Dual Worlds: I Have a Doomsday World

Lin Qi nodded. "As far as I know, Nanyun Potion’s total annual output of S-Class Potions doesn’t exceed one hundred and twenty. If we go by the Alliance’s requirements for S-Class Pharmaceutical Researchers, wouldn’t that mean these researchers..."

Lin Qi let his words hang, but they carried multiple implications.

’Actual production capacity exceeds what’s on the books, so what about the surplus?’

’Artificial scarcity?’

’Or was it being dumped by Nanyun Potion into gray and black markets?’

Xu Zhengming then remembered that Lin Qi was something of a latecomer. Not only did he hail from Red Fruit City, but he also hadn’t been involved in Pharmacy for very long.

Xu Zhengming began to bring Lin Qi up to speed. "You probably haven’t read through the Alliance’s legislation in full, have you? The production requirements for S-Class Pharmaceutical Researchers only apply until they’re 65. After that, they are no longer required to produce Potions."

Hearing this, Lin Qi looked even more confused.

’There’s a rule like that?’

Lin Qi searched his memory but couldn’t recall ever reading anything of the sort.

Xu Zhengming explained, "This is part of a supplementary bill. It’s signed as an addendum when an S-Class Pharmaceutical Researcher turns 60. You were striking out on your own in Red Fruit City without any elders to guide you, so it’s perfectly normal that you wouldn’t know."

’So that’s how it is.’ Lin Qi had always been very confident in his memory; he would never misremember the contents of a document.

But then, a new question occurred to Lin Qi.

’Why?’

’Why do S-Class Pharmaceutical Researchers retire so early?’

Without Lin Qi having to ask, Xu Zhengming answered his unspoken question.

"You must be curious why this supplementary bill exists, right?"

"The reason isn’t actually that complicated. The second-generation founders of Pharmacy recorded in their early writings that the most crucial part of creating an S-Class Potion is the ’Inspiration’ Talent. Without that unpredictable flash of Spiritual Light, a Pharmaceutical Researcher can’t produce an S-Class Potion, no matter how solid their fundamentals are."

"But as the second-generation founders grew older, they found it increasingly difficult to create S-Class Potions. With the exception of a few monstrously talented individuals, for most, their Inspiration Talent would begin to decline after the age of sixty."

"The vast majority of those with average Talent find it difficult to produce even a single S-Class Potion after 65, even if they spend years trying."

"This is why, even on a global scale, the production capacity for S-Class Potions is far lower than you might imagine."

"An S-Class Pharmaceutical Researcher with average Talent will typically create their first S-Class Potion in their thirties. After that, they only have a short window of twenty to thirty years in their entire life to create them."

As Xu Zhengming spoke, a sense of worldly weariness naturally settled over him.

He was no longer young, with only ten years left before he reached the 60-year-old threshold.

Xu Zhengming looked at Lin Qi, his tone thick with envy. "Of course, for someone as exceptionally talented as you, or your grandfather, that ’inspiration’ won’t completely fade even if you live to be over a hundred. Not to mention, you’re only 19. You have a long future ahead of you."

After listening to Xu Zhengming’s explanation, Lin Qi understood the cause and effect, but he still couldn’t grasp the deeper reason.

’Why?’

’Why does this strange phenomenon occur with S-Class Pharmaceutical Researchers?’

’Talent can actually be lost?’

’But then why are there exceptions?’

Clearly, this was a matter of the Extraordinary Domain, something Lin Qi’s current understanding was insufficient to explore.

’My research into Pharmacy isn’t deep enough. Right now, it’s only at the level of the aggregation effect of Spiritual Particles and the ’Inspiration Talent’.’

’Perhaps when I have a more systematic understanding of Pharmacy in the future, I’ll be able to find the root cause.’

This would require Lin Qi to continue delving deeper into the Pharmacy Domain.

But at the moment, Lin Qi didn’t have the energy for that.

Maybe when his strength grew, after he reached Tier Four Peak or even Tier Five, he would spare the energy to explore its root cause.

’On second thought, that might not be too far away.’

While Lin Qi was lost in thought, someone noticed the arrival of Xu Zhengming, Xu Qinghe, and Lin Qi.

A middle-aged man, about the same age as Xu Zhengming, stood up from the circular seating area and approached Xu Zhengming.

"Uncle Xu, today it’s just you and Little Sister Qinghe who haven’t guided these young people yet. It’s rare for everyone to gather so leisurely. The Xu Family can’t be holding back!"

The middle-aged man wasn’t young, yet he called Xu Zhengming "Uncle" and even called Xu Qinghe "Little Sister."

Lin Qi didn’t have to think hard to know that this was the Eastern Alliance’s strange rules of seniority at work.

After speaking to Xu Zhengming, the middle-aged man also noticed Lin Qi and said with a smile, "This must be Little Brother Lin, I presume? The world’s youngest S-Class Pharmaceutical Researcher! I have you to thank for letting me earn a nice little sum of Credit Points!"

The middle-aged man then greeted Lin Qi with an easy familiarity.

Xu Zhengming watched the middle-aged man before him without a word. Only when the man took the initiative to greet Lin Qi did a strange light flash in Xu Zhengming’s eyes. He slowly began to speak, "Ah, Qinghong, that form of address isn’t quite right! According to seniority, you should be calling Lin Qi ’Uncle.’"

Xu Zhengming’s tone was like a demon’s whisper.

For a moment, the entire Circular Experimental Field fell much quieter.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

More than half of the people present were Extraordinary Professionals, and the venue wasn’t very large. Anyone who was paying attention could clearly hear what Xu Zhengming had said.

Lin Qinghong was clearly stunned.

Xu Zhengming’s words had completely blindsided him.

’Call him Uncle?’

’Why?’

’Is Lin Qi also from one of the Eastern Alliance’s Pharmacy Domain families?’

’Wait!’

’No!’

’His surname is Lin!’

Lin Qinghong was suddenly struck by a terrible thought.

Ever since Old Master Lin Changshou, the Lin Family’s reputation had never been entirely proper. This was especially true for his grandfather’s generation, who seemed to have inherited much of the Old Master’s... ways.

’Could this person be the long-lost illegitimate son of someone from my grandfather’s generation?’

Over the years, the Lin Family had seen quite a few incidents of illegitimate children returning to the fold.

Fortunately, the Lin Family was large and prosperous. Besides having stable jobs at Nanyun Potion, the family also ran more than ten small businesses, so they could afford to support the illegitimate child that seemed to pop up every three to five years...

"Uncle Xu, may I ask who his father is...? Which master of my Lin Family?"

The third generation of the Lin Family had nineteen members in total: eleven grand-uncles and eight grand-aunts.

According to the records from recent years, a full eight of the grand-uncles had records of illegitimate children returning home.

And now, it seemed that record was about to be updated again.

Xu Zhengming looked at Lin Qinghong, his eyes filled with schadenfreude.

Seeing that Lin Qi remained silent, Xu Zhengming said, "You’ve guessed wrong. Little Brother Lin is truly not a descendant of those eleven masters of your family."

Hearing this, Lin Qinghong’s vision went dark for a moment.

’This is bad!’

’It wasn’t the ’good work’ of one of the eleven masters!’

’Could it be... one of the eight grand-aunts?’

’The Lin Family’s reputation!’

’It’s utterly beyond saving!’

Lin Qi watched this scene unfold with a sense of helplessness but decided to tell the truth.

After all, the old man had given him a task: if he had the chance, he was to personally hand over that encrypted video to his so-called grandfather.

As the two words "Lin Changshou" left Lin Qi’s lips, Lin Qinghong immediately wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

’Thank goodness!’

’So it was the Old Master’s doing after all.’

’Nothing to worry about, then.’

’The Old Master’s reputation was already rotten anyway. How can a ruin collapse?’

After composing himself, Lin Qinghong naturally complied with the Eastern Alliance’s rules. Without a trace of shyness, he faced Lin Qi and said, "Junior Lin Qinghong greets Clan Uncle."

’Since Lin Qi’s seniority was high, and he was a member of the Lin Family, what was there to be shy about?’

’If he had to call him Uncle, he’d just call him Uncle!’

His cry of "Clan Uncle" seemed to be a declaration:

This world-famous new genius of the Pharmacy Domain belonged to their Lin Family!

"Clan Uncle, since it’s our first meeting, allow me to introduce you to the juniors of our Lin Family."

"Oh, right, Uncle. Our Old Master started having children early back in the day. There are even some juniors from the sixth generation of the Lin Family here. They should be calling you Grandpa!"