Chapter 216: Showing One's Value

The sudden applause made everyone look toward the doorway, where a middle-aged man in a suit stood. He wore a small ring on his hand, and the watch on his wrist reflected the light in the hall. The only slightly strange thing was that he was also wearing a cape, which felt a bit out of place with his overall style of dress.

"Well spoken, detailed, and practical; this lecture is of a very high standard," Johnson said, clapping his hands as he addressed Lin Zhengying.

"Thank you. Sir, you've been standing there for over an hour; won't you introduce yourself first?" Lin Zhengying looked up at Johnson and said.

"My name is Basachang, a businessman. I stumbled into this place by mistake, though it seems I won't be able to leave," Johnson said, reporting his fake identity while spreading his hands slightly in a gesture of helplessness.

The slightly humorous calmness Johnson displayed immediately earned him a measure of goodwill from those present. A newcomer like this was relatively more reliable, and having reliable teammates was the greatest blessing here.

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"May I ask, is there room for one more here?" Johnson continued to ask. Integrating into the group immediately was the best way to protect himself, especially since the current atmosphere suggested that the leadership here was very responsible.

"Of course. Lao Die, get this newcomer a set of materials," Lin Zhengying said to the squinting Lao Die.

Lao Die looked at Johnson, pulled out a file containing important precautions and personal profiles of the residents present, walked over to Basachang, and handed it to him.

As Johnson reached out to take the file, Lao Die kept his hand on the other end without letting go. "Have I, Lao Die, seen you somewhere before?"

"Perhaps on television. In truth, those were just some very ordinary charitable acts," Johnson said with a smile, maintaining his persona.

Lao Die loosened his fingers and said nothing more.

Johnson breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately, the connection between Lao Die and Basachang was not deep, otherwise it would have been difficult to explain.

After moving in, the residents of Hell Apartment also took the time to greet him and exchange a few pleasantries. Johnson finally recognized the people mentioned in the various identities. Since these people could appear in the identity card profiles, they must have had some special qualities, so he paid extra attention to them.

At noon, Zhang Wei walked in carrying a large bag of boxed lunches. These lunches were specially ordered from a nearby restaurant because outsiders couldn't find Hell Apartment at all, so someone had to go out and pick them up when the time came.

The quality of the boxed lunches was quite good: three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, including braised pork, fried shrimp, large chicken legs, seasonal vegetables, and carrots. The taste was also decent, but after tasting a few bites, Johnson kept poking at his food.

Liu Jianming, who was next to him, saw that Johnson hadn't really touched his chopsticks and leaned over. "Not to your taste? Eh, you big businessmen, do you usually eat exceptionally well? Like Australian lobster or king crab?"

"Not at all," Johnson laughed. "Eating like that every day would lead to gout sooner or later. It's just that under normal circumstances, the quality of the ingredients is slightly better. However, I do have a question: is there a need for specialized nutritional meals? Something that, while ensuring flavor, promotes muscle growth, improves physical constitution, and enhances the effects of physical training?"

"There's such a thing?" Liu Jianming was a bit surprised.

"Of course. Although the effects vary from person to person and aren't as immediate as the legendary food therapy, from a big data perspective, it does have certain effects," Johnson said while continuing to eat.

"Then, about how much does it cost?" Liu Jianming hesitated before asking. Hell Apartment didn't charge rent and covered all utilities, but its nature meant that most residents had to give up normal jobs, so money was sometimes tight.

"It's not expensive; a specialized meal only costs a few hundred or so. However, the initial testing fees are a bit higher, around a hundred thousand, and it's best to ensure the testing frequency is once a week."

The more Johnson spoke, the worse the expression on Liu Jianming's face became. The boxed lunches they had in their hands only cost forty yuan; never mind the testing fees, they couldn't even afford the cost of the specialized meals alone.

"Do you need it? There are some quite good nutritionists in this city; I can recommend one to you," Johnson continued.

Liu Jianming gave an awkward smile. "At that price, I can't afford it."

"Eh? But these materials of yours..." Johnson shook the few files he had been given. "These are priceless treasures; you can't buy them outside. Even the official ones aren't as targeted as these."

Liu Jianming looked with surprise at the plain-looking materials in his hand; these were all distributed for free by Lao Die, Lin Zhengying, and the others.

"If it's just a matter of money, it's actually easy to solve. Why don't you ask everyone for me to see how many are willing to have a check-up, and I'll arrange it," Johnson continued. The first step to quickly building a relationship: throwing money around.

Buying people's hearts? The phrase popped into Liu Jianming's mind, but this was a good thing. At least this new big businessman was willing to integrate into the group and provide some help. "Really?"

"It's just a little money. If it can be of some use at a time like this, it's not a waste," Johnson said with a smile.

After Liu Jianming spread the news, Johnson could clearly feel that the way the people around him looked at him was much kinder, and even Lao Die, who had been observing and reminiscing, was no exception.

After finishing his meal, Johnson returned to his room and put his cape back into his suitcase. It was relatively safe in the apartment, so there was no need to be on guard against danger at all times. Immediately after, Johnson took the report and knocked on Lin Zhengying's door.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Basachang?" Lin Zhengying looked at Johnson, already prepared to refuse any special requests.

"It's like this. As you know, when business gets big, one inevitably has some contact with the authorities. I was looking at the paper report and discovered a point that might differ slightly from what I understand." Johnson flipped to the chapter on Strange Talks and pointed to the page about the twin flowers.

Johnson's words caught Lin Zhengying off guard. Not many newcomers had any understanding of Strange Talks; most ordinary people who came in didn't even know what a Strange Talk was, as relevant information was blocked.

Watching Lin Zhengying lean in, Johnson continued, "This is very similar to the Twin Flower Strange Tale I know, but it doesn't just refer to parasitism, control, and exchange."

Johnson pointed to the descriptive words in the paragraph. He was actually quite familiar with this Strange Talk, as it originated from Xi'an and Anxi Academy.

"It is actually a Strange Talk that can be utilized, allowing a person to have a chance to substitute death in most situations. In many official organizations, it is considered a controllable Strange Talk..."