Sequence Beyond: My Wife is a Mysterious Boss

The wind chimes in the grocery store jingled loudly as they were struck.

When Lin Bai pushed open the door, Gu Canglan was looking at a thick book.

On the counter, Shen Shu crossed her delicate legs, holding a file in her hand, and focused intently on filing her nails.

"Oh, what a rare guest!"

Shen Shu blew away the crumbs from his fingertips without even lifting his eyelids:

"What? You messed up the spirit-breaking formation and don't have money to buy materials, so you're planning to come here and beg this old man for alms?"

Lin Bai ignored the sarcastic little girl's daily barrage of remarks.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, casually pulling a warm paper bag out of his pocket.

He broke it in half and placed it directly in front of Gu Canglan.

A sweet, caramelized aroma exploded in the air.

Roasted sweet potatoes.

In this outlying city where even starch is rationed, this thing is a luxury that can only be dreamed of during the Lunar New Year.

It's definitely "soft gold in the wasteland".

Gu Canglan twitched his nose, and his movement of pushing up his glasses froze.

His stern old face instantly relaxed.

"Those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves."

The old man said that, but his hands said otherwise.

He grabbed a sweet potato and took a big bite:

"Hmph... Speak, what is it? Let me make this clear first, you chose the Spirit-Breaking Array yourself, and there's no way you can change it."

"Look at what you're saying, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Lin Bai leaned forward, smiling like a kind-hearted boy next door:

"Mr. Gu, I have something to ask you."

"explain."

"I want to purchase alchemy materials in large quantities." Lin Bai counted on his fingers:

"Mithril powder, mercury, high-purity sulfur crystals... in large quantities, preferably with long-term supply."

Gu Canglan stopped chewing the sweet potato.

He swallowed the sweet, sticky food in his mouth and looked at Lin Bai with a puzzled expression.

An expert can tell a lot just by looking at their work.

All of these things Lin Bai reported were auxiliary materials for the catalyst of the [Spirit-Breaking Array].

"A large quantity? How large?"

Gu Canglan put down the sweet potato, his expression strange:

"Besides, while these things aren't as good as the Soul-Slaying Marrow, they're still not cheap. Can you afford them, kid?"

Money is not a problem.

Lin Bai spoke in a calm tone, revealing the composure typical of a nouveau riche.

"As long as the supply chain is stable and the price is fair, I'll eat as much as I can."

Gu Canglan gave him a deep look.

"I have the channels." He slowly wiped his hands.

"There are places with stable supply, and there are also places to find bargains and make a fortune."

"Now that you've entered this industry... it's really time to introduce you to it."

"That's good."

Lin Bai breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately asked his second question: "There's something else."

"I want to learn alchemy again."

"Level One Alchemy?"

Gu Canglan raised an eyebrow, casually quoted a market price, and also wanted to put on a mentor's air:

"Sure. Depending on the complexity of the magic array, the price ranges from one thousand to ten thousand gold coins..."

"From one thousand to ten thousand..."

Lin Bai stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, and said, "Then I'll have to come back in a few days."

The air suddenly became quiet.

Gu Canglan stopped eating the sweet potato abruptly.

one second.

two seconds.

The old man slowly raised his head, his eyes always carrying a hint of gentleness.

At this moment, it was as if it had been electrified.

It shone brightly, even with an unbelievable sharpness.

It was like a falcon locking onto a fat rabbit in the grass.

"In a few days?"

Gu Canglan's voice was a little hoarse: "You mean... in a few days?"

"you......"

"Clang!"

The chair was overturned and fell to the ground.

Gu Canglan suddenly sprang up, his movements so agile that he didn't seem like someone nearing fifty.

He rushed to Lin Bai in a few steps, pressed his hands firmly against Lin Bai's shoulders, and his old face was almost touching Lin Bai's nose.

"You've found a substitute for the Soul-Destroying Essence?"

It's not a question. It's an affirmative sentence.

Gu Canglan is a true genius, the pinnacle of alchemy in Blackrock City.

I hadn't thought of this before because it goes against common sense.

But Lin Bai's words were like a key.

Breaking spirit arrays, bulk purchasing of auxiliary materials, getting rich quickly, learning new spells...

If you want a logically closed loop, there is only one truth.

Lin Bai looked at the old man in front of him, who was breathing rapidly and had bloodshot eyes, and smiled bitterly to himself.

Still too inexperienced.

Subconsciously, he regarded Shen Shu and Gu Canglan as "one of his own," and his vigilance decreased significantly.

This kind of trust is a major taboo in this cannibalistic world.

But looking into Gu Canglan's eyes, which burned purely for the truth, Lin Bai sighed.

That's it.

As for this old man, his character is... truly impeccable.

Lin Bai nodded.

"hiss--!"

Gu Canglan gasped.

"An alternative...an alternative...I've been researching for ten years and haven't found one, and you've only been studying it for a few days?"

"What is it? What kind of substance can replace the high-frequency spiritual medium like the Soul-Destroying Essence?"

He stared intently at Lin Bai.

"tell me!"

"Tell me the recipe!"

At this moment, Lin Bai no longer felt like the gentle mentor he once was.

He's more like a research fanatic who'd die for a cause he'd discovered in the morning.

"In exchange..."

Gu Canglan took a deep breath, pointed to the bookshelf behind him, and exclaimed with boundless pride:

"Level 1 Alchemy, three in total! Take your pick! I'm not charging you!"

Three first-level alchemy techniques.

Based on market prices, the starting price is 3,000 and the maximum is 30,000.

The price paid was merely an information gap regarding "rat brains".

This is a huge win!

"make a deal."

Without any hesitation, Lin Bai uttered three words: "Brown rat."

"Huh?" Gu Canglan was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"The brain fluid of those mutated brown rats found in the sewers." Lin Bai shrugged, looking relaxed.

"The effect is only 90% of the original, but the cost... well, you know."

"An old...rat?"

Gu Canglan's mouth dropped open.

That filthy, universally hated source of plague?

It replaced the Soul-Destroying Marrow, which costs 300 gold coins per gram?

This is absolutely outrageous—it's outrageous to the extreme!

"How could this be..." Gu Canglan murmured to himself, his eyes glazed over.

"Biological homology? Or did some mutated virus alter the structure of body fluids? Genius... truly a genius idea..."

He ignored Lin Bai and rushed towards the lab table.

He pulled out a dead rat that had long been made into a specimen from the corner, and then took out a tube of precious Soul-Extinguishing Essence.

The old man instantly switched to "Do Not Disturb" mode.

Shen Shu was also looking at Lin Bai with a strange expression.

Surprisingly, this kid actually managed to pull it off?

It's clearly a ridiculously expensive but ultimately useless alchemy technique.

How can he find a core alternative?

......

Lin Bai smiled at Shen Shu and turned to walk towards the bookshelf he had long coveted.

Three first-level alchemy techniques.

This may be his last chance to be armed before he is promoted to Sequence 8.

In the days that followed, he would prepare the potion materials for advancing to Sequence 8.

The ones available in the city are alright.

Unavailable...

We'll inevitably have to leave the city and confront those monsters head-on.

Therefore, these three techniques must be able to help his combat ability.

......