My clothes were burned to tatters by the fire, leaving me in no state to sell tofu anymore. I quickly hopped onto my little three-wheeled cart and sped home to change, only to run straight into Zhang Ersha at the gate. He acted strangely, mumbling, "Monk, monk, hehe, hehe…"

This simpleton’s words meant nothing to me. Was it related to that saying, ‘Beauties galore, the monk is chased by ghosts, obediently suckling’? Could it be that the monk in the saying was me? Ridiculous. The biggest ghost I’ve ever seen were those three energy stones.

It wasn't until Yi Xiaorou called me in the evening that I truly panicked, because not only was my hair burned off, but every single bit of hair on my body—eyebrows, beard, everything—was gone! What kind of B-class superman was I, unable to even protect a little fuzz? How was I supposed to face anyone looking completely bare like this?

Zhu Da had the best ideas. He found an eyebrow pencil and meticulously drew my eyebrows for me. As for my hair, a hat would cover it up. Since the weather was cool anyway, wearing a hat wasn’t too conspicuous. As for my beard, I barely had any to begin with, and after the burning, I looked even younger and more handsome.

When I saw Yi Xiaorou again, I was shocked. Hua Qingqing hadn't lied; faint rust-colored spots had reappeared on Yi Xiaorou’s delicate, beautiful face. Although there weren’t many, it had only been a few days. Did her illness truly require constant physical intimacy for treatment? What was I to do about this?

It was clear that Yi Xiaorou was in very low spirits, but she wouldn't mention her ailment. "Let's go to the Century Hotel. I called Qingqing; you’re familiar with her, so you won't mind, right?"

I shook my head. Getting Yi Xiaorou treated still depended on Hua Qingqing. I needed to ask her to figure out a solution when we met; otherwise, being expected to sleep with Yi Xiaorou to cure her was absurd, not to mention her husband wouldn't allow it.

The Century Hotel was reserved for state foreign affairs; it was incomparable to a place like Yiren Pavilion. Only someone with Yi Xiaorou’s special status could secure a table there; an ordinary person would likely have trouble even entering due to the extremely strict security measures.

Entering Banquet Hall No. 8 at the Century, I realized Hua Qingqing had already arrived, and there was an extra man in his forties inside. Yi Xiaorou was also taken aback upon seeing him; it seemed she hadn't known this man would be there.

Hua Qingqing introduced him: "This is Professor Chen. We’ve been old friends for years. He’s also quite accomplished in the research of Substance B. I invited him over hoping he might help with Sister Rou’s illness."

Professor Chen was not only easygoing but also possessed a distinct military bearing, which was a good thing for me, having served five years in the army. Dining with only two women would have been awkward.

Yi Xiaorou said, "Let’s eat first, and then discuss business. Zhao Qian, take off your hat; it’s not cold in here."

I managed an awkward smile, revealing my completely bald monk's head. Yi Xiaorou and Hua Qingqing were both quite surprised, but neither said anything. Professor Chen, however, laughed, "Little Zhao has a lot of character. Young people nowadays don’t favor this hairstyle."

I shrugged at Professor Chen. "Too lazy to get a haircut, so I just did this." I certainly didn't want to tell every person I met that I got this way while saving someone.

Professor Chen laughed heartily. "Don't say another word. You’ll have a few drinks with me tonight. Remember, Miss Hua invited me specifically as your drinking companion!"

A waitress came up to ask what we wanted to drink. Professor Chen decided unilaterally, "Guo Tai Min An (Peace and Prosperity). That’s the name we’ll go by—hoping the nation stands as firm as a mountain and the people are happy and safe. Open two bottles first."

Pa! Professor Chen and I immediately toasted and drank. I spoke with genuine feeling, "Professor Chen, I agree with what you said. Why did I serve five years in the military? On a small scale, I was looking for a career, but on a grand scale, it was for the stability and prosperity of our Great Dragon Nation. If a country lacks formidable military strength, a force capable of defeating any challenger, how can it stand among the world's great powers, how can its economy develop and its people prosper? It’s simply impossible! Even though I’m an army man, I long for the ocean. I dream of the day I can command our first-rate task force, sailing unimpeded across the seas, making all the barbarians who belittle the Great Dragon Nation bow their heads in submission!"

Professor Chen was equally excited. "Little Zhao, I wholeheartedly support what you said! A few petty Southeast Asian nations dare to eye our Huaxia’s might, forcibly occupying our islands and reefs to plunder resources, and shelling our fishing boats. Why do they dare? Isn't it because they think we are incapable of blue-water operations, incapable of defending our sovereign territory and maritime rights? The construction of the Great Dragon Nation’s Navy lags more than twenty years behind international standards. We are now striving to catch up, but comrades, do you know how many resources those rabble will plunder from our oceans in just one year? It’s equivalent to the annual GDP of one of our southern provinces!"

My longing for the Navy was merely the bravado of a young man eager to be a hero, but Professor Chen was genuinely concerned for the nation. Though their starting points differed, their destination was the same, so they chatted animatedly.

Beneath the yellow sands of the T Desert, Little Yu Di’s massive production system could manufacture any ship or equipment, but the key issue was having the blueprints. However, if I directly requested blueprints from the state, Little Yu Di’s identity would inevitably be exposed. If I wanted Little Yu Di to live peacefully, I could only acquire the designs for aircraft and ships secretly. Yes, submarines first.

I tested Professor Chen: "Brother Chen, you don't look like a researcher; you have more of a soldier's demeanor. Are you perhaps a military scientist?"

Professor Chen replied frankly, "To be honest, I was originally affiliated with the military, but my role differs from Colonel Yi’s. My research focus is on genetic inheritance, which is how I became involved with Substance B."

Hua Qingqing was wearing a black evening gown, exuding an aura of noble elegance mixed with profound charisma. She smiled at me and Professor Chen. "You two passionate soldier comrades, let's drink and eat first."

Yi Xiaorou was drinking juice. Since I wasn't much of a drinker and had consumed some white liquor, my inhibitions loosened, and I spoke a bit freely. "Commander, why don't you have some? This liquor is much better than Director Wu’s wine."

Yi Xiaorou’s face flushed deeply. She glanced furtively at Hua Qingqing before pointing to the rust spots on her body and telling me, "It flared up again. I’m afraid drinking will worsen my condition, so I won't touch it again."

Professor Chen laughed heartily. "What are you afraid of? With Little Zhao here, why worry about such a minor ailment?"

Yi Xiaorou and I both stared at Hua Qingqing in shock—this woman had told him everything!

Hua Qingqing looked extremely embarrassed and kept signaling Professor Chen to stop. Instead of restraining himself, Professor Chen turned to me and said, "Little Zhao, you are a passionate man. Old Chen wouldn’t hide things from you. In fact, my true identity is the Chief Director of the Great Dragon Nation's Super Soldier Research Group. Miss Hua doesn't know this identity; she only valued Old Chen’s achievements in genetic inheritance. I was invited here today to help solve the treatment methods for you and Colonel Yi. Old Chen will absolutely not refuse such a favor. But I must ask you, Little Zhao, have you considered using your special abilities to benefit the nation and the people? The research into Great Dragon Nation Super Soldiers has always been predicated on genetic modification. After years of exploration, we have deciphered some of the inheritance code, but we have been struggling to find excellent, modified genes for inheritance experiments. Now, both of you meet all the requirements for our trial: the male possesses superior mutant genes, and the female is gentle, elegant, and a promising young scientist. At 26, she is at the optimal age for childbirth. You two can marry and have children, filling a gap in our research group's database. If the offspring's genes can be cloned, you two will have made an immortal contribution to the countless descendants of the Great Dragon Nation!"

I nearly bit my tongue off. Seeing Yi Xiaorou looking at me tenderly, I quickly explained, "Commander, don't listen to Professor Chen's nonsense. He wants to use us as breeding stock! I will never agree to anything like that."

Professor Chen said to me, "I have thoroughly tested and analyzed the genes in your blood. It is an absolutely perfect, superior gene set, but it has one characteristic: it cannot be replicated or cloned. I originally planned to use this gene as the blueprint for the Super Soldier Modification Project, but its non-replicable nature has left me helpless. That's why I kindly suggested you two cast aside all worldly views and pave the way for the development of superior genes in the Great Dragon Nation."

Hua Qingqing spoke to Professor Chen, "Professor Chen, you might not know this, but Sister Rou's husband is the grandson of General Tan. Are you suggesting his granddaughter-in-law have children with another man? Isn't that taking the joke too far?"

Professor Chen froze, then slumped back into his seat, visibly disappointed. He said listlessly, "So that's how it is. Then this matter is difficult to handle. Colonel Yi, you don't need to worry. Old Chen is not obstinate; I won't pressure you using national and ethnic interests. You two decide what to do yourselves. As for solving your treatment methods, I am currently researching it. The biggest obstacle right now is that we cannot obtain a blood sample from Little Zhao, and the semen sample Miss Hua gave me last time has been used up. I hope you two can find a way to resolve this."

Hua Qingqing addressed me and Yi Xiaorou. "Don't be angry, both of you. Professor Chen is just blunt, but what he said is factual. Either you two tacitly accept this simple treatment method, or you cooperate with his work until a method for gene cloning is found to artificially produce large quantities of Substance B. This can completely eliminate Sister Rou's illness and also make a huge contribution to improving the quality of the entire Great Dragon Nation’s population."

Yi Xiaorou looked at me with pleading eyes. The initiative was in my hands now. If I didn't want to treat Yi Xiaorou, I doubted she would force me. However, there seemed to be no reason for me to refuse such a helpful deed.

"Professor Chen, if there is anything you need from me, just ask. I, Zhao Qian, am not a stingy person. It is my duty to do something for the country and the people." As I spoke, I found it amusing; it seemed the matter of Yi Xiaorou and me sleeping together had been elevated to serving the nation.

Professor Chen said to me, "Little Zhao, we seem to have hit it off. Actually, I don't suggest you join the Super Soldier Project; a tedious research life like that is something someone like you couldn't endure. But for the convenience of our research, I suggest you work at Miss Hua’s laboratory. Since Miss Hua is not military personnel, your contact with her won't draw attention, and her dealings with me are within the scope of normal research needs, which also won't arouse suspicion. Working in parallel, we hope to find a breakthrough in genetic modification sooner."

Hua Qingqing chimed in, "Yes, Zhao Qian, just agree. This has no harm to you. Besides, we don't need you to come to work every day; just show up when needed. You can be my research assistant for now, and I’ll give you a salary of five thousand a month. How does that sound?"

Yi Xiaorou’s expression almost turned into a silent plea. How could I refuse getting a high salary without having to go to work? So, I nodded in agreement to Hua Qingqing.

After the trip to the Century Hotel, I gained two more titles in addition to being the Sales General Manager of the Iron Ox Tofu Company: First-Level Research Assistant at Hua's Pharmaceutical Group and Dermatology and Venereology Specialist Doctor at the Republic's 101 Army Hospital. Someone with absolutely no medical skill receiving such honors is probably unique in the whole world.

Professor Chen's Super Soldier Project didn't capture much of my attention, and knowing it was a high-level state secret, I didn't inquire further. Yet, I vaguely felt it must be an earth-shattering endeavor. Once the research succeeded, the Great Dragon Nation's human resources would surely advance by leaps and bounds.

After the dinner, Yi Xiaorou drove me home. We sat side-by-side in the back seat. At first, neither of us spoke. Then, Yi Xiaorou gently leaned towards me, lightly grasping my arm. She whispered, "Zhao Qian, are you free tonight? I… I’d like to invite you over to my place for a while."

Recalling Yi Xiaorou’s incredibly good figure from our time in the small town, I blushed in the darkness and softly hummed an affirmation.

Unexpectedly, the "home" Yi Xiaorou referred to was her private resting quarters at the Great Dragon Nation’s High-End Weapons Research Institute. This poor woman had apparently made this place her home for years—feudal marriage has caused immense harm!

"You seem very unhappy today. I remember you weren't this quiet back in the small town." With No. 10 and No. 11 not around, I could finally speak to Yi Xiaorou more easily.

Yi Xiaorou sat quietly beside me and suddenly placed her soft hand in mine. "Tan Tian found out about my condition the very day we returned from the small town. He is pressuring me to come home and consummate our marriage. He visited again this morning, but seeing my rust spots recur, he left. He is already starting to investigate your background and identity, Zhao Qian. I'm very worried about you."

Recalling what Taozi told me this morning about the Beast Race army, having them meant I had at least an intelligence edge over Tan Tian. If he truly dared to do anything against me, it wasn't certain whose hands the deer would end up in.

"Don't worry, Xiaorou. You don't need to concern yourself with these things. What about your illness?"

Yi Xiaorou looked incredibly shy, finally mustering the courage to lean into my embrace. "I’m not worried about my illness either. Don't I have you? You wouldn't stand by and do nothing, right? It’s getting late. Shouldn't Dr. Zhao start working now?"