Chapter 216. Human Nature

     The moment Maria’s new post appeared in the forum, tens of thousands of survivors flooded in almost instantly.

     Then they saw the pinned post. To their surprise, the first line of the announcement wasn’t about the products of Ye Mo, Watson, or Wang Xue. Instead, it introduced a new member.  

     The Earth’s number one strongest group has a new member!

     This single piece of information could send shockwaves through all the nations of Earth for three whole days.

     Who is this new member?

     Li?

     Wait, who was it again?

     Countless survivors rubbed their eyes, some even punching themselves because they were either too focused or couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Sporting a black eye, they looked at the post again, wondering if they were dreaming!

 

   【Am I dreaming?】

   【Could it be that I’ve stumbled upon the Huaxia powerhouse rankings?】

   【I think I see the character “Li”—hahahaha, no way, I must be dreaming】

   【Alright, that’s enough from the person above! If we just ignore that character, we can still be friends. I’m going to sleep, goodnight everyone.】

   【Hahahaha, everyone, let’s stop deluding ourselves. Without a doubt, Li has joined Mi Wenjing’s team. Congratulations to the chief survivor on gaining another powerful general!】

   【As expected, the strong only roll with the strong. Hey, big shots are you sure you don’t need an S-curved cleaning lady on your squad?】

   【*Shit!*】

   【I always thought Li was Korean/Malaysian/American, how could he be Chinese?】

   【Li joined Maria’s team and wasn’t willing to join the national team. Doesn’t that explain anything? China, don’t be smug. Maria belongs to Earth, not just your China.】

   【Oh, look who’s salty! The shop co-run by the Supernatural Investigation Bureau and Mi Wenjing has been trending nonstop. Are you blind? Whether Li joins a national team or not, they’re still one of us Chinese!】

   【Li joining Maria’s team is a disgrace to men! He admitted defeat to a woman. So what if he’s ranked second?】

   【Members of the Indian Women’s Brigade express their disapproval. Upstairs, give us your address, and we’ll come over right away to loosen your muscles and see how “manly” you really are.】

   【Can we stop with the gender wars? Wake up! When women’s physical abilities are no longer inferior to men’s, equality happens naturally, more equal than ever before. We no longer emphasize male chauvinism, nor is there a so-called “ladies first” principle. The fundamental difference between men and women is only the right to reproduce! Maybe one day, even the right to reproduce will be equal! Dog head for protection. JPG.】

   【……】

 

     Wang Xue had only taken half a bite of her apple, yet the forum notifications had already exceeded 9999+. The central focus of discussion had even split into various factions, with many tangents veering into national and gender topics – both easily ignitable subjects.

     Approximately 10 minutes later, her private messages had also exploded.

     At the same time, groups of all sizes across the Earth emerged. Regardless of their underlying feelings. Be it criticism, joy, or surprise – their outward messages were remarkably harmonious:

 

   【China Supernatural Investigation Bureau: Congratulations to the Chief Survivor’s group on gaining another powerful general, like adding wings to a tiger.】

   【Black Cobra Investigation: Congratulations to Li on joining Maria’s group, and also congratulations to Maria’s group on obtaining three and a half divine artifacts in the Irish dungeon. Wishing you ever-increasing strength!】

   【Arthur Merlin Group: Congratulations! You are welcome to visit England. Irish mythology originates from Celtic mythology. Coming here might lead to even more new discoveries.】

   【Indian Women’s Brigade: Congratulations! And wishing our friendship lasts forever!】

   【……】

 

     Wang Xue muttered, “Is no one paying attention to the new products in our shop?”  

     “As long as the products are posted, our job’s done. The rest is up to the buyers.” Ye Mo skimmed through the responses and, seeing nothing unexpected, stood up. “I’m heading back to Beijing first. Bandit’s still at Uncle Ling’s place. With intelligence equivalent to a middle schooler now, three months is probably enough to drive uncle Ling and Aunt Zhang crazy.”  

     “Then let’s adjourn the meeting for now.” Wang Xue nodded in understanding. “Sister Jing, you go ahead to Beijing. I’ll catch up later.”  

     Wang Xue’s mother had chosen to settle in Beijing, a traditional courtyard house suited her far better than a high-rise apartment.  

     With help from the Supernatural Investigation Bureau, the three of them had purchased a small courtyard house next to Grandma Ye’s in Majing Hutong, where Wang Xue’s mother now lived.  

     Wang Xue had stayed with her for a while earlier, and the two of them had made a habit of watching the flag-raising ceremony at *** every morning.  

     Wang Xue’s mother got along well with Aunt Zhang and Grandma Ye, and Wang Xue’s cheerful personality made her a favorite among the elders, which put everyone at ease.

     “”Watson, come along too. I’ll also notify Ji Li, since he’s officially joined as a new member, we should set a time to celebrate for him in Beijing,” Ye Mo said.  

     The other two had no objections. In the blink of an eye, Ye Mo vanished from Watson and Wang Xue’s sight.  

  Wang Xue: “She didn’t use a space key? Has Sister Jing’s space ability gotten that strong already?”  

     “Direct teleportation to Beijing is unlikely,” Watson shook his head. “It probably takes more time and attempts compared to a spatial array, but practice makes perfect. No harm in trying.”  

     Before long, Watson also left the villa to return home, his mind still full of unanswered questions. Only Wang Xue remained, snacking on treats while replying to important private messages and idly scrolling the internet on a side account.  

     Slacking off was the best.

…

     Just as Watson had said, Ye Mo’s space ability wasn’t yet strong enough to traverse between provinces directly, it was far more cumbersome than a space array. But only through frequent use could she continue improving.  

     She leaped across the north and south of China in short bursts.  

     The confinement arrays built by the Supernatural Investigation Bureau in key areas of each province originated from Ye Mo’s shop or her personal guidance, so bypassing them was effortless for her.  

     It took half an hour just to reach Zhangjiakou City.  

     Ye Mo rested for a while, reorganizing the contents of her underground lab and the dimensional space in her belt. She also sorted and recorded the knowledge notes obtained from the Irish Town II dungeon.  

     Only after finishing all that did she drive out.  

     In just three months, Beijing had transformed again. Buildings of historical significance might have only been reinforced, but many important modern structures were undergoing extensive renovations or complete rebuilds.  

     On the streets, shops and establishments like potion stores, artifact forges, alchemy labs, tailor shops, a Fae Management Department, a Beast Garden, a Dinosaur Pavilion, and most numerous of all, crystal core accessory stores now openly operated.

     The most popular emerging professions were now wood- and light-attribute healers, wood-attribute farmers, earth-attribute architects, and the like.  

     If not for the unchanged skyscrapers and the modern clothing of passersby, survivors might have thought they were trapped in a dungeon instance. The biggest difference from the Irish town was probably the absence of a magical beast forest.  

     Travel between cities had become stricter, but of course, Ye Mo encountered no obstacles, her journey was completely unimpeded.  

     Before long, she arrived at Majing Hutong.  

     Thanks to its special location, the safety measures in Majing Hutong had been continuously upgraded, now boasting top-tier facilities, arguably the best in the nation, if not the world.  

     Before she could even drive into the parking lot, a series of barks echoed through the air, followed by a noticeably slimmer black dog darting out from the alley in an attempt to block her car.  

     This rascal was the only one bold enough to stop Ye Mo’s vehicle.  

     Using her mental power, Ye Mo gently moved Bandit aside, parked the car, and stepped out. Faced with the dog’s whining and playful rolling, she resorted to bribery, tossing him a handful of beast spirit pills.

     “Woof-whine!” Bandit scrambled to his feet, raising both front paws to display his ten claws in a shameless attempt to haggle for more.  

     When Ye Mo agreed, he still wasn’t satisfied trying to lift his hind paws as well, only to faceplant comically in the process. The sheer idiocy of it was almost painful to watch.

     “Bandit, did you dump all your intelligence points into your sense of smell? How can you be this dumb?” Ye Mo crouched down, ruffling the dog’s head before tugging at the rectangular card hanging from its neck.  

     A closer look would reveal that the card resembled a Chinese citizen ID issued by the National Supernatural Creature Administration. Only with this could it enjoy the rights of a Chinese citizen.  

     Ever since the last few dungeon instances, unusually intelligent animals had begun appearing worldwide.  

     But unlike Bandit, whose intelligence was boosted by elixirs, many of these animals emerged from real-world dungeons with awakened memories some even capable of becoming survivors themselves.  

     China classified them as “yao” (妖, demons), “jing” (精, spirits), or “guai” (怪, monsters), while other countries had their own terms. However, the international community officially adopted the transliterated terms yao, jing, and guai.  ^[1]• 妖 (Yāo) – “Demon” or “Malevolent Spirit” is Often ordinary objects, plants, or animals that gain sentience through long-term absorption of natural energy(e.g., … Continue reading

     “Grr-woof!” Bandit huffed indignantly, scrambling to his feet and darting back into the alley, not forgetting to take away all the remaining beast spirit pills.

     Even dumber now.

     Ye Mo had no choice but to follow. Before she even reached the Ye family’s courtyard home, the lively clamor inside made her frown slightly.  

     Pushing open the gate, she stepped in.  

     The courtyard was packed aside from Grandma Ye, Uncle Ling, Aunt Zhang, and Wang Xue’s mother, the entire five-member Ye Shibo family had shown up. Even more unexpectedly, Ye Mo’s biological mother, stepfather, and stepmother were there, along with her half-sister and a young niece.  

     And this was after the Supernatural Bureau had intervened to limit the crowd.  

     Without their interference, every distant aunt, uncle, and cousin would have descended like locusts a common reality for any exposed survivor. It was like having a relative who’d gotten into Tsinghua or Peking University, or won the lottery overnight.  

     But only those who truly cared about you would prioritize your safety over potions or adventure stories.  

     Ah, the irony of human nature!  

     The moment Ye Mo entered, the people who genuinely cared couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Instead, strangers connected only by blood swarmed her with “concern,” their thinly veiled agendas lurking beneath every smile.  

     “Xiao Mo, I heard the last world you entered had an elixir of immortality…”  

     “Auntie, if I become a survivor too, can I stay forever young like you?”  

     “Xiao Mo, your sister hasn’t been well since giving birth. Could you ask your doctor friend to help regulate her health? Maybe she could bear a healthy son next time.”  

     “Xiao Mo, I heard you’re working with the government now. Your Uncle Liu is also, his department’s performance review this year…”  

     Ye Mo could have fulfilled these requests with a mere wave of her hand. But the thought of the endless demands and the people behind them made her stubbornly refuse.  

     So she offered no promises in response to their words. Only when their self-absorbed chatter finally faltered did she reply indifferently:  

     “New Year’s is still far off. If I’m still alive by then, I probably won’t forget your gifts.”  

     Now piss off, you vultures.  

     The atmosphere turned awkward instantly.  

     Ignoring them, Ye Mo stepped forward, linking arms with Grandma Ye alongside Aunt Zhang as they headed toward the main hall. Behind them, Bandit trotted proudly with his head held high.