Chapter 149: Arrangements, Meeting Ling Yi Again, and Gene Radiation

Ling Shuyan's enthusiasm clearly startled Shen Jie and Zhang Liying, especially Zhang Liying, who had just emerged from the psychological shadow of her dangerous second awakening and had not participated in any external battles recently. Chen Yanyan had only assigned her simple and easy logistical tasks.

Since the research task had Lin Feng's approval, Shen Jie didn't outright refuse. Instead, he said, "The front line is tense, and I need to be on standby. Liying just completed her awakening, and she's not in a state to leave the camp..."

Ling Shuyan adjusted her glasses and pulled out a sharp scalpel from her white coat, holding it delicately between her fingers, its blade glinting.

"It's fine. The preliminary research doesn't require much material."

"Just some epidermal tissue and bone marrow stem cells."

"For you both, it's akin to donating blood, with no adverse effects."

Shen Jie squeezed Zhang Liying's hand and nodded, "Let's do it quickly. Is it in that bus you brought?"

Ling Shuyan nodded, looking gently at the girl behind Shen Jie, her neck covered by a high-collared jacket. She reassured softly:

"Just five minutes, let's go."

"Sooner we unlock the gene assimilation mystery, sooner we can resolve the uncontrollable insect traits."

Zhang Liying, who had been silent, suddenly looked up with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Shen Jie sighed, no longer resisting.

Lin Feng wiped his mouth and went to the side door of the battleship, watching the eager woman on the ladder.

"How long will this take? Wu City won't hold for many days; I hope for breakthroughs soon."

Ling Shuyan looked back, speaking calmly:

"Rest assured. With the answer guiding us, just five days, no, three days, to solve the current issues and increase surgery success rates to over 80%."

Lin Feng nodded, watching her lead Shen Jie and Zhang Liying toward the parked bus.

The bus, once a blood donation vehicle, was now a mobile biological lab, preserving the tissue samples from Shen Jie and Zhang Liying.

After completing the transaction with Ling Shuyan, a satiated Lin Feng stretched.

He noticed Chen Yanyan, who had just informed Shen Jie and Zhang Liying, was leading the little girl Jiang Chengcheng to the university dormitory for a wash and change of clothes.

"Alright, time to get to work."

Lin Feng smiled, accessing the system panel.

The battleship's storage contained eight Tier 2 eggs and fourteen pairs of Tier 2 orange mandibles.

The twenty-plus tons of liquid metal from the biological furnace were converted to six pairs of orange mandibles, totaling twenty pairs.

The red materials included 535 pairs of Tier 1 mandibles and five pairs of Blue Wing Bug wings.

Additionally, the six pulse tail cannons from the expedition to Wu City's underground were stored.

Both the pulse tail cannons and Tier 2 mandibles were for fusion into the Land Cruiser battleship, but Lin Feng planned only to fuse during significant upgrades to maximize benefits.

Minor upgrades would proceed normally.

The energy feedback from upgrades would charge his gene radiation skill.

Each use of gene radiation required Tier 2 upgrade energy, and Lin Feng hoped its effects would justify the cost.

Satisfied with his resources, Lin Feng exhaled deeply.

He accessed the Land Cruiser battleship data:

"Land Cruiser Battleship lv20/29, Orange Quality"

"Upgrade Points: 4/10, Defense: 180, Damage: 150, Average Speed: 200 km/h, Range: 1000 km"

With Chen Yanyan piloting the battleship deep into insect territory, destroying many Tier 3 nests, the battleship absorbed significant energy from fallen swarms.

After several battles, they finally accumulated 4 upgrade points.

Needing 6 more for the next upgrade.

Lin Feng had the lv24 Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword storing one upgrade energy, but one gene radiation use wasn't enough assurance.

Therefore, Lin Feng commanded the battleship to consume six Tier 2 egg energies, gathering ten upgrade points for the upgrade.

A minor upgrade without additional materials had minimal changes and was quick.

During the upgrade, Lin Feng called Li Ran to gather the lv9 Red Armor from soldiers becoming or about to become awakeners.

Fusing a pair of red Black Spinal Bug mandibles upgraded it to lv10 Red Armor.

A reward for their upgrades.

The newly Tier 2 corps, lacking surplus orange mandibles, would temporarily keep the Red Armor, upgrading post-underground missions.

For ground battles, lv19 Red Armor sufficed.

With 1045 mental attribute points, Lin Feng's synthesis speed for Tier 1 red items was exceptionally fast.

Nearly one per second.

Effortless and quick.

After upgrading over a hundred lv10 Red Armors, Lin Feng felt good.

Soon, a notification appeared:

"Land Cruiser Battleship Upgrade Complete!"

"Land Cruiser Battleship lv21/29, Orange Quality"

"Upgrade Points: 0/10, Defense: 200, Damage: 160, Average Speed: 200 km/h, Range: 1200 km"

"Note: Host reached second-stage completion, absorbing synchronized upgrade energy, unable to upgrade further but can enhance base attributes or store in gene radiation skill for future use."

This regular upgrade added minor base attribute boosts.

Using the feedback energy, Lin Feng stored it in the gene radiation skill, preparing for the meeting with Ling Yi.

Enhancing attributes, if unlocking Queen Ling Yi's gene seal and changing her stance for deeper cooperation...

Lin Feng believed the rewards would be even greater.

An enemy's enemy is a friend.

Ling Yi could provide detailed insight on high-tier insects, making the upgrade energy well-spent.

Anticipating the meeting, Lin Feng smiled.

A honk sounded outside.

Ling Shuyan had finished collecting samples, driving an off-road vehicle to the battleship, ready to depart.

Noticing the battleship's new look, she squinted, lowering the window:

"Stronger again, is this your synthesis ability?"

"Perhaps optimization is a better term..."

Lin Feng shrugged, ignoring her:

"Complete your task quickly. I need the first batch of full-fledged gene warriors in seven days, with a 95% success rate."

Ling Shuyan nodded, asking:

"No problem, but how did you know I was a brain evolution awakener?"

Lin Feng smiled, shrugging:

"Resisting my pressure means you're at least a late-stage Tier 1 awakener. Without physical enhancement or visible mental energy, only one possibility remains."

"As a researcher, your brain evolved, making you smarter."

Ling Shuyan snorted, extending her hand:

"I heard from Shen Jie and other soldiers you possess a treasure, a Tier 2 egg from the queen?"

"Besides providing upgrade energy, its organic nutrient liquid, as they described, functions as a stabilizing agent, potentially enhancing bio-modification's success rate!"

Lin Feng laughed:

"Sure, but the live eggs are consumed. I can offer a dead egg."

He gestured to the battleship's rear, where an energy-drained Tier 2 egg lay.

He instructed Li Ran to form an elite team of twenty late-stage Tier 1 awakeners to escort Director Ling back to Jin City's bio-research institute.

Watching the elite soldiers, Lin Feng approached Ling's vehicle, reminding:

"Forgot to mention, the organic nutrient liquid also boosts human physique limits, compensating for genetic physical flaws."

"Research well, and let me know if you need anything."

Ling Shuyan frowned, closing the window.

Despite knowing Lin Feng's oversight, she realized she had no choice.

With the Thirteenth Division's withdrawal, no major force in Jiangnan or the south could check Lin Feng, not even the state guards at Old Mountain.

The twenty late-stage awakeners escorting her could easily overcome the institute's security.

Seeing benefits, Ling Shuyan left with the gene progenitor samples and Tier 2 egg, protected by the elite soldiers, heading to Jin City's bio-research institute.

Shortly after seeing her off, Lin Feng, upgrading Red Armor, received a call from Han Yuxin.

After their exchange, he recalled forgetting to collect live Black Spinal Bugs that afternoon!

Wanting to make soldiers awaken quickly and dealing with the biological furnace had consumed his attention.

Fortunately, Chen Yanyan approached, holding a girl:

"While deep in the nest, I had soldiers collect injured Black Spinal Bugs, about 120, unseen by the soldiers, should suffice for Sister Yuxin."

Lin Feng brightened:

"Thanks!"

Continuing on the call:

"Take a hundred for now. Discuss the division with Hu Fei and tell Betty to quickly acquire the needed supplies and medical staff..."

"I'll arrange a chance for you and her to advance to Tier 2 awakeners."

Han Yuxin, joyful, nodded.

After discussing the school reopening, Lin Feng ended the call, turning to Chen Yanyan and the refreshed Jiang Chengcheng:

"You want to keep her on the front line? Take her to battle?"

Chen Yanyan hesitated, then shook her head, affectionately looking at the delicate girl:

"No, sending her to Jin City is safer."

"We can temporarily adopt Chengcheng. Until her parents are found, Sister Yuxin should take care of her."

Lin Feng nodded, relieved.

Although Chengcheng's early awakening showed potential, she lacked combat ability.

Due to her age and underdevelopment, possessing a fifth of her peers' strength, keeping her on the front line or adopting her would be a burden.

Thankfully, Chen Yanyan wasn't impulsive.

Adopting Chengcheng in their name meant she wouldn't be an unsupervised child in Jin City.

After the discussion, they watched dozens of soldiers with support staff and survivors board a bus to Jin City.

Finishing the armor upgrades, Lin Feng and Chen Yanyan retired early.

The next morning at six, Lin Feng prepared, fully armed with the lv29 electromagnetic cannon and lv24 Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword, wearing the Flying Tiger Armor, and left camp.

Heading southwest of the university, forty kilometers to Jia City.

His gene radiation skill held two upgrade charges from the battleship and chainsaw, ready for use.

His powerful aura appeared outside Jia City, and minutes later, as before, the ground sank.

A vast pit appeared.

Queen Ling Yi's avatar, flanked by Red Beetles, faced Lin Feng:

"The fifty Tier 2 eggs are ready for you."

"You did well, but one thing..."

Lin Feng frowned, wary.

The queen's avatar's tone was harsh:

"You shouldn't have sent so many soldiers to Lake Tai for fishing; those are my expansion resources."

Lin Feng remained stoic, slightly relieved:

"My soldiers aren't insects that don't need food! They need rest and meals to keep fighting, blocking the mid-Tier 3 Haicheng queen for you."

"Just a few hundred tons of fish compared to Lake Tai's tens of thousands of tons of biomass is trivial."

"Besides, it's not in our agreement."

Ling Yi didn't argue, seemingly agreeing, then summoned Red Beetles to deliver the fresh Tier 2 eggs to Lin Feng.

Then warned:

"Be cautious, Haicheng's 76th may be trading with other queens to engulf you."

Lin Feng's expression changed. He suspected the Haicheng queen, lying low, was plotting.

Ling Yi's reminder triggered a thought:

"Yesterday, patrolling north of Lake Tai, I found a biological furnace smelting Tier 2 mandibles by the river..."

"Its explosion was nuclear-level."

"Daily, it synthesizes dozens of mandibles. If your high-tier queens use this, you shouldn't lack Tier 2 mandibles?"

Ling Yi's human avatar appeared surprised:

"Furnaces are dangerous and costly. Ordinary early-Tier 3 queens wouldn't waste energy on them. Bio-nest ionization also produces Tier 2 mandibles, but slower, with higher material requirements."

"Furnaces accept any metal, incinerating at high temperature and pressure, cooling into semi-finished organic metal, absorbed by bio-nests."

"Lake Tai's queen..."

"Perhaps it's collaborating with Haicheng's 76th."

"It handles basic Tier 2 mandibles, freeing 76th's productivity to hatch new Tier 2 insects, encircling and defeating you."

"Let me guess, Pulse Scorpions, Tank Fire Shells, and the most cost-effective..."

"Hunter Warriors, the new insect with human genes, your research target." Lin Feng added, eyeing the Tier 2 eggs.

Ling Yi smiled, with a hint of disdain:

"Hunter Warriors are crude hybrids."

"What I do is control humans mentally for my use."

Lin Feng, sensing her increasingly expressive demeanor, felt a chill and changed the topic:

"Rest assured, the Haicheng queen is growing, and so am I..."

"By the way, how did your insects evolve into a space-faring civilization?"

"Or, like us, did an alien invasion reveal the universe's dangers?"

Ling Yi's human avatar frowned:

"Why ask? Do you want to know if humans can defeat the insects?"

"Ha, I can only say, absolutely not..."

"Even if you exhaust your nuclear arsenal, drenching the world in hydrogen bombs, for us, it's a mere rainstorm."

"Humans and Bluestar are just nests for Tier 4 insect kings..."

"Your fierce resistance adds some intrigue to this otherwise dull game."

Lin Feng's smile grew, charging up:

"Doesn't a high-tier insect like you know your race's origins?"

"Whose high command issued the invasion signal during the bizarre eclipse?"

"Let me guess..."

"Maybe it's the Great Black..."

"Shut up!" Ling Yi's avatar suddenly convulsed in madness, tearing at its head, screaming, interrupting Lin Feng's words.

Seeing the fury and hidden fear in her eyes, Lin Feng knew Ling Yi's full attention was here...

He consumed the stored upgrade energy,

activating the gene radiation skill!

A surge of mental energy erupted from Lin Feng's mind!

Invisibly, it swept a five-kilometer radius.

All brain-bearing creatures experienced what Lin Feng did during his mental limit break, entering an eerie mental world.

Reliving the epic rise and tragic fall of their race.

Ling Yi's avatar, hit by the mental energy, blacked out.

Losing self-awareness.

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