Chapter 56: Bright White Moonlight

Chapter 56: Bright White Moonlight

Jiang Rongqian and Zhang Qi returned from their maintenance check. Tang Anchen had dug up mud from the bottom of the lake and spread it on the shore before returning with Comet, both drenched and caked in mud. They stood in the yard, using the garden hose to wash off the mud.

Zhou Yun came out of the room and brought over two bottles of shower gel. He handed one to Xiao Tang and said, "Wash your feet and go shower in the first-floor bathroom. I've prepared a set of Captain Guan's clothes for you. It should fit."

The other bottle of shower gel was for pets. He carefully lathered Comet’s fur with the pet-specific shower gel and gave it a thorough bath.

Comet's limbs, tail, and even its face were covered in thick mud. It seemed to know it was dirty and sat obediently, waiting for Zhou Yun to rub the bubbles, occasionally lifting its head to lick Zhou Yun's wrist.

Seeing how dirty they were, Jiang Rongqian couldn’t help but laugh. "We've been out too long and need to return. How will you go back like this? Forget it, just stay here tonight. We’ll swing by to pick you up tomorrow."

Zhou Yun, knowing they had duties to attend to, smiled and said, "Is it okay if Xiao Tang stays here? Will it mess with your mission?"

Jiang Rongqian replied, "It’s fine. He was on the night shift last night and was supposed to rest today. It’s better for him to rest here. We’ll pick him up tomorrow, and the next day, we’re heading back to Central Base."

Zhou Yun said, "You guys showed up unexpectedly, so I wasn’t ready. Tonight, I’ll pack some medicines and mulberry paste for you to take back."

In a good mood, with a smile on his lips, Zhou Yun looked at the peonies, herbaceous peonies, and ginkgo flowers in the yard that had been unwrapped and were glowing brilliantly under the sunlight. It was clear that he was happy about unwrapping the gifts and had probably watched the video recorded by the captain earlier, which explained his joyful expression.

When the captain oversaw the packing of these flowers and plants, he was incredibly meticulous. Ah, Dr. Zhou is such a good person. If he went to Central Base with them, Captain Guan wouldn’t be so concerned. However… everything here is so good.

Looking at the thriving Yunding Mountain Villa, he sighed. "This place is truly like a paradise. Central Base… sigh… Dr. Zhou, fortunately, you gave us a lot of noodles; otherwise, we would have gone hungry."

Compared to this hopeful and bountiful land, Central Base was truly desolate, with everyone appearing apathetic and numb. No wonder Dr. Zhou didn’t want to leave, though it’s not exactly safe for him to be here alone… even with his powers.

Zhang Qi said, "Spring’s here. Things will start looking up once we plant the crops."

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "Everything will get better."

He saw off Jiang Rongqian and Zhang Qi, watching the helicopter fly away before returning to the yard.

Xiao Tang had already washed off the mud and gone inside to shower. Zhou Yun focused on thoroughly washing Comet, then used a hairdryer to dry its fur. Soon, Comet was clean and shiny again. He mixed the leftover roast suckling pig and seafood porridge for Comet to eat before going inside to organize the medicines. Each pack of medicine was labeled with its specific function and usage. Although there were already labels, he rewrote some precautions and targeted ailments.

Then, he prepared the mulberry honey paste. He made one or two jars every day and had already prepared twelve jars, which he placed into a suitcase.

Central Base was likely still suffering from food shortages, as it was much colder than here. Beiming still had the sea. Thinking of this, he got another empty suitcase and filled it with noodles, baked pumpkin cookies, and some vacuum-packed potatoes, corn, soybeans, mung beans, and other items from the previous year. He also packed cured meat, dried fish, sausages, dried pork ribs, shrimp, and dried vegetables and bamboo shoots, filling an entire huge suitcase.

After that, there wasn’t much left to give Captain Guan. He had sold a lot of medicine, but it was still in the initial market stage, and no one was willing to exchange expensive crystal cores for the precious mutated medicines. He would still need to obtain King-level crystal cores honestly by himself.

He had exchanged a few lightning-type crystal cores, but their quality was average, and he felt embarrassed to give them, so he placed them in a glass bottle on the side of the suitcase.

In comparison, the mutated plants, scientific journals, medical and research equipment, and the medicinal parts of mutated animals that Captain Guan had prepared for himself were incredibly thoughtful and abundant.

Zhou Yun finished organizing the suitcase and thought: It’s time to set sail. The medicine matters are arranged, and upgrading is the most important. If I delay further, the various mutated animals and plants will evolve into more difficult forms to deal with, and my initial advantage will be gone.

Late at night, at 3 AM, Yunding Mountain Villa was quiet.

Under the moonlight, which was as soft as water, Zhou Yun grabbed his camera and stepped out of the villa yard. Tang Anchen should have been asleep, but Comet quietly followed him, its four paws making no sound.

Zhou Yun returned to the high-rise covered with thorny tendrils and trumpet vines. The trumpet vines automatically made way for a door.

He entered the elevator and went all the way to their room door, opening the camera and speaking quietly. "I know you're in Central Base and must be very concerned about this place. Xiao Tang filmed the neighborhood. Let me film the 30th floor for you."

"There’s no change in the room. The living room and dining room are the same as before you left. Your room is still reserved for you. My room only has a few more calligraphy pieces, nothing special."

Zhou Yun slowly filmed as he walked to the second floor. "This is the gym... well, I still exercise every day." He quickly moved the camera to the rooftop. The moonlight was like water on the rooftop, and the plants were very quiet. The large livestock in the livestock pen had been moved down to the forest to graze.

After a winter, the rooftop had become quite desolate, with only some succulents and common flowers, as well as some everyday vegetables like bell peppers, loofahs, cowpeas, eggplants, and sweet potatoes. In the planting basins, there were also scallions, perilla, and other spices. The loofahs had grown a lot and had climbed all over the trellises.

Zhou Yun saw the eggplants and was reminded of how Guan Yuanfeng had looked down on them last winter when he wanted to eat them. Now, if he goes to Central Base, he might not even get to eat eggplants.

He said with a smile, "I’ll pack some dried vegetables, bamboo shoots, fish balls, sausages, and other items for you to take along. If you're busy, have someone braise some meat for you—it’s really easy."

He also patted a basket of mugwort and wild garlic he had picked during his park inspection that day, along with a basket of bamboo shoots. "These are wild garlic, perfect for making dumplings. They’re also great for fried eggs. Bamboo shoots pop up in bunches after it rains. I've started experimenting with planting red mushrooms in the rear mountain. After keeping them in the greenhouse all winter, I've now planted a few red oak trees back there to see if it works."

If Qin Sheng’s base here stabilizes, we could try artificial breeding in the forests near the reservoir. A few wood psychics would make things even better. With just a bit of growth spells each day, even if the environment isn’t quite right, they can still survive and reproduce.

"These are mugwort, which can be boiled for bathing. If you have extra, you can dry them to make some moxa sticks or use them to repel mosquitoes. We’ve already got mosquitoes here. I bet it’s still chilly where you are."

"Even though it’s almost summer, we can still get some crazy weather. You should keep an eye on the weather over there in Central Base."

Although the south also suffers from floods and strong winds, it’s not like the north, where once the temperature drops and it snows, it becomes utterly merciless—in short, in this apocalyptic world, the south is more suitable for people like Zhou Yun who love gardening.

Zhou Yun rambled on, talking about whatever came to mind, as if it were the time when Guan Yuanfeng was still on the 30th floor, chattering away while Guan Yuanfeng, though silent, listened attentively.

========

The howling wind could not disperse the gloomy grey clouds in the sky.

Guan Yuanfeng strode out of the meeting room, followed closely by his guards. They walked out of the main gate, and the biting wind mixed with snowflakes fell. Someone held an umbrella for Guan Yuanfeng.

Although it was already May, and spring had finally arrived with flowers blooming, the Central Base rushed to prepare for spring planting. Guan Yuanfeng had also led the special operations team to clear some areas heavily infested with zombies, including some with zombie lords and mutated animals, freeing up arable land for farming.

The base sent troops to guard the fields and arranged daily transport for the farmers to work the land. But after the land was tilled and the crops were planted, a heavy snowfall came, freezing everything again. The hard-gathered seeds were likely all ruined.

After surviving a harsh winter with barely enough food, the failed planting season hit them hard just when they were starting to feel hopeful about spring.

A jeep pulled up, and someone opened the door for Guan Yuanfeng, but a voice called out from under the corridor, "Captain Guan."

Guan Yuanfeng turned his head, expression indifferent. "Commander Ling, something on your mind?"

The frontline commander of the base, Ling Dingxiu, stood on the steps above, surrounded by several armed subordinates, looking down at Guan Yuanfeng. "Captain Guan, aren’t you standing with the psychics?"

Guan Yuanfeng stood by the car, meeting his gaze coldly, not avoiding the fierce look and intimidating pressure from the other side.

Though he was on a lower step, his presence did not diminish. "Commander Ling, psychics are human first. All humans are born equal."

Ling Dingxiu stared at him coldly, but Guan Yuanfeng lowered his head and got into the car. Special operations team members closed the door behind him, and the car drove away from the meeting venue, followed by several jeeps of the special ops team.

Ling Dingxiu took out a cigarette, frustrated, but someone behind him said, "You won’t persuade him. Just because he’s a psychic doesn’t mean he’s naturally on the psychics’ side. Do you think that’s why General Tan brought him back? Even though he was discharged after a leg amputation, they deliberately courted the Psychic Research Institute to treat his leg. Not only did his legs recover when he returned, but he also gained dual psychic abilities. General Tan was extremely pleased."

Ling Dingxiu put away his cigarette and bowed his head. "General Ye." He said in a low voice, "As soon as he returned, General Tan merged all the special ops teams into one unit and put Guan Yuanfeng in charge. Everyone knows he’s Tan’s trusted subordinate; it was too obvious."

"We were supposed to organize a psychic team, but now that he’s back, the psychics in the special ops team all seem to be willing to follow him."

"Most psychics in the military are still in support roles—logistics, research, farming—and aren’t much of a fighting force yet. The elite psychics in the special ops team were a force we could have competed for, but now he’s got them all wrapped up."

"It’s really strange. The psychics in the special ops team—don’t they want privileges and special treatment? Why do they all listen to him?"

General Ye laughed. "Actually, I quite like that Guan Yuanfeng is openly standing with ordinary people. After all, I’m an ordinary person too."

Ling Dingxiu said, "You’re different. We serve you."

General Ye sighed deeply. "The times are changing. Guan has a certain martyr-like charm. In the past, no matter how difficult the troops were, he could always lead them well. His soldiers are all top-notch. You have to admit, he’s truly a talent. Old Tan, old Tan... I’m so envious of him. Why didn’t I encounter such a person?"

Ling Dingxiu said, "This is a new era. Holding onto the old ways is useless. They’ll have to recognize the future trends sooner or later."

"Other bases are aggressively recruiting psychics, and private bases are elevating them, growing stronger by constantly absorbing resources. We, however, are still taking in refugees and encouraging reproduction. Where are we going to get enough food to feed so many people?"

"We must attract more psychics to Central Base. I've privately contacted several of them, just waiting for our welfare policies to be implemented."

General Ye glanced at him. "Did you hear what he said? Psychics are human first and foremost. Do you understand his meaning? Have you figured out why the psychics in the special operations team all follow him?"

Ling Dingxiu said unhappily, "It's because of his wind and lightning psychic abilities. He can take on ten at once."

General Ye said, "The Psychic Research Institute has been after him constantly. You might not know that upgrading dual psychic abilities is actually slower than single abilities. Especially after the third tier, ordinary crystal cores are almost useless. Only high-quality crystal cores can be absorbed. Long Kebiao from the Lightning Base awakened his lightning psychic abilities after the apocalypse, claimed territory, and absorbed countless crystal cores, but he's only barely third tier. And yet, Guan Yuanfeng took him down in one encounter, knocked him out, and brought him back. So, what tier do you think Guan Yuanfeng is?"

Ling Dingxiu felt a bit sour. "Who knows? He refuses to undergo psychic ability level testing, rejects medical check-ups, and won't cooperate with the Psychic Research Institute's studies. Because he took the lead, all the special operations team members, including those who had signed agreements, refused to cooperate with the research anymore. What time is this? Shouldn't we be thinking about the bigger picture?"

General Ye looked at him. "When you understand the difference between you and him, you'll know why the psychics are willing to listen to him."

Ling Dingxiu said, "Everything I have is thanks to your cultivation, General. Even after awakening my psychic abilities, I have no disloyalty. But what about other psychics? Without some preferential policies, how can we attract psychics from other bases to come here? I really don't understand why."

General Ye said, "Because you want to use other psychics as weapons and tools. But Guan Yuanfeng sees psychics as people."

Ling Dingxiu was stunned. General Ye patted his shoulder. "When it comes to leading troops, you're no match for Guan Yuanfeng."

===

Special Operations Team dormitory.

Guan Yuanfeng got off the car and saw Liao Jinsheng running over to hold an umbrella for him. He asked, "Any news from Jiang Rongqian?"

Liao Jinsheng said, "I asked the Union Government. Due to the sudden snowstorm, the return has been postponed. They sent a telegram saying they are waiting for the weather to improve at the Sanchu Base and will take the opportunity to purchase some seeds."

Guan Yuanfeng's expression darkened. "It's snowing again. Did all the engineering soldiers who went to repair the base stations return safely?"

Liao Jinsheng said, "The logistics commander said that one team didn't return on time and hopes we can send a team to assist. Sister Dong Kexin has already arranged it."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded slightly. Liao Jinsheng added, "Sister Dong also said that the logistics commander mentioned that due to the sudden snow, not only are the seed grains insufficient, but there's also a shortage of heating coal and food. They hope we can figure out a solution."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Tell Dong Kexin to arrange it. We'll set out on a mission tomorrow."

Liao Jinsheng hesitated. "We've already scoured the nearby area clean. In this heavy snow, where can we go?" He stopped talking when he saw Guan Yuanfeng look at him, and quickly added, "Yes, Captain!"

After Guan Yuanfeng returned to his dormitory, Liao Jinsheng wiped his sweat and went to find Dong Kexin to relay Guan Yuanfeng's arrangements. He complained, "The logistics commander is treating us like we're here to run errands for them, searching for supplies as if we're their assistants. And yet, the captain actually goes along with it."

Dong Kexin said, "Zhao Dahai is in a tough spot too. He was trained by Old Tan, so if he's not asking us, who can he ask? There's no way people like Ye Huli would cooperate. They'd just keep demanding and trying to prove that Old Tan was wrong."

Liao Jinsheng worried, "We've cleaned out the nearby area. Where can we find more supplies?"

Dong Kexin said, "The captain always has a way."

Liao Jinsheng said, "Are we going to borrow food from the Lightning Base again?"

Dong Kexin chuckled. "It's possible. After all, raiding other bases is quick."

Liao Jinsheng said, "All the bases are taking in survivors without conditions now. And I heard that since the incident at the Lightning Base, all major bases are strained and can't be squeezed like before."

Dong Kexin said, "We'll see what the captain decides."

===

A week later, after the snowstorm had stopped, Jiang Rongqian returned from a long journey with Tang Anchen and went straight to report to Guan Yuanfeng.

As Guan Yuanfeng was about to hold a meeting, Jiang Rongqian gave a brief report, left the camera and the suitcase that Zhou Yun had sent over in Guan Yuanfeng's office, and then left.

Back at the team training room, Jiang Rongqian was warmly welcomed by team members Dong Kexin, Wu Jun, Liao Jinsheng, and others.

Jiang Rongqian took out some fruits, snacks, and local specialties he had brought from Beiming City and distributed them to everyone. He smiled and said, "I didn't expect it to snow here in Central Base again. We were almost stuck on the way. Fortunately, Doctor Zhou had prepared a lot of food, which helped us get through. The south is much more comfortable than here. What's with all the happiness?"

Dong Kexin, munching on an apple, asked with a smile, "How is Doctor Zhou?"

Tang Anchen said, "Of course, it's great there. It's almost summer, and Dr. Zhou's garden is lush and green. There's a huge mulberry tree covered in berries—more than we could ever eat! Dr. Zhou made a lot of mulberry honey paste for us to bring back."

"But when we got back here, it was snowing again! Everything's gray and dull. The south is really nicer. What have you guys been up to recently?"

He belatedly noticed his teammates looking at him with resentment.

Even Jiang Rongqian couldn't help but say, "I just saw the captain, and he's exuding a lot of killing intent. What happened?"

Wu Jun replied solemnly, "Zhao Dahai reported a food shortage, so the captain mobilized the entire special forces unit to Yanling for a week-long hunting expedition. We only hunted mutated animals, and all team members—psychics and regulars alike—had to join in."

Jiang Rongqian was taken aback. "I've heard that mutated wolf packs have been attacking the survivor camps there. Even merchant convoys with psychic bodyguards couldn't get through. The mutated animals must be getting more aggressive without food, which is why they're coming down the mountains more frequently."

Liao Jinsheng said, "Especially the mutated ice frost wolves! Do you know how terrifying they are? They shoot ice frost arrows in groups! They can pierce through protective suits! They also use tactical sieges, dividing their attacks and targeting weaknesses. They're incredibly fast! Seeing them made me wish Comet were here! If Comet were around, it would be better! They're so scary that, without the captain leading us, I think we'd just be fresh meat to them."

Dong Kexin added, "And there are also mutated bears, as big as small mountains. Regular bullets don't work on them at all... They're like monsters. They can use abilities too. A single roar makes everyone's ears ring, and they're smart enough to target the weakest parts of a formation first."

"Not only mutated animals, but mutated plants are also very dangerous now. This time, we even encountered mutated death cap mushrooms. An entire team was knocked out and nearly became mushroom food. Fortunately, the accompanying wood psychic neutralized the toxins in time."

"Thankfully, we had light and wood psychics with us, or we might have suffered heavy casualties. Since the captain returned, I haven't seen such a dangerous battle. The intensity was off the charts."

Her face turned slightly pale as she recalled the scene. "If they keep evolving like this, will there still be any place for humans to survive? The weather's like this too, making it impossible to farm... It feels like humans are at the bottom of the food chain now..."

Liao Jinsheng wiped his sweat and said, "It's not just us who are scared. Even the psychics in the special forces, who usually act all high and mighty, have become obedient after this mission. Those who were dissatisfied with the captain's training methods have now quietly completed their training, each one determined to level up. Although we brought back a lot of mutated game from this hunt, enough to last for days, and we also cut several carts of dried wood to burn for charcoal, which made the logistics department very happy, I really don't think anyone wants to go on another mission like that again."

Jiang Rongqian sighed in relief. "Yanling is an ancient mountain range, a vast primitive forest. It's no surprise there are many mutated beasts. It was once known as our nation’s biological gene bank, the dragon vein, so it's not surprising there are so many mutated beasts."

Liao Jinsheng added, "No wonder the Psychic Research Institute was so proactive this time, sending a team of researchers to go with us. They were eagerly collecting samples of mutated animals and plants, practically treating our captain like their savior, fawning over him."

Wu Jun sneered. "Back when we needed a healer, it was a thousand times harder and required booking and waiting. Now, they follow our captain around, eager to treat even the tiniest scratches. This time, even Xiao Su shamelessly followed his mentor to join the team."

Tang Anchen stammered, "So amazing? If the deep mountain forests are like this, wouldn't the sharks in the sea be even more ferocious? Dr. Zhou mentioned going out to sea to catch saltwater fish and get some water crystal cores..."

Dong Kexin looked at Jiang Rongqian. "I think Dr. Zhou really has a plan. If he says he wants to go out to sea, he probably will. Now that the satellites are down and there's no satellite positioning, it's easy to get lost at sea, not to mention the dangerous mutated sea beasts and extreme weather... Did you mention this to the captain?"

Jiang Rongqian felt a little guilty. "I just returned and bumped into the captain about to hold a meeting. I only had time to give a quick update and leave the items in his office before returning to our team."

For a moment, there was silence in the team. Wu Jun shivered and said ominously, "I have a bad feeling about this."

==========

The meeting didn't last long. As soon as it ended, Guan Yuanfeng returned to his office, locked the door, and took out the camera to look at Zhou Yun's footage.

He saw the thirty-story building wrapped in deep green, with them smiling and posing with Comet. Zhou Yun looked almost unchanged from before he left, still smiling warmly at the camera.

In the video, Zhou Yun was giving them mulberries to eat, looking up at the camera with a slightly startled expression but still as gentle and indulgent as ever.

The camera showed a strange young man, probably filmed from the villa above. Zhou Yun seemed to be seeing him off, talking with a smile.

Was this someone Zhou Yun knew before? Why did he trust him so much to let him into the villa?

A sense of caution rose in him, and he decided to ask Jiang Rongqian later. He continued scrolling through the photos and videos: scenes of the neighborhood, crops, Zhou Yun crouching by the flowers and smiling at the camera, and Zhou Yun using a hairdryer to dry off a wet Comet.

Although Tang Anchen was a bit simple-minded, he followed orders diligently and took very detailed shots. He filmed almost every part of the neighborhood, though some parts were blurry. It was clear the entire neighborhood was thriving, familiar yet strange.

Sighing, he clicked on the last video. It was already night, quiet, and Zhou Yun smiled at the screen. "I know you're in Central Base and must be worried about this place... Let me show you the 30th floor."

Something tugged at his heart, both sour and soft, an indescribable feeling welling up, an urge to do something.

On the screen, the familiar young man chattered as he filmed the room they had once shared in the apocalypse. It felt so close, yet so far, a warmth from everyday, ordinary days that he couldn't express.

The moonlight shone through the transparent glass dome, illuminating the quiet plants and Zhou Yun's handsome features, his straight nose.

He was wearing a simple white shirt made of silk and linen with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He smiled at the camera, saying, "This is the greenhouse. Thanks for the flowers you sent. I can't send you any flowers in return since you're too far away, and I know you don’t have time to take care of them. So, I'll just show you the Cereus that I've been growing. They've just started to bloom."

The camera panned to the cactus section under the glass dome, where a large cluster of deep green Cereus stood.

There were about forty to fifty Cereus, each standing between five and seven meters tall. They rose from the corner of the greenhouse, their tall, robust columns reaching toward the sky, almost as if they could pierce the glass dome. Zhou Yun slowly filmed the deep green, sturdy columns from below.

Among the rugged columns, countless delicate, multi-layered flowers peeked out. Each flower was as large as a bowl, with petals layered like ice silk, translucent and gleaming. The slender stamens carried light yellow pollen.

These delicate flowers were like gentle stars scattered across the deep green columns, creating a striking contrast. A swarm of mutated bees buzzed around, clearly brought here by Zhou Yun for pollination.

He chuckled softly, "These are mutated Cereus. We’ll need to transplant them to the ground soon. This place can't contain them anymore. These cacti produce delicious fruit. I'll make some jam for you to try."

"This is the first batch of blooms this year, and they're in full bloom right now. I counted over three hundred flowers yesterday. They bloom between three and four in the morning and wilt by the next day, just like an epiphyllum."

"I was thinking it's a pity that you can't see such a magnificent sight, but luckily, Xiao Tang stopped by, so I could capture it for you."

He raised the camera, slowly sweeping across the dreamlike petals under the bright moonlight. "Aren’t they stunning? The scent is incredibly strong, but sadly, you can’t experience it... These flowers have another name, called 'White Moonlight.'"