"How about you come hide at my place for a bit?" Zhou Qi tentatively suggested.
"Can I? Will it be a bother to you?" Liang Xiaoxi asked softly.
"It's fine. I have a farm at home, and there are a few empty rooms there. As long as you don't mind, it's okay."
"It's just that you should probably tell your family first, so they don't worry when they can't find you," Zhou Qi continued.
Liang Xiaoxi shook her head, her expression sorrowful. "I don't have any family left."
Zhou Qi fell silent. He realized that if she had family, she wouldn't have been chased by debt collectors.
The two of them started packing. Liang Xiaoxi only took a single bag, saying she would return in a couple of days.
Zhou Qi drove Liang Xiaoxi to the farm.
Neither of them knew what to say in the car, and the atmosphere was awkward.
Fortunately, the distance was short. Zhou Qi arrived at the farm in no time.
As soon as they got out of the car, they were naturally questioned by Li Xiumei and Zhou Haidong.
Zhou Qi repeatedly explained that she was just a female friend who needed to stay for a couple of days because of some family matters.
After explaining for a long time, Zhou Qi knew his explanations were futile when he saw their expressions as they left.
Zhou Qi led Liang Xiaoxi to the second floor of the farm building, opened a room, and found it neatly tidied.
"You can stay here for now. Let me know if you need anything," Zhou Qi said to Liang Xiaoxi.
After speaking, Zhou Qi returned to his own duty room. Coincidentally, Liang Xiaoxi's room was directly above his.
Zhou Qi opened the cabinet in his room, where three fossilized eggs were stored.
They were found in the cave at Second Base.
Now that he could strengthen an animal, Zhou Qi decided to give it a try.
"Ding! Discovered Advanced lifeform, Tai Cang Dragon."
"Ding! Strengthening the Tai Cang Dragon requires 10,000 Evolution Points. Do you wish to strengthen it?"
Zhou Qi was startled. "Tai Cang Dragon?"
Could it really be a dinosaur egg?
And it was an Advanced lifeform, no less.
The Elementary lifeforms among insects, such as the Five-Tier Bullet Ant, Five-Tier Annam Centipede, and Five-Tier Giant Mantis, were already so powerful.
How much stronger would this Advanced lifeform be?
Zhou Qi's heart was filled with excitement at this moment.
In a flash, he started thinking. According to the previous strengthening of several Centipede larvae, if a creature is strengthened before it reaches its normal evolutionary maturity, its potential will be very low.
Even if those Centipede larvae grew up, they would still be much smaller than Centipedes that evolved from adult forms.
Currently, this was just a fossil. At most, it could be strengthened to Rank One, allowing it to emerge from the fossil.
After that, he would need to find a breeding ground to slowly raise it until it reached maturity before continuing to strengthen it.
However, currently lacking a place to breed it, Zhou Qi still suppressed the urge to strengthen it.
Night fell.
Zhou Qi opened the jar of Fireflies and took one into the palm of his hand.
"Ding! Consumed 1 Evolution Point. Firefly evolved into Rank One Firefly. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Elementary intimacy with the Rank One Firefly."
...
"Ding! Consumed 16 Evolution Points. Firefly evolved into Rank Five Firefly. Congratulations, Host, you have gained undying loyalty from the Rank Five Firefly."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully strengthening a Rank Five Firefly and advancing to Rank One Apostle. You have gained the talents: Efficient Luminescence, Silent Flight, and Camouflage Protection."
Zhou Qi did not stop and continued to strengthen it.
Let me see your limits, Firefly!
"Ding! Consumed 32 Evolution Points. Firefly evolved into Rank Six Firefly. All attributes slightly increased."
...
"Ding! Consumed 512 Evolution Points. Firefly evolved into Rank Ten Firefly. All attributes greatly increased."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully strengthening a Rank Ten Firefly and advancing to Rank Two Apostle. You have gained a new talent: Precise Control."
Apostle: Rank Ten Firefly
Rank: Elementary Lifeform
Species: Large-tailed Black Firefly
Gene: Elementary Firefly Gene
Life Essence: Carbon-based Organism
Talents:
Two-star Talents:
Efficient Luminescence: (The Firefly can convert bio-energy into light energy, with a light efficiency of up to 98%.)
Precise Control: (Can transform the light source emitted from within its body into any color of light, and can freely adjust the light intensity and whether it is on or off.)
One-star Talents:
Camouflage Protection: (The Firefly's appearance can change with its surrounding environment, possessing a layer of camouflage on its body surface, and can emit a unique Qi that prevents external enemies from easily attacking it.)
Silent Flight: (Does not make any sound when flying.)
Life Strength: 0.5
After being strengthened, the Firefly's size dramatically increased, becoming as large as a fist, like an old-fashioned light bulb.
Its shell resembled lustrous jade, emitting a soft and profound glow.
Its originally slender six legs became thick and powerful, covered with sharp small thorns.
Its wings were broad, with clear veins like a precise circuit, stirring up faint chills when flapped.
Zhou Qi looked at the "light bulb" in his hand, or rather, the Rank Ten Firefly.
Immediately, he ordered it to fly to the ceiling.
Then Zhou Qi turned off the lights in the room.
The room was instantly plunged into darkness.
The Rank Ten Firefly floating in the air flashed with streaks of light similar to lightning around its body.
A strong light then illuminated the surroundings.
"Oh my god, has Ultraman arrived?" Zhou Qi's eyes were stinging.
This brightness was incredible, at the very least comparable to a high-power light bulb.
Zhou Qi quickly made the Firefly retract its Divine Ability.
He then strengthened 30 more, reaching the current limit of a Rank 3 Evolution Space.
Zhou Qi found a large backpack and had the Fireflies fly into it one by one.
He planned to take them all with him when he went to Second Base in the next two days.
Subsequently, Zhou Qi opened the light screen.
Sensing the location of the Five-Tier Annam Centipede, he immediately issued an order.
In a luxuriously decorated small courtyard in the suburbs of Yingtian City.
Wang Er had just returned from the hospital, his body bandaged.
Several people sat together, drinking in silence.
"This is too much! Usually, we're the ones bullying others. How could it be like this today?" one person said indignantly.
"Yes, Boss, look at how badly this kid beat me. He was too ruthless!"
...
The more they spoke, the more agitated they became, as if they couldn't stop until they got an explanation today.
"Are you all done talking?" Wang Er, his head bandaged, stared at them and said.
"If you're all done, then I'll say a few words. I've been looking for someone to investigate his background for the past two days. Which one of you has the guts?"
As Wang Er spoke, he took out a machete from the cabinet, pushed it forward, and continued, "Who will go and knife him? You, you, or you?"
With each sentence, Wang Er made eye contact with one person.
However, everyone lowered their heads, no one daring to respond.
"We're all in this business. We've already collected the money and haven't lost anything. There's no need to ruin the rest of our lives over this petty dispute," Wang Er said, standing up and leaning on the table.
"People are weak, not good or evil."