Chapter 69: An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 69: An Unexpected Encounter

Ren Yuefei opened his eyes to find the light by the window very bright. He was lying on a soft bed, covered with a blanket that carried the scent of mugwort.

He heard people talking outside, seemingly near the room.

"This is notoginseng, excellent for treating both external and internal injuries. When selecting notoginseng, opt for those that are large, firm, and have smooth skin."

"This notoginseng has undergone mutation. Look at the silver veins on its leaves. The older the notoginseng, the more potent its medicinal properties. This one has clearly grown in the deep mountains for many years, so its efficacy is very strong. We'll use it to stew chicken later."

"Later, give your father the chicken soup to help him recover faster."

"Is this chicken also a mutated creature?"

"Yes, Comet hunted it. Isn't he amazing?"

Woof!

A dog barked, followed by his daughter's giggling. Still groggy, he thought to himself: Since his wife's death, he hadn't seen his daughter laugh like this.

Duoduo!

He bolted upright. How had he ended up here? Was it a dream? The helicopter—hadn't it crashed? His last memory before losing consciousness was the plane plummeting straight down. He was very worried about whether his daughter could survive if she landed in the deep mountains.

He looked around the room, which resembled a hotel. Through the panoramic window, he could see layers of mountains, green peaks like a painting, with banana leaves swaying nearby and clusters of bananas hanging.

He touched his wound, which had healed completely, but he still felt the weakness after a serious illness. Pressing on it, there was a faint pain, indicating he still needed rest and recovery. He was wearing a clean set of hotel pajamas. His daughter couldn't have possibly moved him from the helicopter to the hotel, treated his wounds, and changed his clothes.

The man's voice outside continued, "Alright, go check on your dad. I'll take this notoginseng to stew the chicken. If you're bored, I have a herbal medicine guide here you can look at."

He struggled to sit up, breaking into a sweat and feeling dizzy. He couldn't summon any of his psychic powers. He called softly, "Duoduo?"

Soon, Duoduo rushed in from outside, her eyes red as she threw herself into his arms.

Ren Yuefei hugged his daughter, his eyes also moist from the near-death experience. He then saw a young man enter the room, tall and handsome, wearing a clean linen shirt and green canvas work pants. By his side was a large dog, black with some white fur, bright-eyed, and massive in size, yet very gentle. It sat obediently by his side.

Zhou Yun smiled at him, "Awake? I'm Zhou Yun, a doctor. I was gathering herbs in the mountains when I saw your plane crash yesterday."

Gathering herbs? In these apocalyptic times, daring to enter mountains full of mutated creatures and plants alone?

Ren Yuefei was both surprised and grateful, "I'm Ren Yuefei, 'leap' as in jump, 'fly' as in soar."

"Thank you for saving us. Did you treat my wounds? Are you... a light psychic?"

The wounds had healed completely, such powerful healing abilities... but how could a light psychic dare to enter the mountains alone? Did he have companions?

Zhou Yun shook his head with a smile, "No, I possess water psychic powers. It was your daughter. She's a very talented wood psychic. I saw a huge banyan tree expand infinitely, its branches and leaves wrapping around the helicopter. When I got there, I was shocked to see how young she was. Truly remarkable talent."

Ren Yuefei noticed his daughter glance at Zhou Yun and remain silent, feeling a bit puzzled. Zhou Yun continued, "The hotel still has some well-preserved food and gas canisters. I'll go cook some notoginseng stewed chicken for you. Do you have any dietary restrictions or allergies?"

Ren Yuefei smiled, "No, thank you so much. We came from Jing Nan Base, heading to Central Base."

Zhou Yun, not very concerned with politics in this life or the previous one, vaguely knew that Jing Nan Base was located in the southeast, primarily involved in fishing and salt industries. He nodded, "Alright. Rest now and spend some time with your daughter. She's been through a lot and is severely drained from using her psychic powers. Both of you should avoid using your powers for a while."

Ren Yuefei nodded, "Thank you." He truly needed time to talk with his daughter, understand what had happened, and assess their current situation, including whether Zhou Yun had any companions.

Zhou Yun turned and left, with Comet following him.

Ren Yuefei then looked down at his daughter, "Did you save me?"

Ren Duoduo hung her head in silence. Ren Yuefei sighed to himself. Since his wife's death, his daughter had refused to speak a word to him. Now, in this life-or-death situation, she finally spoke, but only in front of their savior. Once alone, her resentment still lingered.

He gently stroked Ren Duoduo's hair: "I'm sorry. It's Dad's fault for not protecting you well and letting you get scared."

Tears immediately streamed down Ren Duoduo's face, and she finally burst into loud sobs.

Ren Yuefei held her for a moment before asking, "Does Doctor Zhou have any companions?"

Ren Duoduo wiped her tears: "No one else. He has a rescue dog named Comet, who can breathe fire."

A mutated dog with water-based abilities—likely of a high level, otherwise he wouldn't dare venture into the mountains. He then asked Ren Duoduo, "When Doctor Zhou was talking to me earlier, you glanced at him. Were you hiding something?"

Ren Duoduo remained silent for a moment: "Dad, Doctor Zhou never asked for our names or our background."

"So I thought, since he didn't bring up his personal matters, maybe we shouldn't discuss them either."

Ren Yuefei felt a bit embarrassed: "That's my fault. I noticed he seemed reserved and wanted to learn more about the situation. You did the right thing."

Ren Duoduo whispered, "He had come to the mountains to gather herbs. He collected a lot and knows so much. Both he and Comet are incredibly strong. His cooking is also really good."

Ren Yuefei smiled: "It certainly seems so." Calm and composed, clearly skilled and bold.

Moreover, when faced with such an emergency, he didn't avoid it but actively rescued them. Only a strong person would act so fearlessly.

When the helicopter crashed, it was almost dark. If Ren Duoduo, exhausted from overusing her powers, had been left alone in the mountains full of mutated creatures, they would have been devoured by now.

Ren Duoduo said, "Doctor Zhou gave me a king-level wood crystal core to absorb. I need to return it to him."

Ren Yuefei seriously promised, "Alright, I'll find a king-level water crystal core to give him later." Since Jing Nan is near the sea, water crystal cores are relatively easier to obtain, and since he's water-based, he might need it.

Ren Duoduo shook her head: "We should return a wood crystal core. What we borrow, we should return in kind."

Ren Yuefei chuckled: "Alright, one wood crystal core and one water crystal core. I'll take people to the mountains to find them and return them to Doctor Zhou."

Ren Duoduo finally let out a sigh of relief: "Also, he really likes collecting and cultivating mutated herbs. I want to give him the mutated Paris polyphylla from my garden."

Ren Yuefei knew that was his daughter's treasured herb and nodded, "Alright, I'll have someone dig it up, pack it, and send it to him. I'll also post a mission to gather some rare mutated herbs to send along."

Ren Duoduo fell silent, only flipping through the herbal guide. Ren Yuefei noticed the illustrations were vivid, almost like real herbs, and thought the book looked excellent. Since Duoduo liked it, he decided to buy her a copy when they reached Central Base.

There was a knock at the door, and Zhou Yun entered carrying a pressure cooker, smiling, "The chicken soup is ready. Let's eat. Can you get up? It's more convenient to eat at the dining table outside."

Ren Yuefei replied, "We'll eat outside. Thank you."

He helped Ren Duoduo up, and they walked to the dining table. On the table were bowls of chicken soup for each of them, a plate of braised rabbit, a plate of scrambled eggs with wild chives, a plate of stir-fried cauliflower, and a plate of cold fern salad. There were also pan-fried wild onion pancakes.

The rice was already served.

Ren Yuefei was astonished: "How did you prepare so many dishes? You've gone to too much trouble."

Zhou Yun smiled, "We're all psychics and have high energy needs. Don't worry, I came prepared this time, and most of these are from the mountains. Comet caught a lot of it—the rabbit is a mutated rabbit, and the eggs are bird eggs from the mountains. The chicken is also a mutated wild chicken. Try it."

Ren Duoduo asked, "Has Comet eaten?"

Zhou Yun replied, "He's eating in the kitchen now. I mixed his food for him. After eating, he'll need some exercise. We don't need to worry about him; he knows these mountains better than I do."

Ren Yuefei was indeed hungry. He had fought desperately in the helicopter, overused his psychic powers, and was severely injured, on the brink of death. Now, he urgently needed food. He took a few sips of the soup and noticed how considerately the meat had been stewed until it almost melted into the broth. The soup was rich and flavorful, highly nutritious.

All three of them were psychics, and their eating speed and appetite were astonishing. Soon, they had cleared the table of what seemed like an overwhelming amount of food, even finishing the pancakes. The energy-rich mutated creatures quickly restored their strength. Ren Yuefei immediately felt much better and could walk on his own. It seemed half his weakness was from hunger.

Zhou Yun poured another bowl of medicinal soup for him: "This is a medicinal soup for nourishing qi and blood. Drink a bowl later. Additionally, I have two metal-type crystal cores here. Although they are not king-level, their quality is decent. Absorb them to speed up your recovery." He guessed that Ren Yuefei was also at the high end of the third tier, where ordinary crystal cores would have minimal effect.

Ren Yuefei was surprised: "Where did you get these metal-type crystal cores?"

Zhou Yun gestured: "A metal-type mutated beetle, very large, with a carapace like metal, very beautiful. There was also a metal-type mutated mantis, which had just eaten its mate..."

Ren Yuefei felt goosebumps all over his skin, only his daughter asked curiously: "Can I see them? Also, they say mantises are easily parasitized by horsehair worms. Does it still happen after mutation? If it's a mutated horsehair worm, can it parasitize humans?"

Zhou Yun answered seriously: "No, after killing that giant mantis, I checked carefully and found no horsehair worms. I think even after mutation, they probably still can't parasitize humans."

He got up and fetched a storage box to show Ren Duoduo, who saw the metal-like round carapace inside, almost as big as a fist: "Is this a dung beetle?"

Ren Yuefei: "..."

Zhou Yun couldn't help but chuckle, glancing at Ren Yuefei. He had been quite reserved, but Duoduo was so direct, not caring about her father's feelings.

He tactfully said: "This also has high medicinal value. Some countries call it the sacred beetle, representing the sun."

He handed two metal-type crystal cores to Ren Yuefei, who still accepted them: "Thank you. When we reach Central Base, I'll purchase two more and return them to you along with the king-level wood crystal core Duoduo used."

Zhou Yun smiled: "It's fine, return them when it's convenient, no rush. Jing Nan is near the sea, with abundant deep-sea resources, water crystal cores are easy to find, or maybe get some light crystal cores when you have time. I'm currently looking for a high-quality light crystal core. I was planning to go out to sea to look for it in a few days."

Ren Yuefei nodded: "Alright. From your accent, you're also from the south, right?"

Zhou Yun nodded: "I came from Beiming Base. Because I'm currently working on a medicinal herb garden, I need to cultivate some mutated herbs."

Ren Yuefei sighed: "It's quite dangerous for you to go into the mountains alone. It's better to bring more people."

Zhou Yun smiled: "In these apocalyptic times, people might be more dangerous than the beasts in the mountains. Having Comet is enough."

Ren Yuefei saw his implication and couldn't refute, just laughed: "Doctor Zhou understands human nature too well."

Zhou Yun smiled and got up to clean up. Ren Yuefei quickly stood up: "Let me wash."

Zhou Yun laughed: "You really can't, you don't have water psychic abilities. Although there is a water tank in the hotel, it's hard to say if it's clean at this time. And these are all disposable paper plates and bowls, no need to wash. Only the pot needs cleaning, I can easily clean it with my water psychic abilities, no need to be polite. You are both patients, resting is helping."

Ren Yuefei thought it made sense and only helped Zhou Yun clean up, throwing the disposable utensils into a trash bag, cleaning the table. Seeing Zhou Yun go out, he took the two crystal cores back to his room to slowly absorb.

With the help of the crystal cores, his body recovered well and he could soon walk normally, but his psychic abilities were still not usable.

That day he proposed to go check the helicopter himself. Zhou Yun knew there were corpses there, which wouldn't be good for Duoduo to see, and was afraid it would bring back bad memories. But since Ren Yuefei couldn't use his psychic abilities now, he let Comet take him there.

He himself took Duoduo to gather moss near the waterfall and river valley by the hotel.

They collected a lot of moss and also caught several large mutated fish to make fish soup back in the room. When the fish soup was ready, Ren Yuefei returned, very surprised to see it.

Ren Duoduo was very impressed and described to her father: "Doctor Zhou is incredible, he just..." She made a gesture with her fingers pointing sharply: "A huge ice spike rose from the river, piercing the fish, one after another, so convenient! Water psychic abilities are so convenient."

Ren Yuefei laughed: "That's not something an ordinary water psychic can do. Doctor Zhou must be above the third tier, and even above the third tier, it's not easy to skillfully use ice spikes as weapons. It requires very, very refined psychic abilities. Water is very soft, like wind psychic abilities. Most wind psychics can only increase speed, drive tornadoes, but condensing them into blades of wind is very difficult."

Ren Duoduo seemed thoughtful.

Zhou Yun poured the fish soup into bowls, smiling at Ren Yuefei: "Mr. Ren has a deep understanding of psychic abilities. I have a metal-type friend who has always struggled to master his metal psychic abilities. I feel he lacks practical experience. Maybe you could give him some pointers when you have the chance."

Ren Yuefei said: "I only know a little... The methods of using psychic abilities, actually, the Psychic Research Institute has already published some summarized experience textbooks, which sell very well. I heard they are about to be introduced into schools, teaching psychics."

Zhou Yun smiled without speaking, but Ren Yuefei saw his disapproval and smiled inwardly, knowing that only those who have truly touched the barriers of psychics can understand how superficial the textbooks from the Psychic Research Institute are.

He smiled: "Our father and daughter have been here for two days, haven't we disturbed Doctor Zhou's herb gathering schedule?"

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "No, I have already gathered enough herbs and was planning to head back in the next couple of days. There's still space in my off-road vehicle, Mr. Ren. Would you like to join me to Beiming Base?"

Ren Yuefei nodded slightly without giving a definite answer, but Ren Duoduo beside him gave him an uneasy glance.

After dinner, Zhou Yun and Ren Yuefei tidied up the dishes while Ren Duoduo explored the hotel with Comet. In these few days, the little girl and Comet had quickly become good friends, scouring every corner of the hotel for resources and useful items, finding plenty of toys and children’s books, and having a great time.

Inside the room, Zhou Yun turned on the radio and found that they could receive broadcast channels again.

"The much-anticipated City Lord Conference of the alliance will officially commence on the 12th. All invited delegations from various bases have arrived and checked into the hotel, receiving special interviews."

"As the alliance’s premier annual event, the conference will bring together city lords and senior officials from across the alliance and its bases. The theme of the conference is to strengthen cooperation and face challenges together."

"The conference will also organize multiple thematic forums, inviting experts, scholars, and elite high-level psychics to participate, discussing and exploring topics such as combating zombies and mutated creatures, research on the zombie virus, psychic research, research and application of mutated plants, and new agricultural studies. These forums will cover strategic planning, policy interpretation, resource sharing, and technical exchange, laying a solid foundation for the long-term stable development of the alliance."

"The organizing committee vowed to ensure the conference runs smoothly, offering top-notch facilities and services for all attendees."

"Recently, the alliance military has cleared several mines in Yanling, including gold, white stone, and coal mines, and has resumed orderly production. The Survivors' Alliance Government is currently recruiting miners and resource gatherers as well as related technical personnel."

"The director of the Psychic Research Institute stated in an interview that significant research results will be announced at this conference."

"Rebuilding our world begins with us. The Survivors' Alliance Government is seeking volunteer social workers and urging base residents to pitch in with public facility repairs and community rebuilding efforts."

"All campuses of Central Base have officially opened, enrolling over thirty thousand students, including more than twelve hundred students with psychic abilities."

Once the news ended, soft piano music filled the air.

Ren Yuefei said, "Actually, I am going to Central Base to attend this City Lord Conference of the alliance, so I must set off immediately tomorrow, otherwise it will be too late."

"Today I checked the helicopter, and there are no issues inside or out; it can fly. I have fixed some minor problems that occurred after the crash, and the energy is also quite sufficient. I have also cleaned the cabin."

Thanks to that mutated dog, fire psychic powers are indeed a great help for eliminating and disposing of threats. And this mutated dog has excellent obedience, clearly having undergone strict training, appearing to be a working dog like a police dog, military dog, or rescue dog.

His curiosity about Doctor Zhou’s background grew, but since the man offered no details, he chose not to pry. Watching Zhou Yun listen attentively, he continued, "Because there are some important agendas I must attend at this conference, there are crucial contracts concerning the entire base that need to be signed. However, I am currently in a difficult situation and need Doctor Zhou's help."

Zhou Yun said, "Please speak, General Ren." Dressed in uniform, accompanied by guards, and being in an official base, going to attend the City Lord Conference, representing Zhennan Base to sign important contracts, his position in the military is certainly not low—probably the base commander.

Ren Yuefei did not deny the title and continued, "My daughter... her mother passed away last year, and I have been too busy with work, somewhat neglecting her care. Originally, I wanted to send her to Central Base to attend a specialized psychic school and have her maternal grandmother take care of her. But now the journey has changed, and I need to go to Central Base first, then contact Jing Nan Base to stabilize the overall situation."

"Now I am overwhelmed and unable to use my psychic powers. I see that Doctor Zhou will probably return to Beiming Base in the next few days. Beiming Base is relatively close to here, and I have heard that it is well managed and not far from Jing Nan Base. I would like to ask Doctor Zhou to temporarily take Duoduo to Beiming Base for a while, and after I reach Central Base, I will contact trusted contacts to bring the child back."

He was very anxious, knowing that he had made a very unreasonable request. This is the apocalypse, even if the other party is strong, entrusting a child's responsibility to someone for no reason is clearly taking advantage of their kindness. But he also knew that he really had no other choice: "I am truly sorry, but now that I cannot use my psychic powers and have encountered assassination attempts on the road, I can no longer trust the people originally brought from the base. I must hurry to Central Base as soon as possible."

The closest members of the guard team have already betrayed him, and now he has no one he can trust. The situation in Central Base is also unknown... A name flashed through his mind, and he smiled bitterly. He retired a few years earlier, and after retirement, contact became less frequent. Later, he heard that the other person was disabled. He called, but the other person did not answer. Probably stubborn in nature, unwilling to accept these useless condolences.

After that came the apocalypse, busy with survival and base construction. Only this year did he hear that the other person also had psychic powers, returned to Central Base, and became the captain of the special forces team, which should be considered reliable.

But the situation in Central Base is unknown, only heard to be very complex. The other party is probably also overwhelmed, and it is not certain whether they might be out on a mission, which is too common for the special forces team. Whether the other party is willing to step into this mess is also hard to say.

His assassination attempt must have had support from within the Central Base military. If he dies, who will take charge of Jing Nan Base? The next appointment must have already been prepared.

He must return immediately to disrupt the other party's plans, but at the same time, he might also be stepping into their trap. With so many dangers, how dare he take his daughter alone into the tiger's den?

Comet barked at the door, drawing their attention to Duoduo, who stood there with tears streaming down her face. She shot Ren Yuefei a resentful glance before bolting away.

Ren Yuefei was startled and quickly chased after her.

Not long after, Ren Yuefei returned with Duoduo, her eyes red and swollen. She went straight back to her room, with Comet obediently following. She hugged Comet and said nothing.

Zhou Yun poured some tea for Ren Yuefei on the balcony, knowing that he had not finished speaking.

Ren Yuefei took the teacup and sighed softly, speaking to Zhou Yun in a low voice: "The child is upset. But it's really hard for me to ensure her safety. I've already lost her mother, and now this—not only was she frightened, but I also feel deeply guilty... I can't risk her anymore, but I can't determine whether the entourage and other members of the delegation in Central Base have betrayed me. I need to make some arrangements after I get there. It's hard to manage everything with the child in tow. I've just persuaded her, and she didn't object."

He looked at Zhou Yun frankly: "I know this is asking a lot, and I've only just met Doctor Zhou, to impose such a burden... I'm truly at the end of my rope..."

Zhou Yun quickly waved his hand: "No need to be polite, General Ren. It's not as difficult as you think. I have a good rapport with the child, and taking her back to Beiming is certainly no problem for me. I also have reliable places there to take good care of Duoduo. But considering the child's feelings, especially since she has just witnessed those scenes, being separated from her family for a long time isn't good for her mental health. Especially since her mother is no longer here, forcing a separation at this time might not be good for the child."

He pointed to the trees outside: "It's the first time I've seen such a young child able to perform such high-level growth spells. She loves you deeply, which is why she could unleash such immense energy in a life-or-death situation."

Ren Yuefei frowned tightly. Of course, he knew that after his wife's death, the child resented him and hadn't spoken to him for over a year. At this critical moment of life and death, it seemed that the child and he had finally resolved their issues, but now they were about to fall into a deadlock again. Even though the child calmly accepted his persuasion just now, he knew that the child's heart had distanced itself from him again.

He said in a low voice: "I have my duties... many lives depend on me." At this moment, he could take the child and this doctor to Beiming. With his psychic powers, he could live well anywhere, just being an ordinary doctor surviving with his child in the apocalypse, which didn't seem so bad.

He actually wavered slightly, after all, he owed his daughter too much, and this time it was too dangerous, he inevitably had the thought of retreating from the turbulent situation.

Zhou Yun sighed: "How about this, I happen to have a friend attending the meeting in Central Base, I haven't seen him for a long time, so I might as well take your plane there. With me and Comet escorting, once we reach Central Base, my friend is quite reliable and should be able to provide a safer place. As long as we don't stay with you at the hotel, there should be no room for ambush. You can focus on your meeting, right?"

He smiled: "I heard that the snow in Central Base has finally melted, and it's the time for flowers to bloom. It would be nice to take the child to visit the scenic spots and stroll around the base." He glanced at Comet and patted its head: "Comet wants to play too, right?" Comet wagged its tail like a wheel.

Ren Yuefei couldn't help but laugh, knowing this was Doctor Zhou's gentle way of not wanting him to feel too burdened. He thought about it and didn't refuse, after all, this was the best plan. This Doctor Zhou was deeply hidden, Comet was extraordinarily powerful, and his daughter had a good impression of them. With them, a man and a dog, his daughter would indeed be much safer. Moreover, with them around, his relationship with his daughter wouldn't be too strained.

Now wasn't the time to be hesitant, he owed a debt of gratitude and would remember to repay it. He simply said: "Thank you, Doctor Zhou, I can't thank you enough for such a great favor; I'll do everything I can to repay you in the future."

Zhou Yun smiled: "Really, no need to be polite, I really want to see my old friend. Also, there's a friend from Beiming going to the meeting, he's in business, has a small business in Beiming, and I have some cooperation with him, so it's a good opportunity to see if there's any chance." And that wind crystal core, just take it to Guan Yuanfeng, and also see Qin Mu and Qin Sheng.

Ren Yuefei laughed: "That's even better, as for flight safety, you don't have to worry. I used to be a retired pilot, I've flown fighter jets, the basic skills are still there. As long as we watch the weather, we can fly there in half a day. Once we reach the military base in Central Base, it's safe. I also have some old friends in the alliance military, but I haven't contacted them for a long time, so I'm not sure if he's in Central Base. Once we get there, if I can contact him, I'll have him send people to protect you, which will be even safer."

Zhou Yun nodded.

Once the plan was settled, Zhou Yun started packing. Fortunately, he had only taken the most essential parts for convenience, and there was still enough space in the helicopter. Zhou Yun packed all the herb collection boxes, insects, and medicinal parts of animals.

Ren Yuefei had already flown the helicopter back to the gentler slope of the hill where the hotel was located.

Ren Duoduo, knowing that Zhou Yun and Comet were going along, immediately brightened up from her frosty expression.

After everything was packed, before departure, Zhou Yun also collected the hotel's branded shower gel, shampoo, soap, perfume, and even the expensive hair dryer, tea bags, and even took two pairs of branded slippers. He also took a small refrigerator from the room and placed it on the plane.

Ren Yuefei: "..."

Only Ren Duoduo responded very actively, also collecting a large bag of small packages of toiletries and perfumes from the entire floor, very enthusiastically: "Doctor Zhou, I think the scent of that shower gel is really nice, you like it too, right?"

Zhou Yun nodded, handing a bag of red wine to Ren Duoduo: "This is for you, you're going to your grandmother's house, right? You can't go empty-handed, can you? This wine is very, very expensive, one sip is worth tens of thousands."

Ren Duoduo looked at another bag: "Did Doctor Zhou also leave some for your friend? Isn't it a joy to have friends come from afar?"

Zhou Yun nodded: "Yes."

Ren Yuefei: "..." He actually had prepared gifts for the child's grandmother, but Doctor Zhou was indeed very considerate. Wine, and drinking with comrades is also good.

The helicopter soon took off, and Ren Yuefei, as expected of a former fighter pilot, said it would take four hours, but in fact, it only took a little over three hours before they arrived at the military airport in Central Base.

After contacting the ground through the military channel, the helicopter landed at the designated spot, and Ren Yuefei went to handle the relevant procedures and contacted personnel to arrange for them to be placed in a VIP reception room at the airport.

Ren Yuefei, with a smile on his face, all worries from the journey swept away: "I've contacted my old comrade, he's absolutely reliable. I thought I might not be able to reach him. Now that I've explained the situation, he's personally bringing people and a car to pick us up to the city, and also said he would arrange for you and Duoduo to stay in another safe place, and we'll make arrangements after the meeting agenda is completed."

Zhou Yun nodded, thinking that Guan Yuanfeng must be very busy, so he would enter the city first, then call him to give him a surprise.

In the reception room, they had a simple boxed meal, Zhou Yun fed Comet some dog food, took it to the toilet, and when he returned, he saw guards standing at the door, gesturing for him to stop. From the reception room came Ren Yuefei's laughter: "A junior from the metal department? Haha, good, let me train him, I guarantee I can train him well!"

"But Yuanfeng, who is so desperate to follow your training? I've heard of your fearsome reputation even in Jing Nan, hasn't he cried?"

A familiar voice came through: "He cried, but he refused to give in. He's got good character. Since I'm not aligned with the metal element, I can't provide more effective guidance in psychic powers. I'll need your help."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Ren Yuefei, sitting on the sofa inside, saw what the guard was doing and waved them in, standing up with a smile: "This is the person I told you about, who helped me in the Jiuyi Mountains. Let me introduce you."

Comet bounded over with a happy bark, nuzzling its head and paws into Guan Yuanfeng's lap.

Guan Yuanfeng reached out to calm Comet, looked up, startled, and met Zhou Yun's gaze, his face showing astonishment...