"Lin Chen?" A slender hand waved in front of his eyes. Li Ya's voice was filled with concern. "What are you spacing out for? The eggs are about to burn!"
"Hm." He snapped back to reality and brought the carefully prepared breakfast to the table: fragrant egg noodles, sizzling crispy bacon, and slightly toasted whole wheat bread—
In the upcoming apocalypse, each of these would be a luxury item capable of sparking fights.
Li Ya's eyes curved into happy crescents as she ate. "This is so delicious! It feels even better than the first-class meals on our airline!"
Watching her messy yet vividly expressive eating, Lin Chen's lips unconsciously lifted slightly at the corners. "Do you want... to gain a Special Ability too?"
Li Ya immediately put down her empty bowl, nodding vigorously with excitement. "Of course I do! I've dreamed of it!"
Lin Chen smiled faintly, flipped his palm, and a crystal emitting a soft glow with a perfect hexagonal structure appeared out of thin air.
"This is called a Creation Spirit Crystal. If you take it, there's a high probability you'll awaken your own Special Ability."
Li Ya carefully took it. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, with what seemed like flowing light inside the crystal.
She was both nervous and expectant. "Why... are you giving this to me so suddenly? Could there be... side effects?"
"Don't worry, it won't be life-threatening." Lin Chen's tone was calm and certain, carrying an undeniable authority.
Li Ya took a deep breath, hesitated no more, and placed the Creation Spirit Crystal into her mouth.
The moment it touched her tongue, the crystal rapidly melted as if alive, transforming into a warm and powerful current that instantly surged through her entire body, penetrating every cell.
She instinctively closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly, as if she could "see" countless tiny, shimmering energy particles rushing through her blood vessels and meridians.
About a minute later, her eyes snapped open, a faint white light flashing deep within her pupils.
Almost instinctively, she raised her right hand, palm aimed at the thick sycamore tree at the edge of the courtyard outside the window—a tree so large it would take two people to encircle it.
"Whoosh!"
A condensed, substantial pure white beam with razor-sharp edges shot silently from her palm, fast as lightning, in a perfectly straight trajectory.
"Boom—Crack!"
That sycamore tree, which had grown for at least thirty years with deep roots, was cleanly severed at its base near the ground by the white light!
The heavy upper part of the trunk crashed down with a thunderous impact, landing heavily on the soft lawn with a dull thud, sending dust and fallen leaves flying into the air.
The commotion was substantial.
A sanitation auntie sweeping the street nearby was so startled she dropped her broom with a clatter. She glanced fearfully at the suddenly fallen giant tree, let out a scream,
"Oh my heavens!" and turned to run, not even bothering with her cleaning cart parked by the roadside.
Several elderly people doing morning exercises nearby gathered at what they deemed a safe distance, pointing and discussing animatedly:
"Old Zhang, did you see that? That tree was perfectly fine—how did it just snap like that?"
"What do you mean it broke on its own? My eyesight is fine! I saw a flash of white light, 'whoosh,' like a laser, and the tree just fell!"
"Was it struck by lightning? But the sky is perfectly clear..."
"Stop talking nonsense! I bet it was a gas leak from an underground pipeline that caused an explosion!"
"Nonsense! Could a gas explosion cut the tree roots as cleanly as a knife? Show me one if you can!"
Everyone chattered away, their guesses growing more and more far-fetched, but no one dared to actually approach that eerie broken tree—this situation was simply beyond their understanding.
Inside the villa, Li Ya herself was startled, instinctively taking half a step back, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide open. "Did... did I do this?"
She looked down at her seemingly unchanged palm, then up at the pitiful broken tree outside the window.
The expression on her face shifted rapidly from initial shock to bewildered disbelief, until finally, an irrepressible excitement—a mix of awe and ecstasy—burst from her eyes.
"This... this is amazing!" She suddenly turned to look at Lin Chen, her voice trembling with excitement. "Do I... do I really have a Special Ability now?!"
Then, whether due to the influence of the Creation Spirit Crystal or the emotional release akin to surviving a disaster, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze suddenly softened, becoming tender and dependent as she looked at Lin Chen, softly calling out, "Master..."
Lin Chen was carefully assessing her reaction and frowned slightly at her words. "Don't call me that."
"Oh..." She playfully stuck out her tongue, obediently changing her address, her voice sweet and soft. "Got it, Brother Lin~"
Only then did he nod slightly, confirming to himself:
The effect of the Creation Spirit Crystal was indeed profound. It didn't erase or manipulate the mind.
Instead, it was more like a deep-seated "recognition" and "loyalty" imprint, instantly elevating the user's affection and trust to the highest level.
Li Ya's current reaction, though influenced by the spirit crystal, was clearly a natural expression of her true nature—her surprise, joy, and dependence unfolding layer by layer, genuine and vivid.
However, the strength of this imprint's restraint and whether it could withstand extreme situations still required further observation and experimentation.
...
After breakfast, the two went up to the third-floor terrace. This was the last gentle sunlight before the apocalypse, and Lin Chen cherished it deeply.
He had long since transformed this space into a sturdy observation deck:
Thick bulletproof glass barriers were installed around the perimeter, and the roof featured a retractable reinforced canopy.
Between two comfortable lounge chairs, a small table held a pot of fragrant cold-brewed oolong tea.
"Xiao Ya, how much cash do you have on hand?" Lin Chen suddenly asked, as if struck by a thought.
"Not much cash, but I have around a hundred million or so in my checking account? Why do you ask, Brother Lin?" She blinked her big eyes, answering casually.
Lin Chen was momentarily speechless—he had assumed she chose to be a flight attendant out of financial necessity or a spirit of independence, but it turned out the interest on her savings alone could surpass 99% of the world's hard workers.
His eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly stood up. "Let's go, order food! Contact all the high-end hotels, private kitchens, time-honored restaurants, and Michelin-starred establishments in Yangcheng!"
"We'll take as many premium dishes as they can prepare today, all to be delivered here by 8 AM tomorrow at the latest! Money is no object—if they're overwhelmed, double the price immediately!"
With the apocalypse approaching, he saw no issue in making the most of these final resources to enjoy a lavish "soft life" through fine dining.
The two immediately plunged into a frenzy of ordering.
From exquisite dim sum to luxurious Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, from local delicacies to exotic flavors, they nearly depleted the daily capacity of every major restaurant.
Half an hour later, an unprecedented spectacle unfolded in this typically tranquil upscale villa district—
Countless delivery riders in assorted uniforms and restaurant-branded vehicles swarmed in. The security guard initially tried to stop them, but Li Ya made one call directly to the property management's general manager.
Upon hearing the title "Daughter of Mr. Li Zhenbang," the manager's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn, granting unimpeded access.