Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution

Lin Shen silently made his way to the Celestial Master Institute, and on the way, others looked at him with odd glances—probably the news of his fourth brother suppressing Qiao Geli had already spread across the universe.

"Dean, that older brother of yours is really ruthless, to suppress Qiao Geli like that. It's also Qiao Geli's own fault for seeking death, possessing the Sky-Burning Demon Fire and just standing there letting himself be suppressed, it's outright brain-dead..." Chi Xinhuo, who was sitting inside the security pavilion watching the gate, said to Lin Shen with a chuckle upon seeing him approach.

"Indeed, brain-dead," Lin Shen nodded in response.

Chi Xinhuo laughed heartily, "Your big brother really made an enemy out of the Di Man Tribe. Why don't you seize the chance to recruit him into our Celestial Master Institute? We of the Celestial Race are not afraid of his Di Man Tribe. If they dare to come, I, old Huo, will be the first to deal with them. I feel like I have a rapport with your brother. Why not have him come to my security department and let him be the deputy director. How about that?"

"Good, when I see him, I'll convey your words to him exactly as you said, to see if he's willing to come," Lin Shen said, his tone taking a sudden turn, "Old Huo, do you have any quick way to master the Mudfish Catching Skill? I've been practicing for half a day with no effect, I can't produce any suction in the palm of my hand."

"There's no quick way to master it... Mastering this skill depends on talent..." Chi thought for a moment then spoke again, "But recently, I thought up a practice method that I guarantee will make your training less boring. Do you want to give it a try?"

"What kind of practice method?" Lin Shen asked.

"Playing mahjong," Chi Xinhuo said earnestly.

"Playing mahjong? How does playing mahjong train the Mudfish Catching Skill?" Lin Shen's interest was piqued all of a sudden, and he asked Chi curiously.

Chi Xinhuo looked around sneakily like a thief, and when he saw that nobody was around, he lowered his voice, leaned in close to Lin Shen's ear, and whispered, "Dean, this matter should not be known to outsiders, it should only be between you and me. It absolutely must not reach a third party's ears, and definitely should not be known by other people in the institute. If you agree, then I will teach you that method."

"I promise you, this matter will not be spread by my lips," Lin Shen was even more curious now.

"Let's go, let's head to your office, we don't want others to see," Chi Xinhuo led Lin Shen into his office and then shut the doors and windows. Only then did he magically produce a set of mahjong tiles from his person.

"How do you have a set of mahjong tiles on you?" Lin Shen was dumbfounded, unable to imagine how Chi managed it, it was never noticeable normally.

"Heh heh, I've applied the Mudfish Catching Skill to playing cards. Playing cards is training, training is playing cards..." Chi slowly demonstrated to Lin Shen.

Lin Shen's eyes widened in amazement. Even with his eyesight, if Chi moved too quickly, he couldn't make out what exactly Chi was doing.

After Chi demonstrated once, Lin Shen understood why he always lost when he played cards with Chi before.

This old sixth had actually been using the Mudfish Catching Skill to cheat—stealing cards, hiding cards, stacking cards, switching cards—everything was just too simple for Chi.

It could be said that Chi fully integrated the Mudfish Catching Skill into the techniques of cheating at cards, just like he said, playing cards is training, training is playing cards.

Previously, Lin Shen couldn't keep training because it was too monotonous, but now, with this teaching from Chi, the old sixth, he found it to be quite interesting.

Playing cards seriously, with Lin Shen's card-playing skills, winning depended on luck.

But with Chi's Mudfish Catching Skill, he became the luck himself.

Chi had Lin Shen give it a try, and the more Lin Shen played, the more fun he found it. Unknowingly, he had actually made a breakthrough with the Mudfish Catching Skill.

"Huo, playing just between the two of us isn't much fun. Go and fetch the Logistics Director and Vice Dean Qiao, and we can all play together," Lin Shen said to Chi Xinhuo.

"Those guys are too cunning; since you've just started, be careful not to let them spot any flaws," Chi Xinhuo urged anxiously.

"Don't worry, I have a good sense of what I'm doing. I won't win too much from them," Lin Shen said confidently. He might take a while to learn average skills, but for this kind of skill, he felt like he was on the verge of mastering it as soon as he picked it up.

After some thought, Chi Xinhuo said, "How about this? I'll also bring over Vice Dean An. The four of you can play. If we all play together, it'll be too easy for them to notice something off."

"That works," Lin Shen nodded. After all, he just wanted to try out the technique, not really to win money.

"Practice a bit more while I go get them. Be absolutely careful not to slip up; if they notice, I won't be able to show my face here anymore," Chi Xinhuo emphasized repeatedly as he left.

After a short while, the Logistics Director Keer, Vice Dean An, and Vice Dean Qiao were brought over by Chi Xinhuo.

The group had played together before; Lin Shen had even introduced the game of mahjong to the Celestial Master Institute before.

Once the four of them started playing, Lin Shen used the Mudfish Catching Skill very cautiously. He wasn't cheating by stealing or swapping cards, but mainly using the Mudfish Catching Skill to stack the deck while shuffling.

He had thought that with his skills, he was bound to win, as long as he didn't win by too much.

However, after a few rounds, Lin Shen realized he wasn't dominating as he had expected. Eventually, he even resorted to some card-swapping techniques, but he still didn't win much. By the time dinner came around and the game ended, he had only won a few bucks.

"Something's off. What's going on here?" Lin Shen called the Logistics Director aside when everyone was leaving; he was the only person who had won money in the game.
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"Keer, your gaze seemed a bit off during the card game. Did you cheat?" Lin Shen asked, looking at Keer.

With a sly laugh, Keer replied, "Dean, don't you know who cheated?"

"What do you mean?" Lin Shen frowned slightly.

"Dean, Huo's little trick might fool others, but it can't escape my 'fiery golden eyes'. To master Huo's skills as much as you have in such a short time is already very impressive," Keer revealed bluntly.

"How could you tell?" Lin Shen didn't feel ashamed and simply asked Keer.

Keer chuckled and said, "I'm in charge of logistics. I may not have many talents, but my forte is keeping and calculating accounts. Back when our Celestial Master Institute was doing well, I had all the logistical accounts etched in my mind, down to every single screw in the warehouse; I memorized everything with perfect clarity, never making a mistake in two to three hundred years. A mere set of mahjong tiles—just count how many there are—I could easily memorize them, where each one is placed, what cards you all have in your hands, I remember it too well."

"Impressive," Lin Shen couldn't help but admire, envious of such a memory.

"It's just a trifling trick, Dean, you flatter me," Keer said modestly, but his face showed great pride.

"No, something doesn't add up. I mixed up the order of the cards when I shuffled, even if your memory is good, it's not possible for you to remember them all correctly," Lin Shen pressed, staring at Keer.