No matter how blessed one's luck seemed, a single stroke of misfortune was enough to claim her life. A sudden slip, a hidden virus, or a stray bullet could end everything in an instant, regardless of how much favor the heavens showed.
"Still, in my previous life, Su Mali might not have had that much contact with Qian Duoduo," Jing Shu thought to herself, her eyes scanning the reinforced stone corridor. "No point worrying over nothing."
Inside the base, the soft, yellow glow of the energy-saving lamps lit up the scene of Qian Duoduo and his family shaking hands with various big shots. It was rare to see his entire family out together, presenting a unified front of wealth and survival. For the first time, Jing Shu laid eyes on the landlord's simpleton son, Qian Shengqian, as well as Qian Qianjin and his wife.
This was Jing Shu's first time seeing Qian Qianjin. True to her name, she really did carry some weight. A thousand *jin* was an exaggeration, but she had to be at least seventy-five kilograms. She wore an oversized protective suit, the crinkling fabric rustling as she fiddled with it out of boredom, her fingers plucking at the loose seams. Her skin, however, was remarkably well-maintained—smooth and tender like polished jade. Apart from being overweight, she didn't look bad at all.
Qian Duoduo's wife also surprised Jing Shu. She was not the ostentatious "socialite" type Jing Shu had pictured, but rather carried a serene, scholarly grace. She stood quietly behind her husband, smiling with poise, her head nodding in tandem with his movements. Even so, there was a subtle air of distance around her, a quiet warning to strangers not to intrude upon her private space.
As for Qian Duoduo's foolish son, he behaved with startling seriousness. Draped in a black cape with a red scarf, he solemnly nodded at everyone he met, his chin tilted up as he was imitating the demeanor of a leader inspecting his subordinates.
Jing Shu didn't recognize the people gathered in the hall, nor did she know their backgrounds. Qian Duoduo made no introductions, keeping his guests' identities private.
He also revealed little about Jing Shu's identity, only showing her an unusual degree of warmth, almost as if they were close family friends. With a hearty laugh, Qian Duoduo said, "Well, what do you think? A bit more impressive than Boss Su's surprises, right? Ah, and Boss Su's daughter is here too. Then today, you should properly experience your Uncle Qian's new territory. Later, tell your father all about it."
"Yes, Mr. Qian." Su Mali stuck out her tongue playfully, her iridescent raincoat catching the light.
Qian Duoduo went through the formalities of introducing his family. This time, Madam Qian didn't just nod politely—she went out of her way to express her gratitude to Jing Shu, her eyes lingering with sincerity. Even Qian Qianjin bowed to her in thanks. The gathered crowd instantly understood: this must be the girl rumored to have saved someone dear during the Xishan crisis.
Only Qian Shengqian snorted, his pale face twisted in a frown. He glared at Jing Shu and declared, "Bad person."
Jing Shu: "??"
How had she suddenly become the villain here?
Puzzled, she was soon pulled aside by Qian Duoduo, who winked and whispered, his voice low enough to avoid the boy's ears, "After he ate the spicy strip ice cream you made, he loved it. But we can't let him keep eating ice cream, so we told him you could not make it anymore. Now he blames you."
"Oh, I see." Jing Shu understood. It was not her place to pry further into the boy's condition, so she simply let the matter drop.
Once the greetings were over, Qian Duoduo led the group upstairs to begin the tour. The second floor housed the planting base, a vast space utilizing modern hydroponics—no soil needed, just purified water to cultivate all kinds of vegetables under specialized grow lights.
"These vegetables yield six times more than traditional farming on the same plot of land. Even tiny spaces can produce abundant harvests. It greatly reduces energy costs. We use fully enclosed lighting systems, so there is no chance for bugs to appear—no pesticides needed. Right now, the scale is small, but we can still harvest several hundred kilograms of vegetables a day. They are processed on the fourth floor so they will not spoil."
Su Mali's eyes widened at the sight of the vibrant green leaves. She leaned toward Jing Shu and whispered, "If I invested here, would not I be able to eat fresh vegetables every day?"
Even Jing Shu had to admit it was impressive, the climate-controlled air smelling faintly of wet earth and chlorophyll. It was far more efficient than her mother's Agricultural Department. But then again, Qian Duoduo had the connections to obtain all this specialized equipment.
The third floor was the livestock base. It was far more open, though much smaller than the floor below. His original livestock farm had been blown up, his animals nearly wiped out in the fire. Yet in just three months, he had gathered another batch of chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, pigs, and even several ponds of fish. From the numbers stamped on the poultry, Jing Shu could tell these had been transferred directly from the Livestock Breeding Center.
Qian Duoduo's luck had helped—thanks to the red nematodes, food supplies had increased this year, and with government support, livestock numbers had grown. But getting these animals still must have cost him a fortune in resources.
Suddenly, a leopard burst from the shadows near a stone pillar, its spotted coat blurring in the dim light and startling everyone.
"Xiao Hua!" Qian Shengqian rushed forward, his boots thumping on the stone as he was patting the leopard's head affectionately.
"Don't be afraid, it has been domesticated. It will not bite," Qian Duoduo reassured, though his brow was furrowed. "But why was it let out? Quickly, get it under control."
Before anyone could relax, Qian Shengqian pointed at Jing Shu and ordered, his voice high and shrill, "Knock her down!"
The leopard darted forward in a flash, its powerful muscles rippling beneath its fur. Screams erupted from the group. The crowd panicked, stumbling back in fear against the stone walls. The bodyguards on the edges charged in, their boots thumping against the floor as they were trying to form a wall of flesh. No one had brought weapons inside.
Chaos broke out.
Then—
"Sit." Jing Shu narrowed her eyes and spoke lightly, her voice steady and clear.
The charging leopard screeched to a halt, its claws scraping harshly against the stone floor, and sat down obediently. It started panting with its tongue lolling out, its predatory gaze suddenly turning vacant and harmless.
The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the onlookers. Everyone stared in disbelief, unable to process what had just happened.
Qian Duoduo shot his son a glare. "Have not you embarrassed yourself enough?"
Qian Shengqian stared, stunned, his mouth hanging open before he finally lowered his head. "Xiao Hua, come back."
The leopard hesitated a moment, its head tilting, then it happily trotted back and was wagging its tail like a dog.
"My apologies for frightening everyone," Qian Duoduo said quickly, his hands raised to calm the crowd. "This leopard was raised by a husky. It lost its ferocity and picked up a husky's temperament. It never bites—if anything, it is the one that gets bullied. Did it scare you, Jing Shu? I was terrified you would accidentally kill it. Thank you for sparing its life. I will repay this favor properly another time."
Jing Shu forced a smile, her heart still thudding against her ribs. She really had been startled. She had been on the verge of deciding whether to punch or kick when she remembered the illusion ability of her Cube Space. She had tried it out on the leopard—and to her surprise, it worked perfectly. Did this mean she could control even larger creatures?
The servants hurried in to take Xiao Hua away. But before leaving, the leopard whined playfully, only to be lured off with an apple. Finally, the others exhaled in relief.
"As long as it does not bite."
"Still looks terrifying though."
The group quickly followed Qian Duoduo to the fourth floor, where food processing was carried out. The hum of industrial machinery filled the air.
"To be frank, everyone," Qian Duoduo said, his voice regaining its confident boom, "I have already arranged for someone traveling to the United States next year to bring back vegetable dehydration technology and other equipment. As you have seen, the Xishan one-stop base still has great potential for development."