Chapter 706: Deng Yuanbo’s Gift
Deng Yuanbo looked at Zhang Yi and the others with a beaming smile. “Good, good, I’m very happy that you all came.”
“Come, come, have a seat! Make yourselves at home.”
“Zhang Yi, you and my nephew Deng Shentong have met before. If you don’t mind, you can call me Uncle Deng.”
Zhang Yi was a little surprised.
Deng Yuanbo was clearly trying to close the distance right away. Just as Yang Xinxin said, he was trying to win Zhang Yi over.
Zhang Yi smiled and nodded. No one slaps a smiling face, and given Deng Yuanbo’s age, calling him “Uncle” wasn’t a loss.
Hearing Zhang Yi’s greeting, Deng Yuanbo’s smile deepened.
He gave a glance to the side.
Soon, a beautiful woman in a qipao walked over to Zhang Yi, carrying a tray.
On the tray was a silver box.
“Consider this a greeting gift. I hope you won’t mind.”
Deng Yuanbo said with a cheerful grin.
“Oh, as for these two young ladies, there are gifts prepared for them later as well.”
Deng Yuanbo's attitude was direct, almost shamelessly trying to win Zhang Yi over.
Zhang Yi remained alert inside.
No one shows kindness for no reason — well, that sounded a bit rude.
Better to say, “No one comes to the Temple of Three Treasures for nothing.”
Still, he was curious about what this greeting gift was.
After all, he didn’t feel like he lacked anything right now.
So he asked, “Uncle Deng, what is this?”
Deng Yuanbo noticed the indifference in Zhang Yi’s gaze.
But his expression turned a little playful.
“Poor child, you’ve suffered out there for over half a year and haven’t had a single good day. What’s inside this box,” he pointed at the silver container, “can save you half a year’s worth of training time!”
Zhang Yi’s expression froze immediately.
Liang Yue and Yang Xinxin also looked serious.
“It… can boost my strength?”
Zhang Yi looked at Deng Yuanbo in disbelief.
Deng Yuanbo smiled. “But you think that for a Superhuman to get stronger, they can only absorb someone else’s origin, right?”
Zhang Yi smiled and nodded. “That’s right.”
Deng Yuanbo chuckled proudly.
“Technically, that’s true. But that method is no different from a beast feeding.”
“And the biggest difference between us humans and beasts is that we know how to use tools.”
“This thing is called Compound X. Only our Deng Family can produce it. Once you use it, a Superhuman’s strength can grow rapidly.”
Zhang Yi nodded thoughtfully.
“I see. So that’s why Blizzard City doesn’t have a large population, yet it’s full of elite Superhumans?”
Deng Yuanbo sighed with emotion.
“That’s right! In this vast world, there are countless gifted individuals. How could they all just happen to gather in Blizzard City?”
“It’s because once a Superhuman’s potential is discovered here, they get the best resources for cultivation. That’s why they become so powerful!”
“Maybe some people around you had the potential to become Investigation Captains. But before they even awakened, they died in all kinds of crises.”
Zhang Yi nodded, unable to help but sigh. “It’s true, being born in a good place really matters.”
Though he remained calm on the surface, Zhang Yi’s mind was still focused on that Compound X.
He rubbed his chin. “Uncle Deng, just how much can this thing increase someone’s strength?”
Right now, Zhang Yi had hit a bottleneck in his power.
He had absorbed a Delta-level elite from Moon of Corrosion, but the gain was minimal.
So he was highly skeptical of the compound’s effectiveness.
Deng Yuanbo smiled and said, “Let me put it this way — you know Deng Shentong, right? His rapid growth to his current level was all thanks to this stuff.”
A flash of surprise crossed Zhang Yi’s eyes.
Even a Superhuman of Investigation Captain caliber relied on drugs?
But then… could this be like what Bian Junwu used, with serious side effects?
Deng Yuanbo saw the doubt in Zhang Yi’s heart.
He said, “Actually, this compound works similarly to your Superhuman Devouring ability.”
“The only difference is, we use scientific methods to extract the source of a power, so you can absorb it more efficiently.”
Zhang Yi felt uneasy. He never trusted people easily.
Let alone someone he was meeting for the first time, like Deng Yuanbo.
“This gift is too heavy, Uncle Deng. I really can’t accept it!”
Zhang Yi said with a polite smile, trying to decline.
Who knew if this stuff had toxins? What if the Deng Family used it to control him?
“You’re cautious. That’s a good thing. If you weren’t, you probably wouldn’t have survived in the danger-filled Outer City and achieved what you have.”
He pointed at the box of Compound X and said with a calm but forceful tone:
“I rarely give gifts. And when I do, no one turns them down. This is just a greeting gift. I, Deng Yuanbo, wouldn’t stoop so low as to demand anything in return for such a thing.”
With Deng Yuanbo putting it like that, it would be rude for Zhang Yi to refuse again.
He nodded. “Then I’ll thank Uncle Deng for your generosity!”
Zhang Yi took the silver box and stored it in his Dimensional Space.
Only then did Deng Yuanbo nod in satisfaction.
“Alright, you’ve come a long way, and you must be hungry. Let’s eat!”
Lian Cheng clapped his hands, and a dozen maids floated in gracefully, each carrying golden trays. In no time, the table was covered with dishes.
The food was lavish. The Deng Manor had its own chefs and stockpiles of ingredients.
So everything on the table looked incredibly appetizing.
Zhang Yi didn’t hold back. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
But after a few bites, he noticed the ingredients weren’t fresh.
On second thought, it made sense.
No matter how powerful the Deng Family was, they couldn’t enjoy fresh luxuries in the apocalypse.
In this regard, Zhang Yi had them beat.
During the meal, Deng Yuanbo didn’t discuss any other topics. “Don’t talk while eating, don’t speak when sleeping.” He was someone who held high standards for quality of life.
It wasn’t until they finished the meal and the maids had cleared the table that Deng Yuanbo called Zhang Yi into the nearby study.
Meanwhile, Yang Xinxin and Liang Yue were invited by Lian Cheng to the lounge next door.
Zhang Yi entered the study. After a few polite exchanges, Deng Yuanbo got straight to the point.
“Zhang Yi, you don’t have any background in Blizzard City. If you want to stand firm in Jiangnan District, you’ll have to make some achievements.”
“Zhu Shuai wanted you to be the captain of the Celestial Hound Squad. Why did you turn it down?”