This knife is indeed excellent—sharp, invisible, and absolutely essential for any occasion, whether at home, traveling, or for murder and cover-ups. But that's not all. Everyone likes this knife, and Zhang Lei's own fondness for it was palpable as he praised it twice. Besides, it was clearly Zhang Lei's trophy. Even Linghu, who had made the move, wouldn't dare make such a request, let alone a fat man who hadn't even touched this person.
"Oh, it seems you've misunderstood. Of course, I can't just take Brother Zhang's knife for nothing!" Xiao Bailang's earlier eagerness subsided slightly, and his words became less abrupt.
"First of all, I won't argue with you about this Japanese guy anymore. Yue Jing is one of yours from now on!" Xiao Bailang patted Yue Jing with his big hand, and Yue Jing seemed to be making a comment on his words as he activated his superpower.
Once Yue Jing's special ability was activated, Zhang Lei no longer needed anyone to explain to him what it meant to assist in absorbing internal energy. Zhang Lei felt his internal energy absorption speed suddenly jump up a level, at least 50% faster than normal, and much faster than when Zhang Lei exerted all his strength. The vortex of energy in his body also seemed to be spinning wildly.
Moreover, this wasn't just targeting Zhang Lei. Zhang Lei could sense that it was clearly a range-based ability; within a radius of about ten meters, everyone's absorption of internal energy seemed to have improved significantly.
"Your ability index should be over NDS1500, right? Your internal energy absorption is increasing very quickly. How long can this last?" Linghu squinted his eyes, carefully sensing the changes in the speed of internal energy absorption. "If it can last for three hours, I can absorb enough internal energy to use my ability once this time!"
Nds is a Japanese measurement, approximately 1,500, which is roughly equivalent to China's Superpower Index of 1,000.
"Please don't use that Japanese pseudo index called NDS. I'm used to using the ability index to express my abilities!" Yue Jing nodded heavily. "Unfortunately, my ability index is only over 970, but I believe it will soon surpass 1,000. At that time, there should be a mutation, which I believe will also have an effect on my internal energy absorption. Then I can better serve you all!"
Internal energy-assisted absorption is a standard self-sacrificing ability that benefits others. It is beneficial to the absorption of internal energy but cannot be targeted at individuals. Moreover, when using this ability, the user's own internal energy needs to be constantly consumed to maintain it. This is completely different from other abilities that stop consuming internal energy once used. The duration of this ability basically depends on how long the user's internal energy can be sustained. At least so far, there have been no instances of it lasting until the ability automatically ends.
As for anything beyond 1000, there are currently no records. The nature of this ability means that its consumption per use is far greater than that of ordinary abilities. Each use depletes all of the user's internal energy, and it doesn't last until the ability automatically ends. This results in a very slow increase in the ability's index, and the repeated depletion of internal energy also means that the user's lifespan is not very long. It can be said that this Japanese person's ability index is probably the highest known.
"I used my ability just ten days ago, so the duration wasn't long enough this time. Please forgive me!" Yue Jing was no longer nervous. He knew what he was doing. With an ability like his, any organization would find it hard to refuse if they were willing to serve him. The essence of an ability lies in internal energy, and he was essentially an external aid that enhanced internal energy absorption, even if that aid wasn't very efficient. Even with an ability like his, no organization would complain about having too many. After all, having one more meant a slight increase in the growth rate of core members, and in fierce competition, any small difference could be the key to victory.
The Japanese who controlled Yue Jing in the past were worried that he would run away with someone else after leaving their side, so they took him everywhere they went. The fact that Yue Jing's superpower index could reach this level was largely the result of their extreme exploitation.
"You can gather enough internal energy to use your special ability once every ten days and maintain it for more than five minutes. You're already quite strong!" Linghu's attitude was as amiable as that of a longtime friend. This Japanese guy was too important. Linghu's eyes were already filled with the hope that he would agree.
Zhang Lei didn't think it was anything special. It only increased his internal energy absorption speed by half, and only for a few minutes. From what he said, it seemed that it would take ten days to achieve this effect. What use was that? At least one or two hours a day would be more like it.
Zhang Lei was too greedy. He didn't know that Yue Jing's special ability wasn't based entirely on proportions; it was a combination of proportion and numerical value. He felt he only saw a 50% increase because of his unique internal energy absorption speed. But for Linghu, it was equivalent to absorption speed ten times faster than full-force internal energy cultivation. No wonder he said that he could absorb enough internal energy to activate his ability in just three hours. Zhang Lei was at a near-innate level, and his internal energy absorption was even more exaggerated than that of a true innate cultivator. Others' internal energy absorption, when not activating their cultivation, was at least slightly reduced, which was incomparable to his.
Xiao Bailang was a fat man who was also incredibly shrewd, so how could he not see Zhang Lei's expression? He knew that this little Japanese man couldn't sway Zhang Lei.
There's an unwritten rule in the world of superpowers: there's no such thing as confiscating all spoils. Here, whoever gets it owns it, and if both parties contribute, the spoils are distributed according to the amount of their contribution. So, that knife definitely belongs to Zhang Lei.
Similarly, Xiao Bailang contributed the most effort in eliminating the Japanese lurking in the shadows, but Linghu and the others also provided intelligence and support. If Fatty had been the only one to win, the outcome would have been uncertain. Without so many people sealing the door, that little Japanese would probably have run away long ago.
Therefore, although Fatty Xiao had the upper hand, Linghu also had the right to compete. More importantly, it was inconvenient for Xiao Bailang to carry this guy around, so he preferred to use him as a bargaining chip to exchange for the knife in Zhang Lei's hands.
This knife is extremely useful to Xiao Bailang. In fact, Xiao Bailang is quite vulnerable to attack during his movements, especially by people with other superpowers. They have a chance to fight him to the death. With this knife in hand, Xiao Bailang can catch people off guard and his safety is guaranteed.
“Little brother, I see your rope marker has been cut. I happen to have a black spider silk rope here, which seems to be quite suitable for you!” As he spoke, Xiao Bailang pulled out a dark rope from somewhere, tore off the protective layer, and the rope immediately shone with a liquid-like luster, clearly not an ordinary object.
Episode 3: The Bloody Path to Growth, Chapter 58: The Magical Spider Silk (Part 2)
Xiao Bailang handed the rope to Zhang Lei, explaining it to him as if he were a salesman eager to make a sale.
"Spider silk is inherently very elastic and tough. A single millimeter-thick strand of ordinary spider silk can withstand several tons of tension, which is more than a hundred times that of ordinary steel wire. This black spider silk is even more exceptional, far surpassing the performance of ordinary spider silk. This strand of spider silk, woven using a special method, is as long as a little finger!"
Seeing Zhang Lei's suddenly puzzled look, Xiao Bailang quickly added, "It's about the thickness of your little finger, haha. If it's like mine, then it's a cable!"
“Although I haven’t tested it, this thick black spider silk is enough to pull this ship away, hehe!” Xiao Bailang’s face showed a smug look. “This was because one of the people I was protecting went bankrupt and couldn’t pay my wages, so I extorted it from them. Even for a useless person, this thing is worth tens of millions of dollars just as a collection!”
I don't know if Xiao Bailang used to sell insurance, but Zhang Lei was already very interested in him. "But isn't this spider silk fireproof?"
Among the superpowered individuals, fire-type abilities are the most common, and the battles with them will likely be the most frequent. Zhang Lei felt that the spider silk was supposed to be afraid of fire. No matter how strong it was, it would burn as soon as it touched fire, so what use would it be? Although Zhang Lei's original rope was also afraid of fire, since he was upgrading, he should get something better.
"Fire? Heh, it seems Brother Zhang doesn't fully understand spider silk. Ordinary spider silk can withstand temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius and maintain its elasticity at minus 40 degrees Celsius. This black spider silk is even more so. Its performance is at least several times better than ordinary spider silk. Otherwise, how could it be called a treasure! Don't believe me? Take a look!"
As Xiao Bailang spoke, he took out his lighter and lit the end of the rope. Sure enough, after a full half minute, the rope showed no signs of burning, and not only that, its color did not change at all.
"Don't worry, I've even tested it with an alcohol torch, and it only made the rope turn a little white. It went back to normal once it cooled down. If this rope wasn't really unsuitable for me, I really wouldn't have wanted to exchange it with you!" Xiao Bailang said with a regretful expression.
"It's not only heat-resistant, but also acid-resistant, poison-resistant, and corrosion-resistant. Sigh, the only downside is that it dissolves in my grease. Maybe there's something special about my grease. Although it dissolves very slowly, it will become thinner and thinner if I use it a lot. Plus, I really don't know how to use this stuff. It's just not meant for me!" Xiao Bailang practically forced the rope into Zhang Lei's hand, covering his eyes with his hand. He was definitely putting on a good show.
Zhang Lei pulled the rope with both hands and tugged hard. "It seems to be very elastic!"
“That’s right. As long as you control it well, this is the most suitable material for making rope markers. The elasticity of this spider silk will give you a lot of flexibility, and the speed will be faster,” Xiao Bailang nodded. “Moreover, this rope has another characteristic, which is that under the deliberate stimulation of internal force, it can become very sticky. After all, this is the most fundamental characteristic of spider silk!”
"Spider silk loses its stickiness after being detached from the body for too long, but this is not irreversible. It will regain its original properties after being activated by internal energy in a special way. I will tell you this secret later. If you had used this spider silk just now, that little devil would not have had a chance to cut the rope, let alone draw his sword!" As he said this, Zhang Lei could see that Xiao Bailang was really a little reluctant.
"Here you go!" Zhang Lei readily handed the knife to Xiao Bailang.
Zhang Lei originally wanted that knife to enhance the function of the rope marker. By placing it on the other end of the rope marker, not only would the use of one end be changed to a steel ball and the other end to a sharp knife, but such a sharp, transparent knife would also be an extremely effective weapon for ambushing someone.
However, it's clear that the spider silk better meets Zhang Lei's needs now. With this spider silk, once he becomes proficient, the rope marker's effectiveness will be significantly enhanced. Therefore, when Zhang Lei noticed that Xiao Bailang was genuinely reluctant to part with it, he immediately shoved the knife into Xiao Bailang's hand to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Zhang Lei knew that Xiao Bailang's explanation wasn't finished, but its current performance was enough to make Zhang Lei give up the knife.
"Huh?" Xiao Bailang was also surprised that Zhang Lei suddenly became so generous halfway through the conversation. But since he had already gotten his hands on it, he naturally accepted it.
"Okay, that's straightforward! But I won't treat you unfairly. Let's continue talking about this rope. I'll give you another surprise later!" Xiao Bailang patted Zhang Lei's shoulder. He didn't use much force, but Zhang Lei still felt like he had been hit by a steam hammer.
"You can also use your internal energy to control part of the rope's extension and retraction; I believe you understand what that means!"
Zhang Lei understood, of course, that if the rope marker of the past was a small pistol, then the rope marker of today could at least be called an intercontinental ballistic missile, and if used well in the future, it could even be considered an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with multiple nuclear warheads.
"This rope might have other uses, I don't know, you'll have to figure it out yourself!" Xiao Bailang tried to pat Zhang Lei's shoulder again, but Zhang Lei quickly dodged. Even with his self-examination and enhancement, Zhang Lei couldn't handle this steam hammer. He suspected that with his size, even without his special abilities, others with special abilities might not be able to beat him.
"Okay, thank you, Brother Xiao!" Zhang Lei felt that he had gotten a good deal this time, but what could he do when he needed the knife more? In any exchange, the one who needs it more should suffer a little loss.
"But seeing how straightforward you are, and for the sake of you, Brother Xiao, I'll pass on a little trick to you. I heard you didn't get to enjoy your food today and had diarrhea?" Xiao Bailang mysteriously pulled Zhang Lei aside. "Let's talk in secret, don't let them hear it. I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone!"
Zhang Lei had already witnessed Xiao Bailang's superpowers, but he didn't know that the technique of poisoning fat wasn't entirely a superpower; those were more like peripheral techniques that Xiao Bailang developed based on his superpowers.
Of course, perhaps it was also because Xiao Bailang loved to eat. "Little brother, remember this? It's like this. Once you learn it, no matter how poisonous something is, you can break it down and store the toxins in a special place. That way, you can eat anything. Let me tell you, the real delicacies in this world are precisely those poisonous things. I see you're a glutton, even if it gives you diarrhea, that's why I'm telling you this secret. Linghu doesn't know the secrets of eating at all. No matter how good our relationship is, I haven't told him!"
Many organisms in nature actually have this function. Poisonous mushrooms absorb toxins from their surroundings. Zhang Lei understood the principle as soon as he heard it. However, these two people, especially Zhang Lei, reversed the order of importance. The toxins were just a byproduct of what they ate. Hearing Xiao Bailang introduce the poisonous delicacies, Zhang Lei's mouth watered.
Episode 3: The Bloody Path to Growth, Chapter 59: The New Manager (Part 1)
Smugglers have no human rights, especially on ships. This is the rule that has been passed down for thousands of years. Zhang Lei and his team didn't need to worry about it. The Silver Sword team members who stayed behind to monitor easily saw Isabel's staff throw the eight unrecognizable corpses directly into the water to feed the fish. As long as they weren't passengers or staff, they didn't seem to care how many of these unregistered people died. They wondered if these poor wanderers from a foreign land would end up as fish sashimi and return to Japan.
Michiko and her group seemed to have suddenly become much more well-behaved, almost all of them turning into sheltered young ladies who never left their homes. Unfortunately, Zhang Lei and his group had already seen Michiko's true colors, and they would never mistake this woman for a well-behaved young lady.