Chapter 168: The Disparities of the World

Chapter 168: The Disparities of the World

The world changes too quickly.

Xue Pengkai walked into the base as usual, his eyes revealing an indescribable chill.

No one greeted him on the way. Everyone's attention was on the new arrival, Wang Lang. They welcomed him enthusiastically, almost as if they wanted to kneel before him.

Previously, being the center of attention and seeing people bow and scrape would have annoyed him, but now that no one paid him any mind, Xue Pengkai felt even more restless.

The boy at the center of the storm, with a shy smile, nodded in response to the greetings, feeling a bit embarrassed. When he saw Xue Pengkai, he scratched his head and greeted him warmly.

"Brother Xue, good morning."

The base was predominantly white, with many black laborers, but the number of Asians was pitifully few. Since both of them were from China, Wang Lang had a good impression of Xue Pengkai and called him "brother" from the moment they met.

For this reason, Kelly directly assigned him to give Wang Lang a brief training, explaining the knowledge about sealed artifacts and some precautions.

"Good morning. Congratulations, Little Lang. You've become a team leader right after joining the company."

Xue Pengkai's expression quickly changed to that of a warm and experienced senior, smiling at Wang Lang.

In just two days, this new boy had won the affection of everyone in the base, becoming a hot topic. Whether it was the uninformed regular employees or the true employees of the base, everyone couldn't stop praising him.

This was quite normal, after all. He had resisted the temptation to open the Level 1 sealed artifact, "Pandora's Box," and then consecutively tamed the Level 3 sealed artifacts "Unnamed Portrait," "Emotion Overload Machine," and the Level 1 "Book of the Dead," all within less than a day.

Yesterday, he had saved a large number of employees by re-sealing the Level 1 "Tree of Kabaton" after its seal failed, single-handedly turning the tide.

In just two days, he became the youngest, fastest-rising, and least experienced team leader in Future Fund.

"Thank you, Brother Xue, for teaching me about the sealed artifacts. Otherwise, I would have been completely clueless."

Xue Pengkai pursed his lips and gave Wang Lang a perfect smile, "It's your own strength. The information I provided is known by everyone in the base, but I organized it more systematically and in detail."

"But many people are still stuck in administrative roles, unlike you, who has risen so quickly. In just a few days, you've reached my level."

Wang Lang shook his head, a smile inevitably appearing on his face, "Brother Xue, don't make fun of me. I just joined, what do I know?"

He sighed, "I never thought I could accomplish these things."

Everything happened so fast, so fast that he couldn't keep up, feeling as if he were in a dream.

Before this, he had been weak and failed in every aspect, always remaining anonymous.

But here, everyone saw him as a rising star, the next manager. Expectations and praise enveloped him.

"However, this life is quite good. Although it's a bit dangerous, here my talents can be developed, and I can save others to atone for my past sins."

Wang Lang radiated a sense of happiness.

"..."

He really had the nerve to say that. Initially, he was just a lowly Level 1 employee, used as test subjects and expendable materials for sealed artifacts, theoretically unable to advance as a criminal.

Xue Pengkai suppressed his thoughts and gave a polite smile, "We'll talk again. I need to go check on the Level 0 derivatives. You know, these entities are very dangerous."

"Is it Derivative No. 3?"

Wang Lang's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward involuntarily.

Xue Pengkai's smile slowly faded, "You know about it? But the information about sealed artifacts should be confidential, especially Level 0 related knowledge."

"Supervisor Kelly told me. The sealed artifact seems to be intelligent and has some connection to my father's past, so I asked for more details."

"..."

Xue Pengkai couldn't maintain his smile. Just because he "asked for more details," the information about the Level 0 derivative he was responsible for was revealed. What kind of behavior was that?

"Brother Xue, what's wrong?"

Wang Lang, seeing his expression, hesitated, "Did I say something wrong?"

Xue Pengkai nodded slightly, "Level 0 secrets cannot be disclosed casually. Supervisor Kelly's actions are a violation. Be careful not to spread it around, or even supervisors will face punishment."

"Ah, about that."

Wang Lang hesitated, "Actually... um... never mind. Brother Xue, you go ahead with your work. I... I'll be going now."

After Wang Lang's figure disappeared around the corner, Xue Pengkai's face darkened, his eyes filled with various emotions before finally calming down.

He went straight to the 10th floor and stood in front of the monitor of Derivative No. 3's room.

The youth in the picture was sitting quietly, reading a book, a picture of peaceful tranquility.

"Luke, can you predict the future?"

He asked directly, his tone strong, "When you told me to come back in three days, did you foresee the current situation?"

Luke ignored the voice from the speaker, calmly turning the pages of the book, showing no intention of responding.

Xue Pengkai closed his mouth and waited patiently.

After an unknown amount of time, Luke finally closed the book and spoke calmly, "Your patience in waiting is commendable, but your inability to control your emotions upon arrival is a point to deduct. My opinion of you has slightly decreased, Mr. Xue."

He propped his head up with his long, slender fingers. "What's the situation now?"

"The entire base is buzzing about Wang Lang. Haven't you heard, Luk?"

"But the only person who can come to see me is you, Mr. Xue." Luk lowered his eyelids, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"You told me to come back in three days, clearly anticipating the current situation."

"I won't deny that." Luk responded calmly. "I don't think I ever mentioned to anyone else that I can see a person's fate, did I?"

Xue Pengkai fell silent. The intelligence on sealed objects was often filled with human lives, and while the mechanisms of the rigid ones were straightforward, no one knew if intelligent sealed objects had the ability to hide anything.

Now, thinking back, how could Derivative Three really be an ordinary person?

Luk's voice drifted from a distance. "Do you remember what I said? It's such a pity, someone as excellent as you, yet not favored by the world."

Xue Pengkai's pupils constricted. "So, Wang Lang is the one favored by the world?"

"At least for now."

Luk's smile was enigmatic. "How about it, want to work with me?"

"What can you do to help me?" Xue Pengkai didn't immediately refuse.

"If I can observe, I can change. If I can change, I can control." Luk casually suggested, "You let me out, and I'll help you become the main character."

"What do you plan to do after you're out?"

"Well, there's no need to hide it. I want to destroy the world." Luk pointed to the ground. "The first step is to obliterate the Future Fund."

"Are you even capable of destroying the Future Fund?"

Xue Pengkai snorted. "You have no self-awareness. Do you know how many world-ending crises Earth has faced? Do you know how many terrifying things the Future Fund has sealed away?"

"Looks like I overestimated you, Derivative Three."

He lost his pretense, his eyes filled with disdain as he looked at the teenager locked in the hotel suite. "You can't even escape from Room 1408, you can only beg me to let you out. You're a useless monster."

Faced with Xue Pengkai's direct use of his designation, "Derivative Three," Luk wasn't angry. Instead, he looked at him with a mocking gaze, as if watching a clown trying to amuse him.

"Mr. Xue, you were born into a wealthy family, with a comfortable upbringing and striking good looks. You received the best education, learning various etiquettes. You are highly capable, decisive, and have your own judgment. Whenever you go out, everyone around you becomes a mere foil to your brilliance. You are truly a son of heaven."

"Pain cannot make you submit, and profit cannot corrupt your heart. At least for a normal person, your mental state is very stable. But there is one thing you cannot accept."

Luk slowly revealed the truth. "You can't stand being someone else's foil."

Xue Pengkai scoffed and turned to leave without a second glance.

Behind him, Luk's final words echoed.

"Mr. Xue, you are not the only choice."

Xue Pengkai paused for a moment, then continued walking.

...

First floor of the base.

Xue Pengkai ate his Chinese lunch without much taste, preparing to visit the two other sealed objects under his name: the Son of Fertility and the Magic Sprite.

The Son of Fertility was a sixteen-year-old boy with a striking appearance. His blood could nourish and heal anything, bringing life to anything, from dead seeds to decayed flesh, and even making lifeless steel bloom with steel flowers and bear steel fruit.

However, if the blood was not willingly given, it would lose its power.

The Magic Sprite was a beautiful little girl, thirty centimeters tall, who claimed to be from the foreign land of Mamm. She could use a magical wish-granting ability, supposedly capable of fulfilling any wish, though her power was weak, and only a tiny fraction of an outrageous wish could be fulfilled.

For example, if she were asked to destroy the sun, the sun would indeed be destroyed, but only by an almost immeasurable amount. If asked to revive the dead, she could only bring back a few cells.

Experiments showed that the simpler the wish, the more effective it was, while more complex wishes were less likely to be fulfilled.

"Leader Xue, Manager Kelly wants to see you in her office."

Xue Pengkai stopped and nodded. "Alright."

As he approached the office, he heard voices from inside.

"...A badge, a wanted poster without a person, a stone tablet with nine rules, and the last one... what kind of monster is this!"

"Indeed, you won't be affected by any mental pollution. You are too excellent, King!"

Xue Pengkai clenched his fingers, knocked on the door, and entered only after hearing the command to come in.

Kelly, who usually kept her emotions in check, still had a hint of excitement on her face. She nodded at him while shoving papers into a paper shredder.

"Xue, I called you here for a work adjustment."

Kelly's voice was natural.

"Starting tomorrow, Derivative Three will no longer be your responsibility. I'll hand it over to Wang, and I'll prepare a more suitable sealed object for you."

Xue Pengkai felt a hollow sensation in his chest. He opened his mouth but found himself unable to speak, remembering Wang Lang's hesitant expression that morning.

Then he remembered Luk's words.

"Mr. Xue, you are not the only choice."

So that's how it is.

Xue Pengkai forced a smile and nodded.

"Alright."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end