Chapter 051: Preparation

Fang Shuixian, who had witnessed the entire scene, was utterly bewildered.

“She probably had a dream last night—dreamt I was stealing her things. She woke up this morning still half in her dream, and came out looking for me to settle the score,” Tang Mubai replied with a smile, though he sighed inwardly.

The little girl was terrified he might disappear too.

Last night, realizing her parents would not return, she understood all too well that Tang Mubai was her only family left. Naturally, she became particularly anxious.

“You’d better be careful, then,” Fang Shuixian said with a gentle smile.

She could tell Tang Mubai was brushing it off, but didn’t press the issue. Smiling, she headed to the bathroom to help the little girl with her hair.

Tang Mubai chuckled quietly to himself and ate his breakfast with peace of mind.

Before long, his little cousin was restored to her sweet, cherubic self, sitting beside him to eat.

“Zhenzhen, do you feel unwell at all?” After quickly finishing his meal, Tang Mubai recalled the little girl’s odd behavior the previous night and asked softly.

“No… um, no.” Lin Zhenzhen blinked her large, watery eyes, chewing her food as she mumbled, “I feel great, nothing’s wrong. Hm, I’m just a little hungry.”

“Hungry?” Tang Mubai mused.

Fang Shuixian smiled, “It’s perfectly normal to be hungry. I made extra breakfast today. Old Xu left early without eating. If you can finish it all, I’d be delighted.”

“Really?” The little girl’s face lit up with joy. She wriggled with excitement, exclaiming, “Thank you, Auntie! I’ll definitely finish it!”

“Wonderful.” Fang Shuixian beamed.

Tang Mubai said nothing further, preparing to watch his cousin put on a show.

A show of eating, that is.

In no time, the little girl polished off her portion in just a few bites. When Fang Shuixian brought the leftovers from the kitchen, she finished those just as quickly, needing less than a minute.

Then, with wide, imploring eyes, she gazed pitifully at Fang Shuixian, her mouth working constantly.

The look sent an involuntary shiver down Fang Shuixian’s spine. She asked, astonished, “Zhenzhen, do you still want more?”

“Mm-hmm!” The little girl nodded vigorously.

“…Alright, I’ll make some more.” Fang Shuixian opened her mouth, at a loss for words, and after a moment’s pause, sighed and forced a laugh before heading to the kitchen.

“Wait, Aunt Fang,” Tang Mubai interjected. “Just make steak. I remember there’s still five pounds of brisket in the freezer. Cook it all, that should be enough.”

“Mm-hmm!” Lin Zhenzhen’s eyes sparkled at his words. She licked her lips, drooling as she exclaimed, “Steak, steak! I love steak! Auntie, let’s have steak!”

“…Alright, alright.” Fang Shuixian glanced at Tang Mubai, then at Lin Zhenzhen, suppressing her questions. She opened the lower compartment of the fridge, took out the large slab of frozen beef, and got to work.

“Zhenzhen, wait at home for your steak. Once you’ve eaten, I have to go see Brother Yang Kai about something. You be good, alright?” Tang Mubai stood and patted the little girl’s head, instructing her gently.

“I’ll be good,” she replied obediently—unlike before, when she’d never allow her head to be touched.

Well now.

Tang Mubai laughed inwardly, bid Fang Shuixian farewell, and left the house.

Aside from her increased appetite, his cousin seemed unchanged after last night’s odd episode.

Ordinary food would likely never satisfy her again.

From now on, only high-energy foods would do: beast meat, giant insect flesh, spiritual herbs and elixirs—even blood essence pills.

Whether these would strengthen her body or convert straight into life force, he couldn’t yet say.

Regardless, Tang Mubai had made up his mind. Tonight, he would begin teaching her the “Golden Radiance Technique.”

...

Arriving at the first-floor cafeteria, Tang Mubai found Yang Kai, who was having breakfast. He praised the elderly folks for their diligence in preparing breakfast for over thirty people with yesterday’s supplies, offering a variety of dishes.

Invited to join them, Tang Mubai took a fried dough stick, sat across from Yang Kai, and asked quietly, “Are you able to make small listening devices or cameras?”

Yang Kai paused, somewhat startled, then swallowed his mouthful and replied in a low voice, “Yes. How many do you need? And how quickly?”

“As soon as possible. The more, the better,” Tang Mubai said with a smile, biting into his dough stick.

“No problem.” Yang Kai nodded. “After breakfast, I’ll go buy the necessary components. Once I’m back, I can make twenty sets in an hour, tops.”

“Twenty’s not enough—at least thirty,” Tang Mubai said, wiping his hands with a napkin after finishing. “Make forty sets. I’ll come back for them in three hours.”

“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded again, not asking why.

Tang Mubai offered no explanation either. Rising, he greeted the others, then left the cafeteria.

He drove his SUV out the main gate, following his usual route to continue reclaiming lost life force.

After making a circuit through the eastern district, he headed out of the city toward the outskirts, making rounds near several slaughterhouses.

On a whim, he also stopped by Fortune Slaughterhouse, which was, as expected, closed.

Standing outside, he peered in—there wasn’t a soul inside, much less any lost life force.

After a brief glance, Tang Mubai drove away, circling the routes near the various slaughterhouses.

When he judged the time right, he returned to the city and back to headquarters.

He found Yang Kai, who was busy at a table cluttered with parts. Upon seeing Tang Mubai enter, Yang Kai stood and announced, “The bugs and cameras are ready. See if these meet your requirements.”

He pointed to another table, where two neat piles of tiny devices sat—both bugs and cameras, each the size of a button.

Tang Mubai picked one up, examined it, and nodded. “They’ll do.”

“Set aside your work for now. Come with me to the warehouse,” he said, gathering all the bugs and cameras and heading for the door.

Yang Kai hurried after him, explaining on the way how to use the devices’ receivers—primarily, they could be configured to trigger alerts on a phone.

If a specific keyword was overheard, the phone would notify by sound or vibration.

Tang Mubai was quite satisfied with this feature.

After configuring his phone, he clapped Yang Kai on the shoulder, pleased with his recruitment.

Upon reaching the warehouse, he made no attempt to conceal the matter—opening the two crates he’d brought back the previous night to reveal dozens of D-grade giant broadswords. He asked, “Could you melt these down and reforge them into other tools?”

Yang Kai, face full of shock, collected himself and shook his head. “I can’t—melting alloy weapons requires a smelting station. You’d need to borrow one from a weapons workshop.”

“I see,” Tang Mubai mused. “Do you have any connections in that regard?”

“Yes!”