Chapter 125: The Energy of the Water-Averting Pearl

Liu Xiaoli followed her mother, watching as Zhu Senlin casually handed over twenty thousand yuan. According to his words, this sum was split equally—half as salary and half as a bonus—which meant their individual monthly salary was ten thousand!

Ten thousand a month, plus bonuses, totaling twenty thousand in monthly income—this was something Liu Xiaoli had never dared to dream of before. This single month’s earnings equaled a whole year of grueling labor in her past. How could they even be compared?

Truly, comparisons are odious. She had been worried ever since arriving at Zhang Can’s shop. Although Zhang Can was clearly wealthy, the shop seemed unremarkable during her first few days there; she hadn't seen much profit, and with almost no business, she wondered if it could even sustain them.

Consequently, Liu Xiaoli had been fretting over her salary but felt too embarrassed to ask. After all, lingering here without any income was hardly a pleasant prospect. The only reason she had wanted to come was the belief that Zhang Can had struck it rich, and she figured following him wouldn't turn out too badly.

Yet, she hadn't expected Zhu Senlin to come to their home and pay their salaries and bonuses in advance. They had barely done anything, and just like that, he handed over twenty thousand yuan. She saw no sign of hesitation or stinginess in Zhu Senlin; the money was given with remarkable ease.

Twenty thousand yuan! With this monthly income, Liu Xiaoli no longer needed to worry about whether she would be paid. This single month's pay matched a year of her previous hard work, and the environment here was relaxed and free. Even if she didn't get paid later, she wouldn't be at a loss, so her mood immediately brightened.

There is always a trade-off; being better off financially was certainly better than having no income at all. Previously, earning two thousand a month while being exhausted, it was only natural to feel miserable.

However, while twenty thousand was a massive, life-changing sum for Liu Xiaoli, it was still a distance she couldn't cover even on horseback compared to Zhang Can. The gap was simply too vast.

Liu Xiaoli fluctuated between joy and anxiety, her heart rising and falling, unable to find peace.

After handing out the envelopes, Zhu Senlin pulled Zhang Can mysteriously out of the living room and into the garden, whispering, "Little brother, do we need to prepare anything for our trip to Xinjiang?"

Zhu Senlin was thinking that they might encounter treasures there. Naturally, he wouldn't forget business while traveling; if there was money to be made, he would certainly seize it. If such opportunities didn't arise, that would be fine, but with Zhang Can along, Zhu Senlin felt certain they would have a stroke of luck. Zhang Can’s eye for detail was so sharp, so unique. Sometimes, after an event had passed and Zhang Can pointed things out, he and others felt that if they had been more careful, they might have noticed it too—especially the master craftsmen—but if they actually tried to do it themselves, the results would certainly be different.

Zhang Can pondered for a moment. Wang Qian hadn't given any specific instructions, but he reckoned there was no need to bring anything. Wang Qian would surely have everything prepared, and given the distance, there was no point in hauling things from Jincheng; they could just purchase whatever they needed once they arrived in Xinjiang. It wasn't worth the trouble.

"I don't think it's necessary. Aside from bank cards in case we need money, but since we're going with Brother Wang, how could he possibly let us pay for our own food, lodging, and travel expenses?"

Zhu Senlin nodded in agreement. Not to mention a man like Wang Qian, even he himself wouldn't let a friend pay for such trivial expenses when inviting them out for a trip.

Zhang Can thought for a moment and added, "Old Zhu, go home and get some good rest. I'll ask Brother Wang when we're leaving tonight, and I'll give you a call."

Zhu Senlin nodded happily. He was genuinely excited. Every day spent with Zhang Can felt fresh to him. Being with Zhang Can was fun and fulfilling, but the fact that he could earn money while having a good time was what made him happiest.

Watching Zhu Senlin’s stout figure wobble toward his Mercedes before speeding off with a roar, Zhang Can couldn't help but smile. No matter how clumsy Zhu Senlin seemed, he was a daredevil behind the wheel—a completely different style from Zhang Can’s own slow-and-steady pace.

In reality, their personalities were the opposite: Zhu Senlin drove fast and recklessly, yet his temperament was steady and unhurried. Zhang Can, however, was actually quite impatient; once he had an idea, he wanted it done immediately. He disliked dragging things out and preferred simplicity.

Returning to the living room, the girls were cooking in the kitchen, while Liu Dongsheng and Chen Huiyu sat on the sofa chatting. Zhang Can walked back with a grin, sat down, and asked Liu Dongsheng, "Do you still feel any discomfort, sir?"

At the mention of this, Liu Dongsheng became animated, laughing heartily, "No, none at all, completely gone! If we were back home, I’d really want to sue those doctors for causing our family such grief and wasting so much money. Look at this—as soon as we arrived in Jincheng, the illness vanished, and the whole family is doing well. I’ve come to terms with it now; let it go. It just shows that heaven has eyes. Heaven has given me this second chance, so I must do more good deeds!"

Chen Huiyu leaned in, smiling, "It’s all thanks to our son-in-law’s blessing. We’ve been to several hospitals in the past two days to check, and it’s confirmed that the old man is truly healthy. Although we emptied our savings on medical bills before, thinking back, it was worth it. Without weathering the storm, how would we have known the depth of our family’s love? Besides, now that he’s been cleared of all illness, how could we not be happy?"

"Good, good, good. As long as you're healthy, that’s the greatest blessing!" Zhang Can agreed with a smile. Of course, he was the only one who knew the truth. Liu Dongsheng’s illness had been real, and the hospitals hadn't made a mistake; he had simply cured it. At the time, he hadn't fully realized his own capabilities—he knew he could heal injuries, but he never imagined his spiritual energy could cure uremia. He hadn't even known he had succeeded, as he had passed out from extreme physical exhaustion. When he felt himself fainting, he hadn't thought he could cure the uremia; he only felt like he was locked in a frantic battle with the diseased cells.

The news of Liu Dongsheng’s recovery only reached them later when they went to the hospital for pre-surgery checkups. Zhang Can hadn't known then, only realizing later that it was his doing.

Now, however, Zhang Can was much more confident. He knew that the spiritual energy within him could likely heal not just injuries, but various diseases as well. He just didn't know if it could cure other terminal illnesses; he hadn't had the chance to try yet. After the incident where Su Xue was bitten by a sea snake, Zhang Can discovered another ability of his spiritual energy: it could treat internal and external wounds, cure uremia, and neutralize potent toxins. That was quite impressive. According to the doctors, the venom of that sea snake was among the most lethal in the world. Since he could cure something that toxic, he could likely handle other poisons as well.

As a child, Zhang Can had watched many martial arts dramas and longed for the legendary poison-master sects. Of course, such things didn't exist in reality, but the fact that he could neutralize lethal toxins made him akin to the miraculous physicians of ancient times—a unique skill indeed.

For some time now, ever since obtaining the "black and white eyes" with their X-ray vision, and after his vision grew stronger over time—coupled with absorbing the spiritual energy from the Buddhist beads given by Su Xue—the two powers had combined to make his spiritual energy much more potent. It was more enduring now, though he had yet to discover the full extent of what his internal spiritual energy could accomplish. Those were things he would have to test one by one when the opportunity arose.

What Zhang Can found most perplexing was the Water-Avoiding Bead. The energy contained within this bead was strange; he couldn't see through it with his X-ray vision. Furthermore, his own spiritual energy had absorbed a portion of the bead's power. He understood that the energy stored within was immense; otherwise, it wouldn't have allowed him to withstand the crushing pressure of the deep sea. He had intended to dive a second time to determine his precise depth limit, but Su Xue’s sudden appearance had derailed that plan.

It seemed he would have to wait for another opportunity to truly understand the limit of where the bead could take him underwater. However, carrying the bead with him every day was inconvenient and risked loss; it would be a tragedy to lose it, as it was undoubtedly a priceless treasure.

To Zhang Can, this item was the most valuable thing he owned, aside from his X-ray vision. Other things, whether jade, antiques, or golden nanmu wood, were merely items to be exchanged for money. To others, they might be valuable, but to Zhang Can, they were just numbers—a tally of currency.

With the girls still cooking and the elderly couple basking in the joy of a life reclaimed from a terminal illness, Zhang Can headed upstairs, hiding in his room to study the Water-Avoiding Bead again.

He thought it over; it was best to keep the item on his person. If he needed it in Xinjiang, it would be useful, whereas leaving it at home would be a hassle. But it was still inconvenient.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Can went to his wardrobe, rummaged around, and found an undershirt with a zippered pocket. He put the undershirt on underneath his clothes and tucked the bead into the pocket. That worked well—he no longer had to worry about losing it.

Sitting on the bed, Zhang Can took the bead out and watched it in his palm. This strange, stone-like bead could not be penetrated by his X-ray vision, and the energy inside was too alluring. If he could fully transfer that energy into his own body, that would be wonderful; it might make his internal spiritual energy even more powerful. More importantly, he hoped that by transferring the bead’s energy, he could also inherit its ability to let him breathe freely and withstand the pressure of the deep sea, eliminating the need to rely on the bead itself.

However, after many experiments, aside from that one accidental instance where he absorbed a small amount of energy, he had never been able to draw more from it again. He could only gain the ability to dive deep if he held the bead in his mouth. The vast energy inside remained inaccessible to him; the tiny bit he had gained before was, in the grand scheme of the bead's immense power, utterly insignificant.