Chef? Pharmaceutical? Inzaro Ta frowned, pondered for a long time, thought and re-thought, yet could not recall any legendary figure in the pharmaceutical world who harbored the hobby and profession of an army cook.

"Right." Qin Fen pulled out two small candies from his pocket: "On this mission out, he said I wouldn't be able to have the nutritional meals yet, so he gave me these. He told me to eat one every time I have a meal."

Inzaro Ta carefully took the candy beans, examined them closely for a long time, then leaned in and sniffed them very seriously with his nose. A flash of cold light crossed his usually stoic face—the distinct look Inzaro Ta displayed only when excited.

Snap.

With a slight exertion of force, the candy bean in Inzaro Ta's hand turned to powder. He lightly touched the powdered bean with the tip of his tongue, then immediately swept the rest of the powder into his mouth.

Inzaro Ta, usually calm in the face of trouble, suddenly experienced an extreme constriction of his pupils. An unprecedented solemnity dawned on his face.

His tongue slid back and forth in his mouth for a long moment; the serious expression deepened. To the untrained eye, this candy bean might just taste slightly sweet, but to a true expert, it warranted an entirely different assessment.

"Strong!" Inzaro Ta gave a thumbs-up, his tone significantly heavier than usual.

Oh? Qin Fen raised an eyelid slightly. Inzaro Ta was inherently a very proud person; the number of people he had genuinely praised since Qin Fen had known him could be counted on one hand.

As for the single word, "Strong," it was the first time Qin Fen had ever heard it leave his lips.

"Truly strong."

Inzaro Ta elevated his assessment another notch.

In the eyes of ordinary people, the simplest way to discern the strength of a pharmacist was by how many different pharmaceutical components they could mix into a pill of the same size and volume; the more ingredients, the stronger the ability.

Inzaro Ta slowly nodded again. As a genius in pharmaceuticals, he understood the significance of this candy bean better than anyone.

The common method for distinguishing a pharmacist's skill was only half correct.

Pharmaceuticals were a peculiar field. Mixing various chemical components was an exceedingly dangerous endeavor; even combining just two ingredients to create a medicinal product could result in the immediate death of the consumer.

Any person capable of synthesizing two to five medicinal components into a consumable product without fatal consequences—even if the consumer gained no benefit—could be rated as a Level One Pharmacist.

A pill the size of this candy bean containing hundreds of components that could be ingested without causing death designated the creator as an exceptionally rare individual, qualified to be a true Apothecary.

In Inzaro Ta’s view, this candy bean Qin Fen possessed was clearly a hastily prepared medicine due to time constraints.

A medicine synthesized under pressure that not only failed to kill but also allowed all its components to exert their intended effect—aiding Qin Fen in strengthening his constitution and improving muscle fiber density—was undoubtedly the work of at least a Master-level expert.

Inzaro Ta was confident he could not replicate the quality of this candy bean under the same hurried circumstances.

He deeply admired the technique alone; the foundational skill was incredibly solid, paired with fantastically imaginative and bold creativity.

Inzaro Ta nodded once more. The ingredient combination used by this person represented a highly unorthodox, unconventional path within the field of pharmacy. Even the slightest deviation in proportion could lead to instant death or a sudden, violent demise for the user.

This was not the mainstream path of a pharmacist! Inzaro Ta furrowed his brow deeply, pondered for several tens of seconds, then suddenly looked up at Lin Liqiang and stated, "Lin, I request leave."

Lin Liqiang, while examining the Bio-beast egg, casually replied, "No problem, three days or five?"

"Three months."

"What?" Lin Liqiang nearly dropped the Bio-beast egg in shock. "That long?"

Inzaro Ta nodded with sincere gravity. "Request first."

"Request first?" Lin Liqiang took off his unique observation glasses and re-examined Inzaro Ta.

As a fellow genius, Lin Liqiang was well aware of Inzaro Ta's solid foundational knowledge and formidable learning speed. Almost no instructor could teach him for more than a week.

People in the pharmaceutical circles had even given him the moniker: Teacher Killer. Almost any instructor, after teaching him, would endure a period of mental breakdown; anyone who could remain composed facing such powerful absorption capabilities was certainly not mentally sound.

"Request first? You think three months isn't long enough?" Lin Liqiang voiced his confusion.

"It is."

"To study pharmacy?" Lin Liqiang began to suspect something else was attracting him—entirely outside the field of pharmaceuticals.

"Yes."

"That long?"

"At minimum."

Lin Liqiang shook his head in disbelief. "It's already hard enough to find someone who can teach you, yet you want to study for three—"

"At minimum."

Lin Liqiang stroked his chin, observing Inzaro Ta for a long moment. Finally, his eyes lit up suddenly, shifting focus to Qin Fen. "Old Qin, is that person a beauty? I've always suspected that reserved Old Yin is nearing his mating season."

Qin Fen smiled. Lin Liqiang was indeed Lin Liqiang. "A man, a fat one."

"Oh." Lin Liqiang's shining eyes immediately dimmed. "Then I'm not interested."

Qin Fen chuckled. Inzaro Ta was just that kind of person; whatever he wanted, he pursued. But if he didn't enlist, joining the military wasn't exactly easy, was it?

Qin Fen lifted his large cup and took a sip of coffee. If Old Yin needed any help later, he would certainly do his best to assist.

Lin Liqiang studied the bio-beast egg for a while, finally removing the glasses that looked suited for diamond inspection, letting out a long breath. "This data is certainly a bit anomalous, but this isn't a laboratory, so I can only conduct simple observations."

"Anomalous?" Qin Fen gestured for Lin Liqiang to continue explaining.

"Slightly anomalous." Lin Liqiang placed the Bio-beast egg back into Qin Fen's hand. "It differs from my initial calculations, but based on the observation just now, there doesn't seem to be any immediate problem with this thing."

"Oh." Qin Fen re-hung the Bio-beast egg around his neck.

Lin Liqiang continued as he packed away the small instruments he carried: "Actually, it should be a good thing. This data is significantly higher than my initial growth projection. Theoretically, this thing should have hatched by now. But it not hatching isn't a big deal. People say pregnancy is nine months and twenty-six days, but that's not always the case, is it? A late birth is fine, right?"

Qin Fen smiled as Lin Liqiang put away his equipment. "For something whose pre-birth data is this high, its foundation should be excellent upon hatching, leading to better development later."

"Hey, hey, a beauty! Ninety-five points. She looks completely natural, no plastic surgery involved."

Xue Tian's lowered voice sounded out. Lin Liqiang's eyes immediately lit up, and he followed the line of sight Xue Tian was looking at.

"Oh, it is a beauty!" Lin Liqiang shook his rapidly waving thumb. "For this age group, a comprehensive score of ninety points!"

Comprehensive score... Qin Fen smiled weakly. What exactly was this comprehensive score? He had heard Lin Liqiang mention it before. Lin Liqiang's comprehensive score encompassed not just outward appearance and figure, but also demeanor, the aura projected by her temperament, the consciousness reflected by that temperament, and her voice, all synthesized into a single score.

Following Lin Liqiang's gaze, the woman seated by the opposite wall was looking down at a fashion magazine, slowly sipping a cup of coffee. Long black hair faintly obscured part of her face. Her subtle charisma was inherent to her position by the wall, as if even the painting behind her shone brighter because of her radiance. Her close-fitting, very short skirt gave off no sense of vulgarity, only irresistible attraction and charm.

"Bro!" Xue Tian stroked his chin. "Wonder what her voice is like?"

Lin Liqiang's eyes were equally curious. "That is true. If her voice is pleasing, the score could go even higher."

"Why don't we...?"

Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian exchanged a look, seeing the same proposition reflected in each other's eyes.

"It's just that talking can be boring," Lin Liqiang murmured, taking a small sip of coffee. "If we could get her phone number..."

Xue Tian shook his head. "Based on my experience navigating fields of romance, getting this woman's number won't be easy."

"Exactly, exactly." Lin Liqiang nodded repeatedly. "Look at the way she holds her coffee cup—her fingers are light and fluid; every grasp and pinch is synonymous with beauty."

"Yeah, yeah," Xue Tian widened his eyes. "And her sitting posture—a gentle cross-legged position with a straight back, leaning slightly askew. It mixes competence with a touch of languor. A rare beauty in this lifetime."

Watching the two enthuse so much, Qin Fen casually interjected, "Don't just give ratings. Go ask for her number."

Inzaro Ta also sauntered over to join the fun, looking at Lin Liqiang with a half-smile, lightly spitting out, "Usually."

Qin Fen laughed too. Inzaro Ta was sparse with words, but his ability to tease was not low. The word "Usually" directly mocked Lin Liqiang's usual boasting about never failing to charm any woman.

"This situation is different, my friend," Lin Liqiang replied without any blush or embarrassment, instead adopting the serious air of a university professor. "My current ability in this area is only at a ninety, so I have little certainty of successfully getting her number."

Inzaro Ta said nothing, merely pursing his lips in a gesture of contempt.

Xue Tian, however, nodded repeatedly. "This woman projects an aura of approachability, yet she conceals a very strong barrier against intrusion. It is indeed difficult."

Lin Liqiang agreed with deep feeling. "Right. Among the four of us, only I have a chance to get her number..."

Qin Fen and Inzaro Ta merely smiled, looking on as if waiting for him to continue his boasting.

"Don't believe me?" Lin Liqiang grinned, stood up slightly, and adjusted his clothing. His previously frivolous attitude instantly underwent a massive transformation, adopting the bearing of a refined, scholarly gentleman.

"Wait for news of my triumphant return," Lin Liqiang whispered before lifting his leg and leaving the coffee table.