Developing Superpowers in Another World

Chapter 243 – The Last Supper

 

Tu Ran was silent for a moment before saying, “The hand signals of the Pioneer Team and the Executive Department are different?”

Qiu Jian shook his head, “I don’t know.”

“Let’s check it when we go back,” Tu Ran said as she put on her simulation glasses. “Get ready, we’re going in again.”

She refused to believe she couldn’t pass this level.

With the experience of the previous two attempts, the two easily reached the floor where the hostages were located this time. Standing outside the wall, they exchanged a glance, and Tu Ran rushed in.

After firing two shots to kill the robbers near the door, Tu Ran rolled behind a pile of construction debris.

Two robbers by the window cautiously approached the debris while shooting continuously, causing debris to fly everywhere.

At this moment, Qiu Jian, hidden behind the wall, quietly extended his gun, aimed at them, and fired two shots, bringing the robbers down.

[Mission accomplished, hostages rescued! (Hurray)(Hurray)]

[Proceed to the next level or exit the simulation world?]

Tu Ran chose to exit.

Two hours had passed.

And this was just a C-level difficulty.

She had died twice before passing the level.

“Let’s go back to the office and check the hand signals.”

“Okay.”

The two returned to the office and pushed the door open. Inside was only Ye Qingcai, who was leaning over the computer. When he saw the two enter, he looked up, “Back so soon? You can go practice a bit more. There’s no mission for now; I’ll let you know when there is.”

“No need. We found some issues, so we came back to check,” Tu Ran said, sitting back at her workstation.

Qiu Jian glanced around the office, “Where’s everyone else?”

“Oh, them,” Ye Qingcai couldn’t hide the joy on his face, “They’ve all gone for training.”

Qiu Jian’s expression turned strange.

“Hard to believe, right?” Ye Qingcai said as he rubbed his sore neck. “You two have inspired them to get motivated.”

Qiu Jian glanced at Tu Ran before silently sitting back at his workstation.

After reviewing the Pioneer Team’s documentation on hand signal codes, Tu Ran realized she had been wrong.

When she first arrived in this world, before inheriting the original owner’s memories, she had seriously looked through some books on the original owner’s bookshelf. But at the time, she was pressed for time and didn’t get through many.

Later, after acquiring the original owner’s memories, she relied entirely on those memories and ignored the books on the shelf.

Subconsciously, she believed the original owner was excellent and wouldn’t make mistakes.

But now, she realized that wasn’t entirely true.

The original owner had a strong sense of purpose, only mastering what she needed for the future, and ignored any skills she deemed unnecessary.

For example, since the pioneers fought solo and didn’t need hand signal codes, she didn’t pay attention when the instructor taught them.

Reality reminded Tu Ran that she couldn’t rely solely on the original owner’s memories. She needed to take the initiative to learn certain skills herself.

For a full two hours, Tu Ran studied various hand signal codes. Once she familiarized herself with and memorized the meanings of the signals, she approached Qiu Jian to practice.

Qiu Jian was very patient, and after an hour of practice, Tu Ran had already become proficient.

At some point, the group that had gone out for training had returned.

“It’s eight o’clock, time to go home,” Ye Qingcai announced.

Tu Ran stood up. She had only brought herself to work today, so there was nothing to pack up. “See you tomorrow. I’m heading out.”

After saying her goodbye, Tu Ran left.

As the door closed, Qi Tongda leaned in toward Qiu Jian. “You two were training together all afternoon?”

Qiu Jian nodded silently.

“What were you practicing?” Qi Tongda asked again.

Zhou Ming, who was packing up nearby, also perked up his ears to listen.

Qiu Jian frowned, clearly reluctant to answer.

Qi Tongda nudged him with his elbow. “You’re already siding with her so quickly? Don’t forget, we’ve been comrades risking our lives together for years.”

Qiu Jian sidestepped him and walked out, pushing the door open.

An annoyed Young Master Qi sneered, “Hmph, like I care to know.”

*

In the equipment room, Tu Ran changed out of her combat uniform and took the hover rail back home.

Leaning back in the carriage, she sent a message to Zero: “How’s the preparation for sending Xi Chunzhi away going?”

[The report of Xi Chunzhi’s death has already been submitted by the Medical Department to the Federal Personnel Department.]

[Xi Chunzhi’s name has been added to the Pioneer Team’s list of fallen members.]

[She died on a hospital bed in the Medical Department.]

[Personnel will reclaim her residence tomorrow.]

[Now, we just need to arrange for her to leave the Federation Center.]

“Can she go anywhere else besides the Federation Center?” Tu Ran asked.

[She cannot go to Reigaken State either. Aside from the Federation Center and Reigaken State, she can go to any of the other forty states.]

[The Federation Center and Reigaken State are dominated by nearly all the powerful financial families in the Federation.]

[Most of the other super AIs, aside from me, are located in those two states.]

[The chances of her being discovered are much higher there.]

“Understood.”

After turning off the communicator, the train had arrived at Dawn Station.

Taking the elevator upstairs, Tu Ran knocked directly on Xi Chunzhi’s door.

Soon, footsteps echoed from inside, and the door handle turned. Xi Chunzhi opened the door.

She was wearing a nightgown, the loose fabric doing nothing to hide her allure. Her wavy hair and natural red lips made her look vibrant—completely different from her appearance lying weakly on a hospital bed.

With open arms, she smiled radiantly. “Welcome home, Little Ranran. I made my specialty dish, just waiting for you!”

Tu Ran hugged her, their necks touching, and her eyes caught sight of an already opened bottle of wine on the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

Her mood instantly soured.

“You’ve been drinking again?” Tu Ran asked as she bypassed Xi Chunzhi, grabbing the bottle from the cabinet. She shook it and saw that only a little less than half remained.

Xi Chunzhi bit her tongue and reluctantly closed the door. Feeling the cold gaze behind her, she took a deep breath, turned around, and wrapped her arms around Tu Ran’s neck, pulling her toward the living room. With her other hand, she took the bottle away and pushed it back into its place.

“Don’t worry, darling. I only had a small sip—definitely didn’t exceed the drinking limit you set for me.”

Tu Ran didn’t believe her at all.

But she called her darling.

Being called darling by such a beauty made Tu Ran’s heart bloom, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Xi Chunzhi noticed this immediately and seized the moment. “Darling, come sit down and check out the dinner I made just for you. It’s my signature dish.”

“Alright, I’ll let it slide this time,” Tu Ran said, trying to keep her lips from curling up, though her words lacked any real threat. “But you haven’t fully recovered yet. You can’t drink too much.”

“I know, I know, darling. Let’s eat first. You must be starving after a whole afternoon of work,” Xi Chunzhi replied, sitting down across from her, watching eagerly for Tu Ran’s reaction once she started eating.

This feeling of having a friend waiting at home with a prepared meal after work was truly wonderful.

Thinking back to how she used to come home and throw together a hasty meal for herself, the difference couldn’t have been more striking.

She had to cherish this.

“Alright,” Tu Ran said with a smile, lowering her head to start eating.

But as she looked at the dish on the table, a plate of mixed stew, her hand holding the chopsticks froze.

Various vegetables were thrown together haphazardly, their colors lost from overcooking. There were even some mysterious black bits scattered on top, and underneath was a layer of noticeably undercooked, pale rice.

Tu Ran: …She’d forgotten that Xi Chunzhi was a disaster in the kitchen.

Tu Ran stole a glance at Xi Chunzhi, who was watching her with a smile.

“Why don’t we… eat out instead?” Tu Ran pretended to set down her chopsticks.

Xi Chunzhi’s smile instantly froze, and she shot Tu Ran a warning look.

In the end, Tu Ran didn’t dare put the chopsticks down.

Fine, she’d eat. After all, she had the inner core of the Gu Diao, which made everything taste delicious.

She picked up a half-raw slice of carrot and ate it with great relish.

At that moment, the carrot on her tongue tasted as rich and flavorful as chicken, duck, or fish.

Watching her eat, Xi Chunzhi smiled in satisfaction and grabbed a spoon to start eating as well.

The reason she used a spoon was simple: Xi Chunzhi’s house only had one pair of chopsticks and one spoon.

Normally, she used the chopsticks. But when Tu Ran came over for a meal, Xi Chunzhi would give her the chopsticks and use the spoon herself.

She also served the food and rice on a single plate so they would only have to wash one dish afterward.

Since the chopsticks couldn’t pick up the rice, Xi Chunzhi naturally handed the spoon to Tu Ran and took Tu Ran’s chopsticks for herself.

“Couldn’t you buy an extra pair? They’re not expensive,” Tu Ran complained. “You’ve got enough money for wine, which could get you several pairs.”

Xi Chunzhi huffed. “Good thing I didn’t buy more, or I’d lose even more of my belongings tomorrow.”

Tu Ran’s hand paused as she was scooping rice. “You know?”

Xi Chunzhi raised an eyebrow. “Did you forget about the Pioneer Team’s official website? Every confirmed dead pioneer gets their name broadcast across the entire web,” she said, angrily stabbing at a slice of carrot. “Lately, there haven’t been many deaths, so my name will be up there for days, maybe even longer. Everyone will see it. My reputation as a sharpshooter, ruined in an instant!”

Tu Ran sighed. “But isn’t this better than staying with the Pioneer Team?”

“It just feels like I didn’t leave anything behind,” Xi Chunzhi said, her voice tinged with melancholy.

Tu Ran felt like Xi Chunzhi was showing off.

“Think about your long-distance sniping record, and you still think you left nothing behind? Weren’t you always claiming to be the nightmare of the sniper world, the queen who could look down on all other snipers? Just because you spent a few days in bed, you’ve stopped being a nightmare? Stopped being the queen? Don’t worry, no one will forget you until your record is broken.”

“That’s true!” Xi Chunzhi suddenly realized, her mood lifting. She put down her chopsticks and, with a triumphant smile, said, “The power of the Sniper Queen speaks for itself. I’ve already conquered the light side; now I’m off to create legends on the dark side. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even break my own record—one shot to become a legend, shaking the entire Federation!”

She raised her arm, and Tu Ran, fully understanding, put down her spoon and gave her a high five.

“That’s the spirit! When you’re the boss of the underworld, I’ll come join you,” Tu Ran said, taking a few more bites of food—she really was hungry.

“Hahahaha…” Xi Chunzhi’s eyes sparkled at the thought of her glorious future, and she couldn’t stop laughing.

“I’m done eating.”

Tu Ran put down her spoon and was about to get up from the table when Xi Chunzhi stopped her.

“Wait, I’ve still got some soup. I’ll go get it.”

Soup?

Tu Ran’s mind flashed with memories from the original body: a pot of dark, murky soup that was simultaneously bitter, fishy, salty, and spicy.

She grabbed Xi Chunzhi’s hand before she could leave. “No need. I’m full. I’ll have it next time, next time.”

“No way. Who knows when we’ll see each other again,” Xi Chunzhi said, shaking off her hand and determinedly going to the kitchen. She returned with two bowls of soup, placing them on the table. “Come on, give it a try.”

Tu Ran sat back down, resigned to her fate.

The smell of fishiness hit her immediately.

“What kind of soup is this? You know—” how deadly your soups can be.

Xi Chunzhi shot her a frosty glare.

Tu Ran quickly changed her tone. “—you’re just recovering from a major illness, so you shouldn’t be overexerting yourself.”

Xi Chunzhi, ever thoughtful, handed her the spoon. “You drink first, whatever’s left, I’ll drink.”

Tu Ran could only silently start sipping the soup.

The moment it hit her mouth—

Damn! Spicy isn’t even a flavor!

Her hands trembled as she swallowed it down, and then she stopped, not taking another sip. “How can a soup be this spicy?”

“Is it?” Xi Chunzhi took a skeptical sip and calmly swallowed it. “It is a bit spicy. I must’ve added too many chilies. If you can’t handle the spice, don’t drink it.”

Relieved, Tu Ran sighed inwardly.

Sitting on Xi Chunzhi’s couch, Tu Ran turned her head to watch her clean the dishes. “Which state are you planning to go to? You can go anywhere except the Federation Center and Reigaken State.”

Xi Chunzhi’s voice echoed from the kitchen. “Tuya State, the farthest from the Federation Center. The influence of the big families there is weak, mostly full of people on the run, and the headquarters of the bounty hunters is there too.”

Tu Ran grew concerned and leaned over the couch to watch Xi Chunzhi’s busy figure. “Won’t it be too chaotic and unsafe there?”

After washing the few dishes, Xi Chunzhi dried her hands and came out of the kitchen, wearing her slippers. “There’s no absolutely safe place in any of the Federation’s forty-two states. It’s survival of the fittest, no matter which state you’re in.”

“At least Tuya State isn’t like the Federation Center, where artificial intelligence is watching everywhere. That’s what annoys me the most—whatever you do, you have to sneak around, always dodging their gaze. If my heart rate spikes, they remind me to control my emotions. Like I don’t have a normal heart! It’s not a machine, it can speed up or slow down. They sure know how to meddle,” Xi Chunzhi said as she plopped heavily onto the couch.

Tu Ran silently covered the communicator on her left wrist with her right hand, though she knew it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Don’t worry,” Xi Chunzhi reassured her. “I chose Tuya State after careful consideration. I trust my own abilities. In Tuya, I won’t do too badly. And besides, thanks to Nick Wells, I’ve gained so many different powers.”

“Too bad none of them are combat abilities,” Tu Ran lamented.

She had some powers herself, but unfortunately, they couldn’t be shared.

“In the end, there still aren’t that many people with superpowers. Most of the people I’ll deal with are just regular folks. These support abilities are more than enough,” Xi Chunzhi said, putting her arm around Tu Ran’s shoulder. “Think about it. I don’t need to eat or sleep to stay energized, so I can get twice as much done as a regular person. How could I not make a name for myself in Tuya?”

“Haha, true, you’ll outwork them all.”

…

Under the cover of night, Xi Chunzhi left.

After bidding Tu Ran farewell, she donned a dull, grey outfit, packed her firearms, explosives, and all the money Tu Ran had given her, and left the Federation Center.

From that day on, there was no more Xi Chunzhi in the Federation’s forty-two states.

Instead, there was only an assassin bounty hunter in Tuya State, known by the codename “Assassin.”

 

---