The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Chi Zhengyang's smile deepened.

He glanced around, taking in the anxiety on the faces of his four old friends.

This anxiety was mixed with a sense of heaviness at the uncertainty of their fate.

"Is it that obvious?"

Chi Zhengyang asked in return, but he himself did not realize that his voice carried a hint of ease that was rare for him.

Old Mr. An leaned back in his chair.

He rubbed his temples, looking somewhat helpless.

"Stop keeping me in suspense."

"Old Chi, didn't you hate this kind of person the most? When did you become the kind of person you hate the most?" Old An's words carried a hint of reproach.

Although Elder Wei and Elder Wu did not speak, their gazes at Chi Zhengyang's languid demeanor conveyed a clear sense of urgency.

Chi Zhengyang chuckled.

Instead of answering directly, he kept everyone in suspense.

"Just you wait, you'll find out soon enough."

Mr. Qian: "You rascal..."

Fortunately, this wait didn't last too long.

It only took a few seconds.

Above the conference table, the air began to vibrate slightly.

Visible ripples spread out in the void.

Mr. Qian was the first to sit up straight.

He stared intently at the distorted space.

Elder An, Elder Wei, and Elder Wu also focused their attention on that direction at the same time.

Their expressions were a mixture of doubt and curiosity.

The distortion grew more and more intense, as if an invisible hand was tearing apart the reality before them.

Upon seeing this, Chi Zhengyang's face lit up with even greater joy.

He spoke softly, his voice carrying a relaxed smile.

"They're here!"

The next second, a crack appeared out of nowhere.

An object the size of a basketball fell silently.

It landed lightly on the smooth conference table without making a sound.

It was an egg.

It is dark brown all over, and its surface is covered with complex and mysterious patterns.

The patterns were ancient and simple, like naturally formed runes, exuding an indescribable wildness.

Old Qian craned his neck and leaned closer to examine it carefully.

He had never seen anything like it before.

"What is this?" Old Qian's voice was full of curiosity.

Chi Zhengyang looked at Old Qian, his smile deepening.

"Try biting your finger and dripping a little blood onto the eggshell."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Qian did not hesitate at all.

His thirst for knowledge at this moment completely overwhelmed all his concerns.

Besides, he's not a fussy person at all.

He bit the tip of his right index finger until it bled.

A drop of bright red blood seeped from the fingertip.

He carefully dripped the blood onto the mysterious patterns on the eggshell.

The eggshell seemed to have a life of its own, instantly absorbing the blood droplet.

Om-! !

The moment the blood droplet was absorbed.

The patterns on the eggshell seemed to come alive at that moment.

They flickered slightly, then returned to calm.

Mr. Qian's body stiffened slightly.

He felt as if something had suddenly appeared in his mind.

It was a faint, yet clearly discernible sound.

A faint, heart-beat-like vibration reverberated deep within his consciousness.

But he didn't have time to think about it carefully.

Because it happens almost at the same time that the blood droplet is absorbed.

A soft "click" sounded.

A tiny crack appeared on the eggshell.

Then, more cracks began to spread.

All eyes were fixed on the egg in the center of the conference table.

The cracks are becoming more numerous and denser.

"Bang!"

The eggshell eventually shattered under the force of the internal structure.

Broken eggshells were scattered on the table.

A wet, wriggling figure slowly emerged from the remains of the eggshell.

That was a sea turtle.

Its shell is dark green with a golden sheen around the edge.

Its limbs are short but powerful, its head protrudes from its shell, and its big, round eyes curiously survey its surroundings.

Mr. Qian looked at the sea turtle that had just hatched in front of him with a puzzled expression.

But with the arrival of the little one, the faint vibration in his mind became even clearer.

That wasn't a sound; it was more like a message directly transmitted into the depths of consciousness.

Mr. Qian reached out and gently touched the smooth shell of the sea turtle.

"The voice in my head, was it you who made it?" Old Qian asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

The sea turtle seemed to understand what he was saying.

It moved its short limbs.

Then, it slowly crawled toward Mr. Qian.

It crawled onto Mr. Qian's outstretched hand and gently licked his index finger, which he had just bitten.

The wound on my fingertip began to heal at a visible speed under the licking of the sea turtle.

The bloodstains disappeared, and the skin returned to its smooth state.

It was as if he had never been injured.

Elder An, Elder Wei, and Elder Wu all stood up at the same time.

They couldn't believe what was happening before their eyes.

But I accepted it quickly.

Since the emergence of Wasteland Era, their ability to accept new things seems to have become stronger and stronger.

Even when they saw such outrageous scenes that were beyond their comprehension, they were not shocked.

Old Wei pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Old Wu, who was usually not fond of talking, showed a rare expression of emotion on his face at this moment.

His fingers tapped the table unconsciously, making a rhythmic, soft sound.

Old An then strode over to Old Qian's side, took Old Qian's hand, and carefully examined his perfectly intact fingertips.

"It's really completely healed..."

"What...what is this thing...?"

Seeing their reactions, Chi Zhengyang's smile widened.

Mr. Qian looked at the sea turtle, then at his fully recovered fingers.

He felt a warm current flow from his fingertips throughout his body.

The fatigue in my body seemed to dissipate considerably at that moment.

He even felt that he was full of energy at that moment.

He tried again to communicate with the sea turtle using his mind.

"Can you understand me?"

The turtle nodded its head slightly, as if in response.

"It can actually understand what I'm saying." Old Qian was quite pleased.

"Old Chi, what... what exactly is this thing?"

A subtle, enigmatic smile played on Chi Zhengyang's face.

He looked at his four old friends.

Chi Zhengyang knew that their hearts were currently intertwined with immense uncertainty and hope.

He didn't rush to answer.

He slightly raised his hand, gesturing for the turtle to return to the center of the table.

The sea turtle seemed to understand Chi Zhengyang's meaning. It slowly crawled back among the eggshell fragments, its round eyes looking at everyone curiously.

"You can call it a pet."

Chi Zhengyang finally spoke, his voice filled with joy.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Qian frowned.

He glanced at the small sea turtle on the table.

"pet?"

"That's right." Chi Zhengyang nodded. "But it's not like a cat or dog."

"Think about the pet in front of you. Once it's properly trained, its strength could reach the elite level."