Chapter 145: Heaven's Favored One

“Exactly, Mu Xiaoxuan! Do you realize how many people you’re putting at risk by backing out? Our group can’t function without you!”

“And didn’t you hear Zhang Ling Ling? She already submitted everything, and her virtual points have been deducted.”

Mu Xiaoxuan lowered his head in frustration, “But I really don’t want it. This distiller won’t produce much water. Do you want to introduce this to friends and waste virtual points?”

“It doesn’t matter how much it produces—it’s essentially a free water collector. Introduce it to friends, and they introduce others. Everyone wins, and there are lots of points to earn.”

“Exactly!”

Tears began to stream down Mu Xiaoxuan’s face. “But... but…”

Seeing Mu Xiaoxuan surrounded, Jing Shu pushed through with her flashlight, clearing a path. “If he doesn’t want it, he doesn’t want it. Are you seriously trying to force him? Stop pretending your scam is anything else—you know exactly what you’re doing.”

The aura of someone who drank spiritual spring water and had killed before was unmistakable. Jing Shu’s imposing presence silenced the crowd.

Zhang Ling Ling pointed at Jing Shu. “You! Fine, don’t buy it if you don’t want to… but do you have to be so unreasonable?”

“Alright, alright. If they don’t want to buy it, just let it go. It’s not a big deal,” Xie Zihao intervened to calm the situation.

Zhang Ling Ling huffed, “I was just trying to help her make money, but she thinks I’m trying to scam her. Fine, let’s go to the supermarket and transfer the virtual points.” Zhang Ling Ling feared that Jing Shu would mess up her grand scheme. Since when had Jing Shu become so bold?

Yao Zixin quickly chimed in, “Since I haven’t registered yet, I’ll pass. Jing Shu and I have other things to discuss.”

“Hmph, don’t come to me for help later,” Zhang Ling Ling grumbled before leading her group away on bicycles.

Soon, the mall was quiet, with only three people left. Mu Xiaoxuan sobbed quietly, “This is definitely a pyramid scheme. My uncle got caught in something similar, and no matter how hard I tried to convince him, he wouldn’t listen.”

Jing Shu handed him a tissue and a bottle of mineral water. Mu Xiaoxuan cautiously accepted the tissue but didn’t take the water. Jing Shu insisted, “Take it and go home early.”

“Thank you.” Mu Xiaoxuan hesitated for a moment before pulling out a red wooden box from the back of his bicycle.

“This is the mother seed of the Bodhi tree. My grandfather said it can grow into a Bodhi tree. It’s probably useless now, but if the dark days ever end, it’s a symbol of hope. The tree can produce rubber, its leaves can feed livestock, and it has many medicinal uses. It’s a treasure in itself.”

Jing Shu suddenly remembered that during one of the apocalyptic years, a disaster occurred, and many people died. A doctor had mentioned that if they had Bodhi trees, they could have saved lives.

What was the cause of that disaster?

Jing Shu quickly searched for the medicinal value of the Bodhi tree on her phone, while Mu Xiaoxuan and Yao Zixin stared at her in bewilderment.

“This is it!” Jing Shu exclaimed in excitement. She had forgotten exactly which year it was, but at some point in the apocalypse, an evolved parasite appeared. Infected people suffered from stomach and intestinal ulcers, enduring excruciating pain for days without dying. They passed bloody stools until the parasite consumed their internal organs completely, resulting in a gruesome death—a real-life horror similar to iron worms.

However, these parasites had specific survival conditions and weren’t widespread. It was a matter of luck not to get infected.

The Bodhi tree, traditionally used to treat asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy in Chinese medicine, also had significant effects against parasites. Unfortunately, the Bodhi trees had mostly died off in the first year, and the species became nearly extinct.

Prevention is always better, Jing Shu thought as she pulled out a large container of water from her car. “This is payment for the Bodhi seed. Don’t refuse—it’s yours. I need it.”

This seed might not be much use to Mu Xiaoxuan, but in her hands, it could save lives! Whether she charged for it or offered help for free, it would be a significant contribution. Besides, it was also a way to protect her own family.

Mu Xiaoxuan left, pushing his bicycle with a confused expression, while Jing Shu hurried through her discussion with Yao Zixin. She reviewed the designs and dimensions quickly, handed over 10 liters of water, and headed home.

When she got home, Jing Shu dragged the shark submarine behind her BYD Song. With no space left at the villa, she stored it in the RV’s garage.

Her mother, who had been waiting, squinted at the strange vehicle. “What useless thing did you bring home this time? Come on, tell me a story. Did you save Old Wang next door, or did the president give you this as a gift? You’re always busy rescuing people, and they keep giving you the weirdest things.”

Jing Shu’s mother stared at the submarine, trying to figure out what it was.

For the first time, her father defended her. “Alright, enough. Every time she brings something home, you say it’s useless, and what happens?”

Every time, it ended up being useful.

Jing Shu’s mother blushed slightly. “Fine, fine. Put your precious toy away and get some rest.”

“Sure.”

After some hesitation, Jing Shu cleared out one cubic meter of her medicinal plant space and planted the Bodhi tree. She wasn’t sure when she would need it, but it couldn’t hurt to be prepared. According to her research, Bodhi trees grew quickly, and once it matured, she could store the wood and leaves in her space.

...

“I heard the young miss exchanged for some honeysuckle today?” A middle-aged man rubbed his temples, his voice cold.

An older man, well-dressed and portly, stirred his milk coffee slowly and smiled, “Yes, she traded with a classmate. She’s treating it like a treasure, and I haven’t had a chance to analyze its components yet.”

“Bang!” The middle-aged man slammed the redwood table hard.

“Analyze what? I hope it’s poison that’ll kill that old bastard! The man takes my resources and has my daughter’s admiration, but I can’t do a thing about it! I want to tell that fool that the person she’s trying to save is her father’s mortal enemy!”

The older man continued to smile, unbothered. “You know as well as I do that the young miss is blessed by the heavens. Master Zhang said she has the fortune to achieve anything she sets her heart on. If she wants a cure, she’ll find it. If she wants to heal that person, maybe he’ll be up and about tomorrow.”

“Hmph... Well, that disease has been torturing him for long enough. Dying might be a relief. But who knows? The next person might be an even worse scoundrel. Let’s just hope the artificial sun project goes smoothly.”

“Shall we still investigate?”

“Investigate. We’ve almost run out of herbal medicine over these past nine months. If it’s real, I hope it’s fake. If it’s fake, I hope it’s real.”

The older man chuckled, “I fear you’ll be disappointed again.”