Chapter 27: Hardship

As the policewoman put food into the pot, she answered, “As a companion, the first basic rule you must know is: do not introduce yourself, and do not ask other companions for private information like their names. Even though you and I have met face to face like this, right now, I still call you by your codename Golden Blood, and you can call me by my codename Little Family Beauty. The natural enemies of the Fungal Demon are us. Mature Fungal Demons will make eliminating us their most important plan.”

“Does this mean your Power of Life is emerald green?” Chen Fengshi guessed that his Golden Blood must be a nickname forced upon him by Little An, so the key corresponding to the codename Little Family Beauty should also be a color.

“That’s right.” Little Family Beauty smiled and nodded, explaining further, “The codenames between companions will all use words that symbolize colors to show the color of their own Power of Life. This way, during necessary cooperation, it is easy to know each other’s Power of Life characteristics, and then reach a tacit understanding. As for someone like Little An, whose name has no color, it means she has the Primordial Power of Life.”

Chen Fengshi finally had a basic concept, and also felt that the number of companions in similar situations should be quite large, at least much more than the very few he had originally thought. “What exactly is the Power of Life?”

“The Power of Life comes from the power generated when the gene information segment we carry is activated. This gene information segment is named Yanhuang Cambrian. According to the related research of some companions, it is believed that this gene information segment already existed in the Cambrian era, or even earlier.” Little Family Beauty filled three single-serving small pots with ingredients, and also made six dishes of seasonings with different flavors.

Chen Fengshi listened very seriously. Suddenly getting a scientific explanation, the dark clouds of doubt in his heart were pierced by light as if.

“The history of the Power of Life is very long, longer than the history of us humans. Why it later became a part of our human bodies, there is no way to be certain. In short, looking at the current data, the proportion of people carrying the Yanhuang Cambrian gene information segment in the population is about one in four million.” Little Family Beauty folded her hands on the table, eagerly looking forward to the soup in the pot gradually boiling. The joy revealed in her eyes for the food made Chen Fengshi feel that if he looked in a mirror, he might be the same.

“So few?” Chen Fengshi could not help but joke, “In comparison, a martial arts master who is one in ten thousand is nothing.”

“The types of Power of Life are divided by color, and the characteristics of powers with similar colors will also be very close.” Little Family Beauty was not very interested in jokes; her attention was more willing to be focused on the food cooking in the boiling soup in the pot. “The nature of the Power of Life is different, and there are also cases where individual types are especially rare. The rarest of all is the Primordial Power of Life, which is of the red series, with a probability of about one in two hundred million; next are the three types of Black, golden, and silver, with probabilities also at over one in a hundred million or one in sixty million.”

Only then did Chen Fengshi know that his Golden Power of Life actually belonged to a rare variety. Although this did not really matter, psychologically it always brought a little satisfaction of being different from others. And he then knew that the color of Little An, which was the same as the Fungal Demon red mist, was actually the rarest. “The Primordial Power of Life is quite interesting, to actually be similar in color to the Fungal Demon…”

“The Fungal Demon in the eyes of the Golden Power of Life is in a red mist state?” Little Family Beauty actually found it very surprising. Chen Fengshi was stunned then, realizing that the colors of the Fungal Demon they saw were actually really different. “Then what color do you see?”

“Clusters of grayish-white. When the Fungal Demon’s Parasite does not hide itself, it extends outward from the top of the head in a belt-like shape.” Little Family Beauty’s answer made Chen Fengshi feel very uncomfortable. The Fungal Demons they saw were originally so different.

Did this mean that perhaps what they saw was not real? Or rather, none of it was complete?

“The red mist state is then the same as what Little An’s primordial type power sees. Perhaps the state seen by the rare type of Power of Life is the complete true form of the Fungal Demon.” Little Family Beauty did not really care about this. Seeing Chen Fengshi obviously making wild guesses, she just started eating on her own.

Only then did Chen Fengshi notice that his was almost ready too, so he also started eating.

Once they started eating like this, they really got into a rhythm. They finished one pot, put in ingredients, and by the time the third pot was finished, the food in the first pot was also cooked.

Little Family Beauty ate with great joy and had no time to speak. Chen Fengshi also focused on destroying the food, not disturbing her interest. But in his heart he thought, eating hotpot was really a good method. With the cost of three seats, they could eat to their heart’s content. With a time limit of an hour and a half, eating non-stop from three pots, getting full should be no problem.

So he had a question. Since this was the case, did Little Family Beauty really need to say she had not eaten to her heart’s content outside for a long time?

Since entering the rhythm of eating, Little Family Beauty really did not speak anymore. The two of them ate hugely, eating for a full hour and a half. The boss had been paying attention to them early on. Seeing their way of eating, he only regretted not closing early to go home and sleep! Eating like this, how many customers’ business did he have to do for free!

“Ahhh—so satisfying!” Walking out of the hotpot restaurant, Little Family Beauty was completely satisfied and in a very good mood. Her smile also became more natural, revealing her emotions without hiding them.

“Actually I feel I’m not full yet, how about we change places and continue?” Chen Fengshi was afraid that Little Family Beauty was just being polite. Actually he had just said he wanted to extend the time, but before Little Family Beauty could answer, the boss hurriedly said they should have closed long ago.

Chen Fengshi could imagine the boss’s heart bleeding in his mind. He would rather not do their business, so he did not force it. Ultimately, their appetite was indeed too scary.

“Almost. It is very hard for you to get truly full. In comparison, you should learn to try to keep the Power of Life in a low activity state normally.”

“Is that possible?” Chen Fengshi was both surprised and delighted.

“The Power of Life generated after the Yanhuang Cambrian gene information segment is activated will cause special changes in the body tissues. Therefore, the more active our Power of Life is, the more the energy consumption brought by this change will increase. Why does the food we eat seem like it goes into a bottomless pit?” Little Family Beauty pointed at Chen Fengshi’s stomach. Yes, this was a very strange question.

Chen Fengshi had thought about it long ago. With his limited knowledge, he felt the greatest possibility was still the role of complex fungi inside the human body. So he tried to answer, “Because there is some extra bacteria in the body? Special bacteria that can decompose at an amazing speed and help the body absorb?”

“Yes—” Little Family Beauty nodded. “That is exactly how it is. Originally, the number of bacteria in the human body is said to be seven to ten times that of cells. Human absorption and immunity both cannot do without the help of various beneficial bacteria. It is not an exaggeration to say that we humans are bacterial symbiotes. After the Yanhuang Cambrian gene information segment is activated, it will increase the effects of various bacteria in the body by different multiples. Besides this, it will also form new bacteria. The special strengthening of our physical strength and the special power of the Power of Life are all obtained this way.”

Chen Fengshi had originally imagined many possible explanations, and this was the explanation he forcibly guessed from a scientific perspective, yet it was confirmed from Little Family Beauty’s mouth.

They ate a lot of food but their bellies did not bulge, precisely because what they ate was immediately decomposed and absorbed, and then stored in a special form by the special bacteria of the Power of Life, which was roughly the golden attached Light Mist he saw.

“Does this mean… so-called superpowers, incredible powers, have always existed? It is just the effect of the Power of Life?” Chen Fengshi’s thoughts could not help but extend.

“Do you know how to activate the Yanhuang Cambrian gene information segment?”

“…” Chen Fengshi saw Little Family Beauty still walking forward very casually as if taking a stroll, but this question made him feel there must be a deep meaning. So he thought for a moment, and combining it with his own situation, he guessed and asked in return, “Could it be the Fungal Demon?”

“Right!” Little Family Beauty nodded, very appreciative of his cleverness. “Without the Fungal Demon, the Power of Life will always remain in a sleeping state. Only the Fungal Demon can activate the Power of Life. Moreover, after our Power of Life is activated, we still need to devour the Fungal Demon to maintain the state. If we do not devour the Fungal Demon to obtain the necessary gene information segment for a long time, the Power of Life will fall back into a sleeping state.”

This was a surprising situation, but thinking carefully, it was also very reasonable.

Chen Fengshi guessed that if the Power of Life had not always been asleep, this level of food demand would definitely have made it impossible for humans to reproduce to today’s numbers. Why were there so few humans who possessed the Power of Life information segment? Because in the long process of life evolution, the existence of the Power of Life was no longer needed long ago.

Until the Fungal Demon appeared. Or perhaps, on Earth in the distant past, the Fungal Demon originally existed. The Power of Life might have been a power evolved to fight the Fungal Demon for the right to survive. When the Fungal Demon no longer existed, the Power of Life also entered a sleeping state.

As someone with experience, Little Family Beauty probably knew what Chen Fengshi was imagining, and probably also knew what his questions were. Without waiting for him to ask, she suddenly stopped, looked at him, and said very seriously, “The earliest known Fungal Demon invasion happened half a year ago. This is a war of survival and death. Our companions are actually still very few. In Xuancheng, our situation is very dangerous and very difficult. How can we survive under the expansion of the Fungal Demon, and gather more companions? These are the foundations for seeking a counterattack in the future.”

Chen Fengshi was slightly stunned. These serious words directly made him realize what kind of situation they, who possessed the Power of Life, were actually in.

There were not that many companions, and they were struggling to survive, in a situation where they were on guard to avoid being persecuted by the Fungal Demon.

Before he had time to say anything, Little Family Beauty pointed to the old residential building area by the road and said, “Tomorrow is a day off, we will talk then.”

After she said that, she waved goodbye very neatly, went into the alley on her own, quickly turned a corner, and disappeared.

Chen Fengshi remembered the basic rule for companions she mentioned, which was for safety so they would not know too much about each other. So, of course, he was not prepared to follow. But he also knew that Little Family Beauty’s guard against him was not that heavy, otherwise she would not have prepared to invite him to her home for a late-night snack in the beginning.

Cooking by herself would definitely save a lot more money, especially with their appetites. The cost difference compared to eating outside was very big.

Chen Fengshi was very happy to have met a companion, and also very happy to have increased his understanding of the Power of Life and the Fungal Demon. At least he did not have to worry about his strange power having any terrible side effects, such as him suddenly dying, or accelerating aging or something.

But, he was also worried about the unknown situation.

It was just that the current Chen Fengshi did not have a deep enough understanding of the so-called hardship at all.

Chen Fengshi imagined things for a while, strolled along the way, and ultimately waved to stop a taxi, hurrying back to the hotel.

As soon as the car started, his phone suddenly rang. Looking at the incoming call, it was actually Little Family Beauty. He quickly answered, but he only heard footsteps, like the sound of leather shoes rapidly walking down the stairs.

Did something happen?

“Master, stop the car!” Chen Fengshi could not wait for the change. He threw a twenty-yuan bill, quickly pushed the car door open, and ran into the alley. Of course, he also had no time to sigh that this was his most generous behavior so far. The car had only gone thirty meters…