Chapter 153: Advice from Elder Mei
Lin Fangzhi nodded, then took out Su Tao’s frequently used backpack, small handbag, and even her hat from his space. He drew a pocket on each of them.
With these items, she wouldn’t have to go looking for him every time she needed something from his space.
Su Tao smiled brightly. “My Fangzhi is getting more and more considerate.”
It truly made things a lot more convenient.
Fangzhi was actually quite busy every day—attending classes in the morning, traveling back and forth between Taoyang and Panliu Mountain in the afternoon to help transport vegetables, and running errands to deliver supplies and documents for people.
Lately, he had even been learning statistics from Qian Rongrong, keeping records of every transported item.
So, he couldn’t always be by her side.
Su Tao was satisfied and comforted by this. He had grown a lot—from being resistant at the beginning to now being able to handle certain unexpected situations on his own without overly depending on her.
Lin Fangzhi squinted his eyes in contentment as she patted his head. Feeling happy, he added, “It can also… be divided…”
He paused, as if searching for the right word. “…Partitioned.”
Everyone looked at him, not quite understanding.
Lin Fangzhi had no choice but to demonstrate.
After a while, Su Tao finally got it. “So that’s how it works! He can divide his 1,500-square-meter space into separate compartments that don’t connect. For example, the pocket on my backpack has an independent 100-square-meter space, which is completely separate from the rest of his space.”
Lin Fangzhi nodded vigorously. “Yes, and… I can take it back.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the pocket on the backpack disappeared.
Su Tao was amazed. “That’s incredible.”
Shi Zijin observed Lin Fangzhi in deep thought before suddenly saying, “No wonder your ability is called ‘Pocket.’ At first, I thought it was just a metaphor for storage.”
Turns out, its true meaning was revealed after his evolution.
The pocket wasn’t just a storage space—it could be attached to clothing and objects.
Hearing this, Shen Wencheng immediately chimed in, “Exactly! There’s always a strong connection between the name of an ability and how it functions. This is one of the main areas of our research.”
“Let me give you an example. I once knew an ability user whose power was called ‘Clown.’ On the surface, he looked completely normal—his appearance, physical functions, and habits didn’t change at all after awakening. At first, I couldn’t understand it. Why did it seem like his ability didn’t exist?”
“Then one day, his father suddenly passed away. He couldn’t stop laughing—he laughed so much that his voice turned hoarse, all while making exaggerated, comical movements. His relatives scolded him for being unfilial and gradually distanced themselves from him. That’s when I realized… A clown—what else does a clown do but laugh harder the sadder they are, trying to entertain others?”
Shen Wencheng sighed. “So, an ability’s name determines its nature. And awakening isn’t always a good thing.”
Su Tao was deeply shaken. That was true.
Shi Zijin seemed to read her thoughts and suddenly said, “You don’t have to worry about that.”
Hearing how certain he sounded, Su Tao perked up and pressed him, “Why do you say that? Do you think I won’t awaken at all? Or do you mean I will, but it won’t be something negative?”
She knew that one of Shi Zijin’s abilities was called “Eye of Insight,” which allowed him to quickly see someone’s ability.
That was how he had instantly identified the “Instigator Sisters” before.
Shi Zijin was no stranger to her sharp instincts, but her direct question still caught him off guard.
He had only spoken casually, yet she immediately picked up on it. Helplessly, he could only chuckle and say—
“I can’t be certain, it’s just a guess. If you want to know the answer, you should observe what makes you special.”
Science enthusiast Shen Wencheng quickly added, “Exactly! Most ability awakenings have precursors. In fact, some people’s abilities are related to what they were already skilled at before awakening. For example, people with great memories might awaken as hypermnests, achieving total recall.”
Su Tao immediately thought of Black Sesame. Ever since it was a kitten, it had been curious about new environments.
Two months ago, when she traveled far away and left both of her cats in Old Mei’s care, White Sesame had curled up nervously upon arrival, while Black Sesame had strutted around confidently, patrolling its new territory.
It turned out that everything had always been connected in some way.
Then what about her? What was her connection?
The group got back into the car, and Shi Zijin told her, “I’ll take you back to Panliu Mountain first. After that, I have to go with Mr. Shen to recover the missing research materials and samples. These items are crucial and, if all goes well, they could lead to a major breakthrough in ability research.”
Shen Wencheng also apologized, “Sorry for the trouble. I’ve already contacted my superior. Once we recover the materials and samples, we’ll provide Dongyang with the first-hand research intel as a token of gratitude for Major General Shi’s rescue.”
Su Tao nodded understandingly. “Then go quickly and come back soon. Ziyue also mentioned she had something important to discuss with you.”
The so-called “important matter” was that Ziyue wanted to rent an apartment with her classmates—a two-bedroom unit. But since she was underage and had no money, she planned to ask her brother for financial support.
Without hesitation, Shi Zijin said, “So the ‘important matter’ is just asking me for money? I know her too well. I’ll transfer it to her later.”
Su Tao held her forehead. As expected of siblings.
The driver started the engine and headed toward Panliu Mountain.
Barely fifteen minutes later, Su Tao received a call from Lei Xing.
“Boss Su, you found your beloved cat, right? I didn’t dare call you earlier.”
Su Tao suddenly remembered. “Yes, I found it. How did things go last night?”
Lei Xing sounded smug. “With me around, what do you think? We caught the scout they sent to survey the area. His ability is called ‘Mist’—he can turn his entire body into mist and pass through any space.”
“But last night, as soon as he transformed, he was burned back to his original form by Fire Serpent. Even his hair got scorched. He was kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy. But this guy is tough—no matter how much we interrogated him, he wouldn’t spill anything. Right now, he’s tied up in the restroom by Fire Serpent, waiting for you to deal with him.”
Su Tao sincerely praised, “Leopard Path really is the most reliable and efficient mercenary team. The public truly has good judgment.”
Hearing this, Lei Xing grinned so wide that his golden leopard tail accidentally flicked out behind him, swishing so much that Big Mouth nearly threw up from dizziness.
After that, Su Tao received calls from Old Mei, Zhuang Wan, Qian Lin, Wu Zhen, Ma Dapao, and several others.
After exchanging greetings, each one began discussing work with her.
Su Tao wanted to cry. As expected, escaping work was impossible. So she had no choice but to start handling matters in the car.
Old Mei couldn’t wait for her to return. He directly sent her a series of planning diagrams via communicator—over forty in total. They covered everything from residential district planning to commercial zones, schools, hospitals, and even transportation infrastructure.
From large-scale community layouts to the architectural designs and interior decorations of individual buildings, everything was incredibly detailed.
Su Tao was stunned.
Just looking at the blueprints filled her with excitement and anticipation.
The plans made everything so much clearer.
It felt like Taoyang was finally becoming more organized.
Compared to her own boxy, cookie-cutter designs, Elder Mei’s buildings were stunning and grand.
Old Mei spoke earnestly, “Tao Tao, I can only provide you with theoretical guidance. The actual implementation is up to you. My advice is that you should have a clear plan for yourself—or rather, for Taoyang. Don’t just build randomly. You need to know what comes first and what comes later. And after construction, you have to think about what kind of talent is needed to keep things running.”
“Take hospitals, for example. Considering the current shortage of medical professionals, medicine, and equipment, I’ve drawn three draft plans: one for a small clinic, one for a mid-sized community hospital, and one for a large city hospital. Based on your current situation, you can only afford to build a small clinic.”
“So, for a small clinic—how many staff members are needed? Where will you get a steady supply of medicine? These are things you need to have figured out. Otherwise, if you lack personnel and medicine, building the clinic will be pointless.”
This advice was an eye-opener for Su Tao.
Thinking back, she realized she had been too ambitious.
She wanted to develop agriculture, improve education, expand healthcare, and still manage her main business of property rentals.
But she had no structured development plan.
As a result, she was overwhelmed—juggling too many tasks and exhausting herself every day.
“Thank you, I truly appreciate your advice.”
Old Mei was pleased. “You’re smart, and you have the energy and enthusiasm of youth. But sometimes, it’s better to slow down and take things step by step.”
