Chapter 133 A Big Gift

Chapter 133 A Big Gift

On a snowy night, the cold was piercing, and heavy snowflakes swirled in the air. A large truck, its exterior disguised, sat quietly in a snow-covered mountain hollow.

Inside the laboratory deep in the valley, it was eerily quiet. Only a few scientists had settled in, and the soldiers responsible for guarding the place walked sluggishly. The cold was unbearable, and after a round, they couldn't help but retreat to the duty room, turning on the heater and muttering complaints:

"It's too cold here, and it's so far from Zhongzhou. I regret coming here. If I had known it was this remote and the pay was this low, I wouldn't have agreed to come."

"Forget about it. Haven't you heard? It's been delayed until next spring."

"No way, it's already Little New Year's Eve. Not only can't we go back to the base for the New Year, but we're not even getting our bonuses?"

"Be careful, let's make another round. There might be a zombie wave."

"There's a high wall surrounding the valley, and it's deserted for miles around. No one knows about this place. They've even spread zombie repellent and odor neutralizer, and the waste has been disposed of."

"Spending so much money to build a lab in this remote place, and we haven't seen any benefits yet. Is it worth it?"

One of the guards muttered as he walked out, intending to make another round. Behind him, a shadowy figure suddenly emerged from the ground, calmly and precisely striking the side of his neck with the edge of his hand.

The guard silently collapsed to the ground. Hearing the sound, another guard came out, and Shen Lan continued to expertly knock them out.

There were four guards in the duty room: two on permanent duty and two on patrol. Shen Lan handcuffed them and locked them in the duty room, gagging them. He then deactivated the security monitoring system and opened the heavy metal door to the Dark Valley laboratory.

Soon, six or seven people in black protective suits and helmets quickly infiltrated.

The entrance to the underground laboratory was still blocked by heavy metal doors. Qin Sheng reached out and pressed his hand against the door, which slowly melted away like a half-melted ice cream bar.

Everyone swiftly entered.

Lin Dong Base.

===

Ye Lihui hurried into the ward, where Ye Zixi lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, undergoing acupuncture.

Ye Lihui didn't dare to speak, standing nervously to the side. Only after the acupuncture session was completed and the doctor left did Ye Zixi open his eyes, looking somewhat impatiently at Ye Lihui: "What is it now?"

Ye Lihui's face was pale: "The Dark Valley laboratory was infiltrated last night. All the equipment and crystal cores were taken."

Ye Zixi's eyes twitched: "That place was carefully chosen as a secret location, deep in the mountains, using an old classified military base. How could it still be raided? Could there be a traitor?"

Ye Lihui said: "Uncle Bei said it looks like there might be a traitor. They completely avoided the guards stationed there, took the most direct route, and made almost no noise. The surveillance equipment was also turned off directly. No one was killed, but everyone said they were knocked out from behind. It sounds like earth manipulation. The lab floors are stainless steel, but the stainless steel door was melted, which seems like the work of a metal manipulator. It must have been a hired team of psychics."

Ye Zixi asked: "What's the damage?"

Ye Lihui replied: "All the king-level crystal cores were taken, and the valuable experimental equipment was also removed, leaving only the hard-to-carry items. And..."

He looked anxious: "The ability activation serums and some materials from the human experiments were also taken." He was panicking: "What should we do?"

Ye Zixi snorted: "Don't panic. Tell Uncle Bei to release a statement saying that an illegal laboratory conducting human experiments was discovered, and we are currently dealing with and holding the responsible parties accountable."

"It's the apocalypse. People are more concerned about food and warmth. Who cares about such small news? It'll be forgotten in a couple of days."

Ye Lihui felt slightly reassured: "Yes, I'll tell Uncle Bei right away."

Ye Zixi added: "The other side is probably just after money. They must be conducting their own human experiments, taking the materials for research. Why would they publicize it?"

Ye Lihui looked regretful: "But we've invested a lot this time. The losses are huge. Building another lab like this will be too difficult. The location is also compromised, so it's hard to continue..."

Ye Zixi pondered and said, "Don't dwell on sunk costs anymore. The plan with the Psychic Research Institute was initially meant to be public, to recruit and attract more experts. But now, the unification of the bases in Zhongzhou is only held together by a piece of paper, which is too fragile. This plan is already a bust."

"Anyway, I have already transplanted the crystal cores, and for now, it seems better to collect enough water crystal cores to upgrade. There's no need to invest money in the Psychic Research Institute for the time being, just let them continue their research normally."

Ye Lihui whispered, "Yes. The main issue is that some of the scientists we recruited earlier, without the Dark Valley laboratory, the perks might not be as appealing..."

Ye Zixi said, "Those who can't handle the isolation and are only here for the perks, let them go."

Ye Lihui said, "Yes."

Ye Zixi suddenly sighed, "Yunqing was thriving as the deputy commander, we were his strong backing at the Lin Dong base, fully supporting him in the alliance military. The Psychic Research Institute's psychic society was also basically formed, and there was a team of psychics, the psychic activation serum was also available, and the cooperation with Li Xiong at Cangshan was going smoothly."

"Originally, everything was going well."

"How did we end up in this mess, constantly constrained, struggling on all fronts, and with people's loyalties divided."

Ye Lihui looked at Ye Zixi, who, despite having activated his psychic abilities, still looked tired and aged, his eyes reddened, "It's all my fault for not keeping the kid in line."

Ye Zixi waved his hand impatiently, "Manage him well, let him focus on his research." He then instructed, "Now, our main focus should be on unity and keeping people's spirits up. It's the New Year, give more to the three military branches, let everyone have a good New Year. Also, distribute more food and cotton clothes to the residents in all parts of the base."

Ye Lihui hesitated, "It's cold, the oil well output has dropped, and there are more mutated sea monsters and zombies. We've basically sold all the energy we could, now even our own base's energy is hard to secure, we're a bit strapped for cash. After spring, we still have to pay for some weapons expenses."

Ye Zixi frowned, "Make sure the officers of the three military branches come first."

"Yes."

=====

Abyss City.

In the largest hall of the Abyss Hotel, a Spring Festival gathering was being held. High-ranking officials from both the military and municipal sectors, as well as staff and resident representatives, were all dressed in brand new clothes, chatting casually while waiting for the gathering to start.

The hall wasn't decked out in luxury, but the fragrant flowers and green leaves arranged everywhere were eye-catching. Long tables covered with embroidered tablecloths were laden with large plates of freshly cut fruits, chestnuts, melon seeds, peanuts, and more for people to enjoy. The drinks included various red bean drinks, goji berry tea, hot tea, coffee, and more.

Gong Yanqing sat with his daughter, son-in-law, and nephew in a sofa circle on one side. Gong Feishuang whispered, "It's too plain, and I dressed up so much today. Aren't they going to turn on the heating? It's so cold."

Gong Yanqing scolded her, "I told you, you're not in good health, you didn't have to come. Now that you're here, you're complaining. Put on your coat. They allocate resources wisely, look at these fresh fruits and vegetables, we can't have that, don't speak out of line later."

Gong Feishuang pulled her mink coat tighter, ultimately saying nothing, watching her husband Wu Zhou standing by nonchalantly, feeling annoyed but also somewhat afraid of him, she said nothing. Gong Feiyun considerately said, "The seats over there are next to the fireplace, it's warmer, Feishuang, why don't you sit there?"

Gong Feishuang glanced disdainfully at the group of children gathered there, "Forget it, they're all just regular folks. At such a big gathering, aren't there any psychics coming?" She then said to her father, "Didn't you say the city administrator and deputy administrator of Abyss City are from our North Ming faction? You're here, and they didn't even come to greet you personally, that's just rude. Is there a guest today more important than you?"

Gong Yanqing sternly said, "Don't talk nonsense! If you keep this up, you're going back right now!" Guan Yuanfeng, the commander of the Southwest Military Region, had come to Danlin. Although he immediately sent people to pay respects and offer generous gifts, providing whatever support was needed, he himself dared not come, using illness as an excuse, fearing that the other party might use any pretext to take him down and seize the city.

As a result, the other party didn't even glance at him, directly building a city. Abyss City, several times larger than North Ming, was thriving, on the verge of becoming a massive city.

The population of North Ming City was continuously being siphoned off, with more and more skilled people and psychics moving over, especially members of the Growers' Association, who had almost completely become people of Abyss City!

He finally understood that the other party had never even considered North Ming this tiny city, and if he continued like this, he wouldn't even be able to maintain the slight advantage of being closest to Abyss City, getting no benefits but still having to do all the work.

Taking advantage of the Spring Festival, he quickly brought his nephew and son-in-law to pay a visit, but Gong Feishuang insisted on coming along. He thought his daughter had grown up after her time in Zhongzhou, but now she was starting to speak out of turn again, giving him a headache.

Gong Feishuang, aggrieved, closed her mouth, but then saw an extremely handsome and tall man walk out from inside, followed by several guards in camouflage uniforms, exuding a formidable presence.

The leading man had an exceptionally outstanding appearance, Gong Feishuang was somewhat surprised, he seemed somewhat familiar.

Gong Yanqing had already stood up with a smile, "Xiao Qin."

Qin Sheng came over with a smile, bowing slightly to shake hands, his attitude humble but not at all servile, "City Master Gong, Chief Zhu and my brother both said they would come to greet you personally, but General Guan has matters to attend to, General Ren from the neighboring Jingnan base is here, accompanying him on a city tour, they really couldn't get away, they instructed me to come and welcome you, please forgive any discourtesy."

Gong Yanqing smiled, "No need to be so polite, no need, General Guan's matters are important."

Qin Sheng smiled and said, "Mayor Gong has always been a staunch supporter of our Qingniao Pharmaceuticals, unlike others. It's rare for you to honor us with your presence today. General Guan heard of your arrival and sent me to escort you to visit our Abyss City."

Gong Yanqing blushed and replied, "General Guan is the commander of the Southwest Military Region. I should have come to pay my respects earlier. I am unworthy of such courtesy."

Qin Sheng smiled and said, "The vehicles are already arranged outside. They are currently in the industrial district. I will accompany you there."

Gong Yanqing followed Qin Sheng out and got into the car. Since Gong Yanqing had driven his own car, Qin Sheng got into the lead car to guide them.

Once in the car, Gong Feishuang whispered, "Who’s that?"

Wu Zhou turned to look at her, a hint of mockery in his eyes, "Don’t you recognize him, Miss? That’s Qin Sheng, a metal manipulator. He used to be part of the Gong family’s security team. Like me, he once escorted you on flower-viewing and fishing trips."

Gong Feishuang was surprised, "A member of the security team? I don’t recall anyone like that on our team. He seems to be a high-level psychic. Dad, how could you let such a capable person leave for Abyss City?"

Gong Feiyun chuckled, "Sister, you don’t know. Qin Sheng is the younger brother of Qin Mu, the deputy mayor of Abyss City and the general manager of Qingniao. He was destined to come to Abyss City eventually. Uncle treated them well, which is why they now hold us in such high regard."

Wu Zhou sneered, "He is now the head of the Psychic Management Office in Abyss City. All the psychics in Abyss City follow his orders."

Gong Feishuang felt a pang of regret and glanced at Wu Zhou, a third-tier Fire Psychic. Standing next to the imposing Qin Sheng, he seemed completely overshadowed. If they were selecting genes, why didn’t her father pick someone better? After all that selection, he ended up with someone so petty and narrow-minded.

Wu Zhou ignored her and asked, "Since we’re touring the city, will we get to meet Mayor Dongjun later?"

Gong Yanqing replied, "Not necessarily. He never appears in public and doesn’t accept any interviews."

Gong Feiyun added, "I asked an old friend who works at the Abyss City Hall, and they said no one has ever seen the mayor. His office is in the military headquarters, heavily guarded. Only a few high-ranking officials have met him. He’s quite mysterious."

Gong Yanqing then asked, "Why do you want to meet Mayor Dongjun?"

Wu Zhou said, "A friend in Zhongzhou mentioned wanting to ask Mayor Dongjun for help with a medical condition."

Gong Yanqing was puzzled, "What condition requires wood psychic abilities? Why not seek light abilities or consult Yao Lao?"

Wu Zhou replied, "I’m not sure either. I was just asked to pass on the message. If we can meet him today, that would be ideal."

Gong Yanqing said, "Mayor Dongjun is reclusive and mysterious. He probably won’t agree easily. You can talk to Qin Mu later and ask him to help inquire. Even if he refuses, it won’t harm the relationship."

Wu Zhou showed great respect for his father-in-law, "Alright, thank you for the advice, Dad."

Gong Yanqing nodded, watching as the car arrived at the spacious industrial district, where the roads were clean and well-maintained. The area was vast, much easier to develop compared to the old city of Beiming. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness at the comparison.

Qin Mu personally opened the car door, shook hands with Gong Yanqing, and then escorted him to introduce Guan Yuanfeng and Ren Yuefei.

Guan Yuanfeng shook hands and said, "Mayor Gong, how is your health? It's cold today, so take care."

Gong Yanqing replied with humility, "Thank you for your concern, General Guan. I should have come to pay my respects earlier. Beiming still relies on your protection."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded. He was known for his stern demeanor, and Gong Yanqing, familiar with his personality, didn’t dare say much.

Ren Yuefei also shook hands and smiled, "Mayor Gong, I've long heard of your reputation. I'm Ren Yuefei. I look forward to your continued support."

Gong Yanqing knew these were powerful figures from the military bases, each commanding their own territories. His small private city was insignificant in comparison. Normally, such people wouldn’t even glance his way, but now they were treating him with respect, undoubtedly because Beiming was close to Abyss City, offering strategic advantages.

After meeting Ren Yuefei, Gong Yanqing also shook hands with Zhu Zhuan and then smiled, "Chief Zhu, you must be tired. I was hoping to pay my respects to Mayor Dongjun today. Has he arrived?"

Zhu Zhuan smiled, "The mayor is busy and won’t be coming today. He has entrusted me to accompany you on the tour."

Ren Yuefei glanced at Guan Yuanfeng and whispered, "What is Dr. Zhou busy with?"

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him, "He just got a batch of new equipment and is happily debugging it." He hadn’t returned home last night, saying he needed to oversee the installation of the precision instruments. Social engagements like this were even less likely to attract his attention.