Chapter 18 - Mike Drinking Tea

…

Mike was about 1.8m, similar in stature to Li Qu. He had still worn the same design of the suit and tie when Li Qu first met him, except in another color.

He had slicked hair that was combed to the back, with blue eyes. His face was slightly above the average with a sharp nose, a chiseled jawline and a defined muscular body.

Mike really had the looks of a respectable and refined young CEO, but that was only if one had not heard him open his mouth and talk.

But here he was, with his heart about to bleed as he forked out 5 Bio-Cores for a single pot of tea.

As Mike handed over his Bio-Cores, the System's robotic voice sounded inside Li Qu's head.

[Detected that Host has made the first Celestial Teahouse's transaction…]

[...]

[Issuing 4th Mission!]

[Mission: Recruit your first employee! 0/1]

[Time Limit: - ]

[Mission Reward: Icy Hellfire Scripture]

[Mission Failure: - ]

[Remark: Host, please strive hard! (∗ᵒ̶̶̷̀ω˂̶́∗)੭₎₎̊₊♡ ]

The interface only visible to Li Qu popped out and displayed the mission details.

'Hmmm? This mission reward. It seems like the System is trying to guide me on some path... I was already planning to do that irregardless of this mission.'

Li Qu seemed to have realized that the System could tap into the karmic lines that Li Qu possessed, it was rather frightening as even Immortal Emperors could not look at the karmic lines that he had, even if they tried to.

Li Qu then proceeded to stand up and walk to the brewing room to make the Gold Spirit Tea that was ordered while telling Mike,

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"Wait here. Your pot of Gold Spirit Tea will be here in a short while."

Mike nervously waited for the most expensive tea he would have in his life as the price of the tea was simply too extravagant!

"I literally just f*cking ordered a pot of tea worth an average middle class household's annual income… Please, please, at least taste good, if not I'll really cry!"

Mike inwardly prayed and hoped that the tea was as good as it sounded from what he had heard from Li Qu, he was only hoping for the tea to taste heavenly and not waste his money.

A single Bio-Core could be converted into ~50,000 Mei Dollars. A Bio-Core was, in a sense, like a highly-valued cryptocurrency coin.

In the aspect that one could 'mint coins' from a Bio-Beast with prices that would fluctuate with high volatility depending on the demand from scientists financially sponsored by governments to further their researches regarding Bio-Cores.

Mike could already imagine himself being nagged by his mother in heaven who passed away when he was only 20 for squandering like a prodigal son, tears were threatening to leave his eyes.

But what he did not know was that the tea would have an effect that would shock him.

…

After what seemed like forever to Mike, Li Qu finally walked out the brewing room with a tray that had the teapot filled with Gold Spirit Tea and a teacup in his hands.

"Here is your tea. Drink it."

Said Li Qu with a totally deadpan face as he placed the tray on the table, it caused Mike to break out in cold sweat as his face simply looked too disinterested.

'Only people working in a restaurant waiting to be fired from their jobs would speak like that with a face as bored as his!'

Mike's lip twitched, but he soon switched his gaze to the set of teapot and teacup that looked like antiques from the Dynasty Era, he gulped his saliva as he was about to taste the most exorbitant drink he had ever bought in his life.

He took the teapot and slowly poured the hot Gold Spirit Tea into the teacup.

Glug glug glug!

The glowing tea was carefully poured into the teacup without spilling a single drop as Mike looked at the magical scene in front of him and was slowly filled with anticipation of the taste.

'What sorcery is this? A glowing tea? Oh my sh*t, I thought it was just the lighting from the sun when his teacup glowed. Turns out it was the tea!'

Mike exclaimed internally as he brought his nose closer to the teacup and waved his hands slightly in an attempt to fan the aromatic steam emitting from the hotness of the Gold Spirit Tea towards his nose, he then lightly inhaled to take in the scent.

"You can make a cologne purely based on the smell of this tea! It smells so good."

Mike praised as he took a sneaky peek at Li Qu to see his reaction after complimenting the smell of the tea, but he was slightly disappointed as Li Qu did not seem to care.

"Just drink your tea and get out of my sight after you are done."

Li Qu said with a bored look. He closed his eyes, seemingly in deep thought.

Mike held the teacup and downed the small cup of tea as he savored the taste, even swirling it in his mouth before he swallowed it, but he had the shock of his life after swallowing.

Clickkk!

What sounded like something locking in reverberated inside Mike's body as the tea flowed down into his stomach and scattered into Essences of Evolution, or strands of Spiritual Qi.

The Essences of Evolution then converted into Genes and automatically pushed for a breakthrough, as the Genes started converging and attached themselves to the incomplete Lock, forming Mike's complete 8th Lock.

All of this happened in only a span of a few seconds.

"W-WHAT?! This is impossible!"

Mike shouted excitedly as he stood up and closed his eyes to use his Micro Sense to inspect his body.

"Stop shouting and sit down. It's just a minor breakthrough, there is no need to be so exaggerated."

Li Qu poured a cold bucket of water over Mike's head as he proclaimed the fact like it meant nothing to him with his eyes still closed.

"S-sorry Young Master Li! B-but this is a breakthrough! I would have needed at least another week more of accumulating Genes to attempt a breakthrough! All it took was a single cup!"

Mike simmered down and sat back on the chair, but not while still having a tingling feeling of coming across something magical.

'This f*cking taste as well, sh*t! It feels as if a beautiful elf girl was embracing me! I need to consolidate my power as soon as possible after drinking this pot of tea. But come to think of it, what's this smell of fragrant wood? I didn't notice it before but it smells relaxing.'

Mike sniffed around to look at where the scent of fragrant wood was coming from.

He then spotted what looked like mist drifting towards the ceiling and the smell of fragrant wood spreading everywhere from the cashier counter's top.

…