68: Adding fragrance to the red sleeves, breaking through to the third stage of awakening.

The so-called "Red Cabin" was actually the first-class lounge on the upper deck of a Boeing 747.

The smell of blood in the air came to an abrupt halt here, replaced by a thick scent of sandalwood mixed with some expensive rouge.

Su Chen didn't dislike this smell; at least it was much more pleasant than the rotting zombie stench outside.

The cheongsam-clad maid who led the way bowed and retreated at the door, thoughtfully closing the thick, soundproof door behind her.

In the center of the room sat a chaise longue, where Ye Hongyu lay reclining on her side.

This was quite interesting.

When she was offering her allegiance outside just now, although she appeared submissive, her shrewd and capable nature couldn't be hidden.

But now, having shed that layer of disguise, she was like a boneless snake, slumped limply and even trembling slightly.

“Mr. Su, please have a seat.”

Ye Hongyu propped herself up to pour tea, but her wrist gave way, and the purple clay teapot clattered against the edge of the tea tray.

She gave a bitter smile. Her face, usually full of charm on the auction stage, was now as white as paper, and her lips had a strange, dark bluish tint.

Su Chen didn't sit down, nor did he go to help her. He just stood three steps away, his gaze scanning her body without restraint.

This wasn't appreciation; it was an evaluation.

His gaze pierced through the thin, high-slit red velvet cheongsam. Su Chen could clearly see a thin layer of white frost covering the woman's exposed skin.

Even her breath condensed into white mist in the cabin, which was kept at a constant twenty-six degrees Celsius.

“Thunder Owl's doing?” Su Chen raised an eyebrow.

“Ice Energy,” Ye Hongyu gritted her teeth, her voice trembling. “To control the flow of supplies in the market, he planted a Cold Poison in my body. It flares up every three days. That kind of cold seeps into the bone marrow, like ten thousand ice needles piercing through.”

She looked up, her eyes filled with a desperate resolve. “I know Mr. Su is not only skilled in combat but also a 'miracle doctor.' As long as you can help me remove this Cold Poison, in addition to Thunder Owl's treasury, I can give you something else.”

“Oh?” Su Chen crossed his arms, showing a hint of interest.

“Core repair technology for the Void Engine,” Ye Hongyu said shockingly. “I know the core of your bus is damaged. Although that madman Old Mo has great skills, he lacks the crucial boot code. That code is in my head.”

Su Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.

This woman had indeed seen through the whole game long ago.

“Deal.”

Without any nonsense, Su Chen walked several steps to the chaise longue.

He was a man who valued fair trade, especially a deal like this that offered nothing but benefits to him.

“Give me your hand.”

Ye Hongyu hesitantly extended her fair wrist.

The moment their skin touched, the translucent panel in Su Chen's mind, which only he could see, flickered.

[Detected high-purity Extreme Yin Cold Poison. Host's “Extreme Yang Sacred Body” has developed a devouring desire.]

[Appraisal Target: Ye Hongyu.

Potential Rating: S (Suppressed).

Talent: Business Perception (Evolvable).]

It really is a great tonic.

Su Chen no longer hesitated. He gripped her pulse point, and the restless Sacred Yang True Qi in his body, like a shark sensing blood, surged frantically from his fingertips into Ye Hongyu's meridians.

“Mmh—!”

Ye Hongyu suddenly threw back her head and let out a stifled groan.

If Thunder Owl's Cold Poison was ten thousand ice needles, then Su Chen's True Qi was boiling magma.

Ice and fire instantly collided within the narrow meridians.

A large amount of white mist rose from where their skin met, and the temperature inside the Red Cabin rose sharply.

Ye Hongyu's originally pale skin flushed red at a visible speed, a reaction to the Cold Poison being forcibly vaporized.

But this wasn't enough.

“Endure it; it's going to get a bit rough.”

Su Chen didn't give her any time to react, pressing his hand directly onto her lower abdomen, the dantian—the headquarters of the Cold Poison.

As he pressed down, Ye Hongyu's whole body convulsed as if struck by electricity. Her hands instinctively gripped Su Chen's shoulders, her long nails almost digging into his flesh.

It was painful, but immediately followed by an indescribable sense of relief.

It felt like a frozen person soaking in a hot spring; every cell was cheering.

On Su Chen's side, the feeling was even more direct.

The Extreme Yin Cold Energy that had been rampaging through his body was instantly transformed by the Sacred Yang Divine Body into the purest energy nourishment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was as if thunder was rumbling inside his body.

The barrier that had kept him stuck at the peak of the Second Awakening Stage was as fragile as tofu under the impact of this massive energy.

The Governor and Conception vessels were instantly cleared, and the nine major acupoints throughout his body vibrated in unison, letting out a roar like a great bell.

Su Chen felt his bones crackle and pop. The True Qi flowing in his veins now had a faint golden luster.

Third Awakening Stage, broken!

A visible wave of golden light exploded outward with the two of them at the center, making the surrounding mahogany furniture hum.

After a long time, the mist dissipated.

Ye Hongyu looked as if she had been pulled out of water, drenched from head to toe, with her hair plastered messily against her cheeks, but her eyes were frighteningly bright.

The bone-chilling cold had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented warm current.

What shocked her even more was that the previously blurred talent tree in her mind had now lit up clearly.

[Talent Evolution: Crisis Warning (S-rank).

Can foresee dual risks in business and survival.]

“How do you feel?”

Su Chen withdrew his hand and clenched his fist.

The air was compressed and burst between his fingers, making a crisp sound.

This feeling of skyrocketing power was truly captivating.

Ye Hongyu didn't speak. She rolled off the bed, disregarding the fact that the slit of her cheongsam had slid up to her hip, and knelt on one knee. Her voice trembled with reverence. “From now on, Hongyu's life belongs to you.”

This wasn't just a polite gesture.

In the apocalypse, power was faith.

The methods Su Chen had just displayed had completely shattered her final line of defense as a “strong woman.”

“Get dressed. It's time to work.”

Su Chen casually pulled a blanket and threw it over her, then turned to open the door. “Call Old Mo over. I have something to ask him.”

Five minutes later, in the open space outside the cabin.

Old Mo, whose hair was as messy as a bird's nest, was drooling over a strangely shaped metal fragment. It was a “Void Fragment” that Su Chen had just retrieved from Thunder Owl's treasury.

Seeing Su Chen come out, the tech geek's eyes lit up. He was about to complain about the difficulty of the repair when he suddenly froze.

He pushed up his glasses, which were as thick as the bottom of a beer bottle, and stared intently at the faint golden light still lingering on Su Chen's body.

“Holy crap... Boss, did you take Viagra? How is your energy fluctuation more than twice as high as before?”

“Cut the crap.” Su Chen slapped the sketch Ye Hongyu had just drawn onto his chest. “We have the core code. With this fragment, how long will it take to fix the engine?”

Old Mo hurriedly took the sketch and scanned it. The expression on his face changed from confusion to ecstasy, and finally to a certain strange excitement.

“If it were before, a step-by-step repair would take at least three days. But now...”

Old Mo chuckled and pointed at Su Chen. “Boss, you're a walking human nuclear reactor now. Since you've reached the third stage, we can definitely take an unconventional route. No need for fine repairs; we'll use your Sacred Yang True Qi directly as the power source for a brute-force drive! Isn't this fragment broken? We'll burn it as disposable fuel, and with this Titanium-Tungsten Alloy as a casing to suppress it, it'll be enough for the bus to perform a ‘Void Jump’!”

Brute-force drive?

The corner of Su Chen's mouth curled into a slight arc.

He liked simple and crude solutions like this.

“Ye Hongyu.” Su Chen called out without looking back.

“Here.”

Ye Hongyu, having already tidied herself up, stepped forward quickly. Although she was still in the same cheongsam, her aura had completely changed. Her fragility had vanished, replaced by an absolute sense of execution.

“Take all the Titanium-Tungsten Alloy in the warehouse, every single piece, and move it to my vehicle.”

“Yes.” Ye Hongyu didn't hesitate and turned to start ordering her subordinates.

Just then, Lin Mengyao, standing at a high vantage point, suddenly blew a sharp whistle.

Su Chen looked up.

Following the direction Lin Mengyao pointed, dozens of pale headlights flickered faintly on the distant wasteland shrouded in darkness.

The beams of light crisscrossed, and the roar of engines drifted over on the wind, carrying an unfriendly murderous intent.

“Heh, they're here faster than I expected.” Su Chen brushed the dust off his hands, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.