Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Discovered a Blind Spot

Lu Zhenxing compared the two records twice. The descriptions from both individuals were nearly identical.

It seemed the investigation would have to continue.

"But I have a question," Shen Lu suddenly said. "Haven’t we always been told that mutant beasts are just mutated animals? But the one we brought in crawled out of a human body. Is it really a mutant beast?"

Hearing this, the expressions of the several researchers changed in unison. They looked at Shen Lu with scrutiny and inquiry.

"Miss Shen, this world is constantly changing. Don’t forget, we humans are animals too." Lu Zhenxing stood up. "However, I’d ask that you keep words like that to yourself. Don’t spread them around casually, or you might bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself."

This was already a warning.

Shen Lu pursed her lips in displeasure but ultimately said nothing.

The research institute’s car drove the two of them back to the Lower City District. In the car, Shen Lu stared out the window, her mind heavy with thoughts.

The ride was silent. The Gale Mercenary Corps’ headquarters was closer, so Xue Can got out of the car first, followed by Shen Lu.

It was past ten o’clock at night when she arrived back at the shop. Cai Su was a light sleeper. Hearing the noise, she threw on some clothes and came out. Seeing it was Shen Lu, she immediately asked with concern.

"Boss, what was it all about? They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?"

"It’s nothing. They just wanted to ask me a few questions. Xue Can was with me." Shen Lu didn’t want to worry Cai Su; it was both to protect her and to avoid unnecessary complications.

"Have you eaten then? I can go make you some noodles."

"Don’t worry about it, Sister Cai. I’ve already eaten." Shen Lu told a white lie. She hadn’t eaten dinner, but she didn’t want Cai Su to go to the trouble so late at night. After coaxing her to go back to her dorm to sleep, Shen Lu went up to the second floor.

Although she hadn’t eaten dinner, Shen Lu wasn’t hungry. After a shower, she sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

The people from the research institute always spoke in half-truths, holding back, their words ambiguous. She couldn’t find any holes in what they said.

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Shen Lu tried to grab hold of a thread, but everything was a tangled mess. She didn’t know where to begin.

’This is so annoying. Forget it, I’m not going to think about it anymore. Time for the lottery.’

Shen Lu stopped dwelling on the matter and used all six of her Lottery Tickets in one go.

She had already saved up five by yesterday but had been too busy and forgot about them. Putting it off until today meant she had one more.

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn Blind Box Prize #271: one Kitchenware Upgrade Ticket.]

[Kitchenware Upgrade Ticket: Can be used on any piece of kitchenware in the shop. After use, the kitchenware’s level will increase by 1.]

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn Blind Box Prize #201: one voucher for fifty catties of unwashed old ginger.]

[Voucher for fifty catties of unwashed old ginger: Can be redeemed in the system store for fifty catties of high-quality old ginger.]

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn Blind Box Prize #411: one Little Bee Robotic Vacuum.]

[Little Bee Robotic Vacuum: Extra-large battery capacity. A single full charge allows for 360 hours of operation. It guards your floor’s cleanliness at all times, your capable little helper.]

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn Blind Box Prize #78: one large-capacity combination steam and convection oven.]

[Large-capacity combination steam and convection oven: Features upper and lower racks. Can steam or roast, with easy mode switching. A true space and energy saver, helping you effortlessly maintain a tidy kitchen!]

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn Blind Box Prize #74: 100 bottles each of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar seasonings.]

[Thank you for your patronage. Better luck next time!~]

Out of six Lottery Tickets, five were winners. Shen Lu was quite satisfied with this success rate.

Among the prizes she won today, she was most pleased with the Kitchenware Upgrade Ticket. Without a second thought, she decided it would be used to upgrade Little Mantis.

After the upgrade, Little Mantis would not only have extended operating hours but also improved skills. Shen Lu felt that a future where she could handle stir-frying was just around the corner.

The robotic vacuum wasn’t bad either. It was like having an extra employee dedicated to keeping the floors clean.

And then there was the large combination steam and convection oven, which gave Shen Lu pause.

She had originally planned to introduce pickled fish as her new dish, but with this large oven, her options had expanded.

After thinking it over, Shen Lu made up her mind. She would switch to Steamed Fish Head with Diced Chili!

This dish was simpler to make than pickled fish, and the steam oven was large enough to steam forty to fifty servings at once.

It was fast and convenient.

The fish heads would be used for the dish, and the tails wouldn’t be wasted either. She could scrape off the meat to make fish balls; after all, they sold them in the malatang.

Usually, for convenience, she bought pre-made ones. But making them herself would be cheaper. One fish, two uses—maximizing its economic value.

Having planned her next steps, Shen Lu stretched languidly and prepared to go to bed.

The moment she moved, Fu Cheng, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately sent her a message.

The Light Brain on Shen Lu’s wrist flashed. She tapped the red dot to open it, then stepped into the guest bedroom.

"You were looking for me?"

Fu Cheng: Yes.

Shen Lu sat down on the chair by the bed. "What’s wrong?"

’Fu Cheng rarely bothers me. For him to send a message this late, it must be something important, right?’

Fu Cheng: The people from the research institute came to see you today, correct?

Shen Lu nodded, guessing Fu Cheng must have heard from Cai Su.

"A while ago, Mr. Xue and I delivered a mutant beast to them. They called us in for questioning about it."

Fu Cheng: That mutant beast... where did it actually come from?

Fu Cheng knew that Shen Lu had captured a man a while ago. He was on the third floor, with Ye Fan standing guard.

Later, Shen Lu had a near-death experience. He had used his superpower at that moment, but before it could affect the mutant beast, Ye Fan had already subdued it.

Because of this, his Spiritual Sea had only felt a faint sting, leaving no severe aftereffects.

For the next few days, Fu Cheng focused on recuperating and had only recently recovered.

Shen Lu then recounted the story of that rainy night—delivering a meal to Granny Jin and running into Wang Daguo, who asked for help on her way back.

"The people at the research institute said the mutant beast we delivered had already passed its juvenile phase. Does that mean its growth stage is more advanced than other new mutant beasts?"

The young woman shrugged. "I’m not a researcher, so I only half-understood what they were saying."

Fu Cheng fell silent for a moment. As a former military academy student, his curriculum had included knowledge about mutant beasts.

After all, they had to face all sorts of mutant beasts. "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat." Understanding the enemy was a required course for every military academy student.

Fu Cheng: Since the beginning of the new era, new mutant beasts appear every year. So far, about 39 species have been recorded.

Fu Cheng: Every new species of mutant beast goes through a juvenile phase, a growth phase, and a mature phase.

Fu Cheng: In their juvenile phase, mutant beasts are at their weakest. They need to absorb a massive amount of energy to transition to their growth phase, and the best way to obtain that energy is through fresh human blood.

Fu Cheng: For a single mutant beast to pass its juvenile phase, it would need to drain the blood of at least a hundred people. The research institute staff probably questioned you out of safety concerns.

Shen Lu nodded, feeling she had learned something. But she quickly spotted a contradiction.

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