Chapter 25: Treasures Everywhere Underground

Chapter 25: Treasures Everywhere Underground

Every fingerprint was identical, whether it was a thumb or an index finger.

Put together, it was a continuous string of six-six-six-six-six…

“…”

Luo Wendi looked and said softly, “Did you wear a fake fingerprint invisible glove? I couldn’t spot any flaw at all. Is it a new product?”

He stared at Bai Ge’s hands; the fingers were smooth, their creases natural.

He wasn’t mistaken—Bai Ge did it barehanded.

“One million per set. I made them… Do you want to buy some?” Bai Ge said with a laugh.

Luo Wendi smiled. “That expensive? I have no use for it…”

Changing fingerprints was something Bai Ge had done long ago when presenting the Danmu.

His shaping ability alone, merely altering form, benefited Bai Ge immensely.

Disguising the true cause of a corpse’s death, changing facial appearance through disguise, and altering fingerprints directly from flesh and skin.

All these effects combined made it practically a deity-like criminal skill…

“If you need my help with something, just say it directly. No need to question me here.”

“Since you don’t trust me, don’t ask me. I don’t want to take it anyway…”

Luo Wendi had heard Bai Ge say this multiple times. Bai Ge was clearly a person who valued his autonomy.

“Sorry, I apologize!” Luo Wendi hurriedly apologized.

“You know, with some things, it’s hard to trust others on the first try. If you’re not cautious enough, you might end up harming the employer.”

Bai Ge shook his head. “Now I’m an honorary citizen. Don’t look for me in illegal activities. Naturally, you don’t need to worry about how careful I am. From now on, I want to engage in legitimate work…”

Luo Wendi was stunned. He had looked into Bai Ge before—reportedly not wealthy and untrained in business. How could they collaborate commercially?

But then he recalled that he had paid a million for the flower last time; Bai Ge was a small fortune holder now.

Luo Wendi pondered for a moment. “Bai Ge, I’ve seen your capabilities firsthand. I genuinely have something to ask of you. But since you want out, I won’t pressure you.”

“When I said at the Chinese Academy of Sciences that you were my friend, from that point on, you became my friend. Spoken words are like spilled water.”

“If you want to start a business, come to me if you face any difficulties. In Xiangfan City, my connections are quite extensive.”

“Bai Ge, if you need investment, just speak up.”

He handed Bai Ge an elegant business card.

Luo Wendi himself ran an investment company managing shares across multiple industries. The card also bore his contact information.

Bai Ge hadn’t activated Calm Command at this moment—it drained him too much spirit. Prolonged use caused mental depression.

So, when he heard Luo Wendi’s words, he felt moved, silently nodding to himself internally.

He had refused Luo Wendi, yet the latter wasn’t angry and didn’t use power to intimidate. Instead, he said Bai Ge could always reach out.

Although this might be an attempt to win him over emotionally, given their vast social status gap, this gesture showed sincerity.

To be frank, Bai Ge could have continued “working for money.” He liked it, and it brought quick income.

But after learning that manifesting traits generated Containment Anomalies in Reality, he largely abandoned creating worthless items just for cash.

Now, since he could absorb Energy, making diamonds or antiques wouldn’t be impossible.

Diamonds? Merely carbon. Previously impossible because he lacked Energy to rearrange atomic structures.

Now, if Bai Ge invested Energy, he could easily create the largest, most splendid diamond in history.

Antiques? Also simple. Study the history, shape an object to authentic historical form, flawless even to experts.

Then expend some Energy to alter its carbon-14 test results. A genuine antique would be born.

Using this method, Bai Ge could forge even the imperial seal.

“But it’s unethical to misuse the Brain Hole for money like this—creating more Containment Anomalies.”

“I didn’t know earlier. But now I do. I should focus Energy and opportunities on building strength.”

At this thought, Bai Ge’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Why should I make diamonds myself? Deep underground, countless ones must exist…”

Hours later.

Luo Wendi drove Bai Ge home. Bai Ge mentally noted Luo Wendi’s courtesy.

He considered helping, but too many critical tasks awaited his action—taking jobs was low priority.

Boosting his strength was the true path. Countless Containment Anomalies needed hunting.

“Some things don’t necessarily require me. If your people fail despite trying everything, come find me then.”

“I truly have pressing matters these days. My apologies.”

Luo Wendi smiled quickly. “I said it: You’re my friend. No formalities.”

With that, he watched Bai Ge depart.

Once the car left, the driver asked, “Mr. Luo, weren’t you too polite to him? He refused gracelessly.”

Luo Wendi, seated in the back, shook his head. “You don’t understand. He’s far more formidable than you think… My judgment never fails.”

The driver respected Luo Wendi’s insight. Luo Wendi excelled in investments. Companies or teams he endorsed never lost money.

“Then… shall I arrange someone for that matter?”

Luo Wendi nodded. “If it’s achievable, good. If not… wait and see. Just try your best.”

…

Bai Ge returned home and collapsed onto bed, resting for a solid ten-plus hours.

He was mentally exhausted—without proper sleep for two days.

Waking in the dead of night, he submerged his consciousness into the Brain Hole to study the Bow Tie.

“The Shadow Man state is all-around useful… but it has flaws.”

Researching the Bow Tie’s traits inside the Brain Hole proved easier.

No complex experiments needed. He could directly spend small amounts of Energy to inspect all traits linked to the Bow Tie—a capability innate to Brain Hole Dominators: setting insight.

Most traits matched knowledge already, but it confirmed details.

He even uncovered some unknown specifics—like the max duration of the Shadow Man state.

Liang Wei had claimed permanent Shadow Man status, but reaching seventy-two hours triggered an automatic Human transformation.

Subsequently, the same person required ten hours before changing into a Shadow Man again.

This created a useless Vacuum period for the Bow Tie.

“As I suspected, Shadow Man isn’t immortal. Its state isn’t invincible either.”

“Physical damage and intended chemical reactions get wholly absorbed by the Bow Tie. But if disconnected, all that stored harm rebounds on the wearer.”

“I can still use it. But blocking lethal attacks traps me: I can’t afford losing it later, or death follows…”

“Additionally, the Bow Tie has an endurance limit. Analogously… about equal to the impact of a three-hundred-megaton Nuclear Bomb detonated nearby. Beyond that, even Shadow Man perishes.”

The endurance limit didn’t faze him. All global Nuclear Bombs combined fell short of three hundred megatons.

The detachment backlash, though, remained a major flaw. It centered the user’s weakness on the Bow Tie itself—a highly conspicuous vulnerability.

Especially with the preceding Bow Tie Vacuum period, that weakness amplified.

But for Bai Ge? Different. He could use it. When Energy sufficed later, he might temporarily self-invent “invincibility” to nullify backlash damage.

Simply put, the Bow Tie was a damage battery. While weak, it saved his life. Later, he could scheme ways to “zero out” hoarded harm.

Bai Ge decided to wield it then.

Flawed, yet life-saving—why hesitate?”

“I’ll use it now!”

Its foremost utility came to mind: traversing heavens and Earth’s depths.

He’d conceived this back at the Chinese Academy of Sciences during Shadow Man tests…

He needed Energy. And the Sun and Earth’s Core epitomized intensely volatile Energy hubs.

Modern Humans? Spacefaring and station-building meant little.

Truly, Human exploration reached few places—not just the Universe, but Earth itself harbored vast inaccessibility.

Ocean depths: forget it. Humans barely scraped ten thousand meters.

As for Earth’s interior? Drill holes seemingly simple, yet deepest surface drills sank merely twelve kilometers.

To Earth, this was but a pinprick on a thin rind.

That rind was the crust. Continental crust averaged thirty-three kilometers. Underlying Mantle: two thousand eight hundred sixty-five km thick—dwarfing the crust. Humans couldn’t penetrate this skin, let alone go deeper.

Bai Ge knew: across those unexplored thousands of kilometers, minerals abounded.

Six hundred to one thousand km deep in the lower Mantle? A diamond layer existed.

High-pressure, high-heat environments forced atom reformation, forging colossal diamonds—individual stones larger than Los Angeles.

Such layers dominated the lower Mantle.

Beyond diamonds? More “gems”: abundant Olivine and Spinel. Over fifty percent of the Mantle composition.

Gem-grade proportions were small, yet immense volumes promised plentiful.

If deep seas formed treasure vaults? The deep Mantle housed riches—ninety percent resources surfacing came from beneath.

Seafloors required shipwreck hunts; mountain tombs demanded excavation… Deeper Mantle? Merely grabbing a “rock” sufficed.

But current Human capacity barred Mantle entry—temperatures reached four to six thousand degrees Celsius; pressure extremes made it true Hell.

Molten Mantle materials formed liquid magma rivers below.

Long technological development waited before Human descent.

With one Containment Anomaly, though? Bai Ge bypassed this issue.

The Bow Tie would shield him from Mantle extremes—heat and pressure insignificant.

“Pity! Manifesting heat-absorbing Energy storage proved harder than safe electricity containment!”

If Bai Ge absorbed Mantle heat a thousand km subsurface? He’d harvest gems plus torrential Energy!

Yet complex realities hindered this. Many aspects conflicted.

He had to negate six-thousand-degree heat, endure million-fold Earth-surface pressure, plus ignore oxygen lack and chemical reactions.

“Even if achieved, my body absorption failed efficiency. At fifty kg mass under five-thousand-degree heat? He’d gain only three hundred kilowatt-hours equivalence.”

“Heat is heat; thermal Energy is Energy.”

“Absorbable thermal Energy proportioned to mass. Altering this breached thermodynamics. Manifesting this trait might demand tens of thousands times Energy expended on safe electricity…”

“No—adding ‘instant thermal-to-electrical conversion,’ paired with existing electricity storage, could solve this.”

“Moreover, skip absorbing heat physically. Draw high-temperature matter directly into the Brain Hole for conversion…”

…