“Caberry injected me with a Dark Red Potion. My original Core Inhibition Level was D, but after he administered that potion, it was directly elevated to B. However, this potion has severe side effects. Since then, I’ve had to regularly inject the Dark Red Potion, otherwise my Mental Sea would become turbulent.
Similarly, if I’m exposed to excessive amounts of the Dark Red Potion or influenced by similar red spiritual seas, I would also lose control.”
Not injecting it wasn’t an option, yet excessive exposure was dangerous, and he could even be affected by others of his kind. This could practically control a person to become someone’s most convenient and loyal weapon.
“Brother!” Eden became very anxious upon hearing this. “That damned old man Caberry! He did this to you? Why did you never tell me?”
“What would telling you accomplish? You were so young back then,” Ellis retorted, rolling his eyes at his younger brother. “Besides, weren’t you constantly disapproving of me? If you knew, you might have even taken pleasure in my misfortune!”
“How could I!” Eden wanted to refute, but remembering his past attitude, he could only back down.
Ellis enjoyed watching Eden’s frustrated expression for a while, then gently stroked his soft golden hair. There were even darker truths that didn’t need to be revealed to him.
This description sounded all too familiar. Qin Gou immediately thought of Lu Lian’s several episodes of losing control, which matched exactly what Ellis described.
Could it be true, as rumors suggested, that Lu Lian obtained his S-level Core Inhibition through illegal biological experiments?
“I don’t know much about it, but what’s certain is that all subsequently developed Red Potions and Dark Red Potions were derived from a single Mother Tincture.”
“I overheard Caberry referring to this Mother Tincture as the ‘Red Apple Mother Tincture’ during a conversation with someone. But once when he was asleep, I heard him murmur another name.”
“Forbidden Fruit.”
“Forbidden Fruit…” Qin Gou repeated the name thoughtfully. “Have any of you heard of an ancient text called the Bible? In the story, Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent’s temptation and ate the Forbidden Fruit, thereby bringing sin and death into the world.”
The others shook their heads in unison. This was a tale from ancient Earth civilization, one that many humans in the post-stellar era no longer remembered.
“Alright,” Qin Gou shrugged. “I think I understand what the namer intended.This potion, capable of completely overturning the existing Core Inhibition order, was indeed the “Forbidden Fruit” that could bring about subversion and sin.
“I brought back several reagent samples from the pet factory. Doctor Bai has already managed to develop a relief agent similar to the Red Potion through dilution. It might help you temporarily substitute your current treatment.”
“Really!” Eden turned around excitedly. “That’s wonderful, Ellis.”
“Don’t celebrate too soon,” Qin Gou injected a dose of caution appropriately. “The effects of this relief agent are only temporary, and we don’t have much Red Potion on hand. It can only sustain you for a limited time.”
“This is already beyond my expectations,” Ellis expressed genuine gratitude. “It’s much better than I imagined. I thought I would soon.”
“Ellis, no!” Eden quickly covered his mouth. “Don’t say such unlucky things!”
Ellis brushed his hand away: “Aren’t you the one who loves saying unlucky things the most?”
“Not at all!”
Seeing they were already able to joke around like this, Qin Gou’s lips curved into a faint smile. Though the underground base lacked sunlight, it could still feel warm.
Not wanting to disturb this moment of warmth further, Qin Gou chose to leave at the right time. Just as he turned to open the door, Ellis called out to him again.
“Oh, there’s some information not sure if it’s useful: Caberry usually avoids me during most conversations, but I once overheard the character ‘Lu’ faintly during a phone call.”
Qin Gou’s footsteps halted.
On his way back, Qin Gou kept turning over Ellis’s words in his mind. No matter what, Lu Lian was definitely involved with the illegal biological experiments.
If he had really used this kind of potion too, then was he also facing its side effects? Did he come to Gorgona Island precisely to.
“Boss, what’s on your mind?” Jiang Zhuo, who was helping Bai Xianzhe organize data, called out when he saw Qin Gou return. “What’s got you so distracted? It couldn’t really be that sweetheart we mentioned earlier.”
“Stop teasing.” Qin Gou patted him. “Back to business I just learned some things from Ellis.”
Qin Gou briefly explained the matter of the red potion to the two of them. When he reached the end, he paused, ultimately not mentioning the “Lu” character.
Bai Xianzhe frowned: “According to what Ellis said, this Red Apple Mother Tincture should be some leftover product from an experiment. All red-type potions are just inferior imitations based on this product.”
“But the red potion has been around for about ten years,” Qin Gou said.
“So this is probably a plan that’s been lurking in the depths, long in the making.”
“Oh, by the way, that person you brought has already left,” Bai Xianzhe said. “He looked completely fine if I hadn’t examined his Mental Sea, I wouldn’t have known Hey? Boss!”
Without even waiting to hear the rest, Qin Gou immediately rushed out.
“Is it really that urgent…” Bai Xianzhe murmured, watching Qin Gou’s retreating figure.
If there were any fixed NPCs that respawned regularly, then the black-haired boy would definitely be the one respawning at “Weeds.”
At that moment, he had wrapped himself around Lu Lian, clutching Lu Lian’s sleeve tightly, saying who knows what.
Qin Gou raised an eyebrow. Was he interested in Lu Lian too?
Wait, what did he mean by “too”? Qin Gou paused for a moment, then walked over.
He still wore that careless smile on his face as he sat down at the bar, then very gentlemanly gestured: “What would you two handsome gentlemen like to drink? My treat.”
Lu Lian lifted his eyelids slightly.
The boy, however, was very excited: “Brother Qin! Finally, I get to see you. I was just asking Mr. Lu where you were. Last time you got drunk, and I wanted to take you home, but.”
“Is that so.” Qin Gou smiled faintly. “I have no memory of that night at all. Was it you who took me home?”
“Uh…” The boy froze for a moment, sneaking a glance at Lu Lian before nodding. “Yes, it was me.”
“Thank you.” Qin Gou smiled at the boy, but his eyes remained fixed on Lu Lian.
Lu Lian had no intention of offering any explanation for this matter, nor did he plan to linger here any longer. He had originally been ready to leave but was detained by this boy who kept asking about Qin Gou’s whereabouts: “Now that you’ve found him, can you let me go?”
“Oh…” The boy timidly released his hand. It had taken immense courage for him to grab Lu Lian earlier this person was so cold it frightened him. If not for Qin Gou.
Qin Gou hadn’t shown any other expression from start to finish. He suddenly realized that Lu Lian truly didn’t care who he was with whether it was Ye Wan or this boy. Everything was just part of Lu Lian’s professional act.
Thinking this way, even Lu Lian’s choice of Ye Wan as a lover seemed utterly perplexing. Perhaps there were other reasons behind it.
Whenever this thought crossed his mind, Qin Gou would feel reluctant to see Lu Lian. Indeed, what was there to see? Between rivals in love, there was only mutual aversion.
He turned his head away, handed the drink the bartender brought to the boy, and offered a lazy, ambiguous smile: “Don’t mind him anymore, we…”
But then he saw Lu Lian, who had been about to leave, suddenly clutch his head with one hand while bracing himself against the bar with the other.
“Lu Lian!” Qin Gou immediately stood up and quickly moved to support him. The two stood together in a position that far exceeded a safe distance, looking almost like an embrace from afar.
The boy stared blankly. The casual indifference had completely vanished from Qin Gou’s eyes his dark pupils now reflected only one person. One hand supported Lu Lian’s waist as if afraid he might fall, while the other cradled the back of his head, creating an extremely intimate and ambiguous picture.
His typically aggressive face now carried a look of genuine concern.
The boy suddenly felt that no one else would ever be reflected in those dark eyes again.
Qin Gou finished preparing the soup and ladled it into a bowl. After hesitating for a moment, he still poured in the relief potion he had just obtained from Bai Xianzhe. The red liquid quickly dispersed throughout the soup and disappeared without a trace.
He had repeatedly confirmed with Bai Xianzhe that through high-dose dilution and the addition of other components, this relief potion would not affect normal people in any way, while simultaneously alleviating the condition of Dark Red Potion users.
If Lu Lian were an ordinary person, he wouldn’t have any reaction; if he really was this potion might relieve his symptoms.
Qin Gou could also take this opportunity to test him.
Lu Lian was resting in his room. Except for that moment of dizziness at “Weeds,” Lu Lian hadn’t seemed particularly unwell earlier, but Qin Gou had keenly detected that his condition was actually quite poor and immediately brought him home to rest.
The boy had long been forgotten.
He picked up the chicken soup he had tended to for hours and gently knocked on Lu Lian’s door.
There was no response, but Qin Gou knew Lu Lian had heard him, so he simply pushed the door open and entered.
Surprisingly, Lu Lian wasn’t resting but was sitting at his desk reading.
“You don’t look well. Shouldn’t you be resting?”
Lu Lian closed his book, his gray eyes turning toward him: “What is it?”
“Made some chicken soup for our big patient. Drink up.” Qin Gou smiled as he pushed the soup forward.
Lu Lian raised an eyebrow: “You made this yourself?”
“Otherwise?” Qin Gou tapped the table corner, clearly quite dissatisfied. “No restaurant on Gorgona Island would have the leisure to prepare chicken soup.”
The chicken soup was placed on the table, its golden liquid shimmering with a thin layer of oil foam. It appeared to have been simmered for a very long time, complete in color, aroma, and flavor.
Lu Lian stared at the bowl of chicken soup for a while before reaching out to pick it up.
Qin Gou watched intently without blinking.
Just as the chicken soup was about to reach Lu Lian’s lips, his movement suddenly halted. The air grew still in an instant, even the ripples in the soup from the motion disappearing.
Only Lu Lian’s slow, deliberate words broke the silence: “I never knew you had such a fine habit of drugging people.”