Chapter Twenty-Three: The Merits of Weakness

“Now you know what happens when you cross me, don’t you? Remember this lesson and treat me better from now on, or else you’ll pay for it,” Chonchon threatened, her tone fierce and intimidating.

“But in a way, this might not be so bad. Only Manager Xue and the two receptionists saw me like that—no one else did. Now that Manager Xue has witnessed this side of me, maybe it’ll be easier for me to get closer to him,” Fang Yuan analyzed quietly.

If two complete strangers want to establish a reliable relationship in the shortest possible time, the best way is to unintentionally reveal a weakness or a side of themselves others don’t usually see. When the other party learns something secret about you, it subconsciously narrows the distance between you, at least in terms of a purely cooperative relationship.

In fact, Fang Yuan’s deduction was spot on. After witnessing Fang Yuan’s odd behavior, Manager Xue simply assumed Fang Yuan suffered from some strange ailment. Knowing this secret made him feel an invisible bond between them.

To ensure Fang Yuan’s secret didn’t get out, Manager Xue even instructed the two receptionists not to breathe a word about what they’d just seen. As for himself, he resolved to forget the incident after seeing it.

Manager Xue walked up to the mirror in the restroom. Finding himself alone, he cautiously glanced around before attempting to mimic the comical expression he had just seen on Fang Yuan’s face.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t replicate Fang Yuan’s look. This only confirmed his suspicions.

Still... what a pity. Such a decent person, how could he be afflicted with such a strange illness?

With a silent sigh, Manager Xue left the restroom. When he saw Fang Yuan again, his smile was far warmer and more sincere than before.

“Mr. Fang, is there anything I can help you with? Traveling alone, if you need anything at all, please just let me know,” Manager Xue said earnestly, relieved to see that Fang Yuan had recovered.

“You really hit the nail on the head, Manager Xue. I just arrived here and I’m not familiar with the area. Do you happen to know where the largest seafood market in town is?” Fang Yuan asked, skillfully choosing a request that was neither too trivial nor too demanding.

“Oh, you’re asking the right person! To tell you the truth, my only real hobby is seafood. There isn’t a single seafood market in this city I don’t know about,” Manager Xue replied, unable to hide his delight.

This question was clearly important to Fang Yuan, and Manager Xue could sense it. Since it was something so easy for him to answer, he responded with great care. Knowing Fang Yuan was new to the area, he even fetched a city map and carefully marked out the route, explaining every detail. These maps were complimentary amenities provided by the hotel.

With Fang Yuan’s quick mind and Manager Xue’s thorough explanation, it would be hard not to understand.

“I never expected you to be so considerate, Manager Xue. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, I hope you won’t hesitate to ask,” Fang Yuan said, catching on to the other man’s intentions and setting the groundwork for future cooperation.

“No problem at all. It’s my honor to be of assistance to you, Mr. Fang,” Manager Xue replied, beaming like the spring sunshine.

The main reason Fang Yuan wanted to visit the seafood market was his plan to make a living by fishing. After all, he was no longer the same as before—even the sharks in the sea would behave themselves in his presence.

Speaking of sharks, Fang Yuan was reminded of the many web novels he’d read; didn’t all the male protagonists have some kind of impressive mount? Now he had one too, and his mount was a shark.

“Come on, man, I went through all that trouble to give you a second life—do you really want to be a nouveau riche seafood dealer?” Chonchon, having overheard Fang Yuan’s conversation with Manager Xue, was clearly dissatisfied. As soon as their conversation ended, she couldn’t help but complain loudly. Was her hard work destined to turn Fang Yuan into nothing more than a fishmonger?

It wasn’t that she looked down on those who made an honest living, but Chonchon harbored greater hopes for Fang Yuan. Though she herself wasn’t sure exactly what those hopes were.

“What’s wrong with that? I actually think it’s pretty great. Now I can move through the ocean as freely as a fish. It would be a waste not to make use of this superpower,” Fang Yuan replied, feeling that not capitalizing on his ability would be a shame.

“Can’t you aim a little higher? Didn’t I tell you before? Your body is no longer the ordinary one you once had. In a certain sense, it already possesses capabilities beyond what people know. If you’re content with the status quo, that’s truly an insult to your new body,” Chonchon explained.

“Then tell me, what other superpowers will I have in the future?” Fang Yuan pressed. Chonchon had mentioned it before, but never in detail. If his body could develop even more abilities, Fang Yuan certainly wouldn’t mind—one can never have too many skills.

“Well... um... as you go through more experiences, I’m sure you’ll discover them for yourself,” Chonchon stammered, for some reason unable to give Fang Yuan a direct answer.

“Chonchon, let me ask you a serious question, and I want you to answer truthfully.” Fang Yuan’s mind raced—he was sure Chonchon was hiding something.

“Go ahead. I’ll... answer as honestly as I can.” Chonchon seemed to know what was coming, her tone suddenly less optimistic.

Her attitude had already betrayed the truth, but Fang Yuan refused to give up. “You don’t actually know what abilities my body might be hiding, do you?”

“If you say so,” came Chonchon’s barely audible reply after a long pause.

Heavens, what a scam! If you’re going to produce a product, the least you can do is provide a manual. Otherwise, what you’ve made is just a ‘three-no’ product—no manufacturer, no certification, no after-sales. Fine, so be it. At least give me some support, even if I didn’t pay for this…