Chapter 161: Journey to the End

Chapter 161: Journey to the End

Developing psychic sports is indeed a great topic. Even during the banquet, everyone was enthusiastically discussing it.

Each person had their own idea, from building venues to develop the competition industry, live streaming competitions, promoting psychic admissions at Guixu Academy, and so on. The brainstorming session got more and more intense, and the entire psychic sports industry, academia, and research were all planned out.

Zhou Yun actually quite liked this feeling. It was like him planting a seed, which then drifted and took root in soil he hadn’t anticipated, blooming into a flower he never imagined.

The conversation quickly shifted back to the news about the Ye family: "After Ye Zixi was imprisoned, he requested to see Ye Yuqing and seemed to have revealed some secrets, probably out of regret or to win people over."

Qin Sheng was quite enjoying the gossip: "It seems Ye Shiqing discovered that his crystal core was malfunctioning, and his psychic powers were continuously draining. The only solution was to remove the crystal core, but he refused to accept this medical solution. After being arrested, he took a desperate gamble and self-destructed. After his death, his birth mother, heartbroken, filed for divorce. Ye Lihui, who was also facing a sentence, agreed."

Zhou Yun was a bit surprised: "Where did you get all this information?" Ye Yuqing didn’t seem like the type to share such family matters with others, and these were clearly internal Ye family affairs.

Qin Sheng said: "Ling Dingxiu told me. He was overjoyed, finally getting his revenge."

He continued with relish: "Speaking of divorce, there’s also the Gong family. The Gong city lord likely felt it wasn’t good for his daughter and son-in-law to remain a resentful couple, so he proactively agreed to their divorce. The Gong city lord told Wu Zhou that he was sorry for the couple and would continue to support Wu Zhou. Whatever industry Wu Zhou wanted to pursue, the Gong family would support him. If he wanted to leave Beiming, that was also possible. There would be additional compensation for the divorce, and he could see the child anytime."

Qin Mu chuckled: "The Gong city lord is really cunning. He has a child now, and his own health has improved after the crystal core transplant. He’s ready to cut ties." Fortunately, he had firmly stopped his brother back then.

Qin Sheng said: "Those who used to be guards together were all quite envious of Wu Zhou."

Zhou Yun was curious: "Did Wu Zhou agree? Who told you all this?" The Gong city lord wouldn’t publicly discuss these matters.

Qin Sheng said: "Wu Zhou told me. We were only acquaintances before. But during the Spring Festival greetings, he accompanied the Gong city lord, and we chatted a bit. After that, during the New Year, the former guards gathered a few times, and he came. Everyone was surprised. He used to be very introverted and bookish, and after becoming a son-in-law, he didn’t interact much with us."

Qin Mu laughed: "Of course, it’s because you were there."

Qin Sheng: "Huh?"

Seeing Qin Sheng, who was completely unaware that he had already become an important figure in Guixu City, everyone at the table chuckled.

Qin Sheng was puzzled but continued: "During the gatherings, he added me as a contact, and we occasionally chatted. I thought, as the vice president of the Psychic Society, he should have more information, but he was really just a bookworm. Occasionally, he talked about the society’s work, but it was all very ordinary stuff."

"After this incident, he likely felt uneasy, so he sought my opinion. He told me about this and asked me what he should choose."

Zhou Yun smiled and asked: "And then? What did he tell you?" Guan Yuanfeng glanced at him. Zhou Yun’s attitude towards the Gong family had always been strange—cooperative but distrustful, yet not indifferent, but rather unusually attentive.

Qin Sheng said: "Miss Gong clearly has someone else, so why continue dragging on as a resentful couple? The Gong family has already given up, so what is there to hesitate about?"

"But he said that Miss Gong didn’t firmly demand a divorce. Instead, she only said it was up to him. If he was willing to stay for the child, she wouldn’t oppose it, especially since he had saved her before. If Wu Zhou was willing to stay, she was ready to start fresh and remain loyal to the family, just to give the child a complete home."

"Seeing Miss Gong like this, he also hesitated."

Qin Sheng spread his hands: "I don’t get it. Miss Gong has always been into Luo Yunkai, and now that she’s finally free to pursue love, why isn’t she willing to divorce?"

Ren Yuefei laughed: "Brother Qin is too young. They have a child. For the child’s sake, sometimes they can make it work."

Qin Sheng was surprised: "I see that Wu Zhou doesn’t seem to care much about the child." There were rumors outside that the child wasn’t even his, but Qin Sheng, having suffered from being orphaned, kindly didn’t spread such gossip.

Qin Mu admonished him: "Don’t offer opinions on other people’s marriages. Don’t interfere with or spread rumors about their children."

Qin Sheng defended himself: "I was just an onlooker and didn’t say anything behind their backs. He was the one who sought my opinion."

Qin Mu said: "He was actually subtly asking if there were opportunities for him in Guixu City. He was exploring his future prospects. If you were interested in recruiting him, this would be the time to do so. You’re managing a department, isn’t this obvious?"

Qin Sheng: "..." He was shocked: "Is that really what he meant? He was once the son-in-law of a city lord and the vice president of the Psychic Society. Wouldn’t coming here be a downgrade for him?"

Everyone chuckled.

Ren Yuefei said with a hint of envy, "You don't know how many people have come to Guixu with their families. Once the crystal core energy arena you're building today is completed and the news of psychic power competitions spreads, it will become even more popular."

He straightened his expression and continued, "Getting back to the point, I came here specifically because I heard about the joint governance between Guixu and Beiming. How can such a good thing only favor Beiming? Jingnan Base is also willing to share resident benefits and data with Guixu, and mutually benefit. Not only that, before coming here, I consulted with the Sanchu area, and Luo Shouchang naturally agreed. General Guan, I suggest that the entire Southwest Military Region implement this approach of joint governance and construction, integrating military equipment and unifying economic planning, which will be more conducive to the next stage of development."

Guan Yuanfeng remained silent, while Zhou Yun laughed, "This is a competition for attention."

Ren Yuefei looked at Guan Yuanfeng and asked, "Is General Guan worried about arousing suspicion from Zhongzhou?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "Several northern bases have united and planned to break away from the alliance. Although they are temporarily quiet now, there's no guarantee when they might revive. At this time, pushing for joint governance in the Southwest is too sensitive." Although he wasn't afraid of trouble, he didn't want to provoke it either. The wedding hadn't even been held yet, and peaceful days were hard to come by.

Zhu Zhuan added, "Moreover, doesn't Jingnan Base have a Deputy Governor?" He explained, "Beiming is relatively small and close to Guixu, so no Deputy Governor was assigned. The Deputy Governor of Guixu has been supportive of our work, and Beiming and Guixu are indeed very close. Joint governance would benefit the alliance, and the alliance would naturally welcome it."

"But large bases like Jingnan and Sanchu must have Deputy Governors. They are responsible for administrative work, and rashly pushing for joint governance could easily lead to failure, making them the target of widespread criticism."

Ren Yuefei looked somewhat disappointed, "That's true."

Qin Mu laughed, "You officials are so inflexible. Be more flexible. Just do it, don't talk about joint governance."

Ren Yuefei was taken aback and asked humbly, "Do you have any good ideas, Governor Qin?"

Qin Mu said, "Don't touch sensitive areas. Start by jointly organizing tourism events. Buy a package ticket to visit all the attractions of the jointly held events, exempt from city gate fees, and allow a one-to-one exchange of currencies from different bases."

Ren Yuefei was stunned.

Qin Mu continued, "Then, in the education sector, schools can collaborate on exchanges. Students from different schools in the same faculty can study together and receive completion certificates."

Yao Huan and Professor Mi also paid attention. Professor Mi said, "That's very feasible."

Yao Huan added, "In the medical field, we can mutually recognize examination results, and medical experts can exchange and hold appointments."

"Exactly," Qin Mu continued, "Then, in the psychic task centers, psychic contribution points are already universally recognized across the alliance. We can organize psychic competitions, and those who win awards can settle in joint cities with their families and receive specific job opportunities, such as honorary lecturers at the Psychic Division of Guixu Academy."

"By analogy, starting from tourism, cultural education, and medical fields that are related to people's livelihoods, economic integration will make it easier to push for administrative mergers later."

Everyone was amazed. Zhu Zhuan said, "Ah Mu is really a master of scheming."

Qin Mu: "..."

Qin Sheng spoke up for his brother, "He's a master of political maneuvering."

The more he tried to explain, the worse it got. Qin Mu's forehead twitched as he defended himself, "This is called an open strategy. Starting with tourism is the simplest. Autumn is approaching, so let's select some scenic routes and invite the former City Lord Lin to consult. She will surely devise the best plan. City Lord Lin called us yesterday, inviting us to visit and enjoy their red leaves."

Taoist Master Yunyin said, "Our butterflies have also fully developed, making for an excellent attraction."

Zhou Yun made the final decision, "That's feasible. Let's prepare within a month and start as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be difficult once winter arrives."

In the third year of the apocalypse, just entering August, the grand "Apocalypse Tour" began to dominate the internet with marketing. The "Apocalypse Tour" tourism event, jointly organized by eight official large bases and over a dozen private bases, officially kicked off.

High-definition drones and deep-sea cameras filmed the scenery, which was showcased in promotional videos. These scenes were different from the pure natural landscapes before the apocalypse, instead highlighting the entirely unique post-apocalyptic scenery.

Endless red leaves, golden ginkgo forests, majestic snow-capped mountains, wide and rushing rivers, a brilliant Milky Way stretching across the high sky, volcanoes flowing with bright red lava, and tranquil saltwater lakes like gemstones—these were also among the most beautiful natural landscapes before the apocalypse, colorful and magnificent. But now, they were infused with different scenes.

A massive, dilapidated Ferris wheel was entwined with vines, blooming with bright and eerie flowers. Rusted cars sat silently on abandoned streets, overgrown with grass as tall as a person, and wild peaches hung unclaimed from roadside trees.

The camera shifted from the bright and scorching ruins of the past to the animals.

Electric blue butterflies with glowing wings fluttered among purple lightning-flower vines. Fluffy, fire-like rabbits with long fur hopped in groups beside hot springs covered in bright red algae. Giant lantern-like fireflies flickered in the dimming twilight of the forest, dreamy and silent. Groups of volcanic spiders crawled across vast, snow-white webs, while shadow frogs leaped over floating shadow seed flower balls, catching a firefly with their tongues.

Flocks of birds soared over tropical rainforests, monkeys traversed mutated vines in the Golden Triangle, elephants slowly moved through the jungle, and giant snakes slithered down tree trunks.

Immense lighthouse jellyfish drift through the bizarre coral reefs, glowing algae on the midnight sea surface form glowing waves, and the deep sea hides a monstrous, Cthulhu-esque octopus. On a solitary island, a mountain-sized sea turtle rests.

At the end of the video, the massive cactus walls of Guixu City and the ancient, weathered walls of "Beiming" flash by, along with the gates of Jingnan Base, Sanchu Base, and several other bases. Cold gray subtitles appear: "The apocalypse is no longer an unknown fear, but the dawn of a grand saga."

"We invite you to join this unprecedented journey through the apocalypse."

"This is not an escape, but a tribute."

"It is a farewell, and also a departure."

"Join us on our march to the end of all things."