After Apocalypse, I Got Rich With Superpower

"I said I’d give them a commission, but their status doesn’t allow them to take the money. I really don’t know how else to thank them."

"Things are different now; side incomes can’t be earned anymore. The scrutiny is intense, and it’s only going to get more and more regular and strict. You know the saying: ’Great disasters require harsh officials.’ Nobody dares to overstep, so I’ll go back and treat them to a meal instead."

"Okay."

"Don’t worry about the Zhang family’s issues. Once I get back, I’ll sort them out. If any problems arise, just find Jianzhong and Jiao Ming. Jiao Ming was the master who taught me at the base, the one who guided me hands-on in my skills and combat abilities. We’re very close; he’s trustworthy."

"I know. They’ve been the ones taking care of the troublesome matters at home. I’m only responsible for the Spirit Plants now, and those things are so delicate. Just looking after them takes up my entire day; I can’t manage anything else."

"Then just focus on taking care of the Spirit Plants."

"Spirit Plants are doing quite well. You’ll see when you get back. I’ve brought back a Spiritual Tea plant this time, it’s wonderful. I’ve already planted it in a pot; I’ll transfer it to the ground when we get home."

"That’s good news. I’ve recently felt that my superpower has improved again; it’s much stronger than before."

"When you come back, I’ll give you a purification session. It’s good for your superpower."

"I haven’t been eating Mutated Meat, only poultry. The issue’s not that serious."

The two of them chatted for a while before finally hanging up.

Li Pan was tired. The car journey was uncomfortable, so she turned over and went to sleep.

On the other hand, the Base Commander had trouble coming from the Zhang family’s side; they were causing a commotion in the office, demanding an explanation.

The Base Commander stood up, slammed the table, and said, "It’s clear in your hearts whether you were the ones behind Li Pan’s assassination attempt. Now that you’re feeling the heat for being sought out, you got what you deserved!"

"Let me tell you, there’s no justice here. I didn’t give Li Pan justice, and I’m not going to give it to you either. Li Pan is someone the higher-ups insist on protecting. If you have the guts, go ahead and try touching her again. The news of her Absolute Healing has been reported up the ranks; she’s already been registered in the imperial capital."

The Base Commander had taken precautions early on by reporting Li Pan’s Absolute Healing, which was also a way to increase her value and ensure her protection against any threats. Even if he was no longer around, just her ability to wield Absolute Healing and cultivate spiritual plants would ensure the imperial capital’s protection for her.

Indeed, the Base Commander’s approach was proven right as the higher-ups notified him that Li Pan’s safety must be ensured at all costs.

The Zhang family members looked grim, unable to process the news for a moment.

"Get out! Tit for tat. Li Pan has been confined; that’s all you will get. There’s nothing more."

The Base Commander turned his face away.

Out of options, the Zhang family left resentfully.

"Pah! Who are they trying to save face in front of? I still don’t know who’d care to look at their faces. They deserve to be ruined. How come they weren’t killed?"

The Base Commander shook his head smugly, sipping tea comfortably.

It was almost lunchtime, and the Base Commander leisurely headed to the cafeteria.

Most of the team members had finished their meals and gone to work, leaving only a couple of older guys still eating.

"Where’s Pan’er? Isn’t she eating?"

"She ate and went to sleep. The Zhang family is gone."

"They’ve finally scrammed, such a nuisance!"

"The little girl didn’t want to trouble you, so she confined herself. Heh heh!"

"It’s alright. I kept her in confinement for a day to avoid a run-in with the Zhang family members and any further distress. Let’s have her return tomorrow and exchange her back with Pei Yuan."

"Okay. Xue Dong should be back soon, right?"

"Yes, in about two or three months."

"What do you plan to do with that Five Elements Spiritual Fruit? Uncle Pei mentioned a few days ago that five more had ripened."

"I’m thinking of trading them for something. Our folks here are almost set. It’s no use for the little kids, and there’s no point for those too old to eat them. It’s the strong, young ones, around seventeen or eighteen, maybe in their early twenties, who can really benefit from it."

"That’s true. Maybe we could exchange it with the neighboring base for some spiritual plants. That girl does a great job of nurturing spiritual plants."

"Yeah, that girl excels at whatever she does; she’s outstanding. The Zhang family members even managed to infuriate such a normally gentle person. They really have some nerve."

"Make sure to keep a close watch, the farm has more and more precious items, and their value has increased immensely. So many people are eyeing it."

"I know, you won’t be wrong."

After dinner, the Base Commander got busy again.

Li Pan woke up and didn’t do any work in the afternoon, instead, she went to hand in the Crystal Cores.

"Sister Qian, I brought back some Crystal Cores from the base, let me report the count to you."

"Alright, I’ll record it."

"Sis, you’re purifying medicine."

"Yep, today I’m making Detoxification Agents. Want to learn?"

Everyone had watched Li Pan and her group grow up; they had grown very familiar with her and treated her very well.

"I want to learn, Sis, could you teach me? Can I learn to do it?"

"Of course, you can, but if you want to learn, you’ve got to stay and dedicate yourself. Do you have the time?"

"Not at the moment, I can’t be away from the farm for too long. Haven’t you seen I always have to ask Uncle Pei to watch the farm whenever I leave? Those spiritual plants are very delicate."

"I see. I have some notes here; you can take them back and study the theories first. Later, when you have time, come to me, and I’ll teach you. Uncle Pei has said that he would specifically guide you in medicine preparation in two years, but he also doesn’t have time right now."

"Yeah, I’ve wanted to learn for a while, but earlier my skills weren’t up to it, and later the farm grew bigger, with so much to keep me busy. I need to focus on caring for the Spirit Plants; I’m afraid they might die. They were so hard to come by, I can’t afford to waste them."

"That’s right."

"Sis, this is tea I fried myself. I’ve saved a box for you. If you like it, I’ll bring more. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t much enhance superpowers."

Once at a high level, not everything is useful, unless it’s a Spirit Plant.

But even if Li Pan grew the Spirit Plants herself, she would need the Base Commander’s permission to give them away or use them—it didn’t count if she just said so.

If you rely on others to protect you and go making decisions without consulting them when trouble arises, that wouldn’t be right. After all, the base had raised their abilities through immense effort.

Besides, in the hearts of Li Pan, Xue Dong, and the others, the Base Commander was essentially a foster father.

"I won’t stand on ceremony, then. My old man loves tea; I’ll take it back for him to try."

"I’ll bring you some good stuff tomorrow then."

"No need, what you gave me last time. My old man really liked it, just in time for a refill."

Sister Qian gave Li Pan her notebook filled with many years of experience in refining medicines.

Li Pan couldn’t wait to start reading it as soon as she got it in her hands.

"Don’t rush reading that now. Come here, let me tell you how to refine Basic Level Potions. You have some medicinal materials from your own cultivation; you can try it out when you go back. The basics all require you to gradually accumulate experience."

Sister Qian showed her several medicinal plants, personally melted the medicine into liquid and then blended it for her to observe, explaining the principles and effects hands-on.

She went into detail from Basic Level to Middle-level and High-level Potions, articulating the differences and effects, and where the difficulties lay.

Li Pan listened closely and began to jot down notes in her notebook, showing a serious and focused attitude, committing everything to heart.

Sister Qian couldn’t help but nod in approval; this kid had a strong capacity to learn and high talent. Only by teaching her these skills could they be better passed on.

The entire afternoon passed in teaching. Li Pan learned a lot and expanded her knowledge: making medicine was so complicated, mainly purifying the active ingredients and discarding impurities. The purer the medicine, the better its effects, and the more effective it is for patients.

The fewer impurities there were, the more expensive the medicine became. For superpower users, spending time on purification also required time and patience, as well as consuming superpower.

A slight inattention could spoil the medicine. It was not much different from Alchemy described in books, equally tedious and laborious.

This was why medicines were expensive; they couldn’t be mass-produced, and the medicinal materials were costly.

Even wanting to learn this skill required money. You needed to be able to afford failure because failure meant a waste of medicine. A single plant may not be expensive, but the cumulative cost of a hundred plants might be more than you could bear.

Some potions required ginseng. A Basic Level Potion of the lowest grade needed ten-year-old ginseng; a single plant cost fifty thousand. Could you afford that loss?