Ch 190: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Mu Xing stood on the ground, calmly watching Organization Zero’s underground base go up in flames.

That night, most of Organization Zero’s core members were captured. Those outside would be hunted down by ability users of other countries—no matter where they showed their faces, they were public enemies.

The captives were handed over to the S-country ability users, since Organization Zero had committed the worst crimes on their soil. In the hands of those who bore such hatred, they would face the punishment they deserved.

Dragon Fang withdrew in triumph. As for Instructor Mu—this incident once again pushed his reputation for brutality to new heights among international ability users.

The rumors spread from S-country: in their words, Mu Xing had a beautiful, harmless-looking face, abilities so deep they couldn’t be measured, and methods against enemies that were far more bloodthirsty than expected…

The rumors were exaggerated, but the benefits were clear: for a long time afterward, China remained peaceful. Any ability-user groups with shady ambitions steered clear of the country.

By the fifth year of the Great Awakening Era, this was an extremely important year not only for China, but for the world.

While ability users elsewhere fought over territory and clashed with ordinary humans, China released a new announcement.

Under the leadership of Mu Xing and the agricultural institute’s team of ability users, they had successfully fused wheat and sweet potato genes to create a brand-new strain of wheat.

This variety, called “shumai,” retained the nutritional value and satiety function of wheat, but its yield could rival that of sweet potatoes.

What did that mean?

Even low-yield sweet potatoes easily produced several times more per acre than high-quality wheat!

The news sent netizens into a frenzy:

【Amazing! The Agricultural Institute is amazing! Ability users are amazing!】
【This Mu Xing must be Xingxing, right? My whole family are his fans. Every time the Institute’s online shop sells a new product, we always buy some to try.】
【Is this real? Incredible! This is truly a blessing for the nation and the people.】
【Just this morning I saw news about Y-country sending special forces and ability users into a bloody battle. I don’t get it—are their lives that unbearable? Look at us—this is the proper way to use abilities!】
【That’s because our country’s ability users never see themselves as superior. Look at Chef Lin, so happy flipping his wok every day. I even took a picture with him. Meanwhile, over in F-country, didn’t a fire-type user proclaim himself the “Fire God,” gather followers, and start a cult? Bunch of lunatics.】
【Haha, today I ordered delivery from Brother Li Jin. Three minutes after placing the order, he knocked on my door. Got a selfie with him 【pic】】
【Strange thing is, if I lived abroad and had an ability user next door, I’d probably be too scared to sleep at night. But here, if one lived next to me, I’d dare to sleep with my door unlocked. That’s how safe it feels! Who would dare try to steal anything?】
【Pfft, maybe not leaving your door unlocked. But it’s true—our ability users really give a sense of safety.】
【Wow! Look at the top comment—it’s wild!】
【???】

Who was the top comment from?

It was a familiar name: Li Jin.

Since awakening as part of the first batch, Li Jin, with his speed rivaling a high-speed train, had earned the nickname “fastest man on the internet” and amassed millions of followers.

And under the official announcement, his excited comment read only four words:

【Instructor is awesome!】

That short comment carried a huge implication.

By now, everyone knew China had several secret awakening bases. The largest and earliest was in the capital, where almost all of the first awakened had gone through their awakening.

And the one they called “Instructor” had always been the same person.

The mysterious, brutal Instructor Mu—never seen, but surrounded by endless rumors.

Now, the official announcement credited the “shumai” breakthrough to Mu Xing.

Surname Mu.

And Li Jin had called him “Instructor.”

Instructor Mu!

Xingxing?

What was the connection?

Inside the Agricultural Institute, Yu Wei nearly panicked. “Mu Xing, boss, your identity’s been exposed!”

Mu Xing: “?”

Knowing he wasn’t much of an internet user, Yu Wei shoved his phone into Mu Xing’s hands. “Li Jin was too careless. Now the whole country is asking if Xingxing from the Agricultural Institute and Instructor Mu from the ability base are the same person.”

Many people already believed it. But plenty refused to accept it:

【No way. Didn’t the Institute release videos? Xingxing’s voice comes out often—gentle and pleasant.】
【As a five-year die-hard fan of Xingxing, I refuse to believe it! Xingxing is polite and kind. Even the hostesses who talk to him on camera always smile, obviously liking him.】
【A guy who spends all day fusing crops—how could he possibly be the brutal Instructor Mu?】
【@AgriculturalInstitute @ResearchInstitute @LiJinFlashLegs come out and explain!】
【I’m actually a fan of Instructor Mu! In my mind, he’s a cold-blooded iron-fisted man. How could he be this “Xingxing” who squats in fields? I mean no offense to farmers, but I prefer the ruthless alpha type.】

The debate online was in full swing. Not only Chinese citizens, but even many abroad were paying attention.

They too were curious—just what kind of person was this fearsome Instructor Mu?

In this atmosphere, a young lady reporter from the Agriculture Channel, who had long collaborated with the Agricultural Institute, contacted them to ask if Mu Xing would accept a live interview.

Mu Xing said he didn’t mind.

So the reporter cheerfully launched the livestream, titled: Exploring the Most Mysterious Man in the Agricultural Institute.

Cheeky indeed.

Popular accounts like China Youth Channel and the official publicity channel also joined in, simultaneously re-sharing the stream.

It was March, the season of fresh spring.

The camera first showed vast fields of experimental crops. The reporter joked, “These are the treasures of the Institute. We’d better walk carefully—if we accidentally damage even one plant, I’ll never be allowed in again.”

【Of course, they’re treasures! The researchers poured their hearts into these.】

The camera followed along as they walked, winding through the fields, until suddenly the view opened up.

Ahead stood a colossal peach tree, tens of meters tall. Its canopy spread like a vast pink umbrella, several meters wide.

It was the season of peach blossoms. From afar, the enormous tree seemed shrouded in pink mist, and the ground beneath was already thickly carpeted with fallen petals.

【Wow, that’s gorgeous.】
【Never saw that tree in earlier streams.】

Even the reporter was amazed.

As she stepped closer, the petals fell in flurries with the spring breeze, like rain, like snow—dreamlike.

Suddenly, the cameraman spotted something. The lens shifted and fixed on a certain spot.

There was a person, sitting on a branch. His upper body was hidden behind dense blossoms, only his legs dangling lazily in view. His pants were rolled to the knees, and he was barefoot.

The reporter burst out laughing. “Xingxing, napping in a tree again? If Scholar Zhang sees, he’ll nag you.”

【Xingxing? My Xingxing is finally showing himself!】
【His legs are so fair! Slim and pale—I want to lick them!】
【??? Bro you’re not okay.】

Viewers watched as those relaxed legs shifted, the branches rustled, scattering petals, and a face peeked through the peach blossoms, smiling. “Sister Ji Yun.”

He glanced at the camera and realized instantly, sighing helplessly. “You didn’t tell me today was an interview.”

Ji Yun grinned. “That’s what makes it a surprise. Come greet the viewers.”

Mu Xing jumped down from the tree in one smooth motion, waved at the camera. “Hello everyone, I’m Mu Xing.”

【Ahhhh Xingxing! Hello, I’m your wife!】
【Move aside, mistress! I married Xingxing yesterday!】
【Bruh, are we forming sworn brotherhoods here?】
【That jump went straight into my heart.】

【My mom just walked by, saw the stream, and praised what a handsome young man he is. She asked me which celebrity he was. I told her this is Xingxing, the ability user who led the shumai research. She gave me this look like, ‘what’s the point of having you,’ and stared at me forever QAQ.】
【I feel you. My dad’s beside me saying I’m ugly, powerless, useless to the country, just a rice-waster. Like he raised a pig -_-||】
【Don’t sell pigs short. At least pork is edible. You don’t even have that value [doge].】

That day, Mu Xing wore a gray cotton-linen long shirt and pants, his cuffs rolled. If not for his face, he looked no different from the kind of research staff netizens imagined squatting in fields all day.

He sat at a table under the peach tree with Ji Yun.

Ji Yun said curiously, “I came last month, but I don’t recall seeing this tree.”

Mu Xing replied, “I’m a plant-type ability user. Plants behave differently around me.”

As he spoke, he looked up.

A nearby blossom withered instantly, petals shriveling as green leaves sprouted in its place. A tiny fruit swelled rapidly, growing to maturity before their eyes.

It dropped from the branch into Mu Xing’s palm.

He offered it to Ji Yun. “See? Even in March, you can eat peaches.”

Above him, the tree was still in full bloom. The scene just now had looked like flawless magic.

Ji Yun had seen many ability users before, but none had brought her such novelty and awe—only Mu Xing.

She accepted the peach, smiling. “It feels too precious. I almost don’t dare eat it.”

Mu Xing said, “It’s nothing special. I just happened to awaken with this type of power.”

He shifted the topic. “Take shumai for example. I didn’t do much. I just happened to have the right ability, got lucky fusing the genes of two plants. In theory and professional knowledge, I can’t compare to the other researchers here. Especially making shumai reproducible without ability intervention—that was all thanks to Academician Zhang and the team’s endless experiments. Everyone worked hard. I can’t take the credit.”

Ji Yun smiled, understanding. “Everyone knows. No one will forget anyone’s contribution.”

【Sob, Xingxing is so good.】
【Can I just ask… is he really Instructor Mu?】
【No way. With a temper this gentle, Xingxing can’t possibly be the devil Instructor Mu.】

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