What does it mean when Jiang Xiaoci becomes powerful?
It means the days Yi Bai enjoys will stretch infinitely, and the quality of life in the future will only improve!
With Jiang Xiaoci, the intellectual mastermind, at the heart of the settlement's development, she exerts a profound influence across every domain and every member of the community.
And with Team Leader Wang, the military powerhouse, no strategy is needed—just raw strength to crush any enemy or S-class adversary that stands in their way.
With both intellect and strength, what more could Yi Bai ask for?
Suddenly, Yi Bai understood the feeling of Liu Bei, wandering through adversity and then finding Zhuge Liang. Honestly, anyone in his shoes would cry. The hard days are over; the good days are coming!
"Sir, do you think my changes are that significant?"
Jiang Xiaoci sat gently beside Yi Bai, smiling softly. "You seem very happy."
"The changes are massive! Don't you notice?" Yi Bai's smile widened, impossible to suppress. He couldn't take his eyes off her—everything about her looked better, more appealing than ever.
"I can sense a little change," Jiang Xiaoci said, her head lowering slightly under Yi Bai's intense gaze, her face flushing pink as she continued softly, "I feel like my thoughts are sharper now. A lot of things that didn't make sense before... I understand them now."
She paused, her voice almost a whisper. "It's like I've developed a power similar to Lu Nianxin's. It feels like... a kind of ability. When I think about things, I can see possible futures, as if something is guiding me on whether to proceed or not."
"Yes! Exactly!" Yi Bai jumped to his feet, excitement bubbling up inside him. He grabbed Jiang Xiaoci, pulling her into a hug and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Incredible! You're amazing! You're my treasure!"
Caught up in his excitement, Yi Bai didn't even realize his actions, but Jiang Xiaoci didn't pull away. Instead, she lowered her head, a quiet sweetness in her voice. "As long as you're happy, Sir."
"Quick, Xiaoci! Go test it out!" Yi Bai urged, his eyes bright with anticipation. "Don't you have some new plans to set? Now's the time—see what you can do with this new ability to glimpse the future."
"Yes, Sir." Jiang Xiaoci nodded obediently. As long as Yi Bai wanted it, she was ready to do it.
"Alright then, go ahead. If you need anything, just call me."
After watching her leave, Yi Bai struggled to calm his excitement. His mind raced—then, suddenly, he remembered something.
"Damn it! I almost forgot about Lin Yue and Li Ya's upgrades!"
Yi Bai slapped his forehead. There were two chances to upgrade to B-Class talent, rewards from Wang Shi's previous efforts. Although he hadn't planned to use them just yet, no one in the settlement was a better candidate for the upgrades than these two.
"Forget it. Let's use them now."
Yi Bai murmured to himself. Lin Yue and Li Ya were crucial to the settlement. One managed the military, the other spearheaded scientific research. If their talents remained too low in rank, they might struggle to keep up with the growing settlement.
If the upgrades wouldn't drastically hinder the settlement's development, Yi Bai wasn't about to replace them.
He accessed the monitoring terminal and found Lin Yue, who was preparing to go out on a mission, still within the settlement. Li Ya, on the other hand, was already working with two doctors on new research, but she was soon called over by Yi Bai.
"Ah, finally, I can rest!" Li Ya collapsed into the seat next to Yi Bai, stretching out like a cat, her eyes half-closed in comfort.
"I've been working in the research lab non-stop, not even a Sunday break..." She lazily draped her long legs across his, her tone feigning distress. "How are you planning to reward me?"
"I called you here to give you your reward," Yi Bai said with a grin, in no mood to be distracted by her playful antics.
"Is it a research lab upgrade?" Li Ya's eyes lit up. She leaned in closer, then sighed, "But Dr. Chen has his eyes on my lab now. I doubt I can chase him away anymore."
"If the research lab were bigger, everyone could have their own space, no more bothering each other."
Li Ya's complaint was valid. The level-one research lab was big enough for her alone, but now that there were more scientific talents in the settlement, the space had become cramped.
"No worries," Yi Bai said with a knowing smile, "this is an additional reward I'll handle. But the main reward... is upgrading you both!"
"Upgrade?" Li Ya tilted her head with a skeptical look, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Is it a 'real' upgrade?"
She seemed to misunderstand Yi Bai's intentions, but Lin Yue, standing at attention beside Yi Bai, didn't ask questions. Whatever Yi Bai wanted her to do, she would.
"Come, stand here. Once the upgrade is done, you'll see for yourself!"
Yi Bai gestured for them to stand before him and used the upgrade items on both of them. Golden light surrounded them as the upgrade process was completed quickly.
[Congratulations! Your talent "Lin Yue" has leveled up to B-Class!]
[Congratulations! Your talent "Li Ya" has leveled up to B-Class!]
As the notifications appeared, Yi Bai checked their updated data. Both had gained two new traits and talents.
Lin Yue now had the trait Tactical Command and the talent Fearless Leader, enhancing her military leadership abilities. Li Ya gained the trait Innovator and the talent Scientific Polymath, expanding her research abilities beyond engineering.
Compared to other B-Class talents like Lu Nianxin and Chen Qiuren, their upgrades were notably stronger, not in combat but in the balance of their overall traits and talents.
Yi Bai had worked with many talents, and now he had developed a basic understanding of how the system functioned.
"From past talent upgrades, it seems that upgrading existing talents yields better results than recruiting new ones of the same rank. The system encourages nurturing your old talents rather than just recruiting fresh faces."
Yi Bai pondered as he reviewed the data, impressed by the depth of the system's design.
"Boss, is it done yet?" Li Ya asked, tapping her arm. "Is this all? I thought you'd be changing my body or something... How boring."
Yi Bai froze. Was she hoping for something... else?
He let out a helpless laugh. "Alright, alright. You're eager to get back to work, aren't you? Go on, both of you—get back to it."
"Boss, this is too much! I've barely had an hour of rest!" Li Ya grumbled.
Yi Bai raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer a week off?"
"No, thanks. You're not being sincere," Li Ya shot back, then walked off, throwing a final comment over her shoulder. "Unless you get me a big research lab! Otherwise, I'm still being exploited!"
Yi Bai watched her go, chuckling. Li Ya was really obsessed with her work. But as he was about to get back to his thoughts, he noticed something important.
"Damn it!"
His eyes fell on an alarming detail.
"Why is the Level-2 Research Lab so expensive?!" Yi Bai stared at the screen, dumbfounded. It cost a full 2,000 points—twice as much as upgrading the shelter itself!