Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Lin Chen was speechless.

This girl was quite shrewd when she came up with the idea earlier, killing two birds with one stone, even figuring out how to pay the remaining balance. How come she's acting stupid now?

Just like Jiang Yingyue, she's adorably silly.

Just as he was about to speak, someone suddenly stood up from behind Qin Lu.

The man, in his thirties, was handsome with a touch of heroism in his eyes. He took a step forward, his gaze falling on Qin Lu, his eyes revealing an undisguised concern and anxiety.

"Xiao Lu, you absolutely cannot agree to such a request."

His voice was steady, but his clenched fists betrayed him.

Qin Lu glanced at him but didn't say anything.

The man continued, "If we don't have enough crystal cores, we can make up the difference. There are so many people in the base; if everyone contributes a little, we can always manage to gather enough."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Lin Chen almost imperceptibly, carrying a hint of wariness and hostility.

Xiao Yan hid in the back and muttered softly, "I... had no other choice..."

The man didn't even turn his head, his tone curt: "You can't just take your boss away as a hostage, can you?"

Xiao Yan shrank back, not daring to utter another word. Normally she looked down on this man, but today she was the one who had made a mistake.

Lin Chen leaned back on the sofa, watching the scene with great interest.

The way this man looked at Qin Lu was unlike that of an ordinary subordinate.

The group of people behind Qin Lu reacted in various ways.

Several female superhumans stood silently, expressionless. Most of them had been recruited by Qin Lu after the apocalypse; they were loyal, but rarely spoke of her affairs.

As for the men whom Qin Lu had lured with beautiful women, they all acted as if it were none of their business. They all knew perfectly well what they were after.

Qin Lu gave them women and supplies, and they provided labor in return. The transaction was completed, and no one owed anyone anything.

As for Qin Lu herself—that's the boss, powerful enough to be no target.

There was one exception.

The man in his thirties stood slightly behind Qin Lu, his gaze fixed on her.

He had a handsome appearance and a touch of heroism between his brows; he was the kind of person who would be highly sought after in the marriage market before the apocalypse.

At this moment, he pursed his lips, his jaw was tense, and his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

He was the only one in this group whose goal was always Qin Lu herself.

Unfortunately, he was only an A-level player and couldn't beat her.

Confessing my feelings? I wouldn't dare. I'm afraid that if I'm rejected, I won't even have the right to stand here anymore.

So the only option was the old, outdated method from before the apocalypse—to silently watch over her and be the first to step forward in crucial moments, hoping that this would make her look at him more.

The effect is obvious.

He hasn't made much progress.

At this moment, Qin Lu suddenly spoke up.

"If Mr. Lin agrees and doesn't mind my plain appearance," she looked directly at Lin Chen, speaking slowly and deliberately, "I'd be willing to be 'collateral'."

As soon as she finished speaking, she stared intently at Lin Chen, not blinking.

In that gaze, there was probing, determination, and something else that others couldn't decipher.

She had just witnessed Lin Chen's power firsthand. Such a man—young, handsome, and with unfathomable strength—if she had to choose a man, why not choose the best?

She even considered in her mind: even if she really lost, it didn't seem like a loss.

But as soon as she said that, some people felt like their world had collapsed.

"Little Lu!"

He Xiaodong was dumbfounded, his face instantly turned red, and his voice became distorted with anxiety.

"How could you agree to something like this? You never know, something might go wrong!"

He couldn't hold back any longer, took a step forward, and reached out to grab Qin Lu's arm.

Qin Lu frowned and slapped him across the face.

"Snapped!"

The sound was crisp and loud, landing squarely on He Xiaodong's face.

He froze on the spot, a red mark instantly appearing on half of his face.

Qin Lu withdrew her hand, looked at him coldly, and said in a voice colder than the weather outside:

"Sun Xiaodong, mind your place."

She paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"How dare you call me 'Little Lu'?"

He Xiaodong opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"You dare to lay a hand on me?" Qin Lu narrowed her eyes. "Who gave you the guts?"

He Xiaodong's face went from flushed to deathly pale.

He stood there, his hand still frozen in mid-air, unsure whether to retract it or release it.

Lin Chen leaned back on the sofa, watching the scene with great interest, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Since Sister Lu has said so," Lin Chen's lips curled slightly, his gaze sweeping over her face, "then I'll reluctantly agree to this plan."

He paused, a hint of amusement in his voice:

"But Sister Lu, don't regret it later."

Qin Lu turned to look at him, her icy expression vanishing instantly, replaced by a faint smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Lin."

She walked gracefully towards Lin Chen and extended her right hand.

Lin Chen grasped that hand—it was soft and smooth to the touch, with slightly cool fingertips, like someone who was used to a life of luxury and didn't know how to take care of themselves in this apocalyptic world.

Qin Lu gently hooked her fingers in his palm, with a hint of teasing.

"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

Lin Chen smiled knowingly.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Qin Lu immediately ordered someone to send over the 500,000 crystal cores in her inventory.

With a casual wave of his hand, Lin Chen caused the mountain of crystal cores to vanish instantly. This move once again left everyone present dumbfounded.

Qin Lu's heart skipped a beat—she suddenly felt that she might really lose.

After collecting the crystal cores, Lin Chen looked down and kicked Yuanzi, who was dozing on the ground.

"I'm gone."

Yuanzai groggily got up, shook his fur, and wobbled behind him.

The man and the bear left the hall without looking back and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Qin Lu stood there, watching that figure from behind, her smile slowly deepening.

Behind him, He Xiaodong covered his face, his eyes fixed on the direction where Lin Chen had disappeared with a sinister look.

Lin Chen and Yuanzai left the camp, found a deserted corner, and vanished instantly.

Next stop, Shekou.

Su Daqiang's territory.

Now that the deal was settled, he no longer bothered to discuss any further cooperation. A unified Deep City would be more conducive to his collection of crystal cores.

Before long, the man and the bear arrived at the mouth of the snake.

The port area was more bustling than I had imagined. Several container ships were leaning precariously against the dock, having been converted into temporary accommodations. The shore was dotted with makeshift shacks and bonfires, and people were everywhere.

According to the information Qin Lu provided, Su Daqiang's camp was located deep within the port area.

Lin Chen led Yuanzai in and swaggered inside.

The combination of a man and a bear was too conspicuous, and they were spotted by the patrol team not far away.

Seven or eight people swarmed around them, their weapons gleaming, and surrounded them.

The leader was a man in his thirties with a fleshy face and an unfriendly look in his eyes.

He sized Lin Chen up and down, his gaze lingering on Yuanzai for a moment. He swallowed hard before forcing a demand: "What are you doing?"

Lin Chen stopped, glanced at them casually, and said indifferently, "I need to talk to your boss about something."