Chapter Sixty-Four: Resemblance

Inside the shelter, Fan Bei sat cross-legged in the study, eyes closed in deep meditation.

On the island within his consciousness, the young parasol trees he had planted had all transformed into bronze. This meant that with both relentless effort and generous investment, it had taken him less than thirty days to leap from a novice meditator to the bronze level. Though the saplings stood only three inches tall, bronze was bronze all the same.

Comparing himself to Lang Sheng, the host of the Good Person System, Fan Bei recalled that from the moment Lang Sheng obtained the “Bronze Level 2 Meditation Method,” selected his core bamboo, and fully transformed it into bronze, it had taken seven years for him to reach the bronze tier. Such was the difference between a wasted account and a perfectly cultivated one.

Of course, Fan Bei had to admit that his financial investment had played a significant catalytic role.

Now that he had entered the bronze level, he could bind the “Father of Systems.” Not only would this eliminate the risk of losing equipment, but it would also add a most reliable layer of protection to his soul.

He opened his eyes and looked at the ethereal white book radiating a faint glow.

Surely the binding would go smoothly? He had already told Da Bai to stand guard at the door, hoping all would proceed without a hitch.

The thought “bind the artifact” flashed through his mind. The next instant, the phantom white book vanished from sight.

He felt no anxiety, for he could sense the presence of a new book in his consciousness—proof the process had been seamless.

He closed his eyes again, sinking into his inner world.

A wondrous sight awaited him: the ethereal white book floated above the bronze parasol sapling, its gentle light illuminating the young tree. He sensed countless scattered thoughts being absorbed and transformed by the book.

So this was how his daily spiritual income was generated.

In this world, he felt as if nothing could harm him.

“It’s finally done,” he mused, relaxing in this private realm, “from now on, I’ll be a true creator of systems.”

But he didn’t allow himself to linger in this sense of achievement; there was still something he needed to do.

With a thought, he opened the white book, which automatically flipped to the “Heavenly Dog System” page.

“System sharing function?”

A prompt flashed across the page.

“Activate System Achievement Module. Activate the ‘Sworn Brotherhood’ achievement. Recipients of this achievement will receive partial system buffs.”

Fan Bei took note. “Looks like, Xiao Bai, your journey as a system user is still a long one. I wasn’t lying to you.”

He had guessed that a sharing function might exist when Da Bai nearly unlocked the first achievement, “Together with the Master.” Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such casual promises.

That achievement’s effect was: “When Da Bai is within fifty meters of Fan Bei, combat strength increases.”

If high affinity with the master could unlock such an achievement, then high affinity with brothers or friends should unlock similar ones. While Xiao Bai might never enjoy the full range of system powers, he could still share quite a few abilities.

Fan Bei prided himself on being a man of his word; if he made a promise, he intended to keep it.

He withdrew from his consciousness and left the study.

Outside, Da Bai sat obediently, one paw resting on the iron ball. Chef He stood nearby, clearly having waited for some time.

Upon seeing Fan Bei emerge, Chef He stepped forward. “Mr. Fan, a trading caravan has arrived and is requesting to settle here.”

“To settle in such a remote place?” Fan Bei was surprised and instinctively wary.

“Yes, there’s one man and two women outside. The man says his name is Lin Zhongshi, the women are Lin Xiao-lv and Lin Xiaohong. They don’t look like bad people, but these days, you can’t judge anyone by appearances,” Chef He said with a sigh.

Lin Zhongshi? This time, it seemed like the real one had returned. As Fan Bei was pondering this, two voices suddenly echoed in his mind.

“Tch, that last guy practically had ‘I’m a villain’ written all over his face. No wonder he got set up so easily…” This snide remark came from the iron ball, Xiao Bai, but instead of speaking aloud, it was a telepathic exchange with Da Bai.

Fan Bei noticed this and immediately understood—after binding the “Father of Systems,” he had gained new abilities.

“Indeed, Xiao Bai, you’ve got it easy. You’ve never cared about saving face, so you’ll never have to worry about anyone reading your intentions,” Da Bai retorted, still hung up on events from a few days ago.

“Uh, the Doggy Paradise will be finished today…”

“So soon? Xiao Bai, you really are thoughtful; you always care about what’s important to me.”

Fan Bei chose to ignore their banter and said to Chef He, “Let’s go take a look.”

…

Seven or eight minutes later, the two of them drove through the shortcut to the main gate.

When they opened the gate, Fan Bei and Chef He, accompanied by a dog and an iron ball, saw the three newcomers.

Upon seeing them, Fan Bei couldn’t help but think: Now, this is the mold of a true protagonist… If the system had been given to him, even I would be jealous. Better not to tempt fate.

The man, standing over six feet tall, with a heroic build, handsome features, and an air of righteousness—though a hint of gloominess lingered in his eyes—could only be Lin Zhongshi.

The two women beside him, like green leaves setting off a brilliant flower, only enhanced his presence.

At this sight, Fan Bei felt only contempt for the pretender “Wu Zicheng.” With a face like that, how dare he impersonate this man? Truly, ugliness knows no shame—he had only gotten as far as he did because of poor communication.

“Hello, you must be the master of this shelter, Mr. Fan?” Lin Zhongshi looked at Fan Bei and asked seriously.

“Yes, I’ve only heard a little about your request. But this isn’t the place to talk. Please, come inside and we’ll discuss it in detail.” Fan Bei invited them in with confidence.

He had every reason to feel secure—three days prior, Lady Lin, the wealthy benefactor, perhaps having learned someone was plotting against her, had suddenly invested another hundred thousand, restoring his reserve of spiritual energy to “101120.1.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Fan,” Lin Zhongshi replied politely, turning to the professionally dressed woman beside him. “Xiaohong, tell everyone to rest here for now.”

“Oh, Uncle He, have someone bring water and food to entertain them,” Fan Bei added warmly.

“Mr. Fan, you’re too kind. Thank you for your generosity,” Lin Zhongshi said, bowing slightly.

…

In a reception room on the south side of the central corridor—formerly a classroom—Fan Bei, Chef He, Da Bai, the iron ball, Lin Zhongshi, Lin Xiao-lv, and Lin Xiaohong sat around a conference table.

Chef He’s daughter, He Xixi, served water and tea, along with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, embodying the “multi-purpose” principle of the wastelands.

Her face, though somewhat darkened by sun and hardship, was well-featured if not quite beautiful. Today, evidently prepared for guests, she wore light makeup, lending her a presentable appearance.

After some casual conversation, the group discovered many shared experiences and began to feel a sense of mutual understanding.

“Mr. Fan, it’s remarkable how you’ve managed to support this shelter on your own,” Lin Zhongshi said sincerely.

“Not at all, Captain Lin, you’ve achieved as much by your own efforts. We’re all in the same boat, but your accomplishments outshine mine,” Fan Bei replied modestly.

Understanding that Lin Zhongshi’s only real desire was to avoid being controlled by others, most of Fan Bei’s suspicion faded.

He was no longer opposed to letting them settle here. Growing the shelter was the logical choice; it required more people. He could hire dozens or hundreds of servants, but not thousands or tens of thousands.

Trying too hard to keep a low profile would only draw attention. A single drop doesn’t want to dry up in the sun—the best way to survive is to blend into the sea. Though the shelter had been remote and obscure, it had still drawn the attention of both Lang Sheng and Wu Zicheng in succession.