"For example, 50% of unlocking the ability to siphon traits?"
Feng Mu turned off the water, dried himself with a towel, and saw a hazy silhouette in the steamed-up mirror. His belly, which once had a bit of excess flesh, seemed deflated as if after liposuction, and his chest and back appeared gaunt, highlighting the angles of his bones.
"Take a day off tomorrow to recuperate, and go to the incinerator the day after to figure out how to make money and get iron."
Feng Mu grinned at his reflection in the mirror, then returned to his room for a nap.
Around 12 o'clock.
Feng Yuhuai came back.
The TV volume had noticeably doubled.
"Don't have it so loud, your brother is still sleeping," Wang Xiuli scolded her daughter with a glance.
Feng Yuhuai didn't care, clutching the remote, she chuckled, "Sleep, sleep, sleep, it's so late and still sleeping. I say my brother is just too lazy, that's why his grades are so bad, making the military exam hopeless."
Wang Xiuli quickly covered her daughter's mouth, feigning anger: "Your brother is working hard, he just doesn't have as good a root bone as you. He's been doing the body forging exercise in his room for the past two days. Don't upset your brother."
"Tsk, my brother's not that fragile. Besides, between incompetence and not working hard, it's better to choose not working hard."
Feng Yuhuai's smile was bright, her snow-white chin suddenly turned towards the bedroom, she teased,
"Right, Feng Mu?"
Wang Xiuli was startled, quickly turning her head to see her son standing expressionless at the door, his face showing no joy or sorrow.
Feng Mu looked coldly at Yuhuai's performance, not speaking, just staring intently, his gaze wooden or calm.
Feng Yuhuai's smile gradually became unnatural: "Just kidding, you're not mad, right?"
Feng Mu ignored her and turned to Wang Xiuli, saying, "I got hungry last night, so I ate the food in the fridge."
Wang Xiuli was taken aback, surprised that Feng Mu almost emptied the fridge, but also relieved, hurriedly getting up to go to the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, "Hungry are you? I'll make food, you and your sister watch TV for a while, don't fight."
Feng Mu sat on the sofa, looking at the TV. Since there was nothing else to do today, watching TV was fine.
Seeing Feng Mu completely ignoring her, Feng Yuhuai was so angry her teeth itched. From a young age, whether at home or school, she was the center of everyone's attention.
She was used to and enjoyed feeling admired and anticipated.
Only Feng Mu, a supposed loser, never showed those emotions in his eyes.
I am your genius sister, the hope of the whole family, shouldn't you be proud of me, revolving around me? This way, if I succeed in the future, it'll be hard to help you out~
Feng Yuhuai glanced at Feng Mu, the latter's gaze was vacant, appearing more dazed and wooden.
"Useless and dumb." In her heart, Feng Yuhuai labeled Feng Mu, muttering boringly, "Incompetent."
"No need to provoke me, I won't argue with you." Feng Mu remained calm throughout, internally unfazed. He didn't want to guess his sister's thoughts, nor did he care to.
Feng Mu's heart was indifferent: "Uninteresting."
Lunch was quite simple since the fridge was half-empty from Feng Mu's eating, and Wang Xiuli hadn't had time to buy more.
Feng Yuhuai nibbled a bit, then put down her chopsticks.
Feng Mu wasn't hungry, yet he ate several bowls at a slow pace, after all, without iron to eat, an empty stomach was still empty.
Moreover, by deliberately eating slowly, he could further appreciate the powerful digestion of his stomach and intestines.
Though it wasn't like the early morning hunger where food dissolved immediately upon entering the stomach, clearly an abnormal speed, it was now back to normal, yet still very quick.
It's roughly like downgrading from a concrete mixer to a drum washing machine.
"The enhancement of digestive function—it should be an implicit benefit brought by being an Iron Eater, a gain, hehe~"
Feng Mu used to feel full after two bowls of rice, but now he still wasn't fully satisfied after five, and if it weren't for fearing to startle Wang Xiuli, he would have had two more bowls.
"Glutton." Feng Yuhuai couldn't help but mock, but there was a hint of envy in her eyes.
Feng Mu put down his chopsticks, licked the rice grains from his lips, feeling pleased: "The importance of digestive ability to a Martial Artist is self-evident; some even say that being able to eat is a talent second only to root bone and insight."
After the meal, Feng Mu was ready to return to his room.
Feng Yuhuai sat at the table chatting leisurely with Wang Xiuli.
Feng Yuhuai asked, "Mom, is the Patrol Office very busy lately? Why doesn't Dad come home for meals?"
Wang Xiuli: "Yes, it seems there's a big case. They said members of an Extremely Evil Organization have infiltrated Zone 9 and they're conducting a massive manhunt."
Feng Yuhuai was curious: "What Extremely Evil Organization?"
Wang Xiuli, with a poor memory, recalled hearing something when she once took food to the Patrol Office. What was it called again?
Wang Xiuli pinched her brow, clapped her hands: "I remember, it's called [Destiny], yes, that's the name."
Feng Mu, who was about to get up, sat back down, expressionless, picking up his chopsticks and poking at the few leftover vegetables in the dish.
"[Destiny]!"
Feng Yuhuai's eyes lit up, enthusiastically saying,
"Six years ago, [Destiny] was the only SSS-level secret organization on the Upper City Council's wanted list of heterodox organizations. It's said the organization's structure is massive, its actions unpredictable, and most of its members are insane and dangerous."
"However, [Destiny] suffered a heavy blow from the Council and disappeared for a few years. Unexpectedly, it's now resurfacing, seemingly recuperated and preparing for big moves."
Feng Mu nonchalantly glanced at his sister, agreeing with her assessment.
Because, [Destiny] resurfacing is true, and the big moves are also true—he himself is [Destiny]'s biggest and most dangerous move!
Wang Xiuli was stunned, not usually paying attention to such matters. Feng Ju mentioned them in passing, so she thought it was just an ordinary organization, not realizing it was so fearsome.
Wang Xiuli asked in confusion: "You're just a student, how do you know all this?"
Feng Yuhuai raised her chin: "The Eighth Academy is a key university in Zone 9, and I'm in the key Martial Arts class. Most of my classmates have some background in their families and can tell bits of outside information. I remembered what I overheard."
Wang Xiuli showed a worried face, afraid Feng Ju might encounter danger.
Feng Yuhuai continued: "I heard that just a few days ago, a major event happened in Upper City, they say the sky cracked open."
"The sky cracked open?" Wang Xiuli didn't understand what her daughter was talking about.
"The news has been blocked, there's no report in Lower City, so I don't know what it means either." Feng Yuhuai only heard it and didn't understand its meaning.
After all, from birth to death, the Lower City People have never seen the sky. When they look up, the only thing they can see is the enormous bottom of Upper City.
Wang Xiuli took out her phone, intending to call Feng Ju.
After making several calls without getting through, Wang Xiuli's face turned pale.
Feng Yuhuai wasn't initially worried, but now she was a bit panicked, forcing a smile: "He must be on a mission and too busy to answer the phone."
Thinking it over, Feng Yuhuai added: "It's said [Destiny]'s main activity area is concentrated in Upper City. Even if they occasionally appear in Lower City, they're usually just marginal members and not that dangerous."
It's unclear if Wang Xiuli heard this, but she visibly relaxed a bit.
Feng Yuhuai, full of yearning, added: "Even just taking down one marginal member of [Destiny] is enough Merit Points to upgrade citizen status."
Judging by her expression, it seemed she wished to encounter a [Destiny] member.
Feng Mu saw her expression and didn't know how to comment. Seeing them change the topic to other matters, he simply got up and returned to his room.
In the evening, Feng Yuhuai left home to return to school.
Later, Feng Ju finally called back, saying he was on a mission in West City that afternoon and couldn't take the call.
Wang Xiuli's heart dropped from her throat, and Feng Mu had also heard the conversation.
Slightly rippled in his heart: "West City? The direction of the incinerator should be in West City, right? Coincidence?"
Today's investigation showed zero growth, and the night passed dreamlessly.
The next day.
Feng Mu rode his bicycle to the incinerator for his employment, becoming an official corpse incinerator worker.
....