Sequence Beyond: My Wife is a Mysterious Boss

Lin Bai took a deep breath, his fingertips touching the yellowed pages of the animal-skin book.

This touch was like opening the door to a new world.

Turn to the first page.

[Adipocere Preservation Technique: Level 1 Alchemy. Effect: Preserves the body for thirty years; the deceased's facial expressions are permanently frozen in time.]

......

[Unstable Phosphorescent Coating: Level 1 Alchemy. Effect: Adds a burning effect to the weapon. Drawback: The weapon is extremely prone to spontaneous combustion, potentially burning the user.]

Flip again...

[Berserk Magic Array: Blocks pain, increases strength by 20%, a three-minute trial of true manhood.]

After flipping through more than a dozen pages, Lin Bai was dazzled, but his brows furrowed more and more tightly.

These alchemy techniques are indeed all-encompassing, covering everything from murder and robbery to home and travel.

But they all have two fatal commonalities:

First, it's expensive.

Second, it's ridiculously expensive.

Either the materials are so scarce that you have to compete with the King of Hell in restricted areas, or the effects are so lackluster that you can only perform under a bridge.

Just as the book turned to page 12, Gu Canglan's uniquely gentle voice rang out.

"Lin Bai, as your teacher, I recommend choosing this one—the Double Water Purification Array."

Lin Bai raised an eyebrow and looked down.

It was a double-layered, nested pentagram structure.

"What is most lacking in the outer city? It's not food, but clean water."

Gu Canglan tapped the table, his voice earnest and heartfelt, much like an old father worrying himself sick over his unworthy descendants:

"Factory wastewater, acid rain... Drinking too much of these can cause internal organ ulcers, which is a minor issue; the real problem is when it leads to organ damage."

"Large-scale water purification plants do exist, but the water price... how many people can afford it?"

"The advantage of this magic array lies in its practicality."

"A few scrap metal barrels, some charcoal and sand, combined with a magic array, and black water turns into sweet dew."

The old man's eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

"Small profits but quick turnover. As long as you're willing to work hard and be a diligent porter, you can easily save up a dozen or so gold coins a month."

"For you right now, accumulating initial capital is the key."

Gu Canglan is right.

This is the safest, most pragmatic, and best solution that best suits Lin Bai's current "poor" status.

Even Shen Shu, who was standing next to him, was unusually tactless.

Holding those mechanical arms, they clearly acknowledged that this was the most suitable option.

Lin Bai looked at the water purification array and nodded slightly.

It's definitely a good business; it guarantees profits regardless of drought or flood, and provides a steady stream of income.

But... this is too slow!

A dozen or so gold coins a month?

It would be faster for him to take Aya out of the city and find and kill any lone Calamities.

He didn't speak; his consciousness sank directly into his mind, calling out to that damned yet adorable cheat code.

[Question: Which alchemy technique in this book is most suitable for my current situation?]

[Driving simulation in progress...]

[Estimated simulation time: 1 second]

[Answer: Page 27.]

[Note: Selling water? Think outside the box. In this chaotic world, violence is the only true currency. Truth lies only within range, wealth only within rhetoric.]

Lin Bai remained unmoved.

Her fingers casually skipped over page 12, which Gu Canglan had insisted on, and continued forward.

Splash!

Until page 27.

Lin Bai's fingers stopped, his gaze fixed on the alchemical array, refusing to move an inch.

Gu Canglan's brows furrowed instantly.

Shen Shu scoffed, looking at him like he was a fool who hadn't even learned to crawl yet but wanted to reach for the moon.

What was presented to Lin Bai was no longer a two-dimensional array, but a three-dimensional cylindrical structure.

Intricate patterns, like chains, are wrapped around a bullet-like object.

At its core is a menacing, armor-piercing cone symbol.

"this?"

Gu Canglan's tone was strange: "Lin Bai, you have good taste, but... this isn't suitable for you."

"This is the [Spirit-Breaking Array], a branch of enchanted alchemy."

The old man sighed, as if reminiscing: "This is a fragment I dug out of the ruins when I was young, and it took me three years to complete it."

"The design concept is ingenious—micro-engraving technology is used to engrave the warhead, and the instantaneous kinetic energy generated by the gunpowder is used to activate the circuit."

"The effect is very strong."

Gu Canglan held up one finger, his expression serious:

"Even an ordinary person without spirituality, if they pull the trigger, this bullet can tear through the spiritual shield of a low-sequence superhuman, or even directly destroy their spiritual body."

"Simply put, this is the ticket that gives mortals the qualification to kill gods."

Lin Bai's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart pounded wildly.

that's it!

In this world, those with supernatural abilities are protected by spiritual energy, which greatly reduces the effectiveness of ordinary firearms.

Just like that "Iron Fist," as long as you don't get shot in the head, you can still be lively and energetic even after being shot ten or eight times.

But those with extraordinary abilities are, after all, a minority.

If ordinary people, gang members, or even the oppressed lower classes could possess the ability to threaten superhumans... that would be an absolute windfall!

As soon as this thing comes out, even for that vague sense of security, wealthy people who value their lives will fight tooth and nail to get their hands on it.

This is an arms deal!

"but!"

Gu Canglan emphasized, pouring cold water on the idea: "This is a failed invention."

Why?

"Because it's expensive."

Before Gu Canglan could elaborate, Shen Shu coldly interrupted, "Outrageously expensive, outrageously expensive."

She walked to the control panel, her slender, precise mechanical fingertips poking at the red mark at the heart of the blueprint:

"Look carefully, to make this thing, the carving knife needs to be soaked in a special catalyst. And the core material of the catalyst is [Spirit Extinguishing Essence]."

"That's an essence extracted from the spinal cord of the Calamity-Devouring Beast. It's worth 300 gold coins per gram, and there's no market for it."

Shen Shu looked at Lin Bai like he was an idiot, and activated his human calculator mode:

"A single bullet consumes at least 0.3 grams. Taking into account the scrap rate and labor costs... the cost of firing this shot is at least 100 gold coins."

"100 gold coins for a bullet?"

"Even the spendthrift sons of the inner city wouldn't use this thing as regular ammunition. With that money, they'd be better off hiring a few superhumans as bodyguards."

Gu Canglan nodded and added, "This is a classic case of 'chicken rib'—tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away."

"Lin Bai, listen to my advice. Choose the Water Purification Formation. Save up money first, don't be too ambitious."

The two "alchemy authorities," one old and one young, have sentenced this alchemy to death in every aspect, from cost accounting to market analysis.

The logic is rigorous and flawless.

If Lin Bai were just an ordinary apprentice, he would have already taken the opportunity to quit and obediently become a water deliveryman.

But he is not.

He has cheat codes.

"Mr. Gu, Ms. Shen."

Lin Bai raised his head, his face bearing his signature harmless smile, but his tone was unusually firm:

"I want this one."

"You..." Gu Canglan was stunned.

Lin Bai spoke nonsense with a straight face: "It's powerful and good for self-defense. In this world, life is more important than money."

"Self-defense?" Shen Shu chuckled, his mechanical eyes darting around slightly. "Are you rolling in money or planning to rob a bank?"

"You're penniless, how are you going to buy materials? Are you going to trade your life for the Soul-Destroying Essence? One hundred gold coins for this thing?"

"How about this, you give me 100 gold coins, and I'll protect you!"

......