304: Status is everything

Walking out of the building, a blast of hot air hit him in the face.

The taxi Lin Yu had arrived in was long gone.

In its place, a matte black hovercar was parked quietly by the roadside.

The body lines were streamlined to the extreme, without any unnecessary ornamentation. One couldn't even see wheels or thrusters; it simply hovered a few inches off the ground, resembling a meticulously carved piece of obsidian.

Li Mo jolted and quickly stepped forward, bending down to open the car door.

"Boss, the car is ready."

His demeanor was exceedingly humble.

The door slid open silently, revealing the interior space.

There was no driver's seat.

No steering wheel.

No central console.

There were only four seats that looked extremely comfortable, arranged around a small metal table, forming a completely private mobile compartment.

On the table, a silver metal briefcase sat quietly.

Lin Yu bent down and got in, his movements natural.

Wang Qingxuan and Feng Rui stood quietly where they were, watching the door slide shut silently, completely isolating Lin Yu from view.

Li Mo maintained his bent posture until the matte black hovercar started smoothly without making any sound and merged into the traffic flow; only then did he slowly straighten up.

He passed the test.

It seemed this mysterious boss wasn't some terrible monster after all.

Feng Rui also let out a long breath. Lin Yu leaving meant the Research Institute was secured, and his job was completely safe.

Brilliant.

Also, he hoped his performance in front of Lin Yu today would catch the young man's eye.

Seriously, when they first met, he thought Lin Yu was just an ordinary student. Now, his livelihood depended on pleasing him.

As for Wang Qingxuan, who had stood by the boss's side from the very beginning, her status was likely much higher than he imagined.

"Manager Li," Feng Rui took the initiative, adopting a very low posture, "I will fully cooperate with the subsequent security and supply coordination for the Research Institute."

Li Mo snapped back to attention, glanced at Feng Rui, then at Wang Qingxuan, and finally nodded solemnly.

"I appreciate your effort."

He understood that from this day forward, the power structure within this small group had quietly shifted.

And the center of it all, the young man who had already disappeared into the traffic, was the sole rule-maker... Inside the hovercar.

Absolute silence.

The outside noise was perfectly sealed off, and the vehicle's motion was so smooth that one couldn't feel any movement.

Lin Yu leaned back in his seat and opened the silver briefcase on the table.

Inside the box, several potions of different colors were neatly arranged—they were the prototypes Old Ghost had just finished creating.

Lin Yu picked up the syringe labeled [Instant Burst Potion (Prototype)].

The pale golden liquid shimmered slightly within the tube.

All Attributes +100.

Duration thirty seconds.

I wonder if they stack. Old Ghost was limited by his energy; producing a prototype potion in just one day was already good enough. He probably didn't have time for extra testing. I don't know if there will be side effects.

Even if there are, it shouldn't be a big problem. Lin Yu has the [Origin Level] Vitality Nourishment skill, so he won't die that easily.

These prototype potions used Old Ghost's upgraded rapid injectors, paired with two injection devices, allowing for the simultaneous injection of twenty syringes, with one button to activate and another to deactivate.

It feels like it could still be optimized. If he didn't care about precision, the veterinary injectors they used for dosage testing might actually be more convenient.

Combat is a comprehensive game of resources, information, and understanding one's own power system.

He put away the potions and closed the briefcase.

Seclusion.

He must immediately begin a new round of secluded cultivation.

To completely integrate the effects of these potions into his own power system.

This would be a huge boost to his improvement.

The hovercar silently zipped through the city sky. Its speed was astonishing, yet it deftly avoided all flight path monitoring, like an invisible shadow.

Soon, a cluster of buildings with a distinctly different style appeared ahead.

Low-slung, chaotic, filled with the decadent atmosphere woven from industrial waste and neon tubes.

The entrance to the Black Market.

Several heavily armed guards, emanating the scent of blood, immediately noticed this unexpected visitor.

A hovercar with no markings, yet styled too futuristic for this era, was driving straight toward the entrance.

"Stop! No entry ahead!"

A guard shouted sternly, simultaneously raising the energy weapon in his hand, the red light at the muzzle beginning to flash.

According to regulations, all vehicles must stop at the designated area one hundred meters away for inspection.

Daring to charge directly at the entrance had only one outcome.

However, the black hovercar showed no intention of slowing down.

Just as the guard was about to pull the trigger.

The communicator in his helmet crackled with sharp, urgent static.

A voice, familiar to the bone, laced with panic and sycophancy, roared wildly.

"Are you all blind?! Put down your weapons!"

"That is Boss Chen's distinguished guest! A distinguished guest!"

"If anyone dares disturb the distinguished guest, I'll chop them up myself and feed them to the dogs!"

It was the person in charge of the Black Market entrance.

The guards froze, their actions of raising their weapons suspended in mid-air.

Distinguished Guest?

Boss Chen's distinguished guest?

They had guarded this place for so many years, yet they had never heard of Boss Chen having any 'distinguished guests' who enjoyed the privilege of driving straight through.

Before they could react.

The black hovercar swept past them, like a black lightning bolt, making no sound as it shot directly into the narrow, chaotic main road deep inside the Black Market.

The surrounding pedestrians and vendors scattered, startled by the sudden scene.

"What the hell! What's going on? Why did that car just drive in?"

"Is he crazy? Doesn't he care about his life?"

"Wait... look at that car, it looks like... it looks like one of Boss Chen's legendary personal vehicles!"

"Impossible! Boss Chen hasn't shown himself in public for ages, how could..."

Exclamations and discussions erupted from the crowd.

Everyone was baffled by the completely illogical sight.

The hovercar proceeded unimpeded through countless gazes mixed with shock, confusion, and fear.

It didn't stop at any stall, driving directly toward the deepest part of the Black Market.

"Insect Dwelling."

When the vehicle stopped steadily before the magnificent, opulent gates of the Insect Dwelling, the hotel manager, who had already been waiting there, immediately rushed forward with two rows of attendants.

Their faces were plastered with the warmest smiles.

"Distinguished Guest, you're back!"

The manager stepped forward personally, eagerly preparing to open the car door.

He didn't recognize the car.

But he knew this patron.

He wasn't scheduled to arrive, but... for the 'Insect Dwelling,' a guest who could book the two top suites at once and stay for so long without batting an eye—wasn't that a 'God of Wealth'?

However, the door did not open as he expected.

Lin Yu's figure passed directly through the car door, appearing before everyone.

The manager and the attendants were stunned.

Immediately afterward, an even more bizarre scene unfolded.

The massive, sci-fi-looking hovercar began to shrink rapidly under everyone's gaze; its hard metal shell grew pliable, and light warped.

Finally, it transformed into a complex black pattern, silently branding itself onto the palm of Lin Yu's right hand before vanishing.

Lin Yu appeared outwardly calm, but he was also greatly surprised internally.

Li Mo and Feng Rui had truly put in the effort; they had considered even this level of detail so thoroughly.

Lin Yu was beginning to understand the satisfaction felt by capitalists and bosses.