do anything to him.

But the mother and son were different. One was a woman, and the other was a child; they couldn’t withstand others’ jealousy.

After the mother and son left, Pei Yuhuai logged off to return to his family home.

At the same time, Lin Mian had some matters to attend to.

After saying goodbye, Lin Mian took the small robot out of the villa.

He went to the town square, where many people were gathered, and explained the robot’s functions.

Hearing that the robot could patrol, the townspeople thought it was a great idea.

This way, they wouldn’t have to work so hard on patrols.

While Lin Mian was helping everyone register their faces with the patrol robot, Pei Yuhuai, after logging off, had his driver Lao Liu take him back to the family home.