52: Chapter 52 It's so good to be a rich woman, living off others is so sweet.

The night wind in the Source Abyss Ash Belt was very cold.

Two people and one dog found a sheltered gravel cliff to set up camp.

Shen Qingci chopped a few pieces of deadwood to start a fire.

The campfire flickered, reflecting on both of their faces.

Shen Qingci elegantly unscrewed a high-grade nutrient solution.

She tilted her fair neck slightly and took small sips.

Meanwhile, across from her.

Su Ming was holding an entire hind leg of a Tier 2 exotic beast that was roasting and sizzling with oil.

He was devouring it like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.

The Wasteland Mastiff lay at Shen Qingci's feet.

Watching Su Ming's insane eating speed.

It was so scared that it retracted its dog paws.

Fearing that if this vicious star wasn't full, he might even gnaw on it.

"Did you... evolve the Gluttonous Ghost talent again?"

Shen Qingci finally couldn't help but ask, a flash of astonishment appearing in her cold eyes.

"The calories in this food are enough for a standard five-person squad to fight at high intensity in the abyss for three days."

"What do you know? This is called the ultimate romance of carbon-based lifeforms."

Su Ming mumbled incoherently, his mouth full of grease.

That military-grade compressed ration stuff.

The texture is about the same as chewing on a tire.

Who would eat vegetarian when they have meat!

Logically speaking, his body weight was now approaching one ton.

Just raising his hand casually should consume a massive amount of calories.

But the Devour talent was extremely domineering; the "mass points" extracted from assimilating ownerless objects.

While strengthening his body density.

Also subtly took over the underlying circulation of his body.

It could be said that as long as the system was still running.

His current body was like a perpetual motion machine with a built-in micro-nuclear reactor.

Let alone eating for three days.

Even if he were thrown into the abyss for ten days or half a month without a drop of water.

He wouldn't die.

But not dying didn't mean he wasn't a foodie.

As a normal person whose soul came from Blue Star.

If he didn't eat for a day.

The cravings could perform a set of military boxing in his stomach.

What surprised him even more was that as the roasted meat went down.

A faint prompt of [mass points + 0.01] would pop up in his mind from time to time...

There was residual biological Source Energy in the flesh and blood of the Tier 2 exotic beast.

The system could also count it as trace assimilation for him!

Although the increase was effectively nothing, who would complain about free stuff?

"Hiccup..."

Su Ming gnawed the last bone clean.

He picked up a rib and was just about to continue eliminating it.

Then he saw a scene that made his blood pressure soar.

That Crimson Gold Wasteland Mastiff that had only acknowledged him as its master for less than two hours.

Was currently lying at Shen Qingci's feet.

Its head resting on her knees.

Its tail wagging frantically against the ground.

Its tongue lolling out half a foot long.

Slurping and licking the back of Shen Qingci's hand and between her fingers.

Its eyes squinted into slits, humming comfortably.

The cause was very simple.

When cleaning up the battlefield in the afternoon.

Shen Qingci had dug out a Tier 2 crystal from a hyena corpse.

And casually rewarded the Wasteland Mastiff with one.

Just one.

And this beast had completely defected.

Su Ming stared fixedly at the crystal that the Wasteland Mastiff had swallowed, his heart bleeding.

A Tier 2 exotic beast crystal.

Market price: hundreds of thousands of Federation coins.

Just fed to a dog like that?!

His entire net worth combined didn't even amount to hundreds of thousands.

Su Ming looked at the fawning dog, jealousy making him want to fall apart.

He even wanted to turn into a little puppy and go up to lick Shen Qingci's...

"Rich lady, hungry, want food!"

Can you also smash my cold face with a crystal!

Su Ming stuffed the last piece of roasted meat into his mouth.

Chewed it vigorously twice, and decided to exercise the authority of the head of the household.

"Alright, since you've followed me, I'll bestow a name upon you."

Su Ming wiped the oil off his hands and grinned at the Wasteland Mastiff.

"From now on, you'll be called Big Yellow."

The Wasteland Mastiff's tail paused for a beat.

Shen Qingci's nutrient solution also paused for a moment.

"Can't you give it a proper name?"

She furrowed her brows slightly.

"Like 'Wind Chaser', 'Sky Splitter', or 'Golden Scale'?"

"Too chuunibyou," Su Ming shook his head.

"...'Snowball'?"

"It's yellow."

Shen Qingci took a deep breath.

"'Crimson Flame'?"

"It's not red either," Su Ming said righteously.

"From now on, it's Big Yellow. As the old saying goes, a cheap name is easy to raise; it's more down-to-earth."

Although the Wasteland Mastiff's intelligence hadn't fully developed yet.

It was, after all, a peak Tier 2 exotic beast on the verge of breaking through to Tier 3.

It could still understand this bit of insulting meaning.

"Woof…"

It let out a reluctant protest at Su Ming.

"What are you barking at? Protest invalid."

Su Ming struck the pose of a head of the household and threatened viciously.

"Big Yellow is the most cultured name I could come up with. Otherwise, we can change it to 'Fortune' or 'Potato', you choose."

The Wasteland Mastiff shuddered.

It decisively surrendered to the tyranny.

It whimpered in extreme grievance.

And buried its big, furry head deeper into Shen Qingci's leg.

Su Ming looked at Shen Qingci's cold face, which finally couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

He felt extremely satisfied inside.

After eating, it was time to sleep.

This was the first time Shen Qingci had spent the night in the wilderness with a boy of her own age.

No matter how strong or cold her personality was.

Deep down, she was still a nineteen-year-old girl in the prime of her youth.

She was somewhat guarded and unnatural.

Su Ming, on the other hand, was much more carefree.

He took his tent out of his backpack.

A fifteen-dollar find from a military surplus second-hand store.

Dark green camouflage fabric, severely faded, zipper jammed.

Two of the support poles were tied together with wire.

He hummed a little tune while setting it up, patting the dust falling from the ceiling.

He nodded, satisfied.

Sturdy, usable, doesn't leak wind.

It was enough.

Then he turned his head and saw Shen Qingci's tent.

Entirely silver-white.

Streamlined design.

Foldable high-tech constant-temperature cabin.

She pressed a button with her finger, and with a "hum", it automatically unfolded.

The internal lights turned on softly.

To call it a cabin was a disrespect to money.

This was a studio apartment.

Su Ming's eyes gleamed, and he scrambled over.

"Miss Shen, does this tent of yours need any help with tuning? I have a natural affinity for high-tech equipment..."

"No need."

"Then... do you need help making the bed?"

"Not needed."

Su Ming's expression turned bitter.

"I'm just worried that you, a girl, wouldn't sleep well out here in the wilderness... Since you have such a good cabin, I can rest easy."

He took two steps back.

Looked at his own camouflage tent that might be blown away by the wind at any moment.

"Don't worry about me. I can sleep anywhere. It's fine if I freeze to death."

Shen Qingci watched his performance, which was on par with a top actor, and felt black lines appear on her forehead.

His body of iron couldn't even be penetrated by the claws of a Tier 3 exotic beast.

Why was he acting weak in front of her?

She didn't speak, and expressionlessly raised her wristband.

Another flash of white light.

With a soft "bang".

A silver-white, streamlined constant-temperature cabin, exactly like hers.

Landed steadily next to Su Ming's tattered camouflage tent.

Su Ming was stunned.

"Prepared in advance."

Shen Qingci said in a flat tone.

"Basic guarantee for a mission partner."

Su Ming stood there.

Looking at the brand-new silver-white constant-temperature cabin.

He was silent for three seconds.

Then his eyes turned slightly red, and his voice trembled.

"Rich lady, you're so good, eating soft rice is delicious..."

The corner of Shen Qingci's mouth twitched violently.

She now regretted not letting this guy freeze all night in that broken tent.

...

The internal space of the constant-temperature cabin wasn't large, but it was fully functional.

When Su Ming lay down inside, he discovered it even had a mini shower device and a temperature control system.

He touched the soft inflatable mattress, and his soul let out a satisfied sigh.

The happiness of the poor is just this simple and unadorned.

After lying down for two minutes, he sat back up.

He opened the cabin door and walked to Shen Qingci's constant-temperature cabin next door.

He thought for a moment, then knocked on the outer shell.

"Hey, Miss Shen, I have some martial arts matters I'd like to discuss with you in depth."

As he spoke, he reached out to turn the door handle.

Why did this person lock the door?

Where is the most basic trust between people?

"Miss Shen, please open the door. If we don't discuss martial arts, that's fine, I just want to talk to you about choosing a school for the college entrance exam."

Creak.

The door opened a crack.

The first thing Su Ming saw was that the interior wall design was actually in pink tones.

Outside was cold silver-white.

Inside was dreamy pink.

Good heavens, is this the contrast moe of an SS-rank genius girl?

Shen Qingci stood behind the door, having already changed out of her combat uniform.

Wearing a loose white long-sleeved shirt, her hair let down.

"Discuss what? I'm going to shower and sleep."

"Shower?"

Su Ming instantly perked up, his face solemn.

"Actually, I was once an excellent bath scrubber. If you don't mind..."

"Bang!"

The cabin door slammed shut.

The force was so great that the blast of air blew all the stray hair on his forehead up.

So no scrubbing, then, no need to be so temperamental.

Su Ming rubbed his nose and slowly sauntered back to his own cabin.

He tentatively lay down...

After all, the last bed had already been crushed by him.

Su Ming stared at the ceiling.

The four words "matched in social and economic status" are an iron law everywhere you go.

Love is free, but marriage is not.

He was currently unknown and dirt poor.

But after the college entrance exam, it would be different.

He mentally sifted through his "balance sheet".

SSS-rank unique talent, True Mass exceeding a ton.

Slapping a Tier 3 beast king into oblivion, density approaching twice that of steel.

And a perverted passive ability with one percent compound growth every day.

If this configuration were put on the college entrance exam arena.

The heavenly pride ranking would probably have to make room for him.

With the system, his appearance and strength.

He, Su Ming, believed he was worthy of Shen Qingci.

As for that snobbish, protective father...

Su Ming squinted his eyes.

He really couldn't beat him right now.

Once he reached Tier 9...

You dish it out, I'll spin the table; you talk, I'll chat back.

Everything will be under my control.

Even the Shen family's Scrap Yard might end up being his.

He turned over and closed his eyes.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the college entrance exam to make a stunning debut!