From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 145 - 136: Nothing Matters in the Face of Life and Death

Chapter 145: Chapter 136: Nothing Matters in the Face of Life and Death

Gu Xi let out a silent sigh. She couldn’t help but marvel once again—that girl, Qi Xiang, had some truly unbelievable luck.

Under Qi Xiang’s burning, expectant gaze, Gu Xi had no choice but to offer a tactful reminder. "Don’t you think... that half a pastry from this morning tasted rather special?"

"Huh?" Qi Xiang froze for a moment, then replied subconsciously, "It was pretty special..." ’So, the reason I had diarrhea was because of that little half-pastry?’

But she quickly caught on. "But that can’t be right. You ate way more of those little pastries than I did..."

But Gu Xi was completely fine.

That’s why she had subconsciously ruled out the plate of pastries earlier.

Gu Xi looked at her and said mysteriously, "Could there be another possibility? Perhaps it’s because I’m immune to all poisons?"

Qi Xiang froze. "...So it really was because of that plate of pastries?"

She suddenly gasped, took two steps forward, and excitedly grabbed Gu Xi’s hands. "You mean, if I find that chef, I can completely break free from Dr. Qi’s control?"

Gu Xi calmly pried her hands away, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.

Because Ye Xin’s pastries were Schrodinger’s pastries—the side effects were different every time.

It could be non-stop vomiting and explosive diarrhea, or foaming at the mouth and falling into a coma, or even breaking out in swollen red blotches with an unbearable itch all over...

Of course, there was also the possibility of... dropping dead on the spot.

The only thing they had in common was that no ordinary person could handle them.

That was why Qi Xiang’s luck was so incredible. She had encountered the exact right poison on her first try, and it even fought poison with poison. The dose from just that one half-bite of pastry was precisely enough to neutralize the toxins in her system...

It was the kind of thing most people wouldn’t even dare to dream of.

Even Li Ming had once lamented that Ye Xin’s cooking was simply supernatural—unfathomable to both gods and ghosts.

Because there was never anything wrong with the ingredients she chose or her cooking process. And yet, the finished product, for some unknown reason, always ended up with... something extra.

It was simply mind-boggling.

Yet, she herself was a user of a Healing Ability.

That’s why, in all those years, despite Ye Xin’s passion for cooking, she had never actually caused a fatality.

Li Ming and the others had even discussed it privately, saying that with Ye Xin’s unique talent, even the world’s most formidable poison master would have to concede defeat before her.

Because no one knew where the poisons even came from.

Not even Ye Xin herself knew...

It was truly one of the world’s great mysteries.

Back then, Yun Ye had even joked that if they were ever all captured and had lost their ability to fight, they should just send Ye Xin out to cook a meal for their opponents...

Thinking of those past days fighting side-by-side with her comrades, Gu Xi fell silent for a moment.

Beside her, Qi Xiang watched her with suspicion. "Gu Xiaoxi?"

Gu Xi snapped out of her thoughts and told Qi Xiang in all seriousness, "Just forget about finding that chef."

Qi Xiang didn’t understand. "Why?"

Gu Xi glanced up at her. ’It suddenly occurred to me,’ she thought, ’that Ye Xin’s cooking and Qi Xiang’s Golden Carp Luck seem to share a certain inexplicable quality, don’t they?’

’I wonder which would win if they ever clashed?’

’What a metaphysical question...’ Gu Xi suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly shaking her head to banish the thought.

’There’s absolutely no need to find out. It’d be terrible if someone actually died...’

"Alright, it’s getting late. Go back and get some sleep." Gu Xi patted Qi Xiang’s shoulder. "As for that medicine of yours... I’ll figure something out."

’Setting aside whether someone of Ye Xin’s current standing would even come cook for them...’

’Even if she did agree, I wouldn’t dare risk Qi Xiang’s life on the experiment.’

But Qi Xiang spoke up. "Gu Xi, there’s one more thing."

Gu Xi raised an eyebrow. "?"

Qi Xiang said, "This morning, after I noticed something was wrong with my body, I took the opportunity to leave with you, remember? Dr. Qi must have realized something, because he’s called me several times today. I think he was trying to figure out why I didn’t go back for my medicine..."

"I managed to brush him off each time, but..." Qi Xiang looked at Gu Xi with a solemn expression. "I suspect he’s going to connect this whole thing to you."

Gu Xi immediately understood her meaning. "You’re saying Dr. Qi thinks the reason you broke free from the drug’s control is because of me?"

Qi Xiang nodded. "You were attacked at the planting base this afternoon, weren’t you? He hinted over the phone that there was something wrong with the assassins’ bodies, and that someone might have been deliberately testing your abilities..."

"From the way he was talking, it sounds like someone suspects your superpower can control certain special energies. Gu Xi..."

Qi Xiang pressed her lips together. "Why don’t we just go back to South City early?"

Compared to the turbulent Central Base, it was clear that Qi Xiang missed her days in South City.

Gu Xi grew thoughtful.

’So, Dr. Qi must have known something about this afternoon’s assassination attempt?’

’How interesting.’

’Just this morning, he put on a big show of sincerity, acting as if he was baring his soul and promising to tell me everything he possibly could without holding back a single word.’

’And yet, when he knew someone was going to assassinate me, he didn’t say a thing? Not even the slightest hint?’

Gu Xi lowered her eyes. ’In other words... in Dr. Qi’s mind, this matter falls into the category of things he absolutely cannot tell me.’

’Putting myself in his shoes, if I were Dr. Qi, what would be the criterion for making that judgment?’

’Life and death, of course.’

’After all... nothing matters more than life and death.’

’So... this matter must be incredibly important to the person pulling the strings! So important that Dr. Qi believes he will die if he lets even the slightest hint of it slip!’

At some thought, Gu Xi’s eyes suddenly lit up.

...

「Meanwhile, at the Superpower Special Team training ground.」

Even though it was late at night, the training ground remained brightly lit.

Ye Junhan sat alone in a corner, holding a fried pastry. His head was slightly bowed, his expression unreadable.

Not far away, Dongfang Yu nudged Yang Liu, who was operating a drone. "What do you think is up with the Captain?" ’Tempting us with food this late at night... Is that something a human being would do?’

’Seriously, though, that pastry smells incredible. It looks so delicious...’

SLURP!

’No, I can’t take it. I’m practically drooling.’

’How can food this fragrant still exist in the apocalypse?’ Dongfang wondered.

To hide his lack of composure, he turned and snatched a bottle of water from Yang Liu’s hand. He twisted off the cap, tilted his head back, and with a bob of his Adam’s apple, chugged more than half the bottle in one go.

Yang Liu: "..."

Liu Hao was clearly much more direct.

He had just finished a ten-kilometer weighted run with Zhao Qingxiao. Grabbing a nearby towel, he gave his sweaty head a quick wipe and sidled up to Ye Junhan with a goofy grin. "Captain, is that pastry any good?"

As he spoke, his eyes were practically glued to the pastry.

His intentions were as plain as day.

At the same time, Yang Liu chuckled, set down his control panel, and exchanged a look with Dongfang before sidling over as well. "Captain, that pastry smells amazing. If you’re not planning on eating it, then how about... hehe. It’d be a shame to let it go to waste, wouldn’t it?"

Yang Liu reached for it.

With a flick of his wrist, Ye Junhan’s Xidao was instantly unsheathed, its blade stopping just between Yang Liu’s hand and the fried pastry.

Yang Liu sheepishly pulled his hand back.

The blade’s chilling, dark gleam vanished in a flash as the Xidao was resheathed. Ye Junhan closed his palm around the pastry, lowered his eyes, and said slowly, "No."

Liu Hao rubbed his hands together regretfully.

Dongfang, however, said gloomily, "Captain, you were never this stingy before..."

Ye Junhan’s hand, which was clutching the pastry, paused for a moment.

He quickly stood up, grabbed his jacket, and tossed out a stiff reply, "This was a return gift. It wouldn’t be right to share it."

The men didn’t think too deeply about what was or wasn’t proper to share. Right now, their attention was entirely focused on one phrase—

A return gift?

Liu Hao ran a hand through his hair, staring at Ye Junhan’s retreating back. "Since when does the Captain give people gifts?" he asked in confusion.

"It is a little strange," Yang Liu said as he started operating the drone again, switching it to combat mode. "The other day, I was walking past the Captain’s dorm and saw him baking cookies."

The sight had scared him so much he’d made a hasty retreat.

"The hell?" Liu Hao was dumbfounded. ’Our Captain can bake cookies?’

’What in the world.’

Only Zhao Qingxiao stroked his chin, recalling the scene he had witnessed that night at NX1984. He mused, "Could it be that the old iron tree is finally about to blossom?"

Liu Hao’s eyes widened in shock. "...!!!" ’What kind of crazy talk is that in the middle of the night!’

’Nope. I need to go run another ten laps to calm my nerves.’