Chapter 54: Want Both Wealth and Life

“Trying to run? It’s not that easy!” Shen Xin teleported to block the path of the conjoined man, flicked a throwing knife, and with a flash of white light, sliced him neatly in two. Not content, he dismembered the body further before putting away his blade.

It was clear the conjoined man was a speed-type superhuman, but encountering someone who could teleport like Shen Xin was simply terrible luck—he was doomed from the start. Among superhumans, there were ranks, and this one was clearly at the bottom. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up working for a small-time gang like Ironhead.

Shen Xin floated his knife to the throat of the bald man with the white beard, asking, “Any last words?”

“Yes, yes! There’s over a hundred pounds of gold bars in the safe, dozens of properties, and several million in cash.”

“Stop babbling. Get to the point.”

With limitless gems at his disposal, Shen Xin had no interest in such petty spoils.

“The point? Oh, well, our Ironhead Gang is an affiliate of the Limitless Temple in Dragon City. The Limitless Temple is very powerful.”

Shen Xin nodded and smiled. “Limitless Temple, is it? For their sake, I’ll spare your life this time—but you still need to pay for it.”

The bald man was overjoyed. “I understand. I’ll go get the money right away.”

“No need.” Shen Xin grabbed him and teleported to the sixth floor. “Just take me.”

Dazed for several seconds, the bald man finally composed himself. “Yes, of course.”

He led Shen Xin to his office, shakily opened the safe, and tried to ingratiate himself. “It’s all here, sir.”

“Tsk, you’re quite the survivor—no wonder you’re the boss.”

Without ceremony, Shen Xin stuffed all the gold bars, jewels, and valuables into his backpack. Then, with a twist of space, he shredded the bald man into a mist of blood.

“Sorry, scum like you don’t deserve to live.”

He walked out into the corridor, teleported more than a dozen times, and finally arrived near his hidden electric scooter. Quietly, he changed out of his combat suit, stashed it in the trunk, and whistled as he rode away on his beloved scooter.

Though the haul this time was sizable, it was of little real use to him.

Shen Xin simply didn’t want the dirty money to circulate. After returning home, he called Yu Yanan and Shen Lan over, transferred half a million to each of them, then laid out all the remaining illicit funds for them to find a way to donate.

Yu Yanan was astonished. “Shen Xin, where did you get so much money? You didn’t do anything illegal, did you?”

Shen Lan chimed in, “Brother, did you rob a bank?”

“Bah! Your brother is a superhuman now. What’s that kind of money to me?”

Shen Lan pressed, “How did you earn it? Tell me! I’m a superhuman too!”

Shen Xin flicked her on the forehead, half amused, half annoyed. “Just think about how to donate the money.”

Yu Yanan suggested, “What if we open a charity restaurant where people can eat for free?”

Shen Lan shook her head. “That’d barely help those in real need. Why not visit hospitals? There are plenty of people there who desperately need money.”

Shen Xin nodded in agreement. “Hospitals are money pits. Little sister, you and your sister-in-law handle this. There’s just one rule: the help must go to those in urgent need.”

“I’ll vet everything carefully.”

He looked at Yu Yanan. “We should still open the charity restaurant, but people can’t just eat for nothing. They’ll need to keep the place clean and wash their own dishes. Otherwise, it’ll just breed freeloaders. Recruit some volunteers to cook—the place and food we’ll provide, the rest is self-service.”

Yu Yanan nodded thoughtfully and agreed readily. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s done beautifully.”

Still uneasy, Shen Xin reminded her, “Mobilize the community—promotion is crucial. There are plenty of people willing to help, but nowhere trustworthy to do so. At first, let them volunteer their time rather than money; once it grows, then we’ll accept donations.”

“Got it!”

Meanwhile, another surprise came up: Shen Lan hadn’t applied to Dragon City University, but instead enrolled in Niu City University’s Artificial Intelligence program. Though it was a hot field and the school had hired renowned experts, Niu City University was still second-rate. With a score over 700 on the college entrance exam, her parents were furious at her choice.

Now, Shen Lan didn’t dare go home at all. She figured sticking with her brother was better—good food, money, and no need to go off to another city. Studying is the same everywhere, she reasoned; it’s really about self-discipline. And after all, academics aren’t the only path; if there are other options, why be a slave to books? Society is the best university.

Judging by the timeline, Shen Xin guessed that Sister Dan would soon recommend them for the Snake City exploration mission. Sure enough, a few days later, the recommendation came.

This time, Shen Xin had everyone buy gas masks. Old Mo didn't understand the reason, but they weren’t expensive, so he bought four sets—one for each.

Shen Xin packed a large backpack, including headlamps, a miner’s pick, some water, and food, all in pursuit of gems.

After arriving in Snake City, he met Chen Chunsheng again—well-dressed, energetic, and with a prosperous air. At first, Shen Xin suspected Chen Chunsheng of being a shrewd businessman, but after some interaction, realized he was quite trustworthy and generous.

Everything proceeded as before: they quickly found the gems, and Shen Xin focused on mining them. Once he’d gathered enough, he lagged at the back of the group. Upon reaching the cavern hall, he put on his gas mask and gestured for the others to do the same.

When the poisoners emerged, barely a word was exchanged before Shen Xin wiped them out. Even Old Mo was stunned by his efficiency.

Staring at the unconscious group on the ground, Old Mo asked, “Shen Xin, how did you know someone would use poison?”

“I guessed. Come on, let’s keep mining.”

“Isn’t that wrong? The gems belong to our employer.”

“If you don’t want to go, I will. Ziran, let’s move!”

“Coming, brother!”

Tang Ziran might ignore others, but she always listened to Shen Xin. The two of them sped off, one after the other.

Chen Jiawang and Old Mo exchanged a glance and decided to follow. The lure of gems was too strong, and with so many, taking a few wouldn’t matter.

Shen Xin kept an eye on the time and, after an hour, retreated. Soon after their return, the rest awakened.

At the rim of the sinkhole, Shen Xin teleported up first. A hail of gunfire erupted, but within seconds, it ceased—the shooters had all been twisted into knots by Shen Xin.

As for who was behind the attack, he didn’t care. No matter how many coveted the gemstone cave, he was just one among them, and had never planned to claim it for himself.