Chapter 346 - 322: Guan Tong’s Birthday Party (Part 2)

Chapter 346: Chapter 322: Guan Tong’s Birthday Party (Part 2)

The Parasites seizing the Black Banner Country’s territory and announcing the establishment of the Seri Divine Kingdom was a massive, world-shaking event. It dominated all news headlines and social media feeds.

Even though Guan Tong was busy dealing with the Mizusawa Chun affair, he was naturally aware of such a major event.

"The teachers and students at the academy are all talking about it," Shi Jingyi said. "If this nation truly manages to last..."

"That’s impossible," Silver Fox stated flatly. "Humanity will not allow an alien lifeform to colonize them. I contacted the captain earlier. North Star is currently mobilizing a large number of troops, and they’re clearly headed for the Black Banner Country. The Human Federation should be issuing a joint statement soon as well."

The captain Silver Fox mentioned was, of course, Dragon Soul. He had been operating out of the base with Zhang Minglu, so he had firsthand knowledge of the government’s latest operational preparations.

"Speaking of which..."

Silver Fox looked at Guan Tong.

"Mizusawa Chun is dead, you’ve had your revenge, and the Sakura Prayer incident has come to a close. What are your plans now?"

"Me?"

Guan Tong’s original plan was to settle the score with Yelena’s brother in Sisiya after finishing the Sakura Prayer affair. Or, he would go to the chaotic region in the Tulip Federation and find Lucifer to settle that account.

But now, he wanted to slow down a bit.

The fifteenth rule was on its way. Today was January 6th, and the new rule would be released in a little over a week, on the 15th.

In such a short time, it was better to rest and reorganize than to rush off to an unfamiliar place.

For one, he needed to get himself back in shape and look for ways to get stronger.

Also, he and Shangyuan Zi were now an organization. Even if it was just the two of them, they needed to take the time to sit down and discuss the details.

’But the way Silver Fox is asking suggests she wants something.’

Guan Tong replied with a question of his own, "I’ll probably rest for a bit. Is there something you need?"

"Rest? Hmm... alright. I was wondering if you’d be willing to continue cooperating with the research lab."

"Continue cooperating?"

"Yes. The number of Parasites in the Black Banner Country is enormous. Soldiers alone might not be enough to handle everything; they’ll definitely need some powerful Ascenders to hold the line. I was thinking that if you’re willing to go, the research lab would surely agree and meet your demands and conditions."

The others fell silent at her words. It wasn’t their place to comment on something like this; only the person involved could make the decision.

"The Parasites are an enemy that threatens the survival of all humanity," Guan Tong said. "Since I’m human, of course I’ll fight them. But in my current state, it might not be a good idea to go immediately."

As he spoke, he noticed Shi Jingyi’s expression turn grave, as if she had thought of something related. A flicker of curiosity sparked within him.

"Guan, if you’re tired, you should rest. Don’t push yourself," Chen Na said.

Wang Yan chimed in, "Nana’s right. The Parasite situation is a big deal, but you’re not made of iron, Guan. You just finished that whole huge affair with Sakura Prayer, you should take a break!"

"Yeah! Silver Fox, Tong has been running all over the place. It hasn’t been easy for him!"

Silver Fox smiled and shook her head. "It was just a suggestion. I wasn’t trying to force you. Besides, it’s not like I have the power to... You’re right, though. Even before the investigation team was formed, you were already fighting Mizusawa Chun, Guan Tong. You’ve contributed much more than we have, so you deserve a rest. I’ll drink to my presumption, so please don’t take offense."

After saying her piece, she lifted her teacup and took a sip. Guan Tong didn’t blame her in the slightest; in fact, he understood her position.

If their roles were reversed, he would also hope Silver Fox would go and help in the Black Banner Country. After all, if the Parasites’ attempt to establish a nation wasn’t completely thwarted, the harm they could cause in the future would be far greater than anything Mizusawa Chun could have done.

No matter how ambitious or freakishly powerful Mizusawa Chun was, at least he was still human. But what were these Parasites? What planet did the spores come from, and what was the ultimate goal of their endless proliferation? These were all unknowns.

Many people could understand Mizusawa Chun’s goal. It was nothing more than the classic "ambitious man who dreams of being a great emperor" archetype, of which there have been countless examples throughout history.

But the unknown goal that these Parasites pursued was what made people even more terrified. Because humanity’s deepest fear is the fear of the unknown.

After dinner, the cake was brought to the table, and everyone took out the birthday gifts they had prepared.

Chen Na was the first to present her gift, a small square box.

As she watched with an expectant gaze, Guan Tong opened it and found a watch inside. The band and face were both black, and it looked quite plain.

"A watch?"

The others were a little surprised, and Xu Xiaotian scratched his head.

Watches had long been obsolete in this era, replaced by smart projection rings or other smart wearable devices.

In this day and age, watches were basically just used as accessories and had little practical value. And from what Xu Xiaotian knew of Guan Tong, the latter had no interest in non-practical items like accessories.

This was obvious from the fact that every time he saw Guan Tong, the man was wearing the same outfit. Even if one could guess the clothes were a Psychic Power item, someone with even a slight interest in their appearance would change things up now and then.

Guan Tong didn’t mind, though. He smiled, picked it up, and put it on his left wrist. The moment it made contact, a panel popped up in front of him.

He didn’t look closely and closed it for the time being, asking, "Na, is this a Psychic Power item?"

"Mhm!" Chen Na nodded eagerly. "After I found out it was your birthday, Guan, I spent a long time searching the terminal market and then bought this super multi-functional watch!"

"Super multi-functional?" Xu Xiaotian asked curiously. "What functions does it have?"

"Um... it can be used as a flashlight, give directions, monitor your vitals in real-time, test for environmental gases, detect radiation, and lots, lots more!"

"Because I figured that since you’re always running around all over the world, Guan, you must encounter all kinds of environments. That means you probably need a lot of little gadgets, so I picked this watch. What do you think, Guan?"

Guan Tong nodded. "I love it. It’s very practical for me. Thank you, Na."

"Hee hee, I’m glad you like it, Guan."

"So many complex functions in a single watch? That’s actually pretty cool! It must have been expensive, right?" Xu Xiaotian asked.

Chen Na shook her head. She didn’t state the price, but it clearly wasn’t cheap.

Silver Fox, who was listening from the side, chuckled. "Na, did you spend your entire salary and allowance from the research lab?"

"No, I didn’t..."

Guan Tong knew the research lab paid its staff in Sublimation Coins. And for an Ascender with special abilities like Chen Na, the salary was bound to be high, with extra subsidies for missions.

But a utility watch that integrated so many practical functions was definitely not cheap. He patted Chen Na’s head, but didn’t offer to reimburse her with Sublimation Coins. After all, it was a heartfelt gift from a child.

"Thank you, Na. When your birthday comes, I’ll get you an even better gift."

"Wow, then I’ll thank you in advance, Guan! Hee hee."

"Sigh, my gift looks pretty shabby in comparison!" Xu Xiaotian sighed, but still went to the side to grab his present, which was in a large cardboard box.

He opened the box, and when the others saw what was inside, they were even more bewildered than when they saw the watch.

The box was filled with cups of instant noodles.

As everyone stared in silence, Xu Xiaotian scratched his head in embarrassment. "Um... these aren’t ordinary Instant Noodles. They’re special Instant Noodles I made with a new ability I developed recently. They have special effects!"