In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

"Stop using those 'you' and 'you' all the time, it sounds so distant."

"I'll just call you that in a more friendly way."

Jiang Chengcheng poured him some tea with great care, "Is everything... all over now?"

"I guess that's come to an end."

Xu Shi breathed a sigh of relief. "How about you? How's the thing I asked you to do going?"

"We just finished compiling the combat footage of Arlene."

Jiang Chengcheng said, "After we finish analyzing the model, we can try to make a special weapon with added enhancements."

Yes.

Xu Shi had sent her and the combat team with him for this very purpose—the special weapon system couldn't just stop with him; everyone else, at least his capable lieutenants, should also have one.

The confrontation with Shen Qin and the large-scale suppression of the "Forgotten Ones" riots were undoubtedly the best ways to collect combat data—combatants like Su Lin were different from him and, in some ways, even more troublesome.

"I've also recorded Xia's data. You can have her come to me for another check-up later."

"Really? That's thoughtful of you."

Xu Shi was taken aback, and there was a hint of surprise in his voice.

Xia Wuyou also needs to specialize in martial arts. He must have mentioned this to Jiang Chengcheng, but the other party's enthusiasm far exceeded his expectations. She seemed very enthusiastic... completely unlike before when she "only cared about herself and Su Lin".

"I mainly feel that she's a nice person, otherwise I wouldn't have done it for her."

Jiang Chengcheng was a little shy when she talked about it, "Even if you tell me, I won't do it."

Xu Shi blinked, taking a while to realize what was going on with her attitude—could it be because of that time he and Xia Wuyou had fun together? He couldn't think of anything else...

The truth is, they really went wild back then, and he still vividly remembers the scene of the two of them holding hands and riding each other on his body.

Well, so I'm the one who got bullied?

But looking at it this way, letting the girls interact and connect on their own doesn't seem like such a bad thing after all...

"As you like."

He was somewhat amused and exasperated, but his tone quickly became serious, "Speaking of which, I really have to thank you this time. That 'Jade Capital' weapon is even more useful than I expected."

This is the truth. In Xia Ke'an's prophecy, the confrontation during the "divine arrival" was almost the biggest variable. If he hadn't resolved the problem so smoothly before, the riot might not have ended so quickly.

"hey-hey."

Jiang Chengcheng was naturally delighted to hear this, and scratched her cheek shyly, "It's mainly because of your strong abilities, no matter how good the product is, it's just an auxiliary tool."

"However, if what you say is true, the enhancement effect of 'Yujing' is indeed better than the data on paper, basically a leap of one or two levels... and this is only the first generation product, it will only be better in the future."

It would be strange if she wasn't happy that something she developed and manufactured herself had such a powerful effect, especially since it was being used by someone she liked. It was truly a double blessing.

"In short, everything is in your hands. Just let me know if you need anything."

Xu Shi remained noncommittal. "As for those ordinary mass-produced weapons, let's gradually transfer them to the rest of the engineering department... There should be quite a few new people joining the engineering department recently, so the overall quality should be better than before?"

"There are indeed a few talented individuals who deserve proper nurturing."

Jiang Chengcheng nodded, which was the highest praise she could give. "But it's okay, Chengcheng can manage to take care of both sides."

"Good steel should be used where it's needed most. Since others can do it too, you don't need to do everything yourself."

Xu Shi waved his hand, "Wouldn't it make things easier for you too?"

"...Oh, then I'll do as you say."

Jiang Chengcheng responded, but didn't seem particularly happy about the concern.

Xu Shi saw it all, but after thinking about it, he didn't say anything.

"By the way, speaking of which, what does Chairman Xu plan to do with that Miss Shen?"

Jiang Chengcheng obediently stopped talking and quickly adjusted her mood to start a new conversation.

Now that she knows the other person's true identity, she can't help but become a bit gossipy.

"She... is actually quite troublesome."

Xu Shi thought for a moment and said, "There are still many things about her that are worth exploring, so we'll have to keep busy for a while."

"Development?"

Jiang Chengcheng was taken aback. "How...development?"

"Hey, what are you thinking?"

Xu Shi could tell at a glance that she was thinking about random things, and flicked her forehead in an annoyed tone, "I'm talking about serious matters. Didn't Su Lin tell you that she has two kinds of superpowers?"

"Hey?"

Jiang Chengcheng was genuinely unaware of this and was quite surprised, asking, "How can one person have two superpowers?"

Xu Shi didn't hide anything from her and told her the secret about Shen Qin.

Jiang Chengcheng then realized that they were talking about the transplantation of superpowers. Well, she had really been overthinking it... But she couldn't be blamed. She could only blame Xu Shi for being so irresponsible, even when he was serious, he was still being lewd.

"If it's really as you say, then this matter might be even more important than blessing the machinery."

She instantly realized the huge market hidden behind it. Wow, this is incredible!

It's important to understand that the "Ascended" category has always been quite chaotic, from the different levels during the awakening stage to the subsequent cultivation and improvement, and now to the mechanical enhancements. From a business perspective, each of these aspects represents a huge opportunity.

Logically, such a lucrative area should have been divided up long ago, but that's not the case. Even the most basic awakening abilities are still only at the basic stage of "sundial" or some auxiliary drugs produced by "Prism".

Needless to say, external factors played a significant role, and it's been less than six months since the "Twins" were introduced... What was there before that? Doping?

As for the second aspect of cultivation and improvement, there isn't even a complete system for it.

The reason for all this is that superpowers are a tangled mess. A thousand people will have a thousand different abilities. Even if the effects are the same, they can only be called "similar" rather than "identical", just like leaves.

As a result, everyone has a wide variety of ways to improve themselves. What works for Zhang San may not work for Li Si, and vice versa. Under such circumstances, it is extremely difficult to standardize and systematize them.

Moreover, many people are afraid of superpowers. The factors of "uncontrollability" and "complications" alone are enough to make 80% of people back down... Let alone others, isn't Jiang Chengcheng the best example in front of us?

After breaking it down and analyzing it, this cake wasn't as delicious as I had imagined.

But if a technology like "power transplantation" really existed, the situation would immediately become very different—I could specify the power I wanted, which would reduce my worries by half. Although I still couldn't avoid the hurdle of complications, it would be enough to make many people eager to try it.

Moreover, this makes it much easier to improve and train. For example, you could find a hundred or even a thousand people to replicate Xia Wuyou's or Su Lin's abilities, and then their past training experience could be directly applied to them, which could be considered a kind of mentorship between experienced and new people, and could even be passed down indefinitely...

This could be considered even more disruptive to the market than dedicated chip technology; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it creating a new system... if it succeeds.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to help."

Jiang Chengcheng remarked with a sigh, "Is this something that 'Prism' might be better at?"

"But you will definitely be a beneficiary."

Xu Shi said seriously, "If you could awaken your superpowers in this way, you wouldn't be so sour right now, would you?"

"...I don't know what you mean. Where did I feel jealous?"

Jiang Chengcheng was taken aback and turned her face away from him.

"Come on, I knew something was off about you a long time ago."

Xu Shi laughed and said, "Is it because you witnessed Su Linxia and Wuyou's performance on the battlefield that you're worried?"

Let's leave aside other things, but do you think you can hide these thoughts from him?

He noticed Jiang Chengcheng's subtle attitude as soon as he arrived, and this wasn't something new; it was a long-standing, ulterior motive.

Su Lin had told her a long time ago that her best friend was conflicted—the root of the conflict was that she was not an "ascended person," but she didn't dare to become one.

Not being an "Ascended One" means that she will lose many advantages compared to others, and the advantages she possesses do not seem to be irreplaceable.

That's why she was so reluctant when Xu Shi asked her to adjust her work focus—logistics personnel are like that; they're not as attractive as those on the front lines, and if her role is further weakened, wouldn't she be even less competitive...

Should I really commit to awakening my ability? That doesn't seem like a good idea either. If something goes wrong, the consequences could be far more serious than they are now…

This was already Jiang Chengcheng's biggest worry, and seeing Su Lin and the others so glamorous this time, it would be strange if she felt any better.

"……hold head high."

Jiang Chengcheng felt a little wronged when Xu Shi exposed her thoughts. "If the project succeeds... what kind of ability would Chairman Xu like me to choose?"

"It's not that I hope, it's that you hope."

Xu Shi said seriously, "It doesn't matter if you still choose not to awaken your abilities."

"After all, if you're not an 'Ascended One' and you've already provided me with so much help, why are you so fixated on this aspect?"

"so……"

Jiang Chengcheng was speechless upon hearing this.

So don't overthink it.

Xu Shi said sincerely, "I'm not angry at all that you don't want to awaken your abilities. I'm angry that you have this thought, you understand?"

He was angry, but he was more helpless than angry, and he unconsciously sighed.

Ultimately, Jiang Chengcheng's awkwardness is related to her personality—her terrible past makes her loyalty seem somewhat humble, and her desperate attempts to take on everything are also to maintain her reliance on her.

How could I easily give up something I've worked so hard to get?

"You need to understand one thing clearly: I have never used you as a tool."

Xu Shi continued, "So don't always be so cautious; it's better to be more carefree."

This is the truth. Although I never see myself as a good person, there's no rule that says villains have to be cold-blooded, right? Anyway, he doesn't think of himself as that kind of person. He's actually quite warm-hearted.

"Um……"

Jiang Chengcheng nodded hesitantly, then snuggled into his arms and sobbed softly.

It's clear that this bowl of chicken soup had a significant effect on her mental well-being. After all, everything Xu Shi said was true; she always felt inferior to other girls.

This feeling intensified, especially after seeing how others handled things on their own. You might see her looking relaxed, but she's definitely not feeling well inside.

Fortunately, the reality was different from what she had imagined, and Xu Shi did not blame her or anything, which undoubtedly made her feel much better.

As for that knot in my heart... it can't be solved immediately, but it certainly won't get worse.

"Chairman Xu..."

Thinking of him like this, Jiang Chengcheng felt even more grateful, thinking to herself that it was truly wonderful to have given him her heart and soul.