"Want Want Milk… soda… potato chips… a shark plushie…"
Pushing the overflowing shopping cart, Fu Li looked over at Seele, who was curiously staring down a king crab in the seafood section, and then turned to Hua beside him.
"Hua? Aren't you going to buy anything?"
Hua shook her head, indicating she had no such worldly desires.
She was indeed a person of few wants. Apart from an occasional craving for the wonton noodles Fu Li made by hand, there was almost nothing she particularly liked.
Even the clothes she was wearing now were bought for her by Fu Li back in Changkong City, and they still fit her so well.
So well, in fact, that Fu Li had already given up on specially preparing papaya milk for her. It just went to show that some people are just born lacking something.
After placing another trussed-up king crab into the cart, Seele seemed to have finally had enough fun and her whole body went limp.
"Li, you're the best!"
Looking at the cart full of delicious things, Seele hugged it and refused to let go, her delicate little face beaming with a blissful smile.
A child's happiness was just that simple.
After paying with the MOTHs' internal credit card, Fu Li and Hua carried their bags back to the car.
"Here, Hua. This is for you."
As if by magic, a red chicken plushie suddenly appeared in Fu Li's hand, and he stuffed it into Hua's.
"This is…? Thank you, brother."
Hua was a bit stunned for a moment, looking at the round, egg-shaped chicken plushie in her hands.
Although its appearance was a bit strange, it seemed quite cute.
Just then, Seele suddenly said, "Li, what is that? I want one too!"
"Alright, alright, you get one too. But it's this one."
Fu Li, who had come prepared, conjured another shark plushie and placed it in Seele's arms, placating the little one.
"Where do you want to go tomorrow? Baishan Mountain or the aquarium?"
"The aquarium!"
"Baishan Mountain."
The former was Seele's choice, while the latter was naturally Hua's.
Their opinions clashed once again. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with stubbornness.
Fu Li was already very skilled at handling such situations. He made an executive decision on the spot and started the car.
"Then it's decided. We'll go to Baishan Mountain tomorrow, and the aquarium the day after."
---o---
[For the next two days, you took Seele and Hua to visit Baishan Mountain and then went to the aquarium.]
[Although Hua kept saying that the plushie was a bit weird, you noticed that she always liked to take it with her when she slept.]
[Time off always passes quickly. Three days went by in the blink of an eye, and you returned to the MOTHs' headquarters.]
[Because she had so much fun, Seele was in a good mood for several days and became much more lively than before.]
[Although she still addressed everyone as 'human', her attitude towards those who showed no hostility towards her improved considerably.]
[However, as time went on, you thought back to your last meeting with God and had a vague premonition that you would become the Herrscher of Domination.]
[As a researcher, you quickly came up with two plans and thought of two people who could help you complete them.]
[The first was Mobius.]
---o---
"What? You're saying it's highly likely you'll become the Tenth Herrscher?"
In the laboratory, Mobius stopped her hands, which had been flying across the keyboard. On the central computer screen, experimental data scrolled by silently, but she paid it no mind.
For some reason, her hand was trembling slightly.
This was an almost impossible thing, because a snake is a creature without emotions.
"Li, this speculation of yours is completely baseless. If you truly believe you will become the Tenth Herrscher, you should at least submit an experimental report to me. Let the data speak."
Rarely, Mobius used a serious tone, emphasizing her point.
However, Fu Li just shook his head gently and placed a specially made bomb into Mobius's hand.
"Mobius, some things cannot be explained by experiments. And when I had this premonition, I also formulated a corresponding plan. You are the only one I am willing to trust."
"Perhaps this contingency will never be used, but in my hometown, we have an idiom: preparedness averts peril."
In the lab, Mobius and Fu Li looked at each other. After a long moment, a deep sigh echoed through the room.
"First, tell me what you plan to do. Then, give me the detailed plan. Otherwise, I will not agree."
"Alright." Fu Li didn't hesitate, speaking with a light smile. "I want you to install a bomb in my heart, and you must ensure that you are the only one who can press the button."
---o---
[After you laid out your entire plan, although Mobius was extremely reluctant, at your request, she gritted her teeth and helped you with the surgery.]
[After the surgery, Mobius promised you that unless it was a matter of absolute last resort, she would never press that button.]
[You naturally had complete trust in Mobius. With the first insurance policy secured, you decided to obtain the second.]
[Aponia's Precept.]
---o---
"Mm… so you wish to receive a Precept from me?"
In the chapel of The Deep End, Aponia raised her eyes slightly, gazing at Fu Li with a gentle smile.
"Of course you can, Mr. Li. After all, you have helped us a great deal. Go on, what kind of Precept would you like?"
"Hmm… is there a Precept that can be erased at any time?" Fu Li inquired.
After all, Aponia's Precepts, if they couldn't be removed, would be a great mental drain.
"A Precept that can be removed at any time?" Aponia showed a perfectly timed hint of difficulty, her hands clasped together uneasily.
"It is possible, but… I have a small request."
"What condition?" Although Fu Li found it strange that Aponia would say such a thing, he decided to go along with her.
And so, Aponia stated her purpose.
"It's just… in the future, could you promise me one small request? The kind you can't refuse."
"This… alright…" Fu Li thought for a moment. He felt that with Aponia's personality, she wouldn't make him do anything too outrageous, so he agreed.
"Mm, thank you." A pleased smile graced the corners of Aponia's lips as she asked softly, "What kind of Precept would you like?"
"Never harm the people I care about."