Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Just like that, Cheng Jing spent the entire afternoon in Department Head Wang's office, discussing everything from official matters to personal affairs, from the base to the nation and even the world...

In short, after drinking half a pot of tea, the two practically went from superior and subordinate to "close friends."

By dinnertime, they even went together to the executive dining room, which stunned his teammates—who had been waiting to eat with their captain.

Suddenly, their Brother Cheng seemed a bit out of their league.

Watching the small canteen just beyond the door, Liao Yu said between mouthfuls, "Captain’s eating fancy today. I just caught a whiff of braised pork knuckle drifting from the small canteen."

Zhao Lei chuckled, "If he had a choice, big bro would trade this fancy spread. Nian’s cooking beats this."

He had noticed earlier—when Brother Cheng glanced back at them while entering the small canteen with Department Head Wang—the look of helplessness and envy on his face.

(Sigh) Probably exhausted from playing politics with the brass.

Lu Ningzhou jumped in, "Exactly. Eating with the boss is no fun."

"I think, unless it’s with Brother Nian, Brother Cheng nothing tastes right."

"Well, of course it’s different. With Brother Nian, he’d be happy with just water..."

"Doesn’t even need to eat or drink to feel full..."

"..."

The squad piled on, and the conversation quickly took a weird turn.

...

As the sun set and dinner ended, Cheng Jing was finally "free at last."

Emerging from the canteen, Department Head Wang drove the point home, "If anything comes up in the future, just come straight to my office or call and say it’s you."

"Understood. Thank you."

After expressing his gratitude and bidding farewell, Department Head Wang and his security detail left.

Only when they were well out of sight did Cheng Jing turn and walk toward his teammates waiting in the parking lot.

"I thought you were pulling overtime, big bro..." Huang Qian needled from the next car over, just to get a rise.

Cheng Jing gave a tiny eye roll. "I’d rather pull a zombie shift."

Hahaha...

The beauty’s unbothered cackle was especially annoying.

"Bang!" The car door slammed shut.

As soon as he got in the car, Cheng Jing slumped his shoulders, tugged at his collar, and let out a long sigh. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, giving his overworked brain a much-needed break.

The others in the car exchanged glances. Seeing how exhausted he looked—even more so than after training—Zhao Lei asked,

"You alright, Cheng? What did Department Head Wang talk to you about all afternoon?"

"Everything... Give me a minute to decompress first. My brain’s fried... Totally wiped me out!"

Cheng Jing rubbed his temples with a helpless smile. If he were single, Department Head Wang would’ve already signed him up for three kids by now...

That afternoon, he was reminded of the dread of his dad’s endless lectures.

Zhao Lei gave a knowing nod, and the rest of the team let it go.

......

By the time Cheng Jing got home, Jiang Nian was still at the shop. Since daylight lasted longer now, there was no rush to close up.

As the base’s population grew, more stalls and shops had opened along the commercial street, stocking more variety.

Night markets were springing up. Once the weather got hotter, people would prefer going out in the evenings, making the street buzz more at night than during the day.

Jiang Nian enjoyed selling, but he also liked buying—or bartering.

The apocalypse wasn’t permanent. While prices were low and he had the means, hoarding valuables for when things normalized was a smart move.

Lately, he’d put up gold exchange rates in his shop. He took other jewelry too, but cheap.

Since opening, he hadn’t needed to restock from the ring space. Deals with Li Shuhui and other locals in the base, or dealing with Superpowered teams, provided enough for now.

He saved the ring space’s stash for later.

After wandering the street, Jiang Nian returned home to find Cheng Jing had already cooked dinner.

After tea all afternoon and eating with Department Head Wang, Cheng Jing wasn’t hungry himself. He just kept Jiang Nian company over the meal.

Only around Jiang Nian did he unwind completely.

Jiang Nian recounted how he’d met Da Jun and Xiao Liu, sharing his suspicions about Jiang Wenwen’s disappearance as well.

No surprise, Cheng Jing was on the same page—both believed Xia Weiwei was involved.

But what was Liang Xiaoyan’s part in this?

Judging by her reunion with Li Shuhui at the base entrance and her attitude toward Jiang Nian, she didn’t seem like a plant.

More likely, Xia Weiwei must’ve been tailing them, learned of Liang Xiaoyan’s connection to Li Shuhui, and seized the opportunity to use her...

And based on Da Jun and Xiao Liu’s reactions today, they clearly hadn’t known who they were dealing with either.

So, chances were, Liang Xiaoyan had just wanted to get closer to Li Shuhui and brought the two along by coincidence.

Connecting the dots, Liang Xiaoyan seemed like nothing more than a patsy...

Or maybe she deserved an Oscar.

"......"

The two of them went over and analyzed the most likely possibilities together. Cheng Jing concluded:

"Regardless, since she's publicly brought S Base into this, let's wait until everyone arrives before dealing with it. We'll handle everything at once—no one will be left out."

He wanted to personally avenge Nian Nian’s death, preferably by returning the favor in kind.

Jiang Nian nodded:

"Exactly. Jiang Wenwen is her sister. Whether the two sisters were colluding or Xia Weiwei went so far as to harm her own sister for her goals—that's not our concern. Knowing this much is enough."

With that, he finished the last grain of rice in his bowl, and that was the end of that discussion.

After tidying up the dining table, it was getting dark enough to turn on the lights. Jiang Nian opened his tablet, placed it on the coffee table to watch a reality show, and leaned against Cheng Jing’s side as he asked:

"You spent half the day in Department Head Wang’s office today. What did you talk about?"

"Everything. We made our positions clear and stated where we stand. He asked me to offer suggestions like I did in Qingyun City and inquired about using superpowers to speed up vegetable and fruit growth. He also requested we bring him some next time. Oh, and we talked about your superpower too..."

Cheng Jing gave him a detailed account of his conversation with Department Head Wang.

"That’s great..."

Jiang Nian breathed a huge sigh of relief after hearing Department Head Wang’s assurance:

"Once we go to the farm, I won’t have to hide anymore..."

He finally felt at ease. Having his teammates’ support was one thing, but getting official backing made all the difference.

Since his rebirth, his greatest wish had been to stop hiding his superpower and not live in fear of becoming a lab experiment. Now, Brother Jing had made it happen for him.

Once the land-purifying potion was developed after the extreme heat and farm production got on track, the base’s renewable resources—at least basic food supplies—would be secured.

Gradually, they would enter a stable cycle of post-apocalyptic production and cultivation, the bedrock of all rebuilding and recovery efforts.

"Nian Nian."

Cheng Jing took his lover's hand and said earnestly:

"No more hiding. You’ve done nothing wrong. If your superpower truly holds one of the keys to solving the zombie virus, then everyone should respect you—not treat you as some disposable sacrifice."

He refused to accept the notion that possessing something valuable made one guilty. Even if they had to assist the authorities in the future, it had to be voluntary.

"Yeah."

Jiang Nian gave an easy smile:

True, he wasn’t the one who caused the apocalypse—why should he have to pay the price?

So, having someone who always had your back could shield you from all anxiety and negativity.

Not even God himself could mess with his head even a little.