Chapter 54: Guests from Central Base

Chapter 54: Guests from Central Base

Qin Mu and Qin Sheng walked out, seeing Liu Yuhui, the younger sister of Lord Liu of Liu City, alongside a charming and beautiful woman walking out of the charity clinic. Both were smiling like flowers in bloom, dressed in elegant clothes that stood out against the drab appearance of others in this apocalyptic world.

A nurse placed a "Temporarily Closed" sign at the clinic desk, which elicited disappointed murmurs from the many patients waiting. Some anxiously crowded around, asking when the clinic would reopen.

Qin Mu glanced at them, and Qin Sheng whispered, "That's the eldest Miss Gong, Gong Feishuang."

Qin Mu and Qin Sheng walked out together. Once they were far from the medical facility, Qin Sheng grumbled, "We still have to give them a cut. They claim they can analyze the ingredients, so why are they sourcing from us?"

Qin Mu replied, "Analyzing the ingredients? Don’t buy into their talk. Back when we were on the ship and found pills with unknown ingredients, we sent them for testing. They said you need a rough idea of what you're looking for to conduct the tests and rule things out. If you don’t know the components at all, testing each one would cost a fortune. And that was back when we had advanced technology! Now, with detection capabilities severely regressed, do you really think they can accurately identify all the components in a large bag of unknown powders? They’re just trying to bluff us."

Qin Sheng asked, "Then why did you agree so readily?"

Qin Mu said, "It’s fine. With their endorsement, the medicine will sell faster. What I’m worried about now is whether Doctor Zhou’s supply is sufficient. Also, we need to inform Doctor Zhou about today’s events as soon as possible."

Qin Sheng asked, "How do we contact Doctor Zhou?"

Qin Mu replied, "Didn’t you go fishing at Qingyun Reservoir? Last time, you mentioned you were in the city, and he came looking for you, right? Do the same this time. Have your brothers go fishing, and you head into the city again, to the place where you encountered the Comet last time. Maybe he’ll find out someone is coming. Just go by yourself."

Qin Sheng nodded. "So, should I tell Doctor Zhou everything that happened today? Or should we go together? I’m afraid I won’t be able to explain clearly."

Qin Mu shook his head. "The Gong family may have stopped their investigations, but we should still avoid drawing attention. I’ll stay and manage the base. You’re going on a normal mission, an external one at that. With zombies outside, they probably won’t dare to send anyone to follow you. Just be careful and avoid them. Since you’re heading to the reservoir to fish, you can set up a camp."

Qin Sheng was a little unsure. "What should I say to Doctor Zhou?"

Qin Mu replied, "Tell him everything that happened today. Also, mention that we suspect Lord Gong’s health is deteriorating, which is why they invited a high-level light-type psychic from Lord Liu of Baihe City."

Qin Sheng widened his eyes in surprise. "Ah?"

Qin Mu continued, "The rush to find a husband for Gong Feishuang is suspicious. As you mentioned, she had a boyfriend but ended up marrying a psychic."

"The Gong family used to be a prominent clan, but the current Lord Gong was originally the third in line and wasn’t particularly notable. Now, he’s risen to power as the head of the Gong family and the Lord of Beiming City. Although he appears powerful, he lacks an heir. He’s probably in a hurry."

Qin Sheng nodded thoughtfully. "I heard from the guards that he owns several large supermarkets, factories, and a duck farm. When the red fog descended and zombies broke out, he rallied his workers and their families to gather in the supermarkets and factories for unified rescue and protection. All resources were freely distributed to his workers, even the ducks and duck eggs from the farm. He’s very loyal, and that’s how he gained a lot of support, eventually becoming the Lord of Beiming."

Qin Mu nodded. "There are things Doctor Zhou might not know. Make sure to tell him everything."

Qin Sheng checked the time. "I’ll take the team and leave now. We’ll camp by the reservoir tonight."

Qin Mu said, "Take an RV, and make sure you have enough repellent medicine."

Qin Sheng sighed. "In the past, we wouldn’t dare spend the night outside like this. This medicine really benefits everyone."

Qin Mu smiled. "That’s why the medical facility came sniffing around. Profit is secondary; they need to hold onto this reputation and prestige. That’s why Doctor Zhou is truly a good man. He could have partnered with larger factions for greater profits, but chose to stay behind the scenes and help the common people."

He then instructed Qin Sheng, "Tell Doctor Zhou that we still need him to come up with a brand name for this medicine. Once the brand is established and cooperation with the Gong family is set, Doctor Zhou will have control over the brand and formula. This way, even if the distribution channels change or we relocate to different bases, it won’t affect us."

Qin Sheng agreed and left to organize his team, heading directly to Qingyun Reservoir in Danlin City. He had already made the preparations, and everyone was ready with their camping and fishing gear, waiting for him to lead the way.

======

Zhou Yun was picking what seemed to be an endless supply of mulberries with the Comet. Every day, new mulberries ripened, and no matter how much he picked, it seemed he could never keep up with their speed. Just as he filled a basket, he heard the loud rotor and engine noise of a helicopter. He looked up with joy and saw the same Silver Pigeon helicopter from last time.

He immediately hopped on his motorcycle and sped to the mountaintop plaza. The helicopter had already landed, and Tang Anchen, a tall figure, jumped down with a smile. "Doctor Zhou! We’ve come to see you!"

Zhou Yun smiled as he looked at the slightly darker skin of the tall man. "How do you have time to come over? Where’s your captain?" The tall man had lost weight—life in Central Base must have been tough.

Jiang Rongqian stepped down behind him. "Doctor Zhou might be disappointed. The captain is too busy, but he sent Xiao Tang and Xiao Zhang to check on you and see if everything is alright. We’re also here to inspect the equipment and bring you some supplies."

Zhang Qi jumped down from the cockpit and waved with a big smile. "Doctor Zhou!"

Zhou Yun was indeed a little disappointed, but he was still happy to see Jiang Rongqian and the others, especially Little Tang! He looked them over with satisfaction and said, "You've come at the right time. The mutated mulberry fruits have produced too much, and I was worried there wouldn't be enough people to eat them." The three of them were tanned and thin—what kind of hardships were they enduring in Central Base?

Tang Anchen laughed heartily. "Really?"

Zhou Yun lifted a basket of freshly picked mulberry fruits from the bike basket to show them. "Look, there's so much. When you left last time, these were just transplanted. Look how much they've grown in just a few days."

Zhang Qi said, "Oh, right! We almost thought we had gone to the wrong place just now! This building! How did it end up like this? When we looked down from the sky, it was like some kind of biohazard outbreak!"

He turned to point at the thirty-story building wrapped in deep green vines, with trumpet vines gleaming like stars, while thorny tendrils had also scaled the lower floors, completely covering the broken glass doors and the front hall on the first floor.

Zhou Yun smiled faintly. "They've mutated. Haven't you seen mutated plants in Central Base?"

Zhang Qi: "..."

Tang Anchen, however, took out his camera. "Quick, take more pictures. We need to show the captain." He snapped photos rapidly, calling out to Jiang Rongqian and Zhang Qi, "Come on, let's take a group shot! It's the first time in my life I've seen such a beautiful building!"

Zhou Yun: "..."

Jiang Rongqian laughed heartily and comforted Zhou Yun. "Don't worry, this camera belongs to the captain. He specifically used points to exchange for it and asked us to bring it over to take pictures of you. He regretted not taking a group shot last time and forgot about it. He said we should have picked a set of photography equipment when we cleared out the electronics mall. The photos will only be for him to see and won't be circulated."

Zhou Yun couldn't help but smile. "You guys are really something." Serious Captain Guan actually thought of taking photos as mementos... It's a good thing. It means life has started to become interesting for him.

Jiang Rongqian called out to him, "Come on, let's take a group shot, and Comet too."

Comet immediately ran to the wall of trumpet vines, mouth open, tongue out, eyes shining brightly.

Tang Anchen clicked away rapidly. "Oh my! It's only been a few days, look how much plumper our Comet has gotten! If he were with us instead of you, we'd be broke from feeding him."

Comet howled proudly, lifting his head proudly, skillfully posing in a majestic stance.

Jiang Rongqian laughed and went over to help set up the automatic shot on the motorcycle seat, adjusting it to the right angle. He then called out to Tang Anchen and Zhou Yun to join the photo. After setting the timer for continuous shots, Jiang Rongqian also joined them. They all smiled at the camera with Comet, and after a few quick shots, they were done. They then happily began unloading the cargo.

Jiang Rongqian said, "We're here on a trip to Beiming to deliver an invitation from the City Lord Conference. The alliance sent a special administrative representative, and we escorted them here. We're almost done with our task, so we made time to come see you."

"Captain Guan prepared a lot of things for us to bring to you. He also asked us to check if there's anything else you need. Next time we'll find a chance to come again."

Zhou Yun looked at the continuous stream of potted plants being unloaded from the helicopter. Each plant was carefully wrapped in newspaper and foam paper, and there were boxes containing various items.

Zhou Yun: "..."

Jiang Rongqian enthusiastically explained to him, "Captain Guan issued a request for mutated plants and animals, as well as the medicinal parts of mutated animals. He's well-connected, and as soon as the task was posted, responses poured in! Every day, rare plants and animals that can be used as herbal medicine or bear fruit and flowers are brought to him, and he had us bring them over to you."

"These boxes contain parts of mutated animals—all kinds of strange things. Captain Guan said you can pick what you need. He doesn't know what's useful."

"This box contains some pharmaceutical equipment. Captain Guan said you might find it useful, and if not, it's okay to just store it. There are also some magazines on psychic research from Central Base and various other bases. He's collected and bought a lot for your reference."

"This suitcase contains some daily necessities for you, along with some high-quality crystal cores that he's obtained or traded for. Captain Guan said they're for your use."

Zhou Yun looked at the boxes upon boxes and said somewhat speechlessly, "You went through all this trouble to come such a long way."

Tang Anchen said, "What's the big deal? There were only three of us. There was plenty of room in the helicopter!"

Zhou Yun asked, "Didn't the alliance representative come with you?"

Zhang Qi said, "The administrative officials were in a separate helicopter. We're always ready for combat and escort missions. It's not safe to be in the same helicopter. They also brought their own psychic bodyguards."

Zhou Yun: "..." Seeing how accustomed they were to it, it seemed that Guan Yuanfeng had been involved in dangerous escort missions since he returned.

He found a flatbed cart to place all the things and pulled it back to the villa. Zhou Yun then said, "Let's have a meal first. What would you like to eat?"

Jiang Rongqian smiled and said, "Don't bother. We can't always trouble you to cook every time we visit. We brought food that just needs to be heated up! There's a shiny fig-glazed roast suckling pig, roast duck, roast goose, and various high-end seafood!"

Zhou Yun chuckled and asked, "Where did you get all this?"

Zhang Qi replied, "From Beiming City Lord's mansion! We were treated like VIPs this time. The high-quality ingredients were prepared really well! We knew we'd trouble you again today, so we ordered takeout from the hotel where they hosted us. We said Pvt. Tang here is a psychic with a big appetite, just to avoid suspicion. The hotel didn't even accept crystal cores, and they gave us a bunch of high-end dishes, along with two bottles of wine, all packed in insulated boxes. Just open and eat."

When they returned to the villa's dining room, they indeed brought over several boxes of insulated food. As expected, there was a golden crispy roast suckling pig, a roast duck, and a roast goose, all glazed to a beautiful honey color.

The main course was also present: a bucket of fresh seafood porridge, still emitting a bit of steam.

Other notable dishes included various fresh seafood: salt and pepper mantis shrimp, five-spice salt-baked king crab, steamed garlic clams, steamed mud worms, and even a plate of tuna sashimi laid out in a beautiful peony shape on a giant pile of snow. The deep red, succulent fish meat displayed its freshness and richness, sweet and tender.

Zhou Yun couldn't help but say, "This is really extravagant..."

Zhang Qi laughed and said, "We thought it was extravagant too. We've been to several major bases, and none of them were this luxurious. They even served mutated seafood, which is even more rare. This is our first visit to Beiming Base. Perhaps that's why Lord Gong was so generous. I heard some administrative officials say that they don't entertain guests like this at other bases. Most of them cry poverty, asking for subsidies and aid from Central Base, saying it's difficult to accommodate refugees."

Zhou Yun shook his head and fell into deep thought. It wasn't meal time yet, and since they had already eaten, they weren't in a hurry. They just placed the dishes neatly and covered them.

Jiang Rongqian said, "By the way, Dr. Zhou, this is from Captain Guan."

Zhou Yun took the sealed small box with a seal on it, somewhat surprised, and asked, "What is this?"

Jiang Rongqian replied, "All the bases are currently prioritizing the repair of military base stations. This is a special encrypted secure phone. It should be usable after some time. Captain Guan said to take it now, and he'll call you when it's ready."

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "Okay."

He put away the phone box. Jiang Rongqian hesitated to speak, and Zhou Yun, noticing his expression, asked, "What? Is there something wrong? Isn't this new?"

Jiang Rongqian said, "When I set it up and gave it to Captain Guan the other day, I saw him studying the video function on the balcony. He sealed it tightly, likely having recorded a message for you."

Zhou Yun said, "Alright, I'll check it later." He then washed some mulberries and placed them on the table, saying to them, "Try some fruit. It's not meal time yet; you can rest for a bit."

Jiang Rongqian finally felt relieved. His dormitory was next to Captain Guan's, and their balconies were adjacent. He had seen the captain holding the phone on the balcony, adjusting the angle repeatedly in the sunlight. When he gave it to Zhou Yun, it was sealed tightly, so it was likely that Captain Guan had recorded something for Dr. Zhou.

Zhang Qi smiled and said, "Captain Guan is really concerned about Dr. Zhou. Now that things have stabilized on our side, Captain Guan checked out several houses, particularly those with yards and rooftops. It's clearly meant for Dr. Zhou. Do you want to come with us to Central Base this time?"

Zhou Yun replied, "I won't go for now. Please thank Captain Guan for me, but I don't plan to go to Central Base right now."

Zhang Qi sighed, "Captain Guan said you probably wouldn't go, so he had us bring as much as we could."

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "He must be very busy; how does he find time to look at houses?" Seeing that the three of them still weren't touching the food, he handed some mulberries to Jiang Rongqian and said, "These are mutated mulberries, very fresh. You won't be able to eat these when you go back."

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Tang Anchen on the other side taking pictures of him with his camera. Zhou Yun was speechless and said, "What's there to film about a conversation?"

Tang Anchen grinned and said, "Captain Guan told me to take a lot of videos. My filming isn't great, so probably only a few videos will turn out okay."

Zhou Yun couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then why ask you to film? I bet Team Leader Jiang is better than you."

Tang Anchen shook his head and said, "Captain Guan said that if I film, you definitely won't be mad at me."

Zhou Yun was left speechless as Jiang Rongqian and Zhang Qi burst into laughter.

Jiang Rongqian, worried that Zhou Yun might actually be upset, laughed and changed the subject, "It's really busy. As soon as we went back, we followed General Tan on two external missions for negotiations. We also immediately went to rescue and accommodate various messy survivor outposts."

Zhou Yun said, "The outside world is quite chaotic."

Zhang Qi also laughed and said, "A lot of psychics are showing off, taking over mountains and robbing travelers. All sorts of convicts, wanted criminals, and ne'er-do-wells have come out. Some even enslave farmers, and there's one who declared himself king by enclosing a small village on a mountain and crowned a bunch of concubines! It's hilarious."

"..."

Jiang Rongqian said, "He's swamped right now, working on the City Lords' Alliance meeting. Otherwise, Captain Guan would’ve made time to come see you himself."

Zhou Yun asked, "City Lords' Alliance meeting? Is it about uniting all the survival bases?"

Jiang Rongqian nodded. "We’re here to gather feedback on the agreement and statement clauses. They’re hoping everyone will sign the joint declaration."

Zhou Yun, with great interest, asked, "What are the clauses?"

It wasn’t exactly a secret. Recently, all bases with any reputation and a population of over 100,000 had received an invitation. Especially now, with no internet or legal system, the united government wanted to garner more support and had been widely disseminating the agreement and statement contents, sending administrative officials and spokespeople to negotiate and persuade.

Jiang Rongqian explained, "The main points include unconditionally sheltering survivors, revising unified base laws, enhancing transportation infrastructure, repairing airports and communication stations, restoring communication and the internet, protecting the rights of women and children, and other matters that significantly impact our ordinary people's lives. Additionally, there are clauses about sharing resources and research results, exchanging talents, and collaborating on basic industrial and agricultural developments to promote base construction. We need to ramp up production and farming, or we’ll run out of food."

Zhou Yun nodded, understanding that, as history shows, things that are split will eventually come together, and those that are united will eventually fall apart. But with Guan Yuanfeng so occupied, it seemed unlikely he would have time to return anytime soon.

As they chatted, an alarm suddenly blared, and a familiar voice of Guan Yuanfeng echoed through the room. "City drone patrol number one, in the central street of Chaoyang District, a human life form has been detected. Please be on guard."

Tang Anchen snapped to attention, startled. "Yes, sir!" He instinctively reached for his weapon, then paused, confused. "Wait, where’s the captain? Why’s his voice here?"

Jiang Rongqian explained, "It’s a pre-recorded drone alert. The captain thought his voice would catch Dr. Zhou’s attention better. We can check the surveillance screen; it was connected before." He got up to turn on the display screen near the villa entrance, selected the alarmed street with the remote, and opened the feed.

On the screen, a tall man was riding a motorcycle with a large, dripping fish strapped across the back. He’d lifted his helmet to show a handsome face, glancing up at the sky.

He had clearly noticed the drone and looked up at the inconspicuous hovering device, waving without any attempt to hide, even offering a smile.

Jiang Rongqian’s expression turned serious. "This guy’s wearing the Beiming City Guard uniform. Do you think he’s been tailing us?"

Zhou Yun quickly interjected, "No worries, I know him. He’s one of ours."

Jiang Rongqian was surprised. "Someone you know?"

Zhou Yun nodded. "Yes." He called out to Comet, "Comet, go bring him over." Comet barked excitedly and dashed out.

Jiang Rongqian cautiously asked, "Can he be fully trusted? Is there a risk he might bring danger, or should we accompany you to meet him?"

Zhou Yun shook his head. "No need. He's someone who helps me sell medicine in Beiming City. He's trustworthy. He probably has something urgent to report since he's come over. Besides, being a local and a guard in the City Lord’s mansion, he’s familiar with the Gong family’s affairs. It’ll be good to ask him any questions you have, and you can report back to Captain Guan so he can make informed decisions."

Jiang Rongqian was surprised. "Selling medicine?" Then, intrigued by the latter part, he asked, "The Gong family, is there something noteworthy?"

Zhou Yun said, "While other bases cry poverty and difficulties, seeking more benefits from the united government and hiding their true capabilities, why is the Gong family showing off their wealth to the alliance officials? Beiming Base, a private base, is smaller than other official and even private bases and is on the periphery. Why are they trying to assert their presence in front of you?"

Jiang Rongqian and Zhang Qi were taken aback, while Tang Anchen, who hadn’t fully understood, still maintained a pose of attentive listening.

Zhou Yun continued, "Moreover, the Gong family's City Lord recently hastily recruited a psychic as a matrilocal son-in-law. The son-in-law and the eldest Miss Gong had only known each other for less than a month."

In his previous life, Zhou Yun had been engrossed in research and hadn’t paid attention to the storms brewing in these bases. He only knew that Qin Sheng of Beiming had made a name for himself early. If Qin Sheng, like in his previous life, became a matrilocal son-in-law, the Gong family would undoubtedly invest everything into cultivating him and enhancing his psychic abilities. Unlike the current Qin Sheng, who was unwilling to use even a single gold crystal core and wanted to auction it off.

Thinking of the foolishly smiling Qin Sheng on the screen, Zhou Yun found it a bit troubling.

With each base governing itself, it wasn’t conducive to the rescue of refugees and survivors, only breeding new privileged classes. To ensure more people survived, it was essential to encourage bases to accept refugees, lower living costs, reduce gate fees, and restore industrial and agricultural production. The only way was to unify as soon as possible.

Since Guan Yuanfeng was busy with these matters, understanding more about the situation in Beiming would be beneficial. After all, the once formidable Qin Sheng had already been altered by his butterfly effect. If the City Lord were to die, Wu Zhou might not be as capable as Qin Sheng and might not be able to stabilize the situation, leading to immediate chaos in Beiming.

If chaos ensued there, Danlin City would inevitably attract attention, which was not something he desired.