Chapter Sixty-Four: The Efficacy of the Water-Repelling Pearl

When she looked up again, Zhou Nan's face was flushed beyond control! What kind of dishes were these, anyway? The fish was both sour and sweet—had she mistaken sugar for salt? Or perhaps she’d used vinegar instead of soy sauce. The food had such bizarre flavors it was practically inedible, and the rice was half-cooked. She had truly made a spectacle of herself at home!

Zhou Nan, always proud and competitive, now felt utterly humiliated. Moments ago, she had stood unyielding before Liu Xiaoqin, and now she was sure to become the butt of her jokes.

Zhang Can tried hard not to burst out laughing, but the contorted muscles on his face betrayed his struggle. Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoqin only smiled in silence.

With a loud smack, Zhou Nan slammed her chopsticks onto the table in frustration. “I know you’re all laughing at me! Fine, Liu Xiaoqin, it’s just cooking, right? Give me two days and I’ll show you I can do it!” she declared, grabbing her bag and storming out, slamming the door behind her.

Looking at the table full of odd-tasting dishes, Zhang Can could only spread his hands helplessly and say, “Forget it, let’s just eat out.”

“No need. There are still some leftovers in the fridge. I’ll cook something simple. The rice will be done soon—we can just eat at home, I’ll be quick!” Liu Xiaoqin immediately stood up and headed for the kitchen. There was no point going out now; with Zhou Nan’s embarrassing failure, it was her turn to shine. This way, she would have the upper hand. Competing with Zhou Nan meant playing to her strengths, not hers. Zhou Nan came from a well-off family and had a higher education, but why compare herself in those areas? Zhang Can’s family was rural; if she did what a good woman ought to, she would win Zhou Nan over on those grounds. Competing elsewhere would only invite her own embarrassment.

There were a few greens, some scallions, and two eggs left in the fridge. Liu Xiaoqin made a simple egg and scallion soup and stir-fried the greens. Though there was only a dish and a soup, they tasted delicious, and Zhang Can ate happily.

After the meal, Liu Xiaoqin brewed some tea, tending to Zhang Can like a pampered lord—he didn’t have to lift a finger.

With his hunger satisfied, there was no need to go out. Zhang Can left Liu Xiaoqin and Zhang Hua to watch soap operas in the living room, then retreated to his room to rest. After a moment of meditation and practicing his black-and-white vision technique, he took the water-repelling pearl to the bathroom for a bath.

The pearl’s effects could only be tested in water, so bath time every night became his moment of experimentation. Lying in the full tub, he tested the pearl again and again. Its ability remained the same: wherever he held it in his palm, that area stayed dry, while the rest of his body got wet. The pearl could only protect his palm-sized area.

Moreover, his black-and-white vision could not penetrate it; he still couldn’t discern what material the pearl was made of. Frustrated, Zhang Can decided to submerge his entire body in the tub.

Staring at the water’s surface, he wondered how long he could hold his breath. Immersed, he silently counted to himself: “One, two, three, four... sixty-six, sixty-seven... ninety-eight, ninety-nine…”

With a splash, he burst out of the water before reaching a hundred seconds, gasping for breath. After his breathing steadied, he took a deep breath and submerged himself again, determined not to surface before a hundred seconds this time.

But perhaps from the previous attempt, his body was oxygen-deprived; this time, he couldn’t last past ninety seconds before surfacing again.

Damn it, I don’t believe this! Zhang Can took a few deep breaths, inhaled deeply, and dove back under, counting again. But this time, he started feeling suffocated after just over sixty seconds. He knew he would only last another ten seconds at most, and in frustration, flung out his hand.

He was still holding the water-repelling pearl in his right hand. Suddenly struck by inspiration, he brought the pearl to his lips. Since the pearl kept a small area dry, perhaps there was air he could breathe? If so, he could inhale without surfacing.

Pressing the pearl to his mouth, Zhang Can cautiously opened his lips. Sure enough, there was a fist-sized air pocket around the pearl, with the pearl at its center.

Feeling suffocated, he began to inhale, careful not to gulp in water. To his surprise, no matter how he breathed, the area around the pearl remained dry, and air seemed to flow endlessly, as if the pearl was separating water into breathable air.

Amazed, Zhang Can realized the pearl truly was a treasure with such an effect. With this, who could match him at diving? But would people find it odd if he went underwater with a pearl in his hand? Could it be concealed?

He examined the pearl—about the size of a pigeon’s egg—and decided to hold it in his mouth. It didn’t bulge or show from the outside.

As soon as he did, he sensed something unusual. With his mouth tightly closed, a warm current from the pearl seemed to flow through his body, filling him with a sensation of comfort, as if every pore was breathing.

The feeling was so pleasant that Zhang Can lost track of time, only realizing how long he’d been submerged when the water turned cold. Yet he felt no discomfort or need for air, even though he hadn’t actually breathed.

The first time, he’d drawn air from the pocket around the pearl, but now, with the pearl in his mouth and not breathing, how was he lasting so long?

Curious, Zhang Can began to count seconds. He easily passed one hundred, then two, three, four hundred seconds, and soon lost patience with counting. It became obvious: as long as the pearl was in his mouth, he could stay underwater indefinitely.

When he removed the pearl, he immediately felt a heaviness and shortness of breath. Placing it back in his mouth, the comfort returned. After several tests, Zhang Can concluded that the pearl’s power went beyond repelling water; it also reduced pressure and allowed skin-breathing, absorbing oxygen directly from the water by breaking down water molecules—since the oxygen from this process was pure, he felt especially invigorated.

Zhang Can was thrilled. If the pearl really possessed these abilities, he could stay underwater for as long as he wished. He wondered how strong the pressure-reducing effect was. If only he could test it at the seaside—only seawater could reveal how deep he could dive, since every meter underwater increases atmospheric pressure, and at depths of just over ten meters, most people can’t withstand it without training.

To dive deeper, you need either advanced equipment or an extraordinary physique. There are extreme sports enthusiasts who pursue such adventures—mountaineering, deep diving, and so on. It’s rumored the world’s record for a free dive is one hundred and ten meters, though unconfirmed. Even with a wetsuit and air tank, such depths are formidable, let alone unaided. Zhang Can had read in the news that a German diver could free dive to seventy meters, which was world-class.

Compared to them, Zhang Can’s diving ability was negligible. But with this pearl, he might just be able to attempt the impossible.

But it was getting dark; he didn’t want to go to the sea at night. In the deep ocean, light fades quickly, and there are unknown dangers. Not being a native of the coast, he had a natural fear of the sea.

It would be better to experiment by day. In broad daylight, swimming in the public pools would attract no attention, and he could slip underwater unnoticed.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Can drained the tub, refilled it with hot water, and soaked for two more hours, pearl in mouth, never surfacing. His body felt no discomfort or fatigue, and he grew more excited. If it weren’t so late, he’d have gone straight to the sea to test it.

In the past, if he soaked in the river by his old home for two or three hours, his skin would turn wrinkly and he’d feel drained—humans aren’t aquatic creatures. But now, with the pearl in his mouth, he emerged from the bath completely dry, not even needing a towel. His skin felt perfectly fine.

What an incredible thing! He was glad he hadn’t told Zhu Senlin about it. Even if someone paid millions, he wouldn’t let it go. Since gaining his black-and-white vision, money had ceased to be a worry—he could easily find valuable treasures every few days. Since wealth came so easily, it would be a waste to sell the pearl.

Having confirmed the pearl’s other functions, Zhang Can resolved to keep it for himself, even if just for entertainment.

With this thought, he rose early the next morning, though Liu Xiaoqin and Zhang Hua were up even earlier. Knowing Zhang Can had work, Liu Xiaoqin had already gone out to buy groceries and prepared breakfast.

Her cooking skills far surpassed Zhou Nan’s, and every meal was different, making Zhang Can reluctant to stop eating. After years of working away from home, he had never treated his stomach so well.

After breakfast, Zhang Can gave a bank card each to his sister Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoqin, and left twenty thousand in cash at home. “Take these cards—if you see anything you like, buy it. Don’t save money; if you run out, I’ll top them up. There’s two hundred thousand on each. The cash is for groceries and household expenses—you’re in charge. The PIN is six eights. I’m off to work, enjoy your day out!”

“Second Brother, we... we can’t possibly spend this much, can we?” Zhang Hua was startled. She knew her brother was rich, but this generosity was overwhelming.

Liu Xiaoqin, however, said nothing. It wasn’t about the money, but Zhang Can’s attitude. After what happened with Zhou Nan, he had given her equal status with Zhang Hua—didn’t that mean he considered her family?

Zhang Can, oblivious to her thoughts, took the pearl from his room, hid it on his person, and hurried out to work.