Chapter 172: A Touch of Color

The Mother Strain of Zerg Spores was successfully annihilated, as if a massive boulder had been lifted from the heart. The tense atmosphere on the platform eased, though cleanup and monitoring continued; the suffocating sense of crisis had vanished.

Qin Feng rested briefly in the main control center, feeling the 【Spiritual Recovery】 blessing slowly repairing his depleted energy. Though exhausted, his spirit was in a strange calm after the surge of adrenaline.

Gao Yuan and Sun Zhe were handling follow-up matters, while Su Wenqian was busy coordinating the placement and logistical support for platform personnel.

Qin Feng walked alone to the Rest Area at the platform's edge. The view was excellent; night had begun to fall, the deep blue sky dotted with sparse stars, below lay ink-black seas, only the platform's lights and distant escort vessel's wake glimmers piercing this vast solitude.

The sea breeze, carrying salt and fishiness, brushed his hair and clothing, dispersing the lingering oppressive scent from the laboratory.

He needed time to process the earth-shattering changes of these few dozen hours, and also… some pure relaxation.

At that moment, a soft, slightly hesitant footstep came from behind him.

Qin Feng did not turn; his spiritual perception had already told him who it was.

"Mr. Qin." A gentle, slightly hoarse female voice spoke—it was Su Yuqing.

She had changed into a clean researcher's casual outfit, her hair still damp, clearly just washed. Though her face remained pale and traces of shock lingered in her eyes, she was far calmer than her frantic state in the lab. The intellectual aura of a scientist had reemerged.

"Dr. Su, are you feeling better?" Qin Feng turned, his tone calm.

"Much better, thank you, Mr. Qin." Su Yuqing walked to his side, standing shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the dark sea, her voice filled with sincere gratitude, "If not for you… my team and I would likely have…"

She did not finish, but the outcome was obvious.

"A small favor." Qin Feng smiled faintly. "Besides, the 'thing' you discovered involves far too much—saving you is also saving ourselves."

Su Yuqing naturally understood Qin Feng meant the Zerg Spores. She nodded, then looked at him with curiosity and inquiry: "Mr. Qin, how… how did you do it? That power… and those warriors outside?" She referred to the "Candle Dragon" squad and the platform that had appeared out of nowhere.

Qin Feng met her probing gaze and smiled, not answering directly but retorting with a slightly teasing tone: "So, Dr. Su—is it me you're interested in, or my… abilities?"

His gaze swept over Su Yuqing's cheeks and neck, still faintly flushed from her bath, carrying a barely perceptible, instinctive male appreciation for beauty. Though she lacked the polished efficiency of her sister Su Wenqian, years of oceanic research had given her a healthy, vital wildness, blended with scholarly grace, forming a unique charm.

Su Yuqing was startled by Qin Feng's slightly aggressive and ambiguous question; her cheeks instantly flushed deeper red, glowing vividly under the platform lights. She hastily averted her eyes, her heartbeat accelerating involuntarily.

"I… I just… think you're mysterious, and very… powerful." Her voice lowered slightly, carrying a shyness she herself hadn't noticed.

Qin Feng observed her reaction closely; the taut string within him, stretched by continuous tension, seemed to loosen slightly. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them; the sea breeze carried his faint scent—mixing saltwater with a unique coldness—into Su Yuqing's nostrils.

"Mysterious, perhaps a little." Qin Feng's voice lowered, laced with a magnetic allure, "As for power… which aspect of it, Dr. Su, would you like to witness?"

The implication in his words was unmistakable, carrying the unspoken teasing between adult men and women.

Su Yuqing felt her ears burn; her breathing quickened. She was no naive girl—she understood Qin Feng's meaning. Normally, if a man dared speak so lightly to her, she would have coldly rebuffed him—or even walked away.

But facing Qin Feng—the man who had just pulled her back from the edge of hell, revealing godlike power—she found herself feeling no revulsion, only… a strange, magnetic heart-pounding attraction. His strength, his mystery, his slightly wicked teasing—all like poison, radiating lethal allure.

She lifted her head, boldly meeting his gaze; those eyes, once filled with rational inquiry, now shimmered with moisture, tinged with confusion and challenge: "Mr. Qin's idea of 'power'… is it just words?"

The words were virtually an admission of an ambiguous invitation.

Qin Feng's smile deepened. He liked intelligent, bold women.

He reached out, not touching her, only gently brushing a strand of hair stirred by the sea breeze—soft, yet undeniably dominant.

"Words are dull." He leaned close to her ear, warm breath brushing her sensitive lobe, voice low as a whisper, "I prefer… practice reveals truth."

Su Yuqing's body trembled slightly; a jolt surged from her earlobe straight through her entire frame, her legs growing weak. She could almost imagine what might come next—tension, anticipation, and a flicker of fear for the unknown intertwined.

Yet Qin Feng stepped back at that moment, creating distance, his teasing expression fading, returning to his usual calm, profound demeanor.

"But not now." He looked at Su Yuqing, slightly startled, his tone carrying an undeniable sense of control, "You've been through much—you need rest. And…"

His gaze swept over Su Wenqian's figure, busy in the distance, implying something unspoken: "Some things don't need rushing."

Su Yuqing instantly understood. Her cheeks burned crimson, nearly dripping blood; she felt both shame and anger, yet also a vague, indescribable disappointment. This man was like a… devil—he could easily stir her heartstrings, then withdraw at will, holding all control firmly in his hands.

"You…" She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Qin Feng had already turned, facing the sea again, leaving her only a tall, mysterious back.

"Go rest, Dr. Su. Tomorrow, there's more to handle." His voice returned to its usual steadiness, as if the slightly colored interlude had never occurred.

Su Yuqing watched his back, bit her lip, and said nothing, turning to leave quickly. Yet her accelerated heartbeat and burning cheeks refused to calm.

Qin Feng felt the fleeing footsteps behind him, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling on his lips.

A little recreation benefits physical and mental health. Especially with a woman like Su Yuqing—intelligent, charismatic—a touch of ambiguity and control is like adding a seductive interlude to a taut symphony: harmless, even enriching.

He inhaled deeply the salty sea air, temporarily suppressing the romantic images in his mind.

A tender embrace is the grave of heroes; occasional admiration is fine, but never indulgence.

His journey is the stars and seas, the system's peak, the absolute authority over this world…

And now, Deepsea Technology's reckoning is imminent, the secrets of Traveler-7 await exploration, and more unknown challenges lurk in the shadows.

He must continue forward.

Night deepened; the platform on the sea was an island, and Qin Feng, its sole king.