Chapter 238 What are you laughing at?

Ivy couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle as she stared at the old man, whose face was scrunched into an adorable grumpy expression.

"Huh? What are you laughing at?" Grandpa Hart huffed, looking at her as though she had committed an unforgivable crime. "It’s not funny, young lady. Now, just give me back my cookies if you took them."

"Please forgive him." Erick spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper as he shot Ivy an apologetic look before turning back to the old man. "This is Miss Ivy, the founder of Hope Base that I told you about. It’s her first time visiting, so she knows absolutely nothing about your cookies."

"Really?" Grandpa Hart’s eyes widened in surprise. He immediately stepped closer to Ivy and studied her face from head to toe as though trying to confirm her identity. "You’re really Miss Ivy? The only female commander in the apocalypse who managed to build a thriving base from scratch?"

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hart," Ivy replied politely, offering him a warm smile.

The old man’s expression instantly brightened.

"Oh, my goodness! It’s wonderful to finally meet you!" he exclaimed excitedly as he reached out and grabbed both of her hands. "I’ve wanted to meet you for such a long time. I even wished you were my granddaughter..." He paused dramatically before nodding to himself. "Actually, you still can be!"

Erick’s eyelids twitched.

Darren silently lowered his head, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

Grandpa Hart, however, remained completely serious.

"Come, come," he said enthusiastically, gently patting Ivy’s hand. "Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about."

Without giving her a chance to refuse, he led her to the sofa.

Ivy sat opposite Grandpa Hart while Erick and Darren quietly took seats beside each other. Neither of them dared interrupt the old man. Years of experience had taught them that arguing with Grandpa Hart was a battle no one ever won.

"You there," Grandpa Hart called out to one of the servants who had been tidying the living room. "Prepare some refreshments for our guest. Bring the best snacks we have. And... check if there are any cookies left."

"Yes, Old Master," the servant replied respectfully before hurrying away.

Only then did Grandpa Hart turn his full attention back to Ivy.

"So," he began, leaning forward with genuine curiosity shining in his eyes, "how is Hope Base doing these days? Is everything running smoothly? Being a commander isn’t easy, especially in times like these. You must have your hands full."

Ivy nodded calmly.

"Everything has been going well, Mr. Hart. The residents are living comfortably thanks to the resources we’ve managed to secure. Food supplies are stable, morale is high, and everyone has adapted surprisingly well."

She paused before glancing around the luxurious villa.

"What about you? From what I’ve seen on my way here, this place feels more like a large research and manufacturing facility than a family estate. Your laboratories aren’t very far from the main residence, are they? Are you developing medicines to combat the monsters... or perhaps researching something else?"

Grandpa Hart let out a long sigh.

"We wish things were that simple."

His cheerful demeanor gradually disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.

"You’ve probably heard that Fierce Hunter Base recently released an evolution liquid and that evolution liquid was developed by Mr. Thomas...the same researcher I heard you’ve already recruited into Hope Base."

"The purpose of the evolution liquid is remarkable. It allows ability users to strengthen their existing powers, while ordinary people without abilities have a chance of awakening one after consuming it."

He paused briefly before shaking his head with obvious disappointment.

"Unfortunately, the side effects are horrifying."

His voice became noticeably heavier.

"And when I say horrifying, I truly mean it. The lucky ones merely suffer severe organ damage and are left crippled. The unlucky ones..." He slowly closed his eyes before continuing. "...die."

"Our Hart family doesn’t possess the technology required to produce our own evolution liquid. Because of that, we’ve been placed in a very passive position. We originally believed we had finally found hope but we’re wrong."

His voice carried unmistakable bitterness.

"The only researcher capable of creating an evolution liquid actually succeeded... or so we thought. It turned out to be complete rubbish. We were overjoyed when he first presented the liquid to us. We thought humanity had finally taken another step toward surviving this apocalypse but reality proved otherwise. We even considered purchasing his complete research data so our scientists could identify where the formula went wrong and perhaps improve it into a safer version."

Grandpa Hart looked genuinely frustrated.

"Sadly, despite having excellent researchers, none of them possess the specialized knowledge necessary to recreate an evolution liquid from scratch. Without the corresponding technology, all we can do is watch from the sidelines while others control the market."

A deep silence settled over the room.

I see....Ivy thought as she remained silent for several seconds before calmly raising her eyes to meet Grandpa Hart’s.

"What if..." she began softly, "...I happen to possess an evolution liquid with no side effects at all?"

The words were spoken casually yet the effect they produced was anything but ordinary.