She never stopped exploring the concept of dimensional space. Jing Shu firmly believed that everything in this world could be explained by science. If something couldn't be explained, then it only meant that current technology hadn't reached that level yet.
The third mission was divided into two phases. In the first, Monk burned both his arms to obtain the cauldron, earning ninety percent of the total contribution points, while the rest shared the remaining ten. The second phase took place at Rhine Manor, where the formula was secured. The credit for that was split evenly among Priest, Xiao Hei, and Monk.
As for materials, anything acquired without Priest and Xiao Hei's involvement, such as auctioned or surrendered supplies, would be divided equally among the rest of the team.
"The last mission's contribution points will be distributed after evaluation once we're back home," Yang Yang said. "Everything from before's already settled, so now we just need to clear up the remaining balances."
He turned to look at Jing Shu with a troubled expression. This report was going to be a nightmare to submit. What would the higher-ups think when they saw it? Where did all the contribution points go? For food? Cigarettes? A luxury lifestyle?
Out of everyone who'd gone on multiple missions, Jing Shu was the only one who'd managed to turn her daily expenditure of contribution points into a walking convenience store. She'd somehow created a full-service, all-purpose logistics system where everyone spent tens, hundreds, or even thousands of contribution points a day on her.
She had everything—medicine, food, daily necessities. Whatever anyone needed, she had it. She was literally a moving store that could satisfy anyone's needs at any time, even in a crisis.
Jing Shu would always bring along Xiao Dou and a massive pack filled with green onions, lettuce, and cilantro. As long as you needed it, she could whip up egg fried rice, seafood egg custard, or even a pack of premium bone broth instant noodles—fifty contribution points, and another fifty if you wanted an egg added.
Later, she even launched discount meals: the 88-point spicy hotpot that wasn't too spicy, wasn't too hot, but tasted unforgettable. She also offered grilled ham, air-dried shredded beef, and other delicacies that made everyone's mouths water.
Of course, you could also skip the menu and pay a lump sum—128 or 648 points—to get a full-day or weekly meal plan. Jing Shu ate, you ate. Full meals guaranteed. The picky eaters, Zhen Nantian and Ling Ling, immediately subscribed to the 648 plan. They followed Jing Shu's lead, eating three different meals a day, each one balanced with meat, veggies, and soup. Thanks to her, Ling Ling was literally glowing with health.
And it wasn't just food. Jing Shu's attention to quality of life was nearly perfect. No clothes? No blankets? No tissue? Feeling cold, hot, sick, craving a smoke or a drink or a cup of coffee? As long as you had contribution points, she had the solution. Forget paying 998 or 338—her life package cost only 199 points, and if you recharged 1,000, she'd throw in a 100-point bonus.
Yang Yang drummed his fingers on the table, staring at Zhen Nantian's account full of odd figures: -648, -199, -1000+100... His head hurt just looking at it. How was he supposed to explain this to the superiors? That their elite squad was running promotional deals like "Recharge 1000, get 100 free"?
In the end, Yang Yang sighed and said, "Mirror, excluding the third mission's pending contribution points, you've got twenty-eight thousand now. Once you hit thirty thousand, you can apply for the Elite title, which is straight-up Class A."
He paused, then added, "When we're back, the state will reassess your rank. But tell me honestly, do you want a higher score or just a regular one?"
Jing Shu glanced at Zhen Nantian. He gave a slight nod. Looks like he'd told Yang Yang about the dimensional object she possessed.
The others didn't seem to notice anything strange, which meant they probably didn't know about the dimensional space at all. That also implied something else—Yang Yang did know. Maybe he even had his own dimensional artifact. Otherwise, Jing Shu couldn't figure out how he'd been evaluated as an A+.
His meaning was clear: did she want to keep her abilities hidden, or reveal them for a higher rating?
After a moment's thought, Jing Shu decided it wasn't worth it. She didn't fully understand this dimensional stuff anyway, and if exposing her space was the price, she'd rather stay ignorant. From her perspective, neither Zhen Nantian, Yang Yang, nor even that so-called Fourth Dimension seemed all that miraculous—certainly not compared to her Rubik's Cube Space. Its uniqueness was best left as a mystery.
"Let's just go with whatever the country already knows," she said calmly, meaning she wouldn't show off her true strength.
Yang Yang nodded. "In that case, once your contribution points and evaluation are finalized, you'll probably fall around A- or A. That's already national-level elite territory."
He continued with the accounting and summaries. Even Zhen Nantian, who burned through contribution points like water, still had over ten thousand left, not counting the third mission's pending rewards. Everyone had earned big this time.
Meanwhile, Jing Shu closed her eyes, focusing on organizing the third mission's loot. She'd brought back a lot from Rhine Manor—so much that her space was completely packed. She had to rearrange everything carefully to maximize every bit of storage, and after hours of sorting, she finally freed up a few more cubic meters.
She felt incredibly satisfied. Over five hundred cubic meters filled to the brim with resources—energy, gourmet food, grain, live poultry, sea creatures, land beasts. There weren't many species yet, but for someone who'd once survived on rotten food, this was heaven.
Her next goal was to expand her collection—fill her space with every species she could find, from the land to the skies—and stock up for the harsh days to come.
Finally, they arrived at the capital. The moment the plane touched down, Jing Shu patted her chest in relief. Safe. Finally safe. Motherland, we're home! No more threats from the American bastards!
Boom rumble!
The familiar roar greeted them the moment they landed. The capital still trembled three times a day, thunder cracking and lightning flashing like clockwork.
China's complex terrain meant it suffered more disasters than anywhere else, but the people had already started to find patterns in the chaos.
"Send Hao Yunlai, Monkey, and Monk to the government hospital first," Yang Yang ordered. "We'll rest for two days, then report to the Special Intelligence Division for reassessment before heading back to Wu City."
That was the plan. Reality, though, went differently. Jing Shu called home first, letting her parents know she'd be back in a few days, then promptly collapsed into deep sleep. Two straight days of unconscious rest—her body finally giving in after staying wound tight for so long.
When she woke up, a group of people in white coats were playing cards right in front of her, while Xiao Dou stood guard like a protective mother hen.
She blinked, looked around, and realized she was still on Qian Duoduo's plane. Everything checked out.