Chapter 73: The Alluring Tang Ling

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Alluring Tang Ling

Lin Ji withdrew his hand, exhaled a smoke ring, and spoke to the four women who were still standing awkwardly in the room.

As soon as he finished speaking,

Tang Ling, as if afraid someone would beat her to it, dashed to the bathroom door in a flash.

"Me first! I was nearly cooked alive by the furnace below deck, and I’m drenched in sweat!"

While saying this, she quickly stripped off her heavy overalls,

revealing the astonishing "headlights" beneath, then slipped into the bathroom with a swift motion.

"Hey! Sister Tang Ling, wait for me! I want to shower with you too!"

Seeing this, Bai Taotao hurriedly shed her slightly musty Lolita dress.

Like a slippery little loach, she squeezed into the bathroom right after Tang Ling and closed the glass door behind her.

Now, only Su Qingyue and Lin Yurou remained outside.

Lin Yurou had originally wanted to shower with Bai Taotao, as she was closest to this little girl of similar age on the ship.

But with two people already in the bathroom, it was clearly too crowded.

She awkwardly retraced her steps and turned to look at Su Qingyue, who stood nearby exuding an aura that kept others at a distance.

"Um... Sister Su..."

Lin Yurou called out timidly, unsure whether she should shower alone or wait to shower with Su Qingyue later.

Su Qingyue gave her a cold glance.

"I’ll shower alone later."

"You can go last."

Su Qingyue’s voice carried an icy, unyielding tone, as if it could freeze someone on the spot.

"Oh... okay."

Lin Yurou was startled by her cold gaze and could only nod awkwardly and timidly, retreating to a corner to wait quietly.

Leaning against the headboard, Lin Ji observed the subtle rivalries among these women.

He didn’t intervene, finding it somewhat amusing instead.

As the saying goes, three women make a drama, and now there were a full six women on this ship.

Clearly, after surviving the apocalypse these past few days,

these women had begun to form cliques and establish a distinct hierarchical system.

The most elevated status undoubtedly belonged to Gu Yihan.

Not only was she the Deputy Captain and a formidable fighter, but she was also Lin Ji’s current favorite woman.

The other women on the ship instinctively revered her, even to the point of currying favor.

Ranked second was Shen Manyun.

Not only because she had just become Lin Ji’s second woman, but also due to her mature and sensible personality, as well as her irreplaceable healing talent.

Subconsciously, everyone regarded her as a confidante and reliable older sister.

Next came Tang Ling and Su Qingyue.

Tang Ling mastered the core forging techniques and handled logistics, and her outgoing personality made it easy for her to get along with others.

Su Qingyue, on the other hand, had known Lin Ji the longest, even before they arrived in this godforsaken place.

But her aloof, ice-queen demeanor, combined with the fact that she hadn’t yet established a physical relationship with Lin Ji, left her in an awkward position within the group.

Although neither of them said it openly, there was an underlying rivalry between them.

As for those at the very bottom of the food chain, it was naturally Bai Taotao and the newcomer Lin Yurou.

However, thanks to her cute appearance and likable personality, Bai Taotao was thriving on the ship, with everyone willing to dote on her.

In contrast, Lin Yurou, who was timid, weak-willed, and lacked any background, could only endure grievances in silence.

"Let them be."

Lin Ji flicked the ash from his cigarette, too lazy to bother with these trivial matters within his harem.

As long as they didn’t falter at critical moments or affect the team’s overall combat strength and interests, this kind of healthy internal competition could actually motivate them to grow stronger.

From the bathroom,

the playful sounds of Tang Ling and Bai Taotao occasionally drifted out.

After admiring the faint glimpses of spring scenery for a while, Lin Ji shifted his attention back to the System Panel.

He opened the previously obtained [Hidden-Wing Mantis Exoskeleton Blueprint (Red Quality)] and began studying it carefully.

The materials required to craft this top-tier Purple Grade equipment were extremely demanding.

Aside from the core bone armor and hidden wings he had just harvested from the Withered Wood Reaper,

he also needed at least a Level 3 Magic Beast Crystal Core to serve as the energy hub.

Moreover, the system specifically noted that it would be best to use a Wind Attribute or Concealment Attribute core to maximize the exoskeleton’s Extreme Speed and Optical Camouflage effects.

"These conditions are way too harsh."

Looking at the requirements on the blueprint, Lin Ji inwardly clicked his tongue.

If an ordinary survivor got their hands on this blueprint, they’d probably be left staring helplessly.

After all, where would they find such a high-level magic beast that met all the conditions?

But Lin Ji’s luck was truly remarkable.

Not only had he managed to kill the high-potential Withered Wood Reaper larva while being outmatched, but he had also coincidentally obtained an extremely rare [Level 3 Mutated Monster Beast Core (Wind Attribute)] from its body.

However, even with all the materials gathered, synthesis wasn’t guaranteed.

At the very bottom of the blueprint, the required crafting fee and conditions were clearly stated.

[Synthesis Cost: 500 Evolution Points.]

[Synthesis Condition: Must be synthesized by an Artisan-type Talent Holder using their skill.]

"Damn it, Evolution Points again!"

Seeing this number, Lin Ji couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

That was exactly what he was most short on right now!

His Evolution Points were being spent like water.

The women on this ship—Shen Manyun and Gu Yihan—had already cost him quite a few points.

The remaining ones—Tang Ling, Su Qingyue, and Bai Taotao—were also eagerly waiting for him to "upgrade" their talents.

On top of that, upgrading the vessel required a massive amount of Evolution Points as a foundation, not to mention the daily purchases of essential living supplies, medicine, various blueprints...

Lin Ji’s pitiful savings had long since run dry.

He was so poor that he even felt a sudden impulse to simply toss the Blue Quality [Crossbow Repeater] in his hand into the Trading House and sell it.

At current prices, a long-range weapon capable of providing suppressive fire would definitely fetch a decent price!

But this thought flashed through his mind for only a moment before he forcefully suppressed it.

"Can’t sell it. Weapons are lifelines."

Lin Ji shook his head.

In this Forbidden Sea, where death could come at any moment, a good weapon could save lives at critical times.

Selling a weapon for Evolution Points was no different from killing the goose that lays the golden eggs—something only a fool would do.

"Splash—"

Just as Lin Ji was worrying about those 500 Evolution Points, the glass door of the bathroom was pushed open again.

Tang Ling and Bai Taotao had finished washing.

Two girls, one big and one small, walked out wrapped in large towels.

Bai Taotao was like a child who hadn’t fully grown up—though her skin was fair, her figure still carried a hint of youthful immaturity. Paired with her naturally innocent, doll-like face, she simply seemed adorable.

But Tang Ling, walking behind her, instantly captured Lin Ji’s gaze.

This girl usually always wore that heavy pair of overalls and a pair of thick-framed black glasses.

But now, having washed away the grime and removed her glasses, her face—flushed pink from the warm steam—was unexpectedly breathtakingly beautiful.

Even more striking was her figure.

The white bath towel could barely wrap around the astonishing, proud fullness of her chest, the deep cleavage dazzlingly pale.

The long legs revealed beneath the hem of the towel, though not as slender and straight as Gu Yihan’s, were full of sturdy strength and a soft, fleshy appeal—truly a peerless, captivating beauty!