Chapter 71

Chapter 71

That night, the two of them made chicken soup, parboiled some veggies for noodle toppings, and after a comfortable hot bath, went to bed. They didn't remember Yue Jingming's words until the next day.

They used the leftover soup to make noodles for breakfast. After eating, they prepared to go out.

As they were about to leave, Bai Tu realized he had forgotten his gun and went back to the bedroom to get it. Huo Changfeng, already with his hand on the doorknob, simply opened the door to wait for him.

"Surprise!"

As soon as the door was pulled open, a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes popped up in front of it, grinning cheekily with a gesture like he was setting off fireworks.

"...Guanguan?" Huo Changfeng was quite surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Guan Jianrui chuckled, "I'm not alone." He stepped aside, revealing Xiang Yubo behind him.

Xiang Yubo smiled, "Captain, long time no see."

He'd gotten a lot tanner and looked more solid. He stepped forward, raising his hand for a fist bump with Huo Changfeng. Huo Changfeng bumped fists with him, his gaze sweeping between the two before suddenly understanding. "So Mr. Ren's guests are you two?"

"Yes," Xiang Yubo said. "We just arrived yesterday."

Bai Tu, hearing the noise, came out of the bedroom just in time to see Huo Changfeng standing face-to-face with the two visitors he hadn't seen in ages at the door. He paused for a moment, not stepping forward.

Instead, Guan Jianrui, eagle-eyed, enthusiastically rose on his toes and waved at him. "Bai Tu, we meet again!"

Xiang Yubo also nodded towards him.

Bai Tu forced a faint smile. "Come on in and have a seat."

Huo Changfeng only then realized he had been blocking the doorway. He quickly stepped aside to usher the two in. A faint smell of chicken soup still hung in the air. Guan Jianrui sniffed, looked around, and as soon as he sat down, unceremoniously poured himself a cup of tea. "Boss, looks like you two have been doing pretty well these past six months?"

"Not bad," Huo Changfeng said, closing the window to block the cold wind outside. He went to the kitchen to grab the thermos to top off their cups. "Have you eaten?"

"We have, we have. Ren Yan sent someone over with breakfast early this morning, quite a spread." Guan Jianrui took a sip and couldn't help but sigh. "Ginger tea, so warm. We'll be staying here for a few days. Ren Yan arranged a place for us, in the building next door. We actually wanted to come find you and Bai Tu last night, but by the time we finished talking, it was too late. Didn't want to disturb your rest, so here we are first thing this morning."

"What was it about?" There was only one long sofa in the living room. Bai Tu didn't squeeze in with them, instead sitting down at the dining table.

Huo Changfeng poured a cup of ginger tea. Knowing Bai Tu wouldn't drink it, he poured it into a glass for him to hold and warm his hands.

"It's a long story," Guan Jianrui said, glancing at the pistol not quite tucked in at Bai Tu's waist. "Judging by how you're geared up, were you heading out?"

"We were actually going to find you," Huo Changfeng motioned for him to relax. "How was your trip north? Did you find the people you were looking for?"

Guan Jianrui fell silent for a moment before saying no. Of the four of them, only Xiang Yubo had found his younger sister.

Huo Changfeng also fell silent upon hearing this, unsure how to offer comfort.

"Ah, I've come to terms with it. In times like these, life and death are beyond our control. Surviving is a fluke, reuniting with family is a one-in-a-million stroke of luck, not something you can force. No matter what, those of us still alive have to keep moving forward."

Huo Changfeng was even more at a loss for words. Such a sentiment would have been impossible from Guan Jianrui in the past. It seemed Guan Jianrui had also been through a lot these past six months to arrive at such a realization.

If Huo wasn't talking, Bai Tu certainly wasn't going to start.

After the apocalypse, bases large and small had sprung up across the country, with seven major bases standing out. These seven bases varied in size but were roughly equal in strength, each with its own specialties. They later established contact with each other, exchanging resources. Based on their geographical distribution across the seven major geographical regions of the country, they were simply named after those regions.

The base where he and Huo Changfeng now resided was what would become the Central China Base.

With so many smaller bases everywhere, each base had its own distinctive item or even a uniform to distinguish its people.

Although Guan Jianrui and Xiang Yubo wore their own clothes, they already wore the unique wristbands of the North China Base on their wrists.

Bai Tu lowered his eyes, trying hard to suppress the impulse to grab Huo Changfeng and run.

"Boss, what samples does Ren Yan need you to collect? I heard you just got back yesterday. It's been over half a year, isn't it finished yet?"

Guan Jianrui couldn't stand the awkward silence among acquaintances, that much hadn't changed. Seeing the other three weren't talking, he immediately found another topic.

"It's almost finished," Huo Changfeng said.

According to Yue Jingming's plan, apart from the final mountain range, they had already collected all the samples. The next step was waiting for the research results.

They'd been apart over half a year. Huo Changfeng couldn't help but care about his former companions. Seeing Guan Jianrui and Xiang Yubo looking strong and healthy with good color in their faces, not seeming to have had a hard time, he asked about the other two.

"They're fine. Yueyue and Four-Eyes's superpowers aren't suited for field work, so they mostly stay at the base." Guan Jianrui said, shaking his wristband. "We joined a base up north, very close to the capital. That base has a lot of people, life is quite convenient, and they provide jobs. Xiangyu Bao and I took on this field assignment as a mission."

"Mission?"

That base, being near the capital, had been full of talent before the apocalypse, let alone after. Several important figures had joined forces to establish the base. Once the base was running stably, the higher-ups began trying to restore nationwide communications and establish connections with other bases. However, since the communication system failure was caused by chaotic magnetic fields, research on the Earth's magnetic field at this stage wasn't just scarce; even the conditions for research weren't necessarily available.

So, the higher-ups issued missions, sending capable individuals to the major bases to convey this information.

"As soon as Xiangyu Bao and I saw there was one heading towards Central China, we quickly took it."

Moreover, Ren Yan had previously expressed a strong desire to establish ties with the north, so this mission wasn't difficult. Besides making contact with the major bases, those accepting the mission were also responsible for keeping an eye out for people stranded outside bases along the way.

Bases nowadays were equivalent to shelters and sanctuaries. If they encountered such people, they were to tell them the location of the base, inform them they could seek refuge there, but the actual decisions of those people afterwards were beyond their control.

Frankly, if not for environmental restrictions preventing the use of loudspeakers, those on the mission wouldn't need to divert attention to others on the road. They could just drive around blaring announcements, and this additional task would be completed.

But in reality, for the sake of their own safety, Guan Jianrui and Xiang Yubo still had to quietly survey area by area, which was why they needed to stay for several days.

"Boss, you're more familiar with this area. If it's convenient, could you take Xiangyu Bao and me around the surrounding areas in the next few days?"

"He's not available," Bai Tu interjected flatly, ignoring the others' stunned expressions. "He just returned from a mission yesterday and needs to rest for the next few days. I also need him with me."

"...Ah? ...Oh, oh, my oversight," Guan Jianrui said, somewhat abashed. "Xiangyu Bao and I can go by ourselves."

Huo Changfeng was also taken aback. He had been about to say he was already rested and could go out with them—which was true; over the past six months, his stamina had been exceptionally abundant, and he rarely felt tired. He attributed this to occasionally absorbing crystal cores and didn't think much of it—but upon hearing the last sentence, some instinct told him he should keep his mouth shut at this moment.

Bai Tu put down his water glass, stood up, fetched a map, and unfolded it for the two on the sofa. "South to Ling River, north to Changwu Mountain, east to the border of H Province, west to Hong Township. Huo Changfeng has already been to all these places. If you want to look for people within this range, you can save a few days' effort. If there were any survivors, Huo Changfeng brought back everyone he could."

While Bai Tu was speaking, Huo Changfeng touched the glass, felt the water inside had cooled, poured it out, and refilled it with steaming ginger tea.

After Bai Tu finished, he returned to his seat. Guan Jianrui looked at the map left on the coffee table and uttered a dry "Oh, I see." He then seemed at a loss for what to say next.

"Just in case, Guanguan and I should still go take a look," Xiang Yubo spoke up. "Some people might have moved here later and didn't run into Captain Huo. The base near the capital is quite large; most people in the surrounding areas have already been taken in."

"That's fine too," Huo Changfeng said, remembering his initial destination when heading north. "What about the Army Headquarters..."

"It's been relocated there too. Surviving Army personnel and other branches have been reorganized. Commander Liu is now in charge of overall coordination and command of the entire force."

*Crash!*

The glass shattered, steaming ginger tea mixed with glass shards spilling all over the floor.

Huo Changfeng quickly stood up, grabbing Bai Tu's hand to check. "What's wrong? Did you get burned?"

Bai Tu lowered his eyes. After a few seconds, he finally uttered an "Mhm." "Careless."

The pads of his fingers were red, not from being scalded, but from gripping too hard, leaving red marks. Huo Changfeng thought he had actually been burned, cursing himself inwardly for choosing a glass cup that didn't keep the heat in. The ginger tea was scalding hot, and he hadn't even thought to let it cool off a little first before giving it to Bai Tu to warm his hands. He quickly pulled Bai Tu to the kitchen to run them under cold water, waiting until the redness on his fingertips faded before turning off the tap. He carefully examined Bai Tu's hands, confirming there were no signs of blistering, then got a towel to dry them off. He didn't say anything about him being careless; instead, he asked:

"Does it still hurt?"

Bai Tu pursed his lips, pulled his hand back, and said, "It doesn't hurt. The guests are still here. We should go back out."

The two returned to the living room, where the mess on the floor had already been cleaned up.

Huo Changfeng smiled apologetically and then picked up where they left off: "How is Commander Liu's health?"

There was a note of pleasant surprise in his tone, clearly delighted to hear Commander Liu's name and learn that he was still alive.

"He's doing well," Xiang Yubo said. "He knows you're at the Central China Base and has been thinking of you."

"He even wants you to join him at the Capital Base," Guan Jianrui chimed in. "Seriously, boss, since you've finished helping out here, why not come back with us this time, join the Capital Base? We can reassemble our old team and we'd really make a name for ourselves there."

Just as Huo Changfeng was about to speak, there was a knock at the door, accompanied by a cheerful male voice.

"Is Xiao Bai home?"

Bai Tu got up to answer the door.

"You have guests," Lei Ou said. The house was small, with an entryway that opened directly into the living room, so as soon as the door opened, he could see two people sitting on the sofa inside. "I'll come back this afternoon, then."

"No need, we can talk outside," Bai Tu replied, turning back to look at Huo Changfeng. "I'll be back before lunch."

Seeing that it wasn't raining outside, Huo Changfeng nodded in agreement.

Once outside, Bai Tu seemed somewhat gloomy. He was usually quiet, so Lei Ou didn't notice and came straight out and asked, "Xiao Bai, are you interested in joining us?"

When Bai Tu didn't respond, he continued, "Last night, we stayed up all night organizing the samples we brought back. You did all the labeling, without a single mistake. At the time, we couldn't rely on any other tools; labeling had to be done from memory." Lei Ou pointed to his own head. "Even people who've studied this field for years can't write labels so quickly and accurately. You know, on our previous trips with Captain Huo to collect samples, whenever we encountered unfamiliar plants, we'd leave them blank and bring them back for identification later. With your skills, you could be way more valuable."

Lei Ou paused. "Our research institute is short-staffed right now, and we all welcome you to join us and work on research together. Who knows, maybe we know less about mutated plants than you do."

They were walking along the main road of the base. It had rained the day before, so everyone had been cooped up indoors. Now that the rain had stopped, people were out getting some fresh air. People walked in twos and threes along the main road, greeting them as they passed.

Among them were people Huo Changfeng had brought back from outside the base. Grateful to Huo Changfeng, they were also very polite to Bai Tu.

Bai Tu continued walking along the main road, and Lei Ou could only hurry after him. Seeing that Bai Tu remained silent, he kept trying to persuade him: "Don't worry, we won't make you work for free. A few days ago, Mr. Ren and the others were discussing setting up a new currency, but it was temporarily put aside when the visitors from the north arrived. If you join the institute, Xiao Ming would never let you get the short end of the stick. Plus, you could work alongside Captain Huo."

As Lei Ou spoke these words, he felt quite anxious. He had heard from Little Jiang that the visitors from the north were old acquaintances of Huo Changfeng and Bai Tu, and they were very close. It was well known within the institute that Huo Changfeng and Bai Tu had originally been heading north. Everyone was grateful that Ren Yan had asked them to stay and help.

But now that the help was done, whether they had any reason to stay was another matter. Coincidentally, the visitors from the north had arrived and frequently mentioned Huo Changfeng in their conversations with Ren Yan, which gave Ren Yan pause. After entertaining the guests, Ren Yan hurried to the institute to discuss with Yue Jingming.

They were cross-referencing samples at the time, and Ren Yan waited outside for several hours until they finished organizing everything before coming in. After comparing notes, they decided to put Lei Ou forward to do the persuading.

On one hand, Lei Ou lived across from them, and besides Ren Yan and Yue Jingming, he was the most familiar with them in the base. On the other hand, Lei Ou himself understood the relationship between Huo Changfeng and Bai Tu. If they wanted the two to stay, convincing just one would be enough.

He believed that if Bai Tu agreed to stay, Huo Changfeng would surely follow Bai Tu's lead. So, early in the morning, he went to knock on their door, only to find that the visitors from the north were even more eager than he was.

When he saw the two people on the sofa, Lei Ou's heart sank, but the fact that Bai Tu wasn't staying home to entertain the guests and instead came out with him gave him hope.

"Xiao Bai, what do you think? Or if you have any other requests, just say the word."

Bai Tu gazed at the towering building hidden behind layers of rooftops and didn't answer immediately.

The research institute was the tallest building in the entire base, a fact that remained unchanged even after the base expanded later on. Just like its actual height, the institute always held the highest status within the base.

This base was still rough around the edges, but from its inception, it already had the basic form of the future Central China Base and was forming sounder survival rules.

Bai Tu didn't know much about the Central China Base, but he knew that both Ren Yan and Yue Jingming would become famous figures in the future.

This meant that what they were doing now would eventually succeed.

If he and Huo Changfeng stayed now, they might very well become influential figures in the Central China Base in the future.

Bai Tu remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I'd like to visit the research institute."

Lei Ou thought he wanted to inspect his future working environment. He was halfway there, and overjoyed, he quickly agreed, "Great! I'll take you there right now!"

Lei Ou took him from the first floor of the main research building all the way to the rooftop, carefully introducing each laboratory and even walking through other less frequently used buildings in the research complex. By the time they finished, it was nearly noon. Bai Tu thanked him and returned home.

Huo Changfeng had just finished making lunch—unsurprisingly, it was soup noodles again. When Bai Tu entered, Huo Changfeng was turning down the heat, apparently planning to keep it warm in the pot until he returned.

There was no one else in the house, which surprised Bai Tu a little. "They didn't stay to eat together?"

"They're eager to complete their task and decided to scout the surrounding area first," Huo Changfeng said, turning off the stove and ladling the noodles into bowls.

Bai Tu said 'oh' and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Usually, after each sampling trip, Huo Changfeng would visit the institute the next day to check how the samples were catalogued. If anything was missing or damaged, he would, depending on the situation, go back to the collection site to gather more.

But this time, perhaps influenced by Bai Tu's earlier statement, "I need him to accompany me," Huo Changfeng stayed home all afternoon, even changing into loungewear with no intention of going out.

At night, after both had washed up and gone to bed, shortly after the lights were turned off, Bai Tu suddenly said, "Lei Ou approached me today, wanting me to research those mutated plants with them."

Huo Changfeng turned to face him. "To join the institute?"

"Mm. I can't decide, Huo Changfeng. Do you think I should agree?"

For some reason, Huo Changfeng didn't respond.

Bai Tu lay on his back for a while, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, and said, "Actually, this job seems pretty good. The people at the institute are nice, life in the base is stable, and it feels far removed from all the fighting and killing. And I think Yue Jingming and the others will succeed. Their efforts, your contributions—none of it will be in vain. Once they can cultivate large quantities of food, there won't be a need to take risks going out to look for food."

Huo Changfeng remained silent.

"Huo Changfeng, what do you think?"

Huo Changfeng made a vague sound, as if he wanted to speak but hadn't figured out how. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said in a low voice, "Guanguan and the others mentioned Commander Liu during the day. He recognized my talent and gave me opportunities."

"And then?"

"After the military reorganization, the rules and regulations aren't very mature yet. There are superhumans who won't follow orders, often causing trouble. Commander Liu isn't young anymore, and managing everything alone can be overwhelming at times. Recently, he's encountered some tough problems and wants me to go help him."

"So?"

Bai Tu's tone was flat. After these three questions, Huo Changfeng couldn't help but sense that something was off.

"Bai Tu, I…"

"You want to go to the Capital Base?" Bai Tu interrupted him.

"…Yes. I owe him. Now that he's facing difficulties, if I didn't know, that would be one thing, but since I do know, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Bai Tu was momentarily speechless. He gripped the blanket, calming himself for a moment before saying, "But this place is really good. If we go to the capital, we'll have to start all over again."

"I'm sorry, I…"

"Don't say anymore," Bai Tu interrupted him again. "I don't want to hear it."

This was just like Huo Changfeng—repaying favors, even when there was no favor to repay. Bai Tu hated this about him the most.

He turned over, turning his back to Huo Changfeng. "I'm tired. We can talk about anything else tomorrow."