Super Gene Optimization Fluid

Moonlit Bay Race Circuit, Luxury Suite.

Ye Jingshan knitted his brows and asked, “Why do you believe that your hovercar was intentionally sabotaged by someone?”

Xia Fei smiled. “Commander Ye, I assembled that hovercar with my two hands. Of course, I’d recognize every screw put in place. Before I set off for the race, I did a careful inspection of all the parts and saw that nothing looked in the pressure control system.

“Only when that mechanical failure occurred during the race did I discover that someone had turned the adjustment knob for the pressure valve fifteen degrees or so to the right. I pieced and adjusted all the parts in this hovercar to near its limit, and fifteen degrees of adjustment wasn’t much, yet it just so happened to go over the range that the pressure pipe could withstand.

“That person is very clever, and his methods are sufficiently subtle. If not for the fact that the damage to my hovercar ruined the pressure control system’s protective cover to reveal the adjustment made inside, I would never think that someone had laid their hands on it,” explained Xia Fei.

Ye Jingshan and Robert looked at each other silently.

Robert asked, “Xia Fei, these are just your words. You don’t have evidence to back your claim.”

…

The same day after the race ended, Xia Fei returned to the training camp. On the next day, he woke up bright and early and made his way down that desolate path all by himself.

Ahead, he could see that white hexagonal building, and before Xia Fei stepped into the library, he could already hear that obese, old man’s voice.

Xia Fei had looked through the information on the training camp’s intranet and learned that this old man’s name was Qin Mang, and he had held the post of librarian here for nearly fifty years.

“These days, even random thugs from the street wish to become a librarian. You’d better keep on dreaming and not let me see you again, or else I’ll break your lousy legs.”

As Qin Mang aired his dissatisfaction through his sarcastic remarks, a young man in his twenties hurriedly came out of the library with an ashamed face. His face was wet, for Qin Mang had splashed coffee on him.

Once that young man was out, he stomped his feet in frustration and complained, “Old fogies like you can just die in the library.”

He caught a glimpse of Xia Fei and coldly snorted, marching off in a huff.

“I couldn’t tell, but this obese, old man actually has such a fiery temper.” Xia Fei smiled to himself as he opened the door to the library.

The library was still as desolate-looking as before with just him and this old librarian. Qin Mang was sitting at the counter, gasping for breath. It was evident that even giving someone a scolding was physically taxing for him.

“Old man, what angered you out of the blue? Isn’t it good if someone applies to be a librarian? Having an extra pair of hands will save you a lot of work.” Xia Fei chuckled as he walked over.

The obese Qin Mang slapped his chubby palm down on the desk with as much force as he could muster. “Hmph! I could tell at a glance that that rascal earlier didn’t come here with good intentions; he’s thinking of taking over the library just because I’m old. Like I’d let him do that—over my dead body!”

Xia Fei brushed his spatial ring and retrieved an exquisite case from inside. He placed it on the desk and pulled out a tea set as well as a small box full of tea leaves.

“Old man, these are some good tea leaves especially produced from my home planet called Longjing Before Rain. It tastes great, so let me brew some to cool you off.” Xia Fei smiled.

Qin Mang narrowed his eyes and nodded, asking skeptically, “Being so courteous for no reason, are you also up to no good, twerp?”

Xia Fei shook his head and laughed. “Old man, don’t misunderstand me; I merely wish to let you have a taste of the tea from my home; that’s all.”

“Is there really nothing else?” probed Qin Mang again.

Xia Fei chuckled. “Alright, old man; you’re really sharp to call me out on this, so I won’t deny it anymore. Actually, I’m doing some market research; I was hoping that you could appraise this product for me, see if I could bring it to market for some profit. You’re one of my target recipients, so…”

Xia Fei had told a very clever lie here. Market research? Who would use tea leaves, which cost twenty thousand Federal dollars a tael¹, just to do some market research?

There was simply just one reason: to read books.

Xia Fei was very interested in the books stored in this library, but spending ten points every hour was expensive. Besides, what Xia Fei truly wanted to read were those books on the second floor, and given how stingy Qin Mang was, he was certain that the price for reading them would not be so cheap, and this old man might not even let him read them per se.

That was why Xia Fei had resorted to this method that Earthlings were most proficient: gift-giving.

As long as he could establish a good rapport with this old man, anything would be up for discussion. That was an eternal truth that would hold no matter where he was in the universe.

Qin Mang nodded and happily said, “I knew you had ulterior motives, you rascal. I hit the nail on the head, huh?

“Forget it. Since I don’t have anything better to do, anyway, I’ll have a taste of your tea. Speaking of, I’m an expert when it comes to tea appreciation; I’ve even drunk Snow-white Silverpins, the specialty product of Planet Nord. That taste… I would never forget it for the rest of my life,” said Qin Mang in reminiscence.

Xia Fei chatted with Qin Mang for a bit before he carried the teapot into the library’s tearoom to fill it with water.

Qin Mang used his hand to stroke that overweight black cat in his arms. “Old Black, that chap looks rather clever; do you think he’s got the potential?”

That black cat actually looked like it could understand human language as it nodded its head lightly.

“I agree,”—Qin Mang had this weird smile when he muttered to himself—”so shall I give him a chance?”