Chapter 121: All Old Acquaintances

Chapter 121: All Old Acquaintances

When Luo Shouchang from Sanchu Base arrived at Guixu City, it was already the end of December. The temperature in Danlin suddenly soared to over forty degrees, making it clear that winter was not going to arrive.

He had originally planned to come in October, but was repeatedly delayed by weather issues and then floods, which kept him extremely busy. By the time he finally confirmed his trip to Guixu City, two months had passed.

He first went to the Southwest Military Headquarters to meet Guan Yuanfeng, but unexpectedly encountered the famous Lord Dongjun there.

He hadn't expected Lord Dongjun to be such a handsome, tall, and slender young man. However, when he saw those calm and intense eyes, he immediately knew this was indeed the Lord Dongjun.

With a smile, he stepped forward and vigorously shook Zhou Yun's hand, pumping it up and down: "I just heard about your paper on shadow hemp! My subordinates rushed to my office demanding to fly to Mobei City immediately to buy shadow hemp, but I'm afraid it's already too late. Anything that can control psychics is something every city lord would desperately want to hoard."

"City Lord Liang directly offered me a high price and even thanked you for finding a lucrative industry for Mobei City."

Zhou Yun remained silent.

Guan Yuanfeng glanced at Luo Shouchang's vigorously shaking hand: "Take a seat."

But Luo Shouchang was still brimming with excitement: "And that psychic affinity test paper! It's a groundbreaking invention! Green Bird must be overwhelmed with orders now, right? No matter what, please prioritize Sanchu Base for purchasing!"

In his previous life, after learning that Zhou Yun had invented the psychic affinity test paper, Luo Shouchang had also rushed to Central Base to request priority.

Zhou Yun looked at Luo Shouchang's excited expression, which eerily mirrored that of his past life self, and couldn't help but smile: "Alright, I'll personally give you a hundred sheets later."

Luo Shouchang had only hoped to at least try his luck upon meeting Lord Dongjun, expecting rejection but thinking it was worth a shot. He never expected Zhou Yun to agree so readily to give him the test papers—for free!

His face practically lit up with excitement: "Really? I'm... I'm so touched! City Lord, do you know how much these are going for on the black market? You're really giving them to me?"

Guan Yuanfeng couldn't take it anymore: "Sit down, let's talk properly."

Zhou Yun smiled: "These are limited and expensive to the public, and currently, most of those rushing to buy them are using them for research or testing by the elite. Ordinary people, struggling to make ends meet, won't waste money on these tests. After all, knowing your affinity doesn't mean you can awaken psychic abilities."

Luo Shouchang, oblivious to Guan Yuanfeng's hostility, sat back down and laughed heartily: "We're profiting off these elites!"

"General Guan, you must protect the City Lord well. The black market isn't just offering high prices for the test paper formula—they're also offering high prices specifically for Lord Dongjun himself."

Guan Yuanfeng frowned: "Don't exaggerate."

Luo Shouchang, unfazed, smiled: "Who wouldn't speculate that Lord Dongjun has already mastered the method to awaken psychic abilities?" He stared intently at Zhou Yun's expression, not missing any subtle changes.

Zhou Yun remained unfazed: "Thank you for the praise, General Luo."

Luo Shouchang continued: "The roads are now fully connected, and many from Sanchu Base have come to Guixu City. I initially thought it was unnecessary for Guixu City to be so large, but now I'm fully convinced."

Zhou Yun smiled, and Luo Shouchang spoke candidly: "I thought General Guan would choose Sanchu Base as the headquarters for the Southwest Military Command. I prepared for a long time, but who would have thought he'd build a new city from the ground up? Who wouldn't say this is another form of creation?"

Seeing that Luo Shouchang didn't seem to have any major issues to discuss, Zhou Yun stood up: "I have some matters at the hospital and lab, so I'll take my leave."

Luo Shouchang stood up and smiled: "I'm honored that the City Lord could spare the time to meet me."

Zhou Yun found his mix of formal and casual speech amusing, quite different from the relaxed and natural demeanor he had in their past life. He couldn't help but smile again before nodding to Guan Yuanfeng and leaving.

Guan Yuanfeng opened the door for Zhou Yun and escorted him out. After Zhou Yun left, he turned to look at Luo Shouchang, who was still standing, and gave him a thorough once-over.

He had known Luo Shouchang before, but he had never looked at him as a man. Tall and burly—a physique rare in the south but common in the north—with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, Guan Yuanfeng reluctantly admitted that Luo Shouchang was indeed handsome.

There was a sense of reliability about him, and he spoke with a casual ease that was rare in the post-apocalyptic world—a confidence and relaxation that belonged to the strong.

In the post-apocalyptic era, to hold one's ground in the fiercely independent Sanchu Base, it could be said, without mincing words, that one couldn't sit securely as the city lord without having blood on their hands.

He had indeed initially considered that location, but given that Zhou Yun would definitely not leave Danlin City, and Sanchu Base was too far from Danlin, it was the first to be abandoned.

Why did Zhou Yun show such special interest in someone he had just met for the first time?

He was sure that Zhou Yun felt an immediate sense of familiarity with Luo Shouchang.

For some reason, Luo Shouchang felt a prickling discomfort under Guan Yuanfeng's scrutinizing gaze.

He started replaying his words and actions in his mind, wondering if he had unintentionally displayed hostility.

He hadn’t been close with Guan Yuanfeng before, only having crossed paths a few times casually. After the apocalypse, he knew Guan Yuanfeng had a reputation for integrity, but in these times, such a reputation could easily be a carefully constructed facade for personal gain.

Especially with Guan Yuanfeng’s recent maneuvers—immediately followed by military reforms, creating several large military regions from scratch, and appointing regional commanders out of nowhere—it was clear he aimed to undermine the military leaders of each base.

Ye Yuqing, a notorious old fox, was pushed back to his hometown by Guan Yuanfeng, making it seem like a grand performance for all the bases.

Old Peng in the north hadn’t earned his reputation as "leading by example, loving the people as his own" for no reason. As the Northeast Military Region’s commander, no one opposed him, especially since the north was in dire straits, and anyone taking the role of regional commander would face a tough challenge.

But the Southwest was a different story...

He hadn’t expected Guan Yuanfeng to bypass any city and instead return to his hometown to build a city from the ground up, succeeding in creating a renowned cactus city on the ruins.

He had put off paying his respects, nursing his own reservations. Guixu City lacked resources, an industrial base, and people—it was clearly a place of struggle.

If he went, how could he not offer some assistance? But he himself was barely holding on—how could he afford to give resources to this so-called Guixu City? Give people? Money? Psychics? How much would suffice? And if he didn’t, wouldn’t he be branded as insubordinate?

He figured Beiming City, being the closest to Guixu City, felt the same way. So he kept finding excuses to delay his visit to Guixu City.

But now... he was indeed compelled to passively supply resources, as talent from Sanchu Base was rapidly migrating to Guixu City. With the cold weather and recent floods, refugees were everywhere. With the roads fixed, they eagerly flocked to Guixu City for better benefits.

From generous welfare for those unable to work to lucrative rewards for infrastructure projects, every move was as risky as walking a tightrope. Knowing some would take advantage of the new city’s fragile financial and economic system, they still took in people as if courting disaster.

It reminded him of the pre-apocalypse local governments that borrowed heavily to set up city investment firms for infrastructure, racking up debts that lasted a century. When the apocalypse hit, the city investment firms went under, but the debts were still unpaid.

But this wasn’t the pre-apocalypse anymore!

Dongjun... this enigmatic city lord, alongside Guan Yuanfeng, somehow pulled it off.

The maneuvers that had all the city lords on edge, they actually managed to pull through.

These were truly remarkable individuals... He finally smiled and said to Guan Yuanfeng, "General Guan, I need to ask you for a favor."

In the blue sky, white clouds rolled and piled up like snow-capped mountains, the wind hitting his face. In December, Guixu City was still as hot as summer.

=======

Zhou Yun rode his bicycle quickly, as if returning to every ordinary morning before the apocalypse when he went to work at the hospital.

Breakfast stalls lined the roadside, the aroma of fried pumpkin glutinous rice balls, oil cakes, fried dough sticks, and steamed layer cakes filled the air. Noodle shops and porridge shops had already opened, their scents wafting far.

These snack stalls were thriving again, vastly different from the night market scene that day.

Since the tasks were issued, hundreds of thousands of people had poured into Guixu City, filling this once desolate city.

Guixu City was like a sponge, greedily absorbing the massive influx of people from all directions.

Storefronts along the street were quickly leased out with loans, the food and hospitality industries were the first to recover, followed by agriculture and handicrafts, with the rest left to the managers.

Talent is the foundation of a city, and all industries thrive only when there is a vibrant population.

He happily rode his bike to the medical center, locked it in the bike shed, and walked towards the entrance.

"Dr. Zhou!"

He turned around, puzzled, and saw Yi Qian being intercepted by several tall men in plain clothes.

Yi Qian looked just as surprised. They had been politely assigned positions by Dean Qi afterward; he went to the physical examination department, conducting daily check-ups for new residents settling in Guixu City.

Initially, he thought there would be fewer than fifty thousand residents, and the work would be basic physical exams, busy for a while with overtime in batches, and then it would be done.

Unexpectedly, Guixu City continuously took in residents from all over, and every day he started work with a deadpan expression: "Hello, fasting is required for blood tests. Please place urine samples on the shelf, not too much."

After two months, he was nearly going crazy, almost doubting the meaning of his choice to come to Guixu City.

However, in December, with the latest announcements from Guixu City, especially the explosive news about the establishment of the Green Bird laboratory, his inbox was bombarded with emails from all over.

They were from former classmates, colleagues from Central Base, inquiring about the laboratory's conditions, perks, and the situation in Guixu City. Some envied his bold move, while others pried into his current perks.

He didn’t dare admit that he had been here for so long, still working as an intern assistant in physical exams!

He could only laugh it off and agree, his heart set on joining this Green Bird laboratory. Sure, he knew he wasn’t qualified enough, but if recommended by Yao Lao, he might be able to work as a research assistant.

But Yao Lao was too busy; since the announcement, he hadn’t even shown up at the medical center. Dean Qi just said he was too old to deal with the hassle.

The elusive Dr. Zhou Yun, whom he had never laid eyes on, was also inquired about indirectly. He knew that as Yao Lao's disciple, Dr. Zhou held a very transcendent position in the hospital. He didn’t even receive a salary from the medical center, and Dean Qi respected him greatly.

He waited for days before finally spotting Zhou Yun and eagerly approached, only to be abruptly stopped by several men who seemed to materialize out of thin air!

What was going on?

Zhou Yun turned to look at him, his bright eyes seemingly seeing through his thoughts: "Xiao Yi? Come up to my office."

The men released him.