Chapter 55: The Diligent Blue Bird

Chapter 55: The Diligent Blue Bird

Ever since Qin Sheng saw Zhou Yun's flashy motorcycle that day, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Finally, while searching for supplies, he found a similar one and couldn't wait to show it off today. He also brought along a giant mutated fish that he had speared at the reservoir.

After waiting for a while at the city center street where he had encountered Comet last time, he finally realized how Doctor Zhou found him by using the drone. It’s truly impressive how educated he is; Qin Sheng felt a deep admiration for the unfathomable Doctor Zhou once again.

After his older brother, Doctor Zhou was the person he admired most!

Sure enough, Comet ran over again after a short wait. Qin Sheng followed Comet on his motorcycle but was surprised to see that the dog didn’t slow down at all, clearly wanting to have some fun. Though astonished, Qin Sheng steadied himself and accelerated to keep up, all the while feeling jealous of how fast this mutant dog could go—it was nearly as quick as his bike!

Along the way, they did encounter zombies, but as soon as Comet breathed fire, the zombies immediately scattered and kept their distance.

Wow, even Doctor Zhou’s dog is this tough!

Comet led him to an isolated, abandoned construction site at the foot of a mountain. There, he drove away a few zombies by breathing fire and then jumped up onto the wall, looking down at Qin Sheng.

Qin Sheng: "..."

Is this dog asking me to jump up the wall too? Can't we go around? And this wall—do regular neighborhood walls get this tall?

Comet kept staring at him and barked to urge him on.

Qin Sheng, feeling speechless, patted the fish on the motorcycle's tail. "What about the fish?"

Then he clearly saw the giant dog on the wall looking at him with a contemptuous expression.

He sighed, resigned. Untying the fish, he planned to toss it over the wall.

Unexpectedly, Comet jumped down, bit the fish, and effortlessly leaped back onto the wall with the hundred-pound fish in its mouth! Then it jumped down again!

Qin Sheng distinctly heard a heavy thud from behind the wall.

He couldn't let himself be outdone by a dog, could he? He was an awakened individual too!

A fierce competitive spirit welled up in Qin Sheng. He checked his motorcycle, parked it behind a cement mixer, and pulled out his harpoon gun. He threw the harpoon up to hook it onto the wall, tightened it, and after a few running steps, using the rope's tension and pushing off with his feet, he turned his palm into metal and forcefully inserted it into the brick wall's crevice. With a little effort, he climbed up the wall.

Though it was a bit strenuous, he was stunned by the view behind the wall.

Beyond the wall lay a peach orchard, where most of the blossoms had already fallen. Tender green peach leaves concealed fuzzy little peaches. Under the peach trees was fine, silky green grass, where a few rabbits lazily grazed.

A curious goose came over to peck at the giant fish on the ground and was promptly chased away by Comet, who bared his teeth. The goose flapped its wings and ran off, quacking. However, a mother duck soon led a group of ducklings past.

The fluffy, yellow ducklings curiously pecked at the fish scales with their tender pink beaks, not afraid of Comet at all. Some even walked over to peck at Comet's tail.

Comet impatiently wagged its tail and barked at Qin Sheng again.

Qin Sheng began to realize that this place was probably Doctor Zhou's secret sanctuary.

He felt a surge of emotion, understanding that Doctor Zhou trusted him deeply.

He jumped down from the wall, picked up the fish, and followed Comet, marveling at the sights along the way.

This seemed to be a residential area on a mountaintop. In the late spring, the small grove of trees on the hillside was full of vitality. The leaves gently swayed, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow, and the rustling sound was crisp and pleasant. Birdsong added to the peacefulness of the scene.

The lush greenery and tranquil atmosphere naturally slowed one's pace, shutting out the desolation and panic of the apocalypse outside the high walls. There were no zombies or the usual stench of decay here.

In the woods, various beans were planted, which Qin Sheng immediately recognized. The soybeans were in bloom, with sturdy stems, and small green pods had already quietly emerged from the leaf axils, clearly tended with care.

Along the paved road going uphill, you can see many medicinal plants in the nearby forest. Some are unrecognizable, but others are clearly honeysuckle and banlangen, all neatly planted and flourishing, obviously cared for meticulously.

As he reached near the mountaintop, he saw a tranquil lake with shimmering water. On the surface, there were not only lotus leaves but also ducks and geese leisurely swimming, with their young ones learning to swim. Against the backdrop of the azure sky, it was like a picturesque scene.

Around the artificial lake, various crops such as rice and wheat were planted, standing tall and full of vitality, flourishing and vibrant.

However, upon reaching the mountaintop plaza, he was struck by the sight of a majestic helicopter. Its military green exterior signaled authority and invincibility.

His heart trembled slightly, but his gaze was then captivated by a high-rise building enveloped in green vines and cacti. The building was completely overrun by mutated plants, which had taken over and parasitically grown on it, even blooming flowers.

Qin Sheng looked up a few times, feeling the eerie scene was visually impactful.

By the lake stood several villas. Comet led him to the entrance of one villa, where Zhou Yun and several men were standing. Zhou Yun, with a smile, waved and said, "Come in and sit." The three men beside him, however, eyed him warily.

The three men were all armed and bore a distinct, trained aura of sternness and lethality. Among them, a giant about two meters tall stood like a wall, his arms crossed, staring at him with a sullen expression, clearly impatient.

Carrying the fish, Qin Sheng felt a twinge of regret for coming so rashly. He wished he had brought his brother along.

Zhou Yun moved forward with a smile, intending to take the fish, but Tang Anchen beat him to it. "Let me!" Tang easily lifted the fish and placed it into a pot in the yard.

The yard was filled with vibrant flowers and willows, but Qin Sheng, now too anxious to appreciate the scenery, felt on edge. Having grown up in the gangs, he was wary of such men. The three men's constant scrutiny made his alertness peak, but fortunately, Zhou Yun said, "Let me introduce you. This is Jiang Rongqian, Zhang, and Tang Anchen. They're all older than you."

Zhou Yun then smiled at Jiang Rongqian and said, "Brother Jiang, this is Qin Sheng. The two brothers are very reliable. They've been helping me distribute medicine in Beiming City, specifically those two zombie antidotes."

Jiang Rongqian recalled, "Yes, those two medicines are really effective. Brother Guan wanted me to ask if it's possible to bring more. It could reduce casualties."

Is Doctor Zhou selling medicine? Is it safe? Will it attract ill-intentioned people?

While these thoughts ran through his mind, Qin Sheng put on a smile. Jiang Rongqian, trying to appear as friendly as possible, said, "So you're young Qin. I'm Jiang. We're handling sales on our side as well. We'll need your help with the medicine sales."

Though Jiang Rongqian thought he appeared amiable, to Qin Sheng, who had seen the cold realities of life in the old town, it was clear that Jiang's smile didn't reach his eyes, which were filled with suspicion and caution. Qin Sheng's internal alarm bells went off. Doctor Zhou has other distribution channels too!

And they seem pretty powerful! They even use military helicopters! Right, last time Doctor Zhou told us to say the goods were from Central Base… So, they were the first to collaborate with Doctor Zhou? No wonder they're looking at me like I'm trying to steal their business!

A competitive spirit rose in Qin Sheng. So what if they were the first to collaborate? We're the ones with the geographical advantage! Doctor Zhou still needs us to accompany him on his sea trips!

With a smile, Qin Sheng shook hands with Jiang Rongqian. "Brother Jiang, we didn't mean to disturb Doctor Zhou, but there's some urgent news we need to inform him about. I also happened to catch a mutated fish today, so I brought it over for Doctor Zhou. I'm quite good at making fish soup. Since you've come from afar, let me make some to treat you all."

Zhou Yun invited them inside. "Come in and sit. You don't need to make fish soup. Brother Jiang brought plenty of good dishes."

Sitting down, Qin Sheng saw the exquisite food boxes on the table, with their eye-catching golden swan logo. Lifting the lid, the sight of the golden roasted suckling pig was striking.

Qin Sheng thought, feeling somewhat overshadowed.

Zhou Yun served him a bowl of soup. "Have some soup and let's talk while we eat." As he took the soup, he noticed the two-meter-tall giant serving rice, even giving himself a bowl.

Qin Sheng felt a subtle sense of being a guest again. It was clear that the others were more familiar with Doctor Zhou. This was the first time Qin Sheng realized Doctor Zhou lived here.

But it's okay, he consoled himself, taking a spoonful of soup. In his mind, he thought sourly, "Eat first, then soup... That's how northerners do it. We southern folks prefer to have soup first. Having a bowl of soup before a meal is like having a good remedy."

Zhou Yun asked, "What's the urgent matter?"

Qin Sheng glanced at Jiang Rongqian and the others. Zhou Yun said, "It's fine to talk about it. They're our partners in collaboration, and we can trust them."

Qin Sheng and Jiang Rongqian exchanged a glance, each seeing a competitive spirit in the other's eyes.

Qin Sheng recounted what Yuan Xuegang and his two brothers had discussed earlier that day. "My brother said that City Lord Gong might be having health issues. We need to inform you as soon as possible. Also, it's best to establish a brand name for the medicine. That way, we hold the brand's initiative. No matter which distribution channel we use, even if the Gong family undergoes changes, we'll still have control."

Zhou Yun nodded. "Your brother is right about the medicine's brand name..." His eyes naturally fell on Jiang Rongqian, and he smiled. "Let's call it Green Bird." The Green Bird comes from the sea, and today, news from old friends came via the helicopter. It was indeed a joyful day.

Zhou Yun took a steel pen and wrote "Blue Bird" on a memo pad, then handed it to Qin Sheng. "Take this back and let your brother handle the arrangements."

Qin Sheng carefully put the paper into his pocket and asked Zhou Yun, "What about the Gong family's situation?"

Zhou Yun said, "Don't worry about it. Just keep selling your medicine."

Jiang Rongqian, however, asked, "Are your City Lord Gong and Lord Liu of White Crane City quite familiar with each other?"

Qin Sheng replied, "I'm not really sure... I only gained my psychic abilities after the apocalypse and joined the guard team. But I heard that the Gong family sent a team of psychics to venture out to sea to hunt sea beasts. They gave three king-grade crystal cores to bring Miss Liu over. So, it's probably not a very close relationship."

Jiang Rongqian pondered, "The city lords of White Crane City are siblings who are both psychics. Most private bases are led by psychic city lords. For an ordinary person like City Lord Gong to govern a city, manage such a large base, and command psychics is quite impressive. The Alliance values him and wants to gain his support."

"But if he has health issues..."

He looked at Zhou Yun and asked, "What do you think, Doctor Zhou?"

Zhou Yun said, "The Alliance should make preparations and offer assistance to prevent Beiming City from falling into chaos and endangering the survivors."

Jiang Rongqian shook his head. "City Lord Gong doesn't trust the Alliance. Sending people would only make him more suspicious, like we're trying to take control."

Zhou Yun smiled slightly and didn't say more, but asked Qin Sheng, "Did City Lord Gong organize psychics to go out to sea and hunt mutated sea fish?"

Qin Sheng quickly repeated what the young nurse had said and added with a grin, "My brother said they don't know how to find them. Fighting mutated sea beasts on the ship is too dangerous and can easily capsize it because they don't know the right methods. My brother knows a deserted island where hunting mutated sea creatures or fishing is much safer."

Jiang Rongqian's heart skipped a beat and hurriedly advised, "Doctor Zhou, don't mess around. Going out to sea is dangerous. We can get the crystal cores for you."

Zhou Yun smiled at him. "Don't worry. You have your work, and I’m busy with my medicine business."

Jiang Rongqian didn't catch Zhou Yun's implication and, feeling relieved, thought that compared to going out to sea, selling medicine was indeed much safer. Otherwise, if the captain knew that Doctor Zhou was planning to go out to sea, he didn't know how worried he would be.

Qin Sheng, however, took out a dagger and showed it to Zhou Yun. "Doctor Zhou, look, the dagger you gave me is really useful. See, I can operate it now."

Qin Sheng placed the dagger in his palm, and after a while, his palm turned silver. The dagger, under everyone's gaze, shone with a silvery light and elongated like a liquid, turning into a sharp silver cone.

Tang Anchen chuckled from the side.

Qin Sheng looked at him, and Tang Anchen said, "Second-stage metal ability? I could already shape clay figures with my powers six months ago."

Qin Sheng: "..."

Zhou Yun laughed. "Little Tang has made incredible progress! He’s now at the third stage, and with all those crystal cores, his advancement has been smooth sailing."

Zhou Yun thought to himself, Given how powerful Qin Sheng was in his past life, it must be due to his personal combat skills. It's likely that after joining the Gong family, he had a steady supply of crystal cores. Even now, when Qin Sheng talks about going out to sea to hunt sea fish, it's possible that the Gong family organized it for him in his previous life.

As he fell into deep thought, Jiang Rongqian asked Qin Sheng, "Are there many psychics in City Lord Gong's guard team?"

Qin Sheng replied, "They are divided into small teams, about twenty to thirty people. Since they're tax-exempt, it makes sense. But now that you mention it, City Lord Gong’s nephews have been visiting the mansion more often recently. City Lord Gong treats them well and has given them some work."

Jiang Rongqian asked, "I heard the Gong family's nephews are all ordinary people. Now they're recruiting psychics for their daughter. Is that Wu Zhou person any good?"

Qin Sheng said, "He's a very honest person. He came to Beiming for a vacation when the apocalypse struck and couldn’t get back home. After struggling to contact relatives, he found out his parents were gone. He cried a lot but couldn't return despite the long journey. He's a high achiever from a prestigious university with fire psychic abilities. After awakening his abilities, he led the guard team for a few days but reportedly didn't like fighting zombies and switched to another position. He’s a bit of a bookworm."

As they chatted, they finished their meal. Seeing the time, Qin Sheng realized he couldn't leave his brothers at the reservoir any longer and bid farewell. "I'll head back now. Doctor Zhou, I still have a team out fishing, and we're worried about zombies."

Zhou Yun nodded and saw him off. Qin Sheng said, "Be careful here. I saw that there are indeed many fish at the reservoir today. I'll go back and discuss with my brother about setting up a small base here to better assist you. Plus, since we've occupied this good spot, others will probably find it soon."

Zhou Yun nodded. He had actually had his eye on the small island in the center of the reservoir for a long time. This truly was a golden opportunity. As other psychics gradually increased in level, it would not be so easy to claim territory and establish dominance.

He advised Qin Sheng, "There's a small island in the center of the reservoir, where the house of the people who used to watch the reservoir is located. We can establish a small base there. It's safe because zombies can't cross the water, except in winter when the ice becomes dangerous."

Qin Sheng nodded, "That makes sense. I'll move some fishing tools from the RV there later. Now that several groups from the old town area have come to join us, my brother and I are planning to arrange for people to take turns on duty here, just like at the fishing port. This way, we can respond to you in time if anything happens."

Proudly, he thought, sure, the folks from Central Base are skilled, but they're not locals after all. Once the plane flies away, Dr. Zhou can only rely on us.

Zhou Yun enthusiastically suggested, "You can raise ducks, geese, and other waterfowl, and even grow vegetables on the island."

Qin Sheng nodded, "Good idea." He thought of the vast crops in Dr. Zhou's neighborhood and was deeply impressed. He wondered how Dr. Zhou managed to handle all that by himself. But for now, he couldn't offer to help since Dr. Zhou already trusted him so much. He had to keep his secrets, sharing with no one except his brother.

After seeing Qin Sheng off, Zhou Yun returned. He saw that Jiang Rongqian had already taken Zhang Qi to inspect cameras, surveillance, and drones, checking the automatic sprinkler equipment. Only Tang Anchen was walking around taking pictures with Comet, acting silly and saying, "Captain Guan, look, this cactus has grown even bigger! Like Comet, it's been well taken care of by Dr. Zhou!"

"Even the bees have gotten fatter."

Zhou Yun chuckled but ignored him. Seeing Tang Anchen still taking pictures everywhere, he went to unwrap the plants that were tightly packed.

As soon as he cut open one of the bags, he was surprised. Inside was a highly mutated ginkgo bonsai. The trunk was thick and twisted like a coiled dragon. Instead of green leaves, the tree had rare silver-white leaves that were delicate and glittering.

A highly mutated ginkgo seedling, likely from an ancient tree. He wondered where Guan Yuanfeng had found it. Ginkgo leaf extracts are quite valuable.

He gently touched the silvery leaves and casually cast a growth spell on it. The wilted leaves that had suffered from the long journey immediately perked up, fluttering in the wind like fans.

Zhou Yun was filled with joy. Guan Yuanfeng really knew what he liked.

Happily, he opened another bag. Inside was a beautiful peony plant. The deep red petals had a silky texture, and like the ginkgo, the mutated peony had beautiful silver edges on its flowers and leaves, making it breathtakingly beautiful.

He opened another bag and found a blooming peony. The peonies of Central Base were famous worldwide, and this cluster of mutated peonies had tender white petals like a handful of snow. It was a national beauty, captivating even the heartless.

Zhou Yun hadn't felt this slow anticipation of unwrapping gifts in a long time—the guessing, the expectation, the unwrapping, the joy, all filling his heart with clusters of flowers.

After unwrapping all the mutated plants, Zhou Yun carefully cast growth spells on each one. He looked up to see Tang Anchen approaching and heard him shouting, "Take a picture, take a picture! These are the finest and most beautiful flowers Captain Guan picked from the nursery. He took us to several abandoned nurseries in remote towns to find them!"

Zhou Yun smiled with his eyes curved, "Thank you for your hard work."

Tang Anchen was busy taking pictures, "They are really beautiful! We were worried they might die on the long journey here, but Captain Guan said they wouldn't, being mutated plants."

Zhou Yun nodded and, seeing Tang Anchen taking close-ups of his face, gave him a task, "I was thinking of digging up some pond mud from the artificial lake to dry and use for planting. Since you're here, can you use your psychic abilities to bring them directly to the shore?"

Tang Anchen perked up immediately, "I can do that! I'll go right away!"

He put down his camera and hurried out. Zhou Yun took the camera back and also brought the phone that Jiang Rongqian had left on the table up to his room. He carefully unwrapped the package to see a military green matte phone.

He turned it on and found a video in the album.

Opening it, he saw Guan Yuanfeng, looking very handsome in his black uniform.

He was probably standing on a balcony, facing the light, his eyes slightly squinting as he spoke to the camera.

Perhaps unaccustomed to it, he tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it. Despite trying to look gentle, his usual stern expression persisted. Especially his thick eyebrows and the tight line of his jaw showcased his typical demeanor.

He lightly coughed to ease the awkwardness of speaking to the phone, "Zhou Yun, hello."

"I'm doing fine here, though it's a bit colder and drier than Danlin City. The conditions aren't as good as back home, but the food is enough even if it's simple. You don't need to worry about us. The tasks are many but not difficult, just time-consuming."

Then Captain Guan seemed to stumble, pausing for a moment before continuing awkwardly, "I don't know if you've been keeping up with your training in my absence. Don't spoil Comet too much; take him outdoors more often. And don't always stay cooped up in the lab. I had the team bring some scientific journals on psychic research for you to look at if you have any research interests."

"Also, Xiao Su came to Central Base and hasn't dared to see me. Rest assured."

"His mentor did approach me to ask if I was interested in collaborating on some research. Several other researchers also contacted me, including those who wanted me to undergo medical check-ups after returning. I refused them all. With the former captain there, they didn't push me."

"I spoke to General Tan about my traumatic stress reactions to hospitals and experimental equipment. Seeing them brings back the pain of phantom limb pain, and I can't endure the examinations. The former captain has helped me decline them, and now no one bothers me anymore."

Guan Yuanfeng thought for a moment again, and after a pause, seemingly at a loss for more words, he seemed reluctant but kept advising, "I'm accelerating the restoration of communication towers, machine rooms, and the computing center. Then we can finally talk on the phone. We're also setting up a local network in the base, so the internet should be restored across the major bases."

"Once that's set up, staying in touch will be much easier. Take good care of yourself. As soon as I get a leave, I'll come home."

Guan Yuanfeng finally finished speaking, gave the camera a long, thoughtful look, and pressed stop.

Zhou Yun held the phone in his hand, touched it, and couldn't resist playing it again. He closely examined Guan Yuanfeng’s uniform, buttons, creases, expression, fingers, and face, comparing it all to how he looked back in Danlin City.

In the end, he concluded that Guan Yuanfeng had indeed lost some weight. His jawline had become more gaunt, his lips a bit dry, and the fine vertical lines on his brow were deeper than before.

The base must really be hectic and stressful.

Zhou Yun's eyes lingered on Guan Yuanfeng's lean waist. He still remembered the scars that crossed there, and how captivating it was when he tensed his waist, exuding an irresistible allure. But on the screen, he was tightly wrapped in his uniform, with his belt neatly fastened and his collar buttoned up to his throat, not revealing any extra skin.

This stern, almost ascetic aura made him even more appealing.