Lin Xiaohe had no idea what Melina and the others were doing for her. She was at the mall with her family, picking out gifts for a visit to her father’s closest friend.
Lin Father’s face lit up with excitement, his eyes sparkling, and the smile at the corners of his mouth never faded. “Mori is an incredibly talented formulator. In his daily life, apart from making potions, he only has his younger sister. He’s a very simple person.”
A hint of reminiscence flashed in his eyes. “Back then, if it weren’t for the potions he gave me, I probably would have died.”
Lin Father decided to buy Mori a complete set of potion-making tools, complete with a folding feature and exquisite design.
On the way to Mori’s place, Lin Father kept sharing amusing stories about him and Mori. “Xiaohe, Mori can also mix nutrient solutions, but the taste is a bit strange. Once, he made a garlic-flavored one, and it was really hard to swallow. When your Uncle Mori has time, I’ll have him make you all kinds of fruit-flavored nutrient solutions.”
A poor man’s friends are still poor.
The neighborhood where Mori lived was incredibly dense, with only two meters between each towering building, making it dark, damp, and perpetually sunless.
“His place is in Building 15, on the 8th floor.” Lin Father maneuvered his wheelchair and sped toward Building 15.
“Mori! Mori! I’m Lin Tiesheng. I’ve come to see you!”
Lin Father straightened his sleeves, visibly nervous.
The old door creaked open from the inside.
“Mor—” Lin Father’s delighted expression froze on his face. His eyes widened further and further, and his nostrils flared violently, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
The man at the door was nothing but skin and bones, with messy, nest-like hair. His large, vacant eyes lit up for a moment upon seeing Lin Tiesheng, then dimmed again. “Tiesheng, your legs… still not healed?”
Lin Father’s gaze fixed tightly on Mori’s empty sleeves, his voice hoarse. “Mori, your arms? What happened to your arms?!”
How could those long, well-proportioned hands, hands as skilled as a magician’s, be gone?
How could a formulator possibly function without their own hands?
Mori lowered his head, murmuring, “Tiesheng, it’s not important.”
Lin Father seemed to realize something. His eyes reddened with pain. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? They came after you after I left. It must be that. This is all my fault.”
Lin Xiaohe watched her father anxiously.
Guilt and self-reproach were nearly drowning him.
Mori crouched down to comfort his friend. “Tiesheng, it’s not your fault. If it weren’t for you, they would have beaten me to death long ago. My good brother, I’m truly happy you came to see me. Won’t you introduce me to your family?”
Lin Father’s heart ached as if twisted by a knife. He forced a strained smile, intending to make the introductions.
Just then, a group of burly men approached with ill intent.
The leader wore a white t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Deep Space Fortress.”
He rudely pushed past Lin Grandpa and Lin Grandma, and when his gaze swept over Lin Jingqiu, it lingered for a few seconds.
Sensing his blatant stare, Lin Jingqiu frowned with displeasure.
Lin Chiyang quickly stepped in front of Lin Jingqiu, glaring fiercely at the man.
“Tch.” The leader leaned lazily against the doorframe.
Mori trembled all over at the sight of him.
“Mori, are the analysis results ready?”
Mori stammered, “I’m very sorry, the components of the extraction liquid are very complex, and I haven’t been able to analyze it yet.”
Thump!
Mori was knocked to the ground by a right hook from the man, his jaw dislocated from the blow.
Lin Father quickly reached out to help him but found his own neck seized by the leader. “The Deep Space Fortress Armed Group is handling business here. You want to stick your nose in?”
Lin Chiyang launched a flying kick, sending the leader crashing into the room. “Dare to touch my old man? I’ll finish you!”
Lin Xiaohe quickly shielded the two elders and her second sister, watching her older brother skillfully beat the group until they cried out in pain.
The leader clutched his stomach, lying on the floor and blustering, “Just you wait! I’m with the Deep Space Fortress Armed Group. Hitting me is hitting the Armed Group!”
With that, he immediately pressed the internal distress call. “Hmph, messing with me? You’ve kicked a steel plate! Our Armed Group’s most powerful mecha squad is right here. You’re all as good as dead!”
Hearing this, Mori looked up in terror and begged for mercy, “This has nothing to do with them. Please, sir, be magnanimous and forgive them, let them go.”
After speaking, Mori urgently urged Lin Tiesheng, “You all need to leave immediately! He’s from Deep Space Fortress; even the security police don’t dare to arrest him.”
Lin Tiesheng cast a pleading look at Lin Xiaohe.
Understanding her father’s meaning, Lin Xiaohe gave a slight nod.
Lin Tiesheng grabbed hold of Mori. “Come with me. My daughter is really promising. Isn’t your sister in the Fourth Star Ring? We can go find her together.”
Mori was skeptical. “Do you have money?”
Lin Tiesheng gave an awkward laugh. “I don’t, but my daughter does.”
Lin Xiaohe spoke up to persuade him. “Uncle Mori, I’m very interested in formulation, but I’m too busy to stay in the Fifth Star Ring. So I’d like to ask you to come with us and teach me how to formulate things.”
Mori sniffled. “But I’ve lost my hands. I can’t teach you the practical part.”
Lin Xiaohe replied, “But you possess invaluable experience and knowledge. That’s an important wealth that money can’t buy.”
Mori was genuinely touched.
He knew that asking him to teach formulation was just an excuse they’d made up to protect his pride.
“Haha, want to leave? None of you are going anywhere! Our boss will be here any minute.” The leader scrambled to his feet and ran to the elevator entrance to greet their backup.
Lin Chiyang and Lin Xiaohe stood at the front, shielding the others.
Lin Xiaohe whispered, “Big Brother, if things go bad, you take them and leave first. I have Doudou, so don’t worry about me.”
“Okay.”
Tension filled the air, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on the elevator doors.
“Let me see who’s got the nerve to provoke our Armed Group!” Fang Tunan, hands in his pockets and an e-cigarette dangling from his mouth, glanced casually at what he assumed would be a bunch of dead men.
Huh?!
Not sure about that. Let me take another look.
Oh ho!
Fang Tunan’s mouth fell open slightly, and his e-cigarette dropped to the floor with a clatter.
“It’s them! They’re the clueless ones who…” The leader, emboldened by his superior’s presence, hid behind Fang Tunan and started blabbing.
Fang Tunan turned and landed a heavy slap on him. “Shut up!”
Seeing a familiar face, Lin Xiaohe’s tense, ready-to-strike demeanor relaxed slightly.
Wow, her little apprentice’s family had followed her all the way to the Fifth Star Ring?!
“Um, you…” Lin Xiaohe sighed. Tricking the landlord’s simple son had been a last resort.
Back then, wasn’t she just too poor?
Bracing herself for the financial pain, she raised her wrist, intending to pay back a million first. After all, she wasn’t exactly rolling in it now either.
“Wait!” Seeing her raise her hand, Fang Tunan’s scalp tingled. “That was reckless of me. I’ll leave right now.”
Lin Xiaohe was the fierce one who could single-handedly take on an army group and hold the canyon alone.
Can’t afford to mess with her. Really can’t afford it.
Lin Xiaohe was utterly baffled.
The Lin family members felt proud and elated—their little sister/granddaughter/daughter was just that awesome!
Everyone else looked as if they’d seen a ghost. Just who was this girl, that she could make even Duanren flee without a fight?!
Mori quietly slipped back into his bedroom, grabbed a sealed bag with his mouth, and then silently returned to stand behind the Lin family.
