Chapter 3058: Nobles and Merchants (7)

Using a Speed-Work Talisman is equivalent to working overtime.

And it's the kind of overtime on an assembly line.

Very busy.

Of course, in the short term, anyone can keep it up.

One day, two days, a week — most people can hold out that long.

But the hard part is keeping it up long-term.

It takes an extremely self-disciplined person.

Zhao Chi didn't think he was a self-disciplined person.

But he also didn't know why he'd been able to keep it up all along.

Maybe this was like Flower-Plucking Jade Grafting — some hidden talent of his?

A talent for endurance?

He didn't know.

But right now there was no time to dig into it.

Just make good use of it.

The Speed-Work Talisman's light flared and dimmed, flared and dimmed.

Now that he was with Zhuang Ya or Qi Yue, he could use eight Speed-Work Talismans at once.

And with Carefree Spring splitting off into Revival Spring, sleep time had been compressed to thirty minutes.

That meant burning eight Speed-Work Talismans, taking eighty minutes, plus thirty minutes of sleep — a hundred and ten minutes total.

Not even two hours.

That was one crafting cycle.

Both Zhuang Ya and Qi Yue had Satiety Underwear and Clear-Recovery Panties, so the time for eating and using the latrine could be saved too.

But he still had to set aside two hours for soaking in the hot spring, and another two hours in the early morning for a good, intense session.

Both activities were essential.

One was full-body relaxation, the other was full-body bliss.

Neither could be skipped.

Subtracting those two hours, he could run twelve crafting cycles a day.

Zhao Chi and the others could actually sustain ten Speed-Work Talismans in a row, or even more.

Because when he piloted them in crafting, it was essentially two people sharing the "negative effects" of the Speed-Work Talismans.

But in actual practice, they couldn't push it higher.

Eight Speed-Work Talismans was the critical threshold.

Because the fashion and equipment Zhao Chi crafted were far too difficult.

And his target was only Superior-grade.

Pursuing Superior-grade under such extreme difficulty — the mental drain was staggering.

So Zhao Chi's work intensity and an ordinary craftsman's work intensity were not even in the same ballpark.

Under these conditions, eight Speed-Work Talismans in a row was the absolute maximum.

Several crafting cycles passed.

Fuyao arrived at the military factory.

She found Zhao Chi in the middle of a frantic forging session with Zhuang Ya.

Fuyao didn't interrupt them; she just stood quietly by the workbench and waited.

Four minutes later, the Speed-Work Talisman's effect wore off.

Zhao Chi came out of his deep concentration, let out a slightly weary sigh of relief, and only then noticed the fair-skinned Fuyao standing beside him.

Fuyao said softly, "You've both worked hard. Do you have a moment?"

Zhuang Ya smiled and said, "Good evening, Sister Fuyao."

Zhao Chi said, "We have time. Is it about Su Qin?"

There were two matters today.

One was making Su Qin a half-elf; the other was making Tang Ruan royalty.

Both matters required Fuyao.

But Tang Ruan's matter would only need a normal conversion later.

Fuyao coming over on her own initiative must mean it was about Su Qin.

Fuyao smiled and said, "Right, it's about Su Qin — and it's good news. After several hours of analysis, I've confirmed I can adjust the bloodline ratio so that Su Qin's bloodline becomes fifty percent Eternal Human and fifty percent Eternal Elf. That way she can become a dual-species!"

"Wow~" Zhao Chi said, unable to contain his joy: "That's wonderful! Can the cost be confirmed? What is it? Are there any side effects?"

Fuyao smiled and said, "The cost hasn't changed — no increase or decrease. Eternal bloodline energy is still a ten-percent consumption. There are indeed some side effects, but I think they're acceptable."

"What are they?"

"After Su Qin becomes a half-elf, the number of genes she carries will decrease. Eternal Humans have twenty-seven genes, Eternal Elves have seven, but Su Qin will only get half the sum — seventeen kinds."

Zhao Chi said, slightly disappointed: "I see. That's fine, that's how it is. Regiment Commander Yao told me the same thing."

"Hehe~ Not happy?"

Fuyao looked at Zhao Chi with a mischievous grin.

Although Fuyao had only recently joined, she had been raised by Zhao Chi, and her feelings for him ran deep.

Zhao Chi was a little disappointed now, and given how deeply Fuyao felt about him, she shouldn't be smiling like that.

There's something else?

Zhao Chi asked in confusion, "Is there any other good news?"

Fuyao said with a smile, "Hehe~ yes indeed~. Su Qin's situation can be changed — change it to inheriting the Eternal Human Race for the gene cap, but inheriting the Eternal Elves for the gene type. That way, when you later adjust Su Qin's genes, it'll be fine; it just costs one extra day."

"It can even be done like this!?"

"That's right~ that's why I said it's acceptable. What do you think?"

"Of course, absolutely acceptable!"

After two races combine their genes, both the gene quantity and gene type are random. There is indeed a probability of reaching the situation Fuyao mentioned, but the probability is very low.

But Fuyao is, after all, the Mother Tree, so she can choose.

She cannot achieve absolute perfection, but this is enough.