38: I don't know what else to do.

A deathly silence.

The Old Ghost took off his bird-beak mask, revealing a face flushed red with excitement and exhilaration. He stared intently at Lin Yu, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

He gambled.

He had wagered almost his entire fortune on this inscrutable young man before him.

These three authentic potions were his most prized possessions, his hope for a turnaround in the latter half of his life. Now, he had personally given this hope away.

Lin Yu looked at the three potions on the counter, glowing with pure energy, then at the Old Ghost before him, who had fallen into a state of frenzy.

Interesting.

Truly interesting.

From the initial shrewd calculations, to the later probing and fawning, and now, a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble.

This Old Ghost had more courage than he had imagined.

Lin Yu didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out and placed the three heavy metal boxes, one by one, into his storage ring.

His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing this, the Old Ghost's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.

The exhilaration before giving away the items, and the heartache after they were taken, two extreme emotions intertwined on his face, making his expression incredibly distorted.

Lin Yu laughed heartily.

"Old Ghost, you're on the right track!"

He turned around, ready to leave with Zhao Tianyang.

As he reached the doorway, he paused, leaving one last remark without looking back.

"Don't worry, your good fortune is yet to come!"

"Ding-a-ling—"

The wind chimes rang, then fell silent.

Only the Old Ghost remained in the shop. He collapsed onto a chair as if all his strength had left him, gasping for breath.

He looked at the empty counter, then at the doorway where Lin Yu had disappeared, and the distorted expression on his face finally turned into a long sigh, one that was impossible to tell if it was bitter or joyful...

Lin Yu walked through the chaotic alleys of the black market.

Zhao Tianyang followed closely behind him, clutching the ill-fitting jacket. With every step, his body swayed, as if he would fall apart at any moment.

He dared not get too close, afraid of offending his master.

Nor dared he get too far, afraid that he would lose this only hope if he wasn't careful.

Soon, the two returned to the entrance of the "Hive."

Lin Yu used his card to open the heavy alloy door of Bunker No. 3 and walked in.

Zhao Tianyang followed. When the door slammed shut behind him with a "rumble," his body visibly trembled.

Isolated from the world.

This feeling reminded him of the days he was confined at home, waiting for death.

"Ma... Master."

Zhao Tianyang struggled to stand, trying to bow, but when he spoke, his voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows.

Lin Yu turned and looked at him.

Master?

This address sounded really awkward.

It felt like he was acting in some third-rate period drama.

"Don't call me that from now on," Lin Yu's reaction was calm.

Zhao Tianyang was stunned. He lowered his head in fear. "Then... then what should I call you?"

"Call me Ge," Lin Yu said casually.

As the words left his mouth, he himself frowned.

No.

The address "Ge" was exclusive to Lin Yao.

"Never mind," Lin Yu corrected himself, "Call me Boss from now on."

"Boss?" Zhao Tianyang was stunned again.

This address, compared to "Master," had less of an absolute dominance and more of a modern transactional feel.

But he had no right to question anything.

"Yes, Boss," he respectfully agreed.

Lin Yu nodded, no longer paying attention to him, but pressed a communication button on the wall.

Soon, a processed electronic voice echoed in the room.

"Bunker No. 3, what do you need?"

It was the same front desk woman wearing the metal mask from before.

"Expand space," Lin Yu stated his purpose directly.

"What level?"

"Maximum."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the communication, seemingly confirming Lin Yu's authority and financial capacity.

"'Throne' level space expansion, using a military-grade space expansion array, can expand a standard bunker to 300,000 cubic meters, with absolute physical isolation and an independent circulation system. The cost is 10,000 per day, with one month's deposit and one month's payment."

Ten thousand per day.

That's 300,000 a month.

This price was enough to rent a top-tier luxury mansion in the city center.

Zhao Tianyang listened from the side, his heart pounding.

He had never seen so much money in his life.

And this new boss was paying such a high price just to expand a temporary room?

"Okay."

Lin Yu's answer was without any hesitation.

He pressed his black card against a sensor on the wall.

"Beep. Payment successful, balance 810,000."

Twenty thousand disappeared instantly.

"Space expansion array activated, estimated duration ten seconds, please do not move."

The electronic voice faded.

"Hum—"

The entire bunker emitted a low roar.

Zhao Tianyang watched in horror as the metal wall in front of him rapidly receded into the distance in a way that defied physical common sense!

The ceiling was rising, the floor was extending.

The originally cramped room of only thirty square meters transformed into a vast, boundless void in a matter of seconds.

Its scale was as large as several football fields!

Ten seconds later, the roar stopped.

The world returned to absolute silence once more.

Only emptiness remained.

Boundless emptiness.

Zhao Tianyang stood in this enormous space, feeling as small as a speck of dust.

He looked at Lin Yu, who stood not far away, and that figure in a cheap cloak, at this moment, became incredibly vast and mysterious.

Is this... the world of the strong?

Casually changing space, treating money like dirt.

In Zhao Tianyang's heart, besides the relief of surviving a disaster, there was more of an indescribable awkwardness and inferiority.

He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

He knew that between him and his boss, there was an insurmountable chasm.

He moved his heavy steps, walked behind Lin Yu, and lowered his head.

"Boss..."

His voice carried an undisguised tremor.

"I... I don't know what I can do for you."

"I haven't awakened yet, but because I misused the potion, I can no longer participate in the awakening ceremony, and my body is... is ruined."

He spoke with great difficulty, each word revealing his raw, bleeding wounds.

"I only have this last month to live..."

He looked up, and a resolute flame ignited in his dull eyes.

"But, I promise you! In this last month, no matter what you ask me to do, even if it's to die, I will never flinch!"

"I will definitely repay this kindness!"

He spoke with conviction, his words filled with the determination of staking everything.

However, this determination seemed so pale and powerless when faced with this despairingly empty space.

What could he do?

Clean?

There wasn't even a speck of dust here.