The Gold Medal officials quickly issued a notice, declaring the contracted beasts were not for sale.
Reassured, Xie Sen bid farewell to his contracted beasts and left the feeding area. At the Gold Medal gate, the four of them parted ways again. Bai Jiao went home alone, Long Teng went to visit his grandfather, and Xie Sen and Maine joined them.
Xie Sen and Maine returned to their apartment and went straight to their bedrooms to shower and change clothes.
Xie Sen changed into a loose T-shirt and knee-length wide-leg pants, dried his hair, and went straight to the kitchen to make a potato stew and cut half a watermelon to place on a plate.
The two of them ate a hearty lunch together, and Maine, quite conscientiously, washed the dishes.
Xie Sen sat on the sofa, about to check the news, when he logged into the Star Network. With a chirp, Tuan Tuan flew in from the window.
It landed directly on the coffee table, pointed at Xie Sen with its short wings outstretched. It repeatedly raised and stamped one paw on the surface, chirping non-stop. Its tone was filled with anger, but its young age and crisp voice didn't register with Xie Sen.
Xie Sen watched for a moment before realizing it was imitating the way a person stomps their feet when angry.
"Haha," he couldn't help but laugh. A moment's reflection revealed the reason for its anger. He stood up, pulled a large piece of melon rind from the refrigerator, and laid it flat on his hand. "Sorry, we're going into the forest for something. I promise I'll tell you before we go out next time."
"Chirp!" Tuantuan stamped his little paw again, his gaze glued to the melon rind, motionless.
Xie Sen thought the little creature was quite vindictive, so he lowered his voice. "You weren't there when we set out, so I forgot to tell you. My bad. I'll definitely tell you before next time."
He had no idea why Tuantuan joined Maine in attacking Star City in the book, but he could only guess it was because they had grown up together and had been taught to hate humans. Maine was different now, and its living environment was different, so he wasn't too worried.
He let Tuan Tuan run free, and Tuan Tuan didn't need his supervision. He fetched his own food, and he only had to give it small snacks.
"Chiu," Tuan Tuan chirped crisply. As if seeing that he had admitted his mistake, he flapped his wings, landed on the melon rind in his hand, and began to eat.
Xie Sen placed the melon rind on the coffee table. Tuan Tuan didn't move at all, standing firmly on the rind the entire time, and was moved along with it.
Maine came out of the kitchen and stood behind the sofa, his hand on Xie Sen's shoulder. He glanced at Tuan Tuan briefly before looking away. "Want a nap?"
Xie Sen nodded. "I'll watch the news for a while."
After recovering his red energy, he would lose control every twelve hours after waking up. He had woken up at five this morning. If he didn't rest, it would be dangerous if something unexpected happened in the afternoon.
He clicked on the news, and Maine stood behind him, hunched over, reading with him. The top few news items were almost entirely about contracted beasts.
One of the posts stood out: "The most powerful league champions ever! They've passed the forest's dangerous zone unscathed, bringing back a large number of high-level contracted beasts. What are their identities?"
Xie Sen hadn't thought much of it at first, but seeing this title suddenly struck him as impressive. What was going on?
He clicked on it. At the top were several pictures. One was of the four of them entering the forest, sitting in a flying vehicle as they passed the checkpoint. The rest were photos of their return. Except for one group photo of the four, contracted beasts were prominently featured in all the other photos.
The photos were accompanied by exaggerated captions praising them, followed by a detailed revelation of their family histories.
"With four such formidable individuals, do you think they're just ordinary recent graduates? No, upon investigation, each of them has a distinguished background!"
"Main, the illegitimate son of the Kes family, an A-rank Giant Lion Beast Master, was publicly disowned by the Kes family. However, immediately after the announcement, Maine made a splash. I wonder if he's trying to prove his strength and win over the Kes family, or if they regret the decision."
Seeing this, Xie Sen heard Maine let out a tsk, thick with sarcasm.
"Bai Jiao, born into the Bai family of medicine, is a B-rank female Contract Beast Master. She has consistently ranked first in her professional classes for three years of university. Her strength cannot be underestimated. Because she's female and her Contract Beast is too high, she was ostracized. Now, it seems, perhaps the strongest simply disdain to play with ordinary people."
"Long Teng, born into the business magnate Long family, is an S-rank Flying Dragon Beast Master. He's always kept a low profile. If it weren't for the uproar surrounding the Contract Beast, his true identity might not have been revealed. His combat prowess is off the charts, and he's a renowned battle maniac at Star City University."
"Xie Sen, the adopted son of the Xie family, an orphan, has a very inconspicuous background. However, multiple investigations have revealed that he is quite unusual. He is the owner of a plant-type contracted beast, a phenomenon not seen in years, and possesses a strong affinity. It's speculated that this contracted beast incident may have something to do with him."
After reading this, Xie Sen couldn't help but sigh, "Are these journalists all detectives?"
Maine looked at him and asked, "Don't you like these reports?"
Xie Sen shook his head. "Not really. Such a big event couldn't go unreported. It's just that the thought of being recognized when out and about or at work is very troublesome."
He was used to being an ordinary person and wasn't used to being noticed. The mere thought of being recognized at any moment made him feel uncomfortable.
Maine pondered for a moment, patted his shoulder, and said, "Go and rest."
Xie Sen nodded and stood up, thinking for a moment. "I have to go to work tomorrow. I'm going to the Botanical Research Institute this afternoon. What are your plans?"
It had to be said that when he met Li You, he was deeply impressed by the fact that Li You valued plants more than his own life.
He felt he should change his attitude toward plants. Although he had always known that plants on Brant were scarce, he had never truly taken them seriously.
According to A Dan, different energies in the system corresponded to different colored plants. Now that the red energy had been recovered, red plants within the system should be able to be cultivated.
He planned to personally deliver chili pepper seeds to the Botanical Research Institute to mass-produce them, increasing the variety of vegetables on Brant and making it easier for him to eat them in the future.
If the system's plants weren't used for attack but simply for food, chili peppers would be the most energy-intensive of the three plants he had currently activated.
A red chili pepper isn't large, so if you were to stir-fry a dish of chili peppers, the spiciness couldn't be too high. At least a dozen would be needed to make a single dish.
This equated to expending over ten energy points per dish, a cost he simply couldn't afford, considering his average daily energy intake was only a little over twenty.
Maine made an immediate decision: "I'll go with you."
After their nap, the two headed directly to the Botanical Research Institute. To avoid being stopped at the gate, Xie Sen contacted Dean Ma on the way. Dean Ma was both surprised and delighted, and extended a warm welcome.
As soon as the shuttle flew over, Li You, dressed in a white uniform, came to greet them. A smile appeared on his dark face: "Welcome, welcome."
Xie Sen sighed: "Is your institute so busy? You came to work directly from the forest?"
Li You smiled: "I was just impatient. The plant I picked is a tomato, rich in vitamins. I wanted to study it as soon as possible and hope to grow it successfully." He took the two of them to the interior of the institute and explained, "Dean Ma is in the laboratory. He originally wanted to come and pick you up in person."
Xie Sen hurriedly said: "You are too polite. I would be very embarrassed if I caused trouble for you."
"No," Li You smiled, "Dean Ma was very excited. He said he invited you several times, but you refused."
Li You led them through the three buildings at the front of the institute and onto a vast expanse of flat land, each plot of land marked by a building.
Li You pointed at the buildings as he walked, explaining, "These are all research labs. Each plot of land cultivates a different plant." He pointed to the far right, "Over there are cabbages and potatoes—the highest-yielding and most stable vegetables."
Soon, they arrived at the door of a research lab. Li You scanned his fingerprint, and the door opened. He leaned over and said, "Director Ma is inside."
Xie Sen followed Li You inside. He saw a variety of instruments scattered throughout the lab. Numerous transparent boxes lined the walls, each containing soil and LED screens displaying various numerical values. He only understood the temperature and humidity.
He figured out that these boxes were probably incubators, each containing a different environment to develop optimal cultivation methods.
Sure enough, Li You's explanation of the boxes' purpose resonated with him.
Following Li You into the inner room, Xie Sen saw a tall, thin man adjusting the values on an incubator. His face was calm, his eyes focused as he carefully adjusted the values before turning his head to look at them.
His gaze fell directly on Xie Sen, his gaze blazing with heat. He took a few steps forward, extended his hand, and said directly, "Welcome. You came to the research institute on your own initiative. I guess you have something important to discuss?"
Xie Sen shook his hand and took out a whole chili pepper he had exchanged for and placed it in his palm. "I'm here to give you chili seeds, and I'd also like to discuss cooperation with your research institute."
Ma Qun looked at the chili seeds and sighed, "We tried everything last time, but we couldn't get it to germinate or plant it."
Xie Sen said, "Now it can be planted."
Hearing his certainty, Ma Qun couldn't help but examine the chili pepper. "Is there anything different?"
"It's indeed different," Xie Sen said. He couldn't explain it specifically, so he just glossed it over vaguely. "I'm sure it can be grown. How about we discuss a partnership?"
Dean Ma: "Okay."
Xie Sen replied directly: "I know the vegetables you grow will be sold through Fuyou Supermarket. I hope I can get a share of the profits from the peppers I grow, and also give me some every month."
Ma Qun pondered for a moment. "Your request is reasonable, but growing peppers takes time. If everything goes well, the first few batches won't be sold, but kept as seeds for widespread planting. So, I probably won't be able to give you anything in the short term."
He paused, then suggested: "How about the Institute giving you a bonus directly? This is a common method we use. We reward discoverers of new species to promote plant research."
He smiled and said: "Even if the cultivation ultimately fails, the bonus won't be taken back."
Xie Sen shook his head: "No bonus."
The plants exchanged by the system were easy to grow, and the fruit was of excellent quality. He had grown peppers in the apocalypse and was familiar with the pepper growth cycle. From cultivation to fruiting, it only took a little over two months. Then, the alternating flowering and fruiting, followed by a large production of fruit, lasted for about two more months.
The institute's specialized equipment is equivalent to greenhouse cultivation, with no seasonal restrictions and year-round production. This means the peppers can be sold.
Ma Qun smiled and said, "You seem very confident."
Xie Sen nodded. "Yes, I'll only provide the seeds. I probably can't help with anything else. All I want is a 10% dividend on the profits, and the same goes for other plants later. Is
that acceptable to you?" Ma Qun asked, "Then how much will you give?"
Xie Sen pondered and said, "Initially, it's a small amount, so it's up to you. After a year, at the latest, it'll be a fixed amount of ten kilograms per month."
"Ten kilograms?" Ma Qun was surprised. Peppers, unlike potatoes and cabbages, are very light, so ten kilograms is a lot.
Xie Sen smiled, "Trust me, it's not difficult."
Ma Qun observed his expression and said, "You're so sure I almost doubted you'd planted any before. I have to say, I'm looking forward to it."
Xie Sen also smiled. "Dean Ma, don't forget I'm from the Botany Department. I know the growth cycle of peppers."
Ma Qun pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, I accept your proposal." He quickly drafted the contract. After Xie Sen confirmed it, both parties entered their fingerprints.
Xie Sen handed the peppers to Ma Qun, who took them with a cautious expression.
Xie Sen looked at the remaining 130 or so energy points and thought for a moment. After recovering the red energy, his energy needs weren't urgent. He simply exchanged ten more at once, giving himself a sufficient supply for the first batch of seeds.
He twirled his pinky ring, pretending to take them out of his backpack, and handed the ten peppers back to Ma Qun.
Ma Qun accepted it with delight, unable to contain his excitement. "I'll go start breeding right away."
Xie Sen recalled planting chili peppers. "Don't let the temperature for seed cultivation be too low; 20 to 30 degrees Celsius is about right."
Looking at him, Ma Qun couldn't resist extending his invitation: "Come work at the research institute. You're a plant-based beast master with solid expertise. This is the perfect place for you."
Xie Sen thought, even if it were a good job, there's no way to collect energy.
He shook his head. "Thank you. I'm very satisfied with my current job and I enjoy it. I don't want to change for the time being."
Ma Qun sighed in disappointment. "Again, if you change your mind, you're always welcome at the research institute."
"Okay," Xie Sen smiled, then took his leave.
After he left, Ma Qun and Li You immediately went to the adjacent research lab to begin cultivating chili pepper seeds.
On the way back, Xie Sen realized that the meat in the refrigerator was almost gone, so they went to the supermarket to buy some more before returning to their apartment.
After Maine returned to the apartment, he received a message. He took a look at it and said to Xie Sen, "I'm going back to the bedroom to take care of some things. Call me if you need anything."
Xie Sen nodded, put the meat in the refrigerator, and sat on the sofa to rest for a while. He felt extremely bored having nothing to do for a while, so he thought about it and called Adam.
Hearing Adam's response, he asked directly: "Have you felt the rest of the energy?"
Adam's voice was depressed: "No, I can't feel it. It is very likely that it is not on Brandt Star. The energy I have now is not enough to sense the alien energy."
Xie Sen comforted: "It's okay. It will only be out of control for twelve hours now. It's quite safe."
"No," Adam became excited, "If your soul is unstable for a long time, your body will have problems. You must find all the energy as soon as possible."
Xie Sen was puzzled: "The red energy has been recovered. Didn't you say that my body will get better every time I recover a kind of energy?"
"That's right, but... if the five kinds of energy are always lacking, you will have big problems after a year. The extra energy will extend the stable period by half a year. You have been here for more than a month. If you don't recover the second kind of energy within one year and five months, your uncontrolled time will start to be unstable, and then, then..."
Adam's voice became lower and lower, and he didn't finish his words, but Xie Sen already knew what he was going to say next.
He jumped up. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I was afraid you'd get scared. I thought I'd just keep encouraging you to collect energy, and nothing would happen anyway. But now you're just muddling along, not even actively collecting energy anymore. I feel like if I keep it from you, something might really happen."
Xie Sen stood for a moment, then sat down again. Indeed, the moment he reclaimed the red energy, he breathed a sigh of relief. Sleeping once every twelve hours was easy; as long as he paid attention, it wouldn't affect his life.
So, he wasn't as enthusiastic about reclaiming the rest of his energy.
He collapsed on the sofa. "So what do we do now? You can't sense the energy. Do we have to try every planet?"
"No need," A'Dan said. "There are too many planets here. Trying them all one by one wouldn't be enough. We just need to increase our energy."
Its voice rose, its tone full of encouragement, like a high school graduating class teacher encouraging their students: "A'Sen, keep collecting energy! Activate the fourth plant, and I'll be able to sense the alien energy."
"You're the best. You can do it. You're collecting energy much faster now than before. Your abilities are beyond my imagination. You..."
"Alright," Xie Sen interrupted its flattery. "I'll work hard. Don't worry, I won't slack off. Just rest well."
"A'Sen is awesome. I love you the most," A'Dan praised again, before falling silent and returning to sleep to accumulate energy.
Xie Sen opened the system panel. Below the blank page on the fourth, green-covered hardcover book was 132/400. This meant activating the fourth plant would require another 268 energy. At his current energy collection rate, it would take only half a month.
He felt instantly reassured. Once the plant was activated, A'dan would be able to sense the energy. In a little over a year, he would definitely be able to find and recover the next energy source!
"Chi!" He had just shut down the system when a cheerful chirp from Tuan Tuan echoed behind him. He
smiled and turned around. The next moment, his smile froze. Tuan Tuan hovered very close to him, flapping its wings and blinking its round eyes happily. It was adorable.
But! Its claws held a slender, striped snake, which was still writhing. The moment he turned around, he nearly touched it.
"Ahhh..." Xie Sen felt his scalp explode. He suddenly jumped off the sofa, screaming uncontrollably and running away from it.
He was terrified of these mollusks, especially this snake, which looked very venomous. Goosebumps instantly broke out all over his body.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp~" Tuantuan, puzzled by his reaction, flew towards him worriedly.
"Ahhh..." Xie Sen's cry trembled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maine striding out of the bedroom. Without thinking, he ran towards Maine, grabbed Maine's clothes, and hid behind him.
"Quick, get it away."
"Chirp~" Tuantuan tilted his head.
Maine grabbed Xie Sen's wrist with his backhand and looked at Tuantuan coldly: "Throw it out. If you dare to bring something like this back again, you won't have to come back."
Tuantuan blinked, realizing the reason for Xie Sen's reaction. He shook his paw in confusion. What was there to be afraid of?
Arsen was such a coward. He
had just wanted to let Arsen taste something delicious. He flapped his wings in frustration and flew out of the apartment with the snake.
"Alright," Maine squeezed Xie Sen's hand. "So scared?"
Xie Sen relaxed when he couldn't see Tuantuan and the snake. He looked at Maine's calm expression, thought about his reaction, and couldn't help but blush. How embarrassing.
"No, not really," Xie Sen loosened his shirt and chuckled dryly. "I just turned around and saw something and got startled."
A hint of amusement flashed in Maine's eyes. Xie Sen abruptly changed the subject, glancing towards his bedroom. "What were you doing?"
Maine flipped open his bracelet and displayed a virtual screen. Xie Sen read as he read: "Sanmu Software Information Company, Legal Representative: Maine..." At
this point, he suddenly realized that Sanmu was Sen.
His heart began to race, and his face grew hot. This, this, this, there was no other explanation, right?
Maine said, "I prepared the documents a few days ago. When I got back to the apartment, they were approved. I just went through the identity verification process, and the company was successfully established."
"Congratulations," Xie Sen hesitated, wondering whether to ask about the company name.
Maine looked at him, then suddenly wrapped her arm around his waist, her fingers gently rubbing against his right ear. "Why are you so red?"
Xie Sen shuddered slightly, covering his redder ear with his hands. He stepped back in shock, but Maine's grip held him tightly, preventing him from retreating.
Xie Sen grabbed Maine's arm with his other hand, lamenting, "How could this sensitive spot on the body be at the earlobe?!" Furthermore, it was a little too sensitive. Just a touch and his legs went limp.
"Let me go." He said with no strength.
Maine stared at him, his eyes bewildered and panicked, his white skin stained red, making him look particularly wanting to be bullied.
Maine's eyes gradually darkened, and he slowly lowered his head. His hands uncontrollably pulled Xie Sen towards him, their bodies pressed tightly together, creating a particularly ambiguous atmosphere.
Xie Sen felt his body shift, and his mind immediately flashed back to the scene of them walking back to the gold medal. He panicked, "I, I, I, I'm going to make dinner."
"No rush," Maine said hoarsely, "It's still early."
He nuzzled Xie Sen unconsciously, frowning, a look of both pain and pleasure on his pretty face. "Ah Sen, it hurts, touch me."
Xie Sen's legs instantly weakened. Seeing he didn't move, Maine's brow furrowed even more, whispering almost against Xie Sen's lips, "You said you wouldn't lie to me."
Xie Sen immediately felt his lips tingle and tingle. He subconsciously licked them, touching Maine's lips at the same
time. Maine's eyes darkened, and she pressed her lips against Xie Sen's, pulling Xie Sen closer to her, leaving no space between them.
Soon, Maine wasn't satisfied with just the touch, and began to nibble at Xie Sen's lips methodically, as if they were a delicious pastry.
"Hiss..." Xie Sen's mouth hurt from the bite. He frowned and took a breath, then raised his hand to hit Maine's arm.
Maine loosened his grip slightly, and Xie Sen panted, leaning against Maine with little strength.
Xie Sen felt extremely ashamed of his reaction. After thinking about it, he felt that there was only one explanation: it was because of insufficient energy, so his body was too weak! Maine
's forehead was against Xie Sen, and both of their breaths were particularly hot, as if they wanted to burn each other.
Xie Sen raised his eyes and met a pair of bottomless eyes burning with flames. His heart trembled suddenly, and he felt a burning sensation in his chest.
Maine rubbed against him, anxious and uncomfortable: "Asen, touch me, I feel so uncomfortable."
His delicate face was filled with emotions, so beautiful that it seemed unreal. Xie Sen, as if bewitched, uncontrollably reached out to touch the side of his face. With a sudden move, he tiptoed and gently bit his left cheek.
A circle of shallow teeth marks immediately appeared on the beautiful skin. Xie Sen thought, it's really easy to bite, and then he licked it soothingly.
Maine's hand around his waist exerted uncontrollable force, and Xie Sen cried out in pain. He patted Maine's hand, "Gentle, it's going to break."
Maine loosened her grip and looked at him fiercely, as if wanting to swallow him whole: "If you touch me, I can't control it."
Xie Sen muttered, "That's not even a real touch!"
Maine moved her waist and whispered in his ear, "You're reacting too. Do you want me to touch you?"
Xie Sen gritted his teeth and decided not to put himself in a difficult position. After all, it was a happy thing that was consensual for both parties. After figuring it out, he was no longer shy. He put his arm around Maine's neck and said, "Let's go to my room."