Chapter 82 Pre-Battle Preparations

Chapter 82 Pre-Battle Preparations

After understanding the situation, Ge Chen and Qi Shuhong first arranged accommodations for Guan Yuanfeng and his team.

There were many rooms in the city lord's mansion, with a villa specifically for guests located next to the garden.

Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun shared a room, while the other team members were paired up, two to a room. After settling in and unpacking, Jiang Rongqian came to Guan Yuanfeng's room to set up a communication base station.

While adjusting the base station, Jiang Rongqian discussed the next steps with Guan Yuanfeng: "Should we ask Ge Chen first about what to do next?"

"Ge Chen is not the leader of this group," Guan Yuanfeng said, helping Zhou Yun, who was struggling to undo the buckle on his tactical belt. "He was put forward because he's a cop, but he can't command these people, and they don't trust us either."

Jiang Rongqian was surprised and thought for a moment. "Then, is it Dr. Qi?"

Guan Yuanfeng shook his head. Zhou Yun, who had just taken off his helmet, his face still flushed from the heat, said, "It's Shen Lan."

Jiang Rongqian was puzzled and flipped through his notebook to find the record on Shen Lan: earth-based psychic abilities, a businessman, not talkative. He wondered, "How can you be sure it's him?"

Zhou Yun explained, "When I mentioned that the drug might be the same and that it could be influenced by Li Xiong's psychic abilities, she glanced at Shen Lan."

He recalled, "There's a passage from the building at the helipad that leads directly to the dining area, but they deliberately took the narrow elevator that requires splitting into two or three groups, making us take a detour through the garden. They're keeping their distance, probably because they don't trust us."

Seeing that Guan Yuanfeng didn't respond, clearly agreeing with Zhou Yun's analysis, Jiang Rongqian said, "So, you mean they might obstruct our actions?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "We can't afford to waste time on this. Let's prepare; we'll destroy the mutated poppies fields and workshops outside the city tonight."

Jiang Rongqian asked, "Should we inform Ge Chen and the others?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Yes. At this point, we can't afford to be suspicious of each other. We must be clear, and they can choose whether to join us or not."

He then asked Zhou Yun, "Are you confident in helping them overcome their addiction later?"

Zhou Yun replied, "About 90% confident. First, they're psychics with strong physiques and strong wills. Second, we have mutated herbs. We can also use wood psychic abilities for detox to aid the treatment. Although we haven't treated this before, with the teacher's help, I believe we can manage."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, "Alright, let's go over tonight's plan first. Get Ge Chen over here; we need to get a lay of the land outside."

As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was Jiang Rongqian, informing him that the signal base station was set up. Guan Yuanfeng answered, "Commander Tan."

"Yes, yes, I'm already in Cangshan City. The situation isn't good."

"The expert team is still waiting for me? Do I need to bring them? Can't they come on their own?"

"Oh, no... Commander, I set off immediately upon your order without any delay. It wasn't intentional. You can arrange for someone else to escort them, right?"

Guan Yuanfeng's face was serious, but when he saw Zhou Yun smiling at him, his ears turned slightly red.

After a few more words from the other end, Guan Yuanfeng smiled slightly, "I know you've always been the best to me, Old Captain. Just buy us a few more days. Use any excuse, like selecting people or bad weather conditions."

"Alright, alright, I understand."

After hanging up, Guan Yuanfeng said, "Commander Tan will try to stall for us. Let's act quickly." He glanced at Zhou Yun, who was still struggling to take off his boots, knowing he wasn't used to being so tightly wrapped up. "This afternoon, we'll scout the city for information. You rest at the city lord's mansion."

==========

The long, dark green light-blocking curtains hung down, and the room's table was cluttered with syringes and lab equipment. This was the meeting room of the drug laboratory.

Qi Shuhong was giving Zhao Yi an injection.

"Ge Chen was called over to discuss the situation outside the city. They aim to neutralize Luo Yisen's threat ASAP and take control of the mutated poppies fields and workshops."

Li Ming walked in from the door, speaking to the people in the small room. He shared a room with Ge Chen.

Taoist Master Yunyin said, "It was expected, but it's a bit surprising that they didn't propose to take over Li Xiong or even ask to see him. The reasons we prepared earlier were all unnecessary."

"They don't look, they don't care, because in their minds, Li Xiong is already a dead man."

Everyone turned to look at the indifferent Shen Lan.

Shen Lan sat there, his face expressionless: "The formula for the extract of mutated poppies is only of concern to us. Their goal is to destroy this poisonous city and prevent these harmful substances from spreading."

"They came in, didn't even drink water, only brought a team doctor to superficially comfort us. The experts from the Psychic Research Institute weren't even sent. This must be a decision made by high-ranking military officials to completely clear the area and leave no trace of poison."

"We, who are controlled by drugs, are destined to be abandoned lambs."

The room went dead silent. Hua Rou hugged Zhao Yi and began to sob.

Zhang Guangming said, "Haven't we been prepared for this for a long time? At worst, we'll perish together."

Li Ming's eyes were a bit red: "Didn't Brother Ge say that Captain Guan is particularly good and would find a way for us?"

Shen Lan said coldly, "Guan Yuanfeng is just a tool; he can only execute orders. No matter how good Ge Chen's impression of his captain is, that was before the apocalypse. Now it's different."

"In the end, they will definitely make us undergo so-called traditional medicine treatments. Give us some hope with mutated herbs, and then study us, providing valuable experimental materials for artificially induced psychic powers. Whether we survive or not is not their responsibility; it's our bad luck."

Qi Shuhong whispered, "But that Doctor Zhou accurately mentioned the matter of the Crystal Core transplant just by feeling Ge Chen's pulse. This matter, Li Xiong has always strictly forbidden it from being leaked, wanting to control this method of inducing psychic powers. Ge Chen also met him for the first time and didn't have time to mention this information; he shouldn't have known."

"He casually mentioned it; it's not hard to deduce that the Crystal Core was transplanted. The key is the formula for the mutated poppy extract." Shen Lan decisively said, "Including that so-called hypnotic suggestion, he just wants to dissuade us from continuing to explore the formula on Li Xiong. So when they kill Li Xiong, we won't oppose or obstruct."

Qi Shuhong hesitated for a while: "The efficacy of mutated herbs is indeed different from before... maybe... Xiao Shen, maybe we still have a way out."

Shen Lan sneered, "Starting with eating ginseng and lingzhi chicken soup? Sister Qi, you're too naive." He looked at Zhao Yi: "If you don't believe me, ask Xiao Yi. What was Doctor Zhou thinking when he picked up Xiao Yi today?"

Everyone looked at Zhao Yi, who opened his eyes, still somewhat confused. Qi Shuhong walked over and gently asked him, "Xiao Yi, when you hugged Doctor Zhou's leg today, did you hear what he was thinking in his heart?"

Xiao Yi was dazed for a moment before speaking: "Pandan leaves, good for making snacks."

Everyone was speechless.

Hua Rou wiped her tears: "Xiao Yi is still not very understanding, and this ability is hit or miss. Let's just forget it."

She stroked Xiao Yi's hair: "Xiao Yi, do you want to eat pandan leaf cake? Shall I ask the kitchen to make some for you?"

Xiao Yi shook his head: "Doctor Zhou thought."

"Pandan leaves, good for making snacks. When I hugged his leg, I also saw a clump of grass, green, with long leaves."

Xiao Yi gestured, with a bit of longing: "When Doctor Zhou held me, he was very worried about Xiao Yi. He smelled nice, like herbs, like mom."

Everyone was speechless.

Zhao Guangming said, "If Xiao Yi can share visual perceptions, it means the other person's thoughts are really strong and clear to achieve this..."

Hua Rou whispered, "How badly does he want to eat that pandan leaf?"

Shen Lan sneered, "So isn't it obvious? A young man participating in such a significant event, without tension, without fear, without vigilance. Only thinking about eating!"

"Do you still believe such a person is a doctor with a mission? His mission is just to comfort us! And the mission of the special forces team is to clear the poison! Their mission does not include saving us, but abandoning us."

"The only thing worth being thankful for is that at least they still have a conscience, making the decision to destroy rather than to possess and exploit."

He coldly said, "Let go of the fantasy! Didn't we decide this long ago?"

The room fell into a deathly silence as Monk Xin Hai clasped his hands together and chanted a long Buddhist invocation: "Amitabha... If I do not go to hell, who will?"

=====

After planning the night's operation, Guan Yuanfeng led his team into the city to gather information, showcasing his usual thoroughness.

Zhou Yun, who also disliked crowded places, stayed behind since Guan Yuanfeng didn’t ask him to come. He took Qin Sheng and Tang Anchen to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

He and the cook found a large pot to stew ginseng and lingzhi chicken soup, considering they had thirteen people, and the opposing side was also numerous, all of whom possessed psychic powers.

Pre-sliced ginseng and lingzhi, along with lotus seeds and red dates, were added to the pot, followed by ten chickens they had brought on their plane.

The wild chickens, rabbits, and goats they had caught earlier in Yanling were processed at the observation station there, with edible parts cut and marinated, then frozen in insulated foam boxes, replenished daily with a freezing spell. For this operation, they shared some with Jing Nan and took some themselves, leaving the rest to the special forces as it was too cumbersome.

As soon as the water boiled, the soup's aroma filled the air. Even Comet, the dog, was circling around, drawn by the scent.

Qin Sheng took out half a goat to thaw, while Tang Anchen diced pineapple beside him, unable to resist asking, "It smells so good, it must be delicious, right?"

Zhou Yun smiled, "Ginseng and lingzhi are quite bitter, so we have to be careful with the amount. We added lotus seeds to balance the heat." These were premium items from his Crystal Core, with the three main ingredients being top-grade mutated herbs, plus the mutated wild chicken, truly a great tonic for vitality.

As Qin Sheng began dicing lamb for pineapple fried rice, Zhou Yun stepped out to the garden to pick pandan leaves for cake, but he suddenly felt watched.

He turned around and scanned the area, then glanced up at the nearby building, which was said to be Li Xiong's former laboratory building.

"They're really picking pandan leaves. The kitchen staff said they're preparing dinner, with all the meat, rice, and flour brought from their plane."

"The pineapple and vegetables are picked from their own garden, all self-harvested and washed, untouched by anyone else."

"That Dr. Zhou has water psychic powers, and they brought their own water, very cautious."

Li Ming was somewhat indignant, "So the so-called team doctor is just a logistics cook in the special forces, doing some first aid work and knowing a bit of medical knowledge?"

Shen Lan emerged from the shadows of the room, "No, he clearly commands other psychics and holds a high position within the special forces. Even Deputy Jiang's prestige is less than his, though it might also be because he's an ordinary doctor."

Qi Shuhong turned to him, "Back so soon? Could you hear their conversation?"

Shen Lan shook his head, "That's why I said he's not an ordinary logistics staff. I hadn't even gotten close to the kitchen, just entered the garden, and he was already looking around, very alert. His psychic level is definitely not low."

Originally, they thought they only needed to be wary of the tall earth-type guy and the dog, but unexpectedly, the man and the dog showed no reaction, while the doctor cutting pandan leaves suddenly looked around. Isn't he a water-type?

Qi Shuhong was surprised, "Maybe it's just a coincidence? Your earth escape technique is hard to detect, isn't it? Even Luo Yisen, who's at the fourth level, couldn't detect you."

Shen Lan said, "No, I have a feeling, he has a level suppression over me. And his expression was different from before, completely like a different person. If I got any closer, I would definitely be crushed."

The previously gentle-looking doctor had an expression of cold superiority, scanning the garden like a king whose territory had been invaded, looking at prey stepping into a trap with impatience and arrogance.

He felt a chilling terror, as if something was watching him everywhere in the garden, and he quickly retreated, not daring to take another step.

They were controlled by Li Xiong with drugs, eliminating dissidents for him, killing many people, encountering countless troublesome mutated beasts and psychics, and even Li Xiong would make psychics kill each other for fun.

This was the first time since awakening his psychic powers that he felt such a clear sense of level intimidation.

===

Zhou Yun took the pandan leaves back to the kitchen and started making pandan leaf cake.

The cook from the city lord's mansion showed great interest and came to observe.

Not particularly skilled, he followed the cook's instructions: cutting the choicest pandan leaves, blending them for juice, and mixing it with water chestnut powder and sugar to create a light green batter. Then he mixed coconut milk, sugar, and water chestnut powder to make another white batter.

The two batters were poured alternately into a steamer, with one layer of white batter steamed until completely solidified and cooked, then another layer of the other color was poured and steamed, repeating this process eight times. After demolding and cutting from the cloth, it became a beautiful pandan leaf thousand-layer water chestnut cake with white and green patterns.

The dessert was put into the fridge, and Zhou Yun steamed a large pot of taro ribs, using the mutated wild taro and wild pork from Yanling.

When Captain Guan returned with the team, the chicken soup had been simmering, and dinner was ready to start.

Ge Chen led the psychics to the dining hall, where they saw a large pot of chicken soup, tender stewed chicken, steamed taro ribs, and a big pot of lamb and pineapple fried rice already laid out on the table. They were all taken aback by the extravagant feast.

The special operations team members were all smiling, eagerly serving themselves while praising Zhou Yun, Qin Sheng, and Little Tang.

Even Ge Chen stood beside Tang Anchen, observing Comet enjoying his meal in the corner of the dining hall. He remarked, "Is that really Comet? I heard the captain retired and adopted him. I didn’t expect him to mutate so luckily."

Tang Anchen said, "Aren’t there a lot of mutated dogs around here?"

Ge Chen scoffed, "They’re all artificially stimulated. Out of a hundred, maybe ten survive. They keep collecting puppies to experiment on. They even bred mutated leopards and tigers, forcing us psychics to fight them for entertainment! Those bastards! We killed them all!"

Tang Anchen sympathized, "Brother Chen, don’t dwell on those sad memories. Now that the captain is here, things will be better. Come on, let’s eat. Xiao Sheng is an excellent cook; you must try his food." He enthusiastically pulled Ge Chen over to serve himself.

Ge Chen smiled bitterly, "How can I even swallow such dry food now?"

Tang Anchen quickly added, "There’s ginseng and lingzhi chicken soup here! It’s been stewing all afternoon, and the meat is so tender it falls apart. It smells amazing! Dr. Zhou said this is reserved for you guys first. Those of us in good health can only have one bowl of soup each, and the rest of the meat and soup are for you."

He boasted, "The chicken is also a mutated wild chicken. The soup is so fragrant! Comet caught it!"

Ge Chen said enviously, "I’m so jealous that you can still follow the captain. Are you in Yanling? It’s hard to get into the deep mountains now. We have to form teams and bring dogs, like a hunting party."

Tang Anchen chuckled, "It’s tough going in with others, but with the captain, it’s no problem at all."

The psychics from Cangshan overheard Ge Chen and Tang Anchen’s conversation and couldn’t help but feel a bit scornful. However, the tantalizing scent of the food set their stomachs rumbling.

Although they had joined forces to resist, they were practically trapped in the city. As psychics, their bodies required more energy from food, but their digestive systems had been damaged by drugs, making it hard for them to digest heavy meals.

The chicken was indeed stewed to perfection. Despite being called ginseng and lingzhi soup, it wasn’t bitter at all. The medicinal notes of ginseng and lingzhi had perfectly melded with the deep, savory flavor of the chicken, and there were fresh white lotus seeds scattered throughout.

The soup was rich and the meat tender, brimming with abundant mutated energy. Even the sweet lotus seeds were clearly mutated.

The fried rice was filled with chunks of pineapple, lamb, green peas, carrots, and eggs. The lamb was fried to a golden crisp, and the pineapple added a delightful tanginess. Even though they had eaten pineapple before, they could tell the person who made this fried rice was a true master.

The steamed taro ribs were also a hit. The taro was soft and sweet, and the ribs, said to be from a mutated wild boar, had no gamey smell. They were marinated with scallions, ginger, and soy sauce, giving them a rich, savory flavor. When steamed, the meat fell right off the bone, and the half-fat, half-lean ribs were incredibly delicious.

Even Xiao Yi, after devouring a tender chicken leg, went on to enjoy two ribs and a slice of pandan cake. He happily repeated, "Pandan leaves make the best cakes!"

Qi Shuhong felt a bit guilty and glanced across the table, only to see Dr. Zhou holding a piece of pandan cake and offering it to the captain with a smile, saying something she couldn’t hear.

Captain Guan, who had been stern-faced earlier, opened his mouth to eat the cake and nodded in approval of its flavor. However, he quickly sensed Qi Shuhong’s gaze and looked back sharply, locking eyes with her.

Qi Shuhong instinctively avoided his suddenly piercing gaze and, to ease the awkwardness, asked with a smile, "Captain Guan, I heard from Brother Ge that you’re planning to reclaim the mutated poppy fields and workshops outside the city. Do you need our help? We’ve been there often before."

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "If you can assist, that would be best."

Qi Shuhong was momentarily at a loss for words. She had anticipated that the special operations team would block their involvement and decline their assistance, perhaps using excuses like their poor health or being too busy.

To her astonishment, Guan Yuanfeng consented immediately, without a second thought, and the other team members were clearly engrossed in the food, eating quickly as if afraid it would run out.

After a pause, Qi Shuhong continued, "When do you plan to act, Captain Guan? We can make some preparations."

Guan Yuanfeng replied succinctly, "We’ll set off at 11 tonight and act at midnight."

Qi Shuhong was genuinely shocked. "Tonight? So soon?"

She restrained herself from looking towards Shen Lan and couldn’t help but ask, "Isn’t this too rushed? Luo Yisen is a wind-type psychic, and his blades of wind are formidable. Shouldn’t we prepare more thoroughly? And isn’t the team too small? Shouldn’t we wait for reinforcements?"

She added, "Luo Yisen is a fourth-level wind-type psychic. He can conjure formidable hurricanes. We were ensnared due to his mastery over wind."

"Someone offended him before, and Luo Yisen trapped that person in a tornado for an entire day. The screams could be heard throughout the entire city."

Her face turned slightly pale as she recalled the incident: "When that person fell from the tornado, only a skeleton remained, having been meticulously sliced to death by blades of wind."

The memory of the scene made her lose her appetite.

Guan Yuanfeng, however, didn’t bat an eye: "That’s enough. Speed is of the essence in warfare."

Qi Shuhong had no choice but to ask, "What do we need to do if we join?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied succinctly, "Put on protective gear, grab your weapons, and stick with the main group."

Qi Shuhong: "..."

Beside her, Zhang Guangming chuckled, "Back when we watched TV, there were always all sorts of tactics. Sending drones for reconnaissance beforehand to see how many troops the enemy has, their distribution, where their weapons and tanks are... Then dividing into groups to attack their weakest points... Also, you're not yet familiar with our psychic abilities, right? It might be hard to arrange combat groups."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Right, pair up in twos. You can pair up as you usually do and watch each other's backs in combat. Once the number of participants is confirmed, just inform Xiao Jiang."

Jiang Rongqian explained with a smile, "We originally had drones, but we got the orders in a rush while we were still up in the mountains. We didn’t have time to bring the relevant base station equipment, and debugging would be too troublesome. Considering the poor signal outside the city, it would just waste time, so it's better to act swiftly."

"We’ve already gathered information. The laborers working in the fields are escorted to a nearby camp at night for unified supervision. The fields and workshops are connected, and the armed personnel all wear the same camouflage uniforms. So, the mission is straightforward—no need to sort out civilians, which actually makes things a lot easier for us."

Qi Shuhong finally couldn’t help but glance at Shen Lan, who remained expressionless and indifferent.

She said, "Alright, we’ll finalize the participants and join you. However, it’s usually Master Xinhai, Xiao Rou, and Xiao Yi who stay at home. Brother Ge should probably stay in the city too."

Ge Chen shook his head, "It’s been a long time since I fought alongside the captain. I want to follow him."

Qi Shuhong said, "You need to guard against psychic backlash. Besides, we still need to keep an eye on Li Xiong here, and we should leave a few capable fighters behind." She noticed that when she suggested Ge Chen not go, Guan Yuanfeng neither agreed nor disagreed, but it was clear he wasn’t concerned.

He didn’t care if Ge Chen went or not, and he didn’t care if they were trying to stop him.

Qi Shuhong continued, "Li Ming, Xiao Shen, and I, along with the Taoist Master, will go. The Taoist Master also has thunder abilities, though not as powerful as Captain Guan's, but he’s usually one of our main combatants..."

Zhou Yun asked with interest, "When the Taoist Master uses thunder abilities, is it like the Taoist practice of summoning the five thunders, with some kind of thunder-summoning technique?"

He gestured with his hand, "Like the Five Thunder Gods, Thunder Soldiers, Thunder Generals, and so on."

Taoist Master Yunyin smiled, "I invoke the Heavenly Lord of the Universal Thunder. Dr. Zhou, you know about thunder-summoning techniques? It seems you’re well-versed in Taoist culture."

Zhou Yun said, "Taoist medicine is an important branch of traditional medicine. We just came from the Taoist caves in Yanling. I’m currently interested in studying Taoist alchemical medicine. Do you have any insights to share, Master?"

Taoist Master Yunyin’s eyes lit up, "I’ve been interested in the past and remember some old prescriptions from our temple’s ancient books. I’ve always wanted to try them. I’ve heard that mutated herbs now have vastly different effects, and many rare treasures have emerged. I think we could try alchemy."

Zhou Yun agreed enthusiastically, "During our time in Yanling, we collected mutated poria..."

Taoist Master Yunyin became animated and engaged in a lively conversation, "The divine medicine of the four seasons, a good thing! Ancient texts say that long-term consumption can lead to immortality. I happen to know an ancient prescription related to poria..."

Master Xinhai also joined the conversation, "Our temple’s vegetarian restaurant has made poria cream before... The female guests loved it."

Qi Shuhong was taken aback as the mood at the table went from battle-ready to chill and cozy. Across the table, Captain Guan, who had been stern-faced, didn’t stop the off-topic chatter and even picked the last piece of rib from the steamer and placed it in Dr. Zhou’s bowl.

The massive mutated dog, already stuffed, was now nuzzling up to Dr. Zhou, who gave the last piece of rib to the dog.

Zhang Guangming picked up a piece of ginseng from the soup and chewed it, exclaiming in surprise, "This ginseng... seems to have light-type energy."

Beside him, Ge Chen finished his bowl of chicken soup in one go and smiled, "The soup is really good! I’ll have another bowl!" Tang Anchen stood up and took his bowl to refill it.

Next to Tang Anchen, the handsome metal-type young man who was said to be an excellent cook transformed his hand into a dagger and was cutting a rib. Li Ming, beside him, curiously asked how he did it.

Shen Lan, expressionless, also got up to serve himself a bowl of soup.

Not far away, Hua Rou carefully pinched off another piece of colorful cake and fed it to Xiao Yi.

Qi Shuhong couldn’t help but feel this was all a bit absurd. Are we really heading out tonight?