Chapter 17: Plant Department

Xie Sen finished copying and pasting the comment and pressed the reply option.

[Reply failed]

Xie Sen froze and looked at the signal on the screen, it was full. He refreshed the page and the two most popular comments under the fight video were suddenly all gone.

[What’s happening? How come both golden vests have deleted their replies?]

[A face of confusion.]

[My curiosity is more intense!]

More comments from netizens came up with various reasons why the two suddenly deleted their comments, with the most likes being that the two deans had exposed important information.

At the Contract Beast Research Institute, a tall handsome man was leaning on the office seat, both hands spread. He was smiling while the opposite man was glaring at him. “Don’t be angry. You see I didn’t say my guess, and the reply was also deleted.”

“You still have the nerve to say that! You think I don’t know, that if I hadn’t found out in time, you would have replied to your guess under your own comment after fishing for a answer!”

The man was tall, hands propped up on the desk, his handsome face slanted. “Mu Lin, grow a brain, okay? You said a whole basket of words, thinking the whole world should know.”

Mu Lin’s body leaned forward. The two, face-to-face, were very close. Mu Lin reached out to wrap his hand around his neck, eyebrows raised. “Afraid of what? You’re here!”

The man glanced at him. “I’m not going to be your assistant for the rest of my life.”

Mu Lin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Why not? I won’t agree to you leaving your job no matter what time it is.”

Gu Luo took his hand off from around his neck. “Let’s get down to business. I just contacted Dean Ma and his comments were deleted. Now we need to find a way to curb the speculation of netizens.”

Mu Lin shrugged his shoulders. “It’s simple. Just give them a convincing speculation.”

“Simple? You come up with one right now!”

Mu Lin said, “You have to go along with my comments, otherwise the inconsistency is more likely to lead to a wild guess. A miracle but not a plant. My wild guess…that’s a beast!”

Gu Luo rolled his eyes. “You think that’s convincing?”

Mu Lin tapped on the desktop. “It isn’t convincing, but when I say it, it’s different. I am an authority on contract beasts, and have researched contract beasts for many years. I’ve seen all kinds of contract beasts, and for one to look like a plant is not unusual.”

Gu Luo frowned. “When the netizens know the truth and that your guess was wrong, it will affect your reputation.”

“What’s wrong with that? Just explain the reason for the concealment.” Mu Lin smiled and looked at him. “What, worried about me?”

Gu Luo ignored him, opened the bracelet and dialed the communicator. “First make a backup plan. I contacted Xie Sen. I want to meet to determine the specific situation before deciding whether to reply like this.”

“No need to verify. I’m sure that my guess – that he is a plant system contract beast master – is absolutely correct,” Mu Lin said with a confident face. “I have been interested in the plant system beast masters for some time, and carefully studied them. He fits perfectly.”

Gu Luo looked at him. “Very interested? Indeed, other professional males don’t know about the plant line of beast masters. Most of the dream lovers are long-eared rabbit contract beast masters. Only for our professional males, dream lovers are almost always plant line beast masters.”

“My interest is not that kind of interest. Are you jealous…?”

When the communication connected, Gu Luo put his index finger in his lips to indicate for Mu Lin to be quiet and asked politely, “Is this Xie Sen?”

Xie Sen remembered Grandfather Xie’s words. He was worried that someone was investigating the chili pepper bush and was approaching him to ask for information, so he answered all incoming calls whenever they came in.

“Yes, who is it?”

Gu Luo opened the door. “I am the assistant to the Director of the Institute of Contract Beasts. We want to know exactly who you are. Would it be convenient to come to the Institute?”

Xie Sen was puzzled. “My identity?”

“Yes, according to our speculation, you are likely to be the master of the rare plant system of contract beasts. Perhaps you already know it yourself. You have concealed your identity well.”

Xie Sen was confused. What was a plant system contract beast master? He just has a Plant System! “Did you guys misunderstand something?”

“Although it is almost certain, in order to determine the accuracy, I hope you can come to the Institute.” Gu Luo said.

Xie Sen said, “I’m sure I’m not.”

Gu Luo’s tone was calm, “Are you worried that if people know about it, it will bring trouble? We promise to keep your secret. Now that there are all kinds of speculations on the Starnet, if we don’t deal with it in time, you will be noticed by more people. We can only work out the perfect solution if we are sure of your identity and understand the situation.”

Xie Sen was convinced. He had read the heated discussion online, and he was just worried that it would affect him. The other could solve it just right.

“Okay, I will go over later. I hope you guys can dispel those messy speculations for me online after you make sure I am just an ordinary person who has not awakened a contract beast.”

“No problem.”

Both sides hung up the communication. Xie Sen looked up the address of the Institute of Contract Beasts and turned on the automatic navigation.

Gu Luo said to Mu Lin, “He doesn’t seem to know his identity.”

“It’s normal. I’ve read his profile. He was adopted, and he’s been ridiculed by his classmates these years because he didn’t awaken a contract beast. The public knows too little about the plant-based contract beasts.”

“Really a poor child. I heard he tried to commit suicide a few days ago, but fortunately was saved.” Gu Luo sighed.

Mu Lin said, “Remember to contact the Ministry of Education. This year, the plant system contract beast needs to be added into the contract beast general knowledge classes. Although the plant system beastmasters haven’t appeared for many years, others should understand so more people don’t appear, and end up in the same situation as Xie Sen.”

Gu Luo looked at him. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and he lowered his head to write things down in his work log. “Okay.”

Xie Sen arrived at the Institute, contacted Gu Luo, and was brought to Mu Lin’s office by Gu Luo. Mu Lin smiled brightly, and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Mu Lin.”

Xie Sen was very surprised. Mu Lin was tall, sturdy, with handsome features, and looked really young, which was not in line with his status.

He shook his hand politely. “Hello, President Mu. I’m Xie Sen.”

“No need to be formal. Can you show me your plant contract beast?” Mu Lin asked with a smile.

Xie Sen looked at Mu Lin with an affirmative look, but his thoughts suddenly turned. If he said the red chili pepper bush wasn’t a contract beast, then how could he explain its existence? Now that he thought about it, it seemed best to let them mistake the red chili pepper bush as a contract beast, then he didn’t have to think about how to explain it.

He summoned the red chili pepper bush, and Mu Lin’s eyes instantly lit up at the sight of it. After taking a good look at it, he asked Xie Sen, “You have a sense of it, right?”

“Yes.” Xie Sen nodded his head.

“Does it follow your instructions?” Mu Lin asked again.

“Yes.”

“There is no other explanation than a plant-based contract beast.” Mu Lin concluded.

Xie Sen thought, That’s because you don’t know the existence of the System.

Gu Luo said, “I contacted the testing department. It’s better to give him a physical examination. We also need to make relevant data records. There is too little information about plant contract beasts.”

“I don’t want to,” Xie Sen said immediately. “I don’t want to do the examination.”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a scan with an instrument. No need for injections. It’s not painful,” Gu Luo said soothingly. “The body of the plant system beastmaster is very tender, and you seem to be very thin. We can formulate the corresponding nutritional adjustment method for you after understanding your physical condition.”

“No need. I’m fine.” He said no in case the check up showed that he was not a plant beast master, or else he would have to find a way to explain again.

Gu Luo hadn’t expected him to be so adamant, and had a difficult face.

Mu Lin looked Xie Sen up and down. “Does this mean that you are unmarried and pregnant, and are afraid that we will know about it?”

“Pfft…” Xie Sen looked at him in shock. “What? Are you kidding? I’m a male. Male! There’s no way I can get pregnant!”

Mu Lin shook his head. “The plant line is almost exclusively female, and all of them have a high pregnancy rate. Speaking of which, I have to remind you to remember to wear a condom for unmarried adult activities.”

The corners of Xie Sen’s mouth twitched, and he said firmly, “I’m one of the few males. I can’t be a female.”

“That’s easy,” Gu Luo said. “Just do a physical exam and you’ll know.”

Xie Sen couldn’t stand people questioning his gender. He thought about how they said there was very little information about the plant line, so maybe they couldn’t even tell if he was a plant line contract beast master.

Anyway, his red chili pepper bush was very convincing as a contract beast. He gritted his teeth and nodded. “Okay.”

Xie Sen was lying in what looked like a space capsule, and was informed in no time that the test was over. He was brought back to the office, sat alone on the couch and drank water while Gu Luo and Mu Lin went to discuss his test data.

Mu Lin looked at the data and said proudly, “I’m not wrong, he’s a plant contract beast master.”

Gu Luo frowned. “Plant masters need to ingest plant nutrition to induce awakening, and now everyone is consuming fewer and fewer plants. A plant system beast master hasn’t appeared for many years. He developed very slowly. His awakening now is already a miracle.” He slid his eyes along the test data. “He is a female.”

“That’s obvious. I’ve seen all kinds of beast masters. There’s no male beast master that short.” Mu Lin spread his hands.

Gu Luo glared at him and warned. “Never say that in front of him.” He pondered for a moment. “Well, he seems to reject the female identity. He isn’t in good health, and shouldn’t be stimulated psychologically, so he won’t be told this for now.”

“I think it’s okay. Anyway, since his health isn’t good, just remind him not to indulge in adult activities.” Mu Lin nodded his head.

Xie Sen didn’t have to wait long before Mu Lin and Gu Luo returned to the office, Mu Lin said, “You are indeed a plant beast master. A…male.”

Xie Sen raised a smile. “I told you so.” He patted his chest. “See, male!”

He was secretly glad that they didn’t know much about the plant lineage, so he didn’t reveal himself and was saved from having to explain.

Gu Luo’s mouth corners twitched as he held back a smile, then gave a light cough. “You developed very slowly, and your body is not yet an adult. You’ll need to wait at least a year before you carry out any adult sports. We can test you again in a year and then see your body’s situation.”

Xie Sen was thinking about the universal males here, and had no idea at all what they meant, so he nodded. “Hmm.”

Gu Luo said, “Your identity is special. It isn’t appropriate to disclose to the public, so the solution we came up with is for President Mu to issue a comment that your red chili pepper tree is not a plant, but a kind of plant beast.”

Xie Sen was satisfied with this treatment. When he thought of the plants that would be activated later, he had a flash of insight, “How about saying it is a mimetic beast that will simulate the kinds of plants that I have seen? It just so happens that I am in the plant department.”

“Yes, that would be more credible.” Mu Lin nodded his head.