238: "Achuan! I'm back!"

Old Dean's cooperation with him this time can be considered a mutually beneficial arrangement, and it has largely achieved the predetermined goals. According to his plan, I had the Soul-Devouring Black Shadow devour the Chimera Ant Queen's intelligence and occupy its shadow.

The snail pointed its tentacles at the unmoving Chimera Ant Queen, then continued, "See, making it maintain this 'neither living nor dead' controlled state, keeping the rift open but not expanding, and turning this place into a forward base for China to advance into other worlds—that's his primary objective."

He Jingrui's eyes flickered, and he looked at the 'woman' with the exquisitely beautiful face in surprise.

The snail continued to shake its head, saying, "His second objective is to acquire the Chimera Ant's gene editing technology to perfect his 'New Human' plan."

Then, Hu Xuan's voice paused, and her tone suddenly became a little more serious.

"Speaking of which, I need to remind you! Xiaoruirui, if you ever meet that guy Ye Chen in the future, be extra careful. That guy is too calculating; when dealing with him, don't be foolish and spill everything. Be careful, or you'll be sold out and still happily help him count his money."

He Jingrui nodded vigorously, taking her words firmly to heart.

"Then Old Dean, you..."

"Me?" Hu Xuan scoffed, "I cooperated with him, firstly, because I couldn't stand the Little devils and those neither human nor ghost things running wild on our territory. Secondly, I suffered a bit of a sneak attack a few years ago, and my body wasn't quite right. I needed to use the Chimera Ant's genetic and physical repair technology to recuperate. Now, I'm almost 70-80% back to my old self."

Her words carried a familiar, slightly boastful self-satisfaction.

He Jingrui immediately breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely happy.

Then he thought for a moment and asked the question he was most concerned about.

"Old Dean, what about Squad Leader Ban and the others..."

"Don't worry, they won't die."

Hu Xuan chuckled.

"It's a blessing in disguise, you could say. The Chimera Ant's physical repair and gene editing technology are quite remarkable. As long as there's still a breath left, they can be saved and even strengthened. They are currently in a state of deep repair and potential activation, which is like getting a high-class beauty sleep and having a wonderful dream. When they naturally awaken, their physiques should have improved significantly, and then undergoing the 'Gourmet Cells' awakening experiment will have a much higher success rate and safety factor."

Hearing that his comrades were not only alive but would also become stronger, He Jingrui's heart, which had been hanging, finally completely settled, and his mindset quietly changed.

He looked at the strange biological environment around him, the unmoving Chimera Ant Queen beside him, and then at the 'communication snail' in front of him, which conveyed Old Dean's voice. He felt a sense of unreality, as if a lifetime had passed.

"Alright, stop staring blankly."

Hu Xuan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You've just completed your repair and potential activation as well. Hurry up and familiarize yourself with your new strength. The matters here are mostly concluded; the authorities will send people to handle the subsequent 瑣事. Once your comrades are mostly awake, you can prepare to go back."

"Go back?"

He Jingrui was suddenly eager to return home.

"Yes, back to Earth."

The 'communication snail's' tentacles pointed at He Jingrui, and Hu Xuan's voice carried a hint of profound amusement.

"When you go back, remember to find that kid Lu Chuan and have him make you a big meal to replenish your body. Your 'Gourmet Cells' activity is ridiculously high; don't waste this talent. Who knows... the subsequent path of the Nameless Fist Technique might even depend on this."

Nameless Fist Technique? Gourmet?

He Jingrui subconsciously licked his lips; the aroma of the delicious food stolen in his dream seemed to linger at the tip of his nose again.

This time, he was going to eat his fill! No one would snatch it from him!

Especially... Old Dean!

He Jingrui secretly clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit and full of anticipation... The air outside the command vehicle was filled with the smell of gunpowder, but Lu Chuan took a deep breath and felt much more at ease.

After all, the oppressive, cold atmosphere inside the vehicle truly made him feel disgusted.

Ye Chen's words still echoed in his mind—"This is not a discussion, it's a notification."

That unquestionable, absolute rationality was truly annoying.

Coupled with the other party's attitude, it was indeed extremely unpleasant.

But the conditions offered by the other party were truly hard to refuse.

Huge remuneration, rare ingredients from another world, privileges... these all hit him right in the heart.

Especially the privileges!

Although it wasn't mentioned what kind, Lu Chuan understood what the other party meant as soon as he heard it.

This was offering him a 'position'!

After the battle of Modu, he increasingly understood that living freely was not easy.

The so-called peaceful and harmonious illusion of peace had already been completely torn away with this battle.

In the future, people would surely be in a state of panic, everyone would worry whether their city would suddenly be invaded by another world, and Lu Chuan was no exception.

After all, there was no telling where that rift, connecting heaven and earth, would open. What if it was in his own bedroom while he was sound asleep?

But now the other party had made a promise: as long as he regularly handled the logistical work of the special operations team's 'eating' aspect, he wouldn't have to worry about survival anymore.

After all, by then he would also be considered a half-'official' personnel... Moreover, to win him over, the other party even agreed to his condition of setting up a fixed weekly stall!

"Lu Chuan!"

Ding Xinyang had been waiting nearby. Seeing him return, he immediately went to meet him, his face filled with concern.

"Are you okay? They didn't make things difficult for you?"

"I'm fine."

Lu Chuan shook his head, suppressing his emotions, and showed a slight smile.

"We discussed some cooperation matters."

...One day later, Modu's wounds were cleared and repaired at an astonishing speed.

Lu Chuan temporarily settled in a safe house provided by the military. The environment was quiet and well-equipped, which made it convenient for him to study a portion of the 'remuneration' Ye Chen had paid in advance—several rare ingredients from another world that he had never seen before.

Just as he was engrossed in exploring the new ingredients, the doorbell rang.

Ding Xinyang went to open the door and then let out a surprised cry.

"Old He?!"

Lu Chuan heard the cry, paused, then no longer cared about the simmering broth, and ran out of the kitchen, filled with surprise and joy.

Then he saw a tall young man with a simple, honest smile standing at the door.

With that characteristic smile, who else could it be but He Jingrui?

Lu Chuan looked up and noticed that his eyes were bright and sharp, his spirit so full it almost overflowed, and he was in an explosively good state.

He Jingrui laughed loudly, walked directly past Ding Xinyang, took a big stride to stand in front of Lu Chuan, clapped him hard on the shoulder, and grinned, showing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth.

"A Chuan! I'm back!"