8: side effect

"number 734."

Bachm's voice came through the thick metal door, so greasy it seemed it could drip.

"No, perhaps I should call you... Chen Feng, right?"

Chen Feng sat in the corner of the confinement room, not getting up, just raising his head to calmly meet those small eyes.

"Chief Administrator." He responded faintly.

"Heh heh, no need to be so tense." Bachm squeezed out a smile he thought was kind. "I heard about your situation, very interesting. A waste about to be 'environmentally processed' suddenly becomes the mining area's production champion, and even knows the company's regulations. Tell me, isn't that interesting?"

"I just want to survive." Chen Feng said.

"Survive? Of course, everyone wants to survive." Bachm's voice lowered a bit, carrying a suggestive tone. "But you have to tell me, what makes you think you can survive? Don't tell me it's some damn work enthusiasm—that kind of thing is worthless on Ashen Earth Star."

He paused, as if putting pressure on Chen Feng to think.

"Tell me, what is your secret?" Bachm asked. "The changes in your body, your astonishing efficiency... how did all this come about? Tell me, and I promise, not only will you survive, but you'll live well."

Chen Feng was silent for a moment, as if weighing his options, as if in fear.

This was exactly the expression Bachm wanted to see.

"Chief Administrator," Chen Feng's voice carried a perfectly measured tremor, "if I tell you, can you... guarantee my safety?"

"Of course!" Bachm immediately replied, his tone resolute. "In Mining Area No. 7, I am the only law!"

"Alright..." Chen Feng took a deep breath, as if making a huge decision. "I'll tell you."

"About half a month ago, while working deep in C-9 Mining Tunnel, there was a small-scale collapse..."

Chen Feng began to recount the lie he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.

A lucky Mine Slave, after the collapse, accidentally discovered an ancient ore vein hidden by the rock layers. The quality of the ore there was terrifyingly high. He secretly hid a few pieces and, through black market channels, exchanged them for an unknown Body Enhancement Serum... Every detail of this story perfectly catered to Bachm's understanding and greed: secrets, sudden wealth, a logically plausible stroke of luck.

"Black market enhancement serum?" Bachm's breathing noticeably grew heavier. "An ore vein? Where?"

"The entrance to that ore vein... was completely blocked in the last collapse." Chen Feng said "with difficulty." "I... alone, couldn't dig it open. I only managed to bring out a few pieces of that high-quality raw ore, and I've used them all up."

"Blocked?" Bachm's eyes turned cold.

"Yes, Chief Administrator." Chen Feng immediately said. "But with enough tools and manpower, we can definitely find the entrance again! I remember the location! I swear!"

Bachm stared intently at Chen Feng, his small eyes gleaming with shrewdness, as if trying to discern the truth in his words.

Chen Feng met his gaze calmly, his eyes filled with a desire to survive and the panic of a lowly person who had discovered a treasure.

After a long while, Bachm smiled.

"Good." He said. "Very good."

The door to the confinement room opened, and Bachm walked in with his corpulent body, personally unlocking the shackles on Chen Feng's hands.

"Follow me."

Chen Feng was taken to the Chief Administrator's office. This was the most luxurious place in all of Mining Area No. 7.

In front of him, Bachm pulled up the "Environmental Processing" list and, with his fat finger, heavily tapped on the name "734, Chen Feng."

"Delete."

"Your number, from today, is removed from the list." Bachm turned his head, looking at Chen Feng, his smile becoming more "sincere." "Not only that, I'll arrange a separate residence for you, and your food standard... will be raised to the Guard Team level."

"Th-thank you, Chief Administrator!" Chen Feng put on a tearfully grateful expression.

"No need to thank me." Bachm patted his shoulder, the force making Chen Feng feel as if he'd been hit by a greasy lump of fat. "You've earned it. From today, you have only one task."

Bachm leaned close to him, speaking in a voice only the two could hear:

"Find it, dig it open. Remember, every stone that comes out of that ore vein belongs to me. Understand?"

"Understood, understood!"

"For your safety, and to help you," Bachm straightened up and called toward the door, "I'll send two people to 'protect' you. They'll help you... find that ore vein."

Two of Bachm's trusted Guards walked in, standing on either side behind Chen Feng, their eyes cold.

Chen Feng's heart sank.

He had gone from a prisoner awaiting death to a tightly monitored, treasure-finding tool.

When Chen Feng was "escorted" back to the dormitory area to retrieve his personal belongings, the news that he had survived and received preferential treatment swept through the entire mining area like a storm.

"Look, it's 734! He's not dead!"

"My god, he's even with the Chief's personal Guards!"

"I heard he moved into a single dormitory and eats like the Guards!"

The Mine Slaves who had once bullied him all avoided him, their eyes filled with awe, jealousy, and fear.

Chen Feng's new residence was a small but separate room, with a real bed instead of a communal bunk.

After the Guards closed the door and stood Guard outside, Chen Feng finally had a moment of absolute privacy.

"System." He silently called in his mind. "Check status."

【Credit Rating: 1. Transaction Permissions expanded, can browse Product Categories Below C-Level.】

His credit was finally no longer 0.

However, just as he was about to carefully study the newly unlocked products, an intense, soul-wrenching neural pain suddenly erupted from deep within his spinal cord!

"Ugh!"

Chen Feng instantly fell to his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably, beads of cold sweat instantly covering his forehead.

Pain!

A nerve-tearing pain even worse than during the previous body transformation!

【Warning: Detected mild rejection reaction between host's nervous System and High-Dimensional Energy.】

【Diagnosis: Side effects of low-quality gene repair fluid have been triggered.】

【Recommendation: Quickly seek 'Law Stabilization Medium' for neutralization, otherwise irreversible Neural Collapse will occur.】

One crisis had just been temporarily covered with lies, while another, more hidden and deadly crisis, had already exploded within his body.