Chapter 57: All Preparations Completed

Chapter 57: All Preparations Completed

Gong Feishuang stormed into the house, fuming with rage. Gong Yanqing was in the garden downstairs and, seeing her like this, was somewhat surprised. He called out to her, "Xiao Shuang, didn't you go with Xiao Wu to your cousin's birthday party? How did you come back so soon?"

Gong Feishuang, full of anger, said to Gong Yanqing, "Did you pick a fine son-in-law? At the banquet, he only fawned over Liu Yuhui."

Gong Yanqing said, "Miss Liu is a rare high-level light psychic abilities user and the sister of White Crane City’s leader. It's normal to want to build a good relationship with her. Xiao Wu is young; he might not have a good grasp of boundaries. You should remind him privately. At your cousin's party, leaving him alone might have embarrassed him. It wouldn’t look good if outsiders saw discord between you two."

Gong Feishuang sneered, "Did he give me any face? Liu Yuhui smiled at him, and he became so eager that he forgot his own name! He rushed to the balcony to set off fireworks just for Liu Yuhui!"

Gong Yanqing asked, "Did Miss Liu say she wanted to see fireworks?"

Gong Feishuang replied, "No, it was Feiyun who mentioned that Wu Zhou's fire psychic abilities are impressive, and when he uses his skills, it's like a fireworks display, very beautiful. When Miss Liu asked, Wu Zhou eagerly went to the garden to set them off. It's really..." She sneered again, clearly unable to stomach this humiliation.

She had held back for several days but couldn't help complaining in front of her father, "That Miss Liu is just average-looking. Just because she has light psychic abilities, everyone treats her like royalty, and Feiyun fawns over her too."

"What high-level light psychic abilities? She can't even cure your illness. I think her reputation is just that—reputation. Lately, we’ve been treating her well here, giving her everything she asks for. I heard them gossiping that White Crane City is just a desolate place with far fewer resources than here. They can't even guarantee food, and there are fewer people. They rely on Miss Liu to go to various bases to get resources, and she’s taken a lot from us this time."

Gong Yanqing asked her, "Does your cousin also want to pursue her?"

Gong Feishuang snorted coldly, "I heard he has several external concubines outside, and his illegitimate children are about to be born. And now he wants to pursue Miss Liu?"

Gong Yanqing closed his eyes and, looking at his daughter as if she still didn't understand the crisis, said softly, "Do you know why your cousin can keep so many external concubines outside?"

Gong Feishuang asked, "What do you mean?"

Gong Yanqing said, "The concubines your cousin keeps are all psychics, and they are mostly weak or have less useful psychic abilities. Their psychic attacks aren't strong enough to fight zombies, and they can't protect themselves. Upgrading their psychic abilities requires a large number of crystal cores, so they have to rely on your cousin for survival. But they don't necessarily see your cousin as their final destination. Once their psychic abilities upgrade, if a stronger psychic finds them, or if the Gong family loses control of Beiming City, they will abandon your cousin immediately."

"Your cousin keeps so many concubines because he wants children who inherit psychic abilities. And he wants to pursue Miss Liu because her light psychic abilities are very practical. Of course, Miss Liu is sharp-minded and would never be interested in him. She would definitely choose a strong psychic as her husband."

Gong Feishuang scoffed, "I knew Feiyun's desires were delusional."

Gong Yanqing said, "Wu Zhou has strong fire psychic abilities, which are very advantageous in fighting zombies, but he is a scholar and doesn't like violence. In fact, his abilities are strong, and he’s gentle, without any ambitions, and has a good temper. If the woman is strong-willed, Wu Zhou would be an excellent psychic husband."

Gong Feishuang scorned, "I think Liu Yuhui wouldn't be interested in him either, with his meek and mild demeanor."

Gong Yanqing continued, "You used to look down on Dad's duck farm. Do you know how the profits were made?"

Gong Feishuang, unsure why Gong Yanqing suddenly brought up the duck farm but knowing her father was ill, patiently asked, "Is it from selling ducks and duck eggs? Because we have our own factories and supermarkets, we sell them cheaply?"

Gong Yanqing said, "We worked with farmers, giving them ducklings and feed, and they raised them on beaches or in rice paddies. Before the apocalypse, our duck farm could cooperate with two to three hundred farmer households, each raising thousands of ducks, producing over a million ducks annually. Besides selling duck meat and salted duck eggs in our supermarkets, we also sold feathers. The duck feathers could be sold to manufacturers of down jackets and badminton manufacturers; we had stable cooperative factories."

Gong Feishuang said, "Dad, you are amazing."

Gong Yanqing looked at her, "After the apocalypse, these industries became useless, and money lost its value. But why do these farmers and the people of this city still listen to Dad?"

Gong Feishuang said, "Because Dad is righteous, and Dad has a guard team."

Gong Yanqing shook his head, "Because of interests, they need to live in the base, relying on the city lord's mansion for jobs and food distribution. Maintaining this base requires a large number of psychics and armed forces to ensure safety."

"But now, in the base, we can’t grow crops anymore. In spring, people need to be sent out to plant crops, fishermen need to be sent out to fish, and a large number of people need to be organized to clear out zombies. There's not enough food, and the jobs are all high-risk."

"Feishuang, do you understand?"

Gong Feishuang was stunned.

Gong Yanqing looked at her and said, "In the post-apocalyptic world, during the long winter, there is no food. Have you ever been to Yinhua Street? There are many barbershops where women offer massage services, and many women solicit customers on the streets. These are ordinary women who can't fight zombies, have no jobs, can't make a living, and can't afford the city gate tax. But even so, they have to stay in the city because it would be worse for them outside. For them, this is the easiest work."

Gong Yanqing, with a hardened heart, revealed the harsh reality: "Think carefully. Miss Liu is a precious light psychic. With a city lord brother to protect her, she is a welcomed guest wherever she goes. She can easily find the strongest psychic to be her husband. Even if not, any organization or group would treat her as an honored guest. She can receive the best rewards in various psychic research institutes and hospitals because of her light psychic abilities."

"Ordinary female psychics with little offensive ability can also find jobs in various bases. If not, as a last resort, they can rely on their valuable psychic genes to get a relatively stable livelihood."

"Women without the protection of fathers or brothers, and without useful professional skills for the apocalypse, who can't find jobs for the time being, end up as those women on Flower Street."

"As for Wu Zhou, as long as he is single, he is considered an ideal marriage candidate by all female psychics. No organization or base would refuse him wherever he goes. Even if he is married, there are female psychics who do not need a title, only his genes, willing to spend a night with him."

Gong Yanqing looked at Gong Feishuang, whose face had turned pale. "Xiao Shuang, your father is just an ordinary person. The business knowledge I have is no longer useful. The power in my hands is not lasting. After I pass away, your only support will be Wu Zhou."

"Your cousin is your competitor. If he really manages to win over Miss Liu, this Beiming City will belong to him. I can only hand Beiming City over to him to ensure he treats you well."

"Even if he wants to compete, I can't do anything to him and have to keep him close because of your blood relation. After all, if something happens to me, having your cousins in the Gong family can serve as a check on Wu Zhou."

"People are too complicated, my child. I can't explain it all to you. The interests of these three groups need to be balanced well. You have to know how to use and control them. You are too naive, and I can't teach you these things."

Gong Yanqing thought of the two Qin brothers and sighed deeply. If he had secured those two brothers, he would have truly been at ease.

"You really can't compare to Miss Liu. Once your father passes away or if the Gong family loses Beiming City, Wu Zhou could abandon you at any time and find a stronger psychic wife for a powerful alliance."

"Be good to Wu Zhou, Xiao Shuang. You have nothing. Have a child with him soon. He is an honest man. In the post-apocalyptic world, without legal constraints, I have carefully chosen him for his character. He has a conscience and principles. If you treat him well, he will love you sincerely."

Gong Feishuang suddenly threw herself into Gong Yanqing's arms and burst into tears. "Father! I want you to live a long life!"

Gong Yanqing sighed deeply. "Don't cry, my dear. I just want you to be good to Wu Zhou. I will try to help Wu Zhou build a good relationship with the official alliance and recommend him for a position in the league's association. This way, the two of you will have the Central Base as your backer, and your future will be more secure."

"There are also rumors from the Central Base that the psychic research institutes there have made many new achievements, and there might be some mutated herbs that can cure my illness."

"Things haven't reached the worst point yet. You just need to control your temper. If you treat others well, they'll treat you well in return, right?"

"Prepare yourself. Once everything is settled here, I will take Wu Zhou and you to the Central Base for the city lord conference and introduce you to some uncles and elders."

After comforting and sending his daughter away, Gong Yanqing called for his trusted aide and asked, "What have the two Qin brothers been up to recently?"

The aide replied, "They promptly delivered the medicines to the clinic, bringing a truckload of supplies. However, they were all powders that we need to repackage, bottle, and label ourselves. The labels were printed, and they added a brand name, 'Green Bird.' Director Yuan said it’s no problem. Having a brand name is better since they control the formula."

Gong Yanqing nodded and asked, "And what about the two brothers?"

The aide replied, "They are setting up a base for their Laojie Gang. With the arrival of spring, various gangs are busy marking territories to grow vegetables and crops. They recruited their old town area neighbors and set up a base in Jinjicun outside the highway, raising livestock and cultivating crops. They also established a base near the Qingyun Reservoir in the neighboring city for fishing. Since you instructed us not to follow them, we only have some basic intelligence."

Gong Yanqing nodded. "They are indeed resourceful. There aren't many opportunities in the city. It's normal to go outside to find a way to survive. It's smart of them to think of the Qingyun Reservoir; it's much safer than the ocean."

He sighed. "With those two zombie-fighting medications, it's indeed much safer now. It's normal for them to expand their Laojie Gang's influence. They need food and jobs to keep people following them. That's how you become a king in troubled times."

He instructed the aide, "When we go to the Central Base, bring Qin Sheng's entire team along. Don’t be too obvious; just include them as part of the guard team."

The aide curiously asked, "Should we try to bring his brother along as well?"

Gong Yanqing shook his head. "No need." He said meaningfully, "These two brothers together are too formidable."

He dismissed the aide and ordered someone else, "When you see the son-in-law returning, ask him to come and see me." Wu Zhou probably felt slighted by his daughter's actions today, and there might be some resentment. Gong Yanqing needed to mend things and show more favor to ensure Wu Zhou remembered the kindness and not the grudge.

When they went to the Central Base, there would be more bases and interpersonal relationships to handle. Wu Zhou was good at studying, but his family background was simple, and his life experiences had been limited. He had always sailed smoothly through life and wasn't very good at navigating and balancing these interpersonal relationships.

He thought of the two Qin brothers again and wondered if securing Qin Sheng would have made things much easier.

Perhaps... he should consider adopting them as foster sons.

=====

Qin Mu and Qin Sheng are currently at the lake center island of Qingyun Reservoir, accompanying Zhou Yun to inspect their new base.

On the small lake center island, a three-story watchtower has been built. Half of the island is used for planting vegetables, and the other half, where the soil is not as good, has been turned into a livestock pen. Inside the tower, there are bedding and daily necessities, alcohol stoves, briquette stoves, and some instant noodles, among other things. Additionally, there are motor speedboats and fishing nets for fishing.

In the mountain forest across the way, they have already cleared several vegetable plots and started planting. They are also cultivating fungi such as wood ear mushrooms and enoki mushrooms.

Golden sunlight gleamed on the clear water, and a refreshing breeze blew in, causing ripples on the water. It was truly a beautiful day.

However, Zhou Yun knew that the weather in the apocalypse could be unpredictable. Whether planting or traveling, they might encounter extreme weather at any time. If the central region often experienced blizzards and storms, the south was more prone to prolonged droughts and persistent floods.

Therefore, he reminded Qin Mu and Qin Sheng, "If the water level exceeds the marker over there, immediately have the people guarding the base leave."

Qin Mu said, "Don't worry, the people from the old town area are descendants of fishermen. They understand the dangers of water and fire and know what’s at stake."

Zhou Yun asked again, "How are the two mulberry trees growing?"

Qin Mu replied, "They're doing well and growing fast. They are mutated mulberry trees, right? They've already grown quite tall. It's only been half a month, and they are already lush."

Zhou Yun nodded, "I have some mutated silkworm eggs. I’ll bring them back for you later today. Find a few careful people to raise the silkworms." After the spring, he had raised a batch of silkworms using mulberry leaves. The silkworms grew quickly, soon cocooned, and emerged as moths. The female and male moths mated, laying a batch of eggs.

He tried hatching some of the silver-white silkworm eggs and found them to be mutated silkworms, much larger. He raised another batch, and the silk they produced was much thicker and stronger.

Silkworms require constant care, and having obtained results, he was less patient to continue raising them. He thought of having Qin Mu arrange for someone to take care of the mutated silkworm eggs as an industry.

Qin Mu's eyes lit up, "Mutated silkworm eggs? That's good."

"However, silk might not be easy to sell now, as it is a delicate and troublesome fabric."

Zhou Yun said, "There will always be people seeking a more comfortable life. Silk clothes, silk quilts, especially mutated silk, will have better effects. As for the silkworm droppings, just help me collect them."

Qin Mu said, "Alright, I'll arrange for a few careful people to raise them."

Zhou Yun said, "Now you can arrange to set sail."

Qin Mu immediately perked up, "It's being arranged. We've been fixing the boat lately. My boat, the Sea Angler 230 speedboat, is the best for sea fishing and fishing. It’s fast, performs excellently, is crafted with precision, and offers strong stability. It can remain steady even in rough weather and waves."

"We've reinforced the hull, raised the wave guards, and found an old captain who is good at reading celestial phenomena and familiar with sea charts to join us. We've also selected some young, capable, and reliable crew members from the old town area."

He went on and on about the boat, "But now we only have Xiao Sheng and you as people with abilities, along with Comet. Is that really enough? Without satellites now, we rely solely on experience. Although I have some confidence, I'm afraid we might encounter saltwater fish that we can't handle."

Zhou Yun said, "It's enough."

Qin Mu took out a notebook from his pocket, "This is a list of preparations and items I've made. See if there's anything else you need."

He explained, "Now without satellite positioning, it's easy to get lost at sea. I've prepared some sea charts and magnetic compasses, along with other positioning instruments. Also, considering the unpredictable apocalypse weather, we might be stranded at sea or on deserted islands for too long, so I've listed some supplies. Check if there's anything else to add."

Zhou Yun flipped through the notebook, which was indeed very detailed and thoughtful. In addition to the generators, batteries, diesel, and gasoline for the boat, there were survival tools like knives, fire starters, waterproof equipment, first aid kits, diving and fishing gear, camping supplies such as tents, sleeping bags, stoves, and some compressed biscuits for food.

He smiled, "There's nothing else for now. I'll think about it and write down anything else that comes to mind. I still have some gasoline and diesel, kayaks, electric fishing nets, and electric fishing rods. I'll bring them along."

Qin Mu nodded, and they saw Zhou Yun off. Before getting in the car, Zhou Yun took out a basket of vegetables from the car and gave it to them, "Some vegetables I planted myself, and a bottle of mulberry syrup, freshly made today. Try it; it's good for you. Oh, and don't forget Ba Duan Jin."

Qin Mu: "..."

The two brothers thanked Zhou Yun and then got in the car to return to Beiming City.

Their life was simple. They stir-fried the vegetables Zhou Yun gave them, added an egg and some salted fish, and that was enough for a meal. After dinner, they organized the accounts of the pharmacy and then closed the shop to rest. Qin Mu thought of the mulberry syrup and decided to try it.

He scooped a spoonful of mulberry syrup into warm water, and the water turned a murky dark red. Qin Mu drank it down in a few gulps, finding it sweet with only a slight astringent aftertaste. The honey-like fragrance lingered in his throat for a long time, with a lingering sweetness.

Doctor Zhou said that he had made it himself, and just like that, the man seemed more relatable. He suddenly remembered that Doctor Zhou had also reminded them to practice Ba Duan Jin earlier that day.

He chuckled to himself. This man was truly an interesting character, with an unfathomable background, yet his personality was surprisingly simple. He often seemed lost in thought and found it hard to focus on long conversations with others, clearly finding human interaction annoying. Yet, his thinking was meticulous and rigorous, which made him incredibly considerate in his dealings with others.

Since Qin Sheng returned with news about the visitors from Central Base, he had been full of confidence in this business venture and had become more proactive in coordinating with Zhou Yun's plan to set sail.

He popped the Ba Duan Jin disc into the DVD player in the living room and really started to practice Ba Duan Jin seriously, following the tutorial. Qin Sheng heard the sound and came out from the kitchen, and simply joined him in practicing.

The two of them, acting like retirees, diligently followed the breathing exercises from the tutorial, learning the breakdown of movements, and then, led by the instructor on the disc, they went through the entire set of movements from start to finish.

Qin Mu took a deep breath, holding it before slowly exhaling, feeling his mind become peaceful and joyful. But then he felt a sudden warmth rush through his hands—was it just his imagination?

He turned to look at Qin Sheng and saw that as Qin Sheng performed the movements, his palms had turned a silvery sheen.

He also saw in the introduction to Ba Duan Jin that it was about moving where you see, breathing where you think, and feeling the qi flow where you listen, with the entire body enveloped in the sensation of qi.

Qin Mu closed his eyes, trying to find that fleeting sensation of qi again, but it seemed elusive and he couldn't sense it anymore.

However, after completing the full set of Ba Duan Jin, he felt warm all over and drowsiness washed over him. He wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep the deepest, sweetest sleep since his injury. He glanced at Qin Sheng, who seemed to have entered a mysterious state. Qin Sheng was shaking his head and swaying his body, and both of his palms had turned metallic in color, which he usually couldn't achieve with both hands simultaneously.

Was Doctor Zhou right? Was practicing Ba Duan Jin really making a difference?

He climbed upstairs to his room and fell into the deepest, sweetest sleep since his injury.

======

Back at Yunding Mountain Villa.

Zhou Yun was carefully cutting the new offshoots from the large mutated cactus known as Uhle's Wonder Cactus and grafting them onto the thorny tendrils on the first floor.

The tiny, adorable, spineless Uhle's Wonder Cacti looked oddly out of place when grafted onto the spiky mutated tendrils, but with Zhou Yun's skillful grafting, they smoothly and perfectly fused together as if they were naturally one.

The mescaline in Uhle's Wonder Cactus was crucial for inducing hallucinations. The mescaline content in cultivated Uhle's Wonder Cactus was minimal, but the mutated ones were different. They had a white waxy layer on their surface, looking adorably chubby, and as a mutated weapon, they could cause enemies to hallucinate.

Zhou Yun also grafted the newly cut, heavily spined Golden Barrel Cacti.

The spines of this cactus were strong and hard, with barbs on them.

The thorny tendrils, originally good as a grafting stock for cacti, quickly integrated the strong hallucinogenic effects of Uhle's Wonder Cactus and the hard spines of the Golden Barrel Cactus.

Zhou Yun then applied some growth spells, and they immediately sprouted countless new stems, with the originally smooth and thick columns growing thousands of spines with barbs, and blooming the pink flowers of Uhle's Wonder Cactus, exuding an intoxicating fragrance.

It was the perfect weapon—both offensive and defensive. Zhou Yun was quite satisfied. No wonder that in his previous life, he had found this to be the most perfect mutated plant. And no wonder that with his hard-earned accumulation in this life, he had cultivated such a good weapon so early.

He gently stroked the sharp thorns on the thorny tendrils, and the thorny tendrils obediently retracted the thorns, instead blooming a pink flower at the spot where his fingertip touched.

Zhou Yun smiled slightly. "You all grow well. When I leave home, I will take whoever has the largest crystal core."

His words triggered the dozen or so thorny tendrils to wildly sprout new branches, and the pink flowers bloomed like firecrackers popping non-stop.

Zhou Yun couldn't help but laugh, patting their tender green leaves as if encouraging them, and left the building.