You can run away for a moment.

A trace of eager enthusiasm flickered in Zhou Lingri's eyes as she spoke, "The last physical examination results showed that your Gu worm belongs to the 'support type'. Support-type Gu worms possess high plasticity before maturity. I know an expert in this field, and I can arrange for you to receive an injection containing an 'inducer'. This will accelerate the maturation of the Gu worm and give you a certain probability of acquiring healing abilities. Even if it fails, there are no sequelae. If it succeeds, it will be like winning the jackpot. When that time comes, I will contact suitable patients. You can use your Gu worm to heal people, split the performance points earned, and once you've saved up enough points, you can exchange it for a 'combat Gu'. What do you say, want to give it a try?"

Seeing Zhou Lingri's anticipation-filled face, Sima felt she had become somewhat obsessed. He knew the Gu worm inside his body all too well. The ability of the "psychic Gu" was to perceive the presence of other Gu worms at close range, a trait that manifested even during the larval stage. As it matured, the ability gradually strengthened, expanding its sensory range—and that was all. He had already prepared himself to be a clerk in the General Affairs Office, keeping Zhou Lingri company. The two of them were Alpha and Beta, a "psychic Gu" paired with a "flawless Gu," a pair of mediocre, wool-pulling, slack-off "Gu masters."

Noticing Sima's utter disbelief, Zhou Lingri revealed another secret to him: Xue Dong, the director of the Internal Affairs Office, was one of the successful pioneers who had received the first batch of the "inducer." His original Gu worm had mutated into an "analgesic Gu," earning him a substantial number of performance points. Once fed with vital essence, the "analgesic Gu" could radiate a certain "aura," much like a qigong master exerting internal energy, producing a miraculous pain-relieving effect. For high-ranking officials' family members in the late stages of cancer, for whom drugs like Dilaudid and morphine were ineffective, writhing in excruciating agony, only lying beside Xue Dong allowed them to sleep peacefully. The "analgesic Gu" was unique, one of a kind, and the success had never been successfully replicated since. That was why Xue Dong was a "key protected object" of the Second Division, scheduled for "field duty" after a while—not to fight or kill, but to serve as someone's "bedmate."

Sima found this preposterous, though to be honest, compared to fighting and killing, this was the proper use of a Gu worm: resolving worries, untying difficulties, and serving the people... However, the "analgesic Gu" was truly too repulsive. Lying beside a terminally ill cancer patient to help them sleep soundly meant Xue Dong made a huge sacrifice. Presumably, anyone able to command his services was no ordinary figure—high-ranking, powerful, fabulously wealthy, or noble.

Zhou Lingri continued, "The experiments with the 'inducer' have already gone through four rounds, and the technology is very mature. We are currently recruiting volunteers for the fifth round. I have one recommendation slot in my hands, and many people are scrambling for it, but they can't come up with the performance points... I am not short on money; collaborating with you is aimed at a win-win outcome. Think about it!"

Sima had zero interest in this. He glanced at Zhou Lingri and said, "The Gu worm I'm raising hasn't matured yet, so I have no idea what abilities it might have. Perhaps it will turn out to be an extremely powerful Gu worm, and who's to say it won't be rarer and more popular than the 'analgesic Gu'... Since both are gambles on the future, I prefer to trust myself!"

Having spent so much breath without persuading him, Zhou Lingri felt deeply frustrated. She let out a soft "hum," thinking him unappreciative of what's good for him. It was rare for her to extend the "hand of an angel," only to be proudly rejected by him. She had a background, which was why she could sit securely in the General Affairs Office, but what did Sima have? He had nothing! He didn't understand that the Second Division was merely a transitional phase and would sooner or later be thoroughly purged. Only when that day came would he understand the cruelty of fate!

Sima caught a glimpse of something deeper in her words. She had close ties with the official research team, possessed sources of intelligence, and held some sway. Zhou Lingri was far from being a mere mediocrity or a vase. He had always underestimated her, but there was no need to overestimate her either. With both parents deceased, whoever looked after her was likely a distant relative, separating them by a layer, meaning her resources were ultimately limited. That was why she was so relentlessly obsessed with performance points.

Considering her potential utility, Sima deliberately eased the atmosphere, half-joking and half-serious, "I guess Director Xue cannot leave Beizhi, at least not at will, nor does he have the power to choose his own clients... His schedule is fully booked, and every 'exertion' of the 'analgesic Gu' is reserved in advance. Those powerful and influential patients have to wait in a very long line for a very long time before their turn comes... Just to get a sound sleep, is that right?"

Zhou Lingri had originally intended to ignore him, but Sima's words struck a chord deep within her. Filled with emotion, she said, "Yes. You wouldn't want to obtain an 'analgesic Gu'. For Xue Dong, it's nothing short of a disaster!" To her, the "flawless Gu" was likewise a disaster. Sheltered under the wings of the "White Dove," those who coveted her body might be deterred from a distance, but you could run for a time, not for a lifetime. On the day the Second Division collapsed, the "White Dove" herself would be barely able to protect her own skin, let alone others. What would her own fate be? She hoped to swap for a "combat Gu" as soon as possible so she would have the means to protect herself, but changing Gu worms required performance points, and even the "White Dove" could not make an exception for her.

The Second Division was flourishing like a raging fire cooking oil, and the vast majority of "Gu masters" failed to see the crisis hidden beneath the prosperity. Veterans like Yang Zirong were filled with deep anxiety, yet powerless to turn the tide. Sima remained at the vortex's center, temporarily safe and sound. He deeply experienced the vast disparity in power among "Gu masters"; a mere minor character like "Champion Jiang" possessed a combat effectiveness that overshadowed his own. This fueled his thirst for power, driving him into boxing training with a near-fanatical attitude, resulting in leaps and bounds in his physical fitness and technique. Coach Cui marvelled repeatedly, believing Sima was ready to enter professional boxing competitions. Naturally, Sima had no intention of turning professional; instead, he asked Tu Yifeng to introduce a familiar coach to tailor a series of courses for him, utilizing Sundays for targeted practice in sweep kicks and takedowns to compensate for the shortcomings of boxing.

Lu Youyou was the most acutely aware of the changes in Sima's physique. She loved tracing his abdominal muscles and mermaid lines, her fingertips gently gliding over every undulating contour, unable to put them down. Yet, as his physique approached perfection, Sima's stamina grew increasingly boundless. Lu Youyou found herself struggling more and more to satisfy him; as a former women's 100-meter hurdles athlete, she actually felt somewhat inadequate to the task.

As the 12-week training program drew to a close, the "White Dove" reviewed Coach Cui's report and expressed great satisfaction with Sima's condition. She finally revealed the mystery behind her actions: arranging high-intensity boxing training for Sima was meant to forge him into an objective standard by which to measure the combat effectiveness of other "Gu masters." She had chosen Sima over Zha Guangyang or Yang Yang because the combat effectiveness bestowed by a "combat Gu" on its host fluctuated far too wildly, whereas a "support Gu" could only push a host's combat power to a certain unsurpassable limit by nourishing their vital essence, making it relatively stable and yielding test results with greater reference value.

The "White Dove" believed that after this period of intensive training, Sima's combat effectiveness had reached 15, and it would be difficult to achieve significant improvement in the short term, making him ready to participate in combat effectiveness testing. If the results proved her theory feasible, the next phase would involve recruiting more "support-type" Gu masters to join the project. The divisions of "immortal Gu," "demon Gu," and "human Gu" were far too crude; she intended to further refine the grading system of Gu worms and become an expert and authority in this field.