Chapter Sixty-Seven: Solutions are always in the details

Before leaving, Liu Hui had her secretary search Qi An's phone to see if there were any audio or video recordings.

Qi An cooperated indifferently.

As Liu Hui left, she remained expressionless and said, "I hope Dr. Qi won't regret this."

Qi An responded with a blank expression.

When Wu Zirui returned, he only said a few meaningless words to Qi An. Seeing that she was stubborn, he let her go with a stern face.

Qi An went straight back to her small apartment and pulled a locked metal box out from under the bed.

Over the past three years, she has spent almost all her savings on this box.

There were piles of gun parts, boxes and boxes of bullets of various colors, as well as compressed rations, medicines and other necessities for wilderness survival.

She now knows how to assemble these parts into a gun, has learned to drive, has fought against the Fallen Insects, and has a deep understanding of the equipment and capabilities of those long-range special operations teams.

If she can't stay in the hospital as a regular purifier, then she'll go to the special operations team. What she needs to improve is her overall survival ability!

She was preparing for this day, for the worst possible outcome!

But while Qi An was assembling the guns, his phone rang again.

Because she hadn't replied to the friend request on "Red Conch," You Zi sent it a second time.

Chen Yuezhou also posted it a second time just now.

Qi An looked at the two applications and Yu Shuang's message:

[Xiao Qi, if they pressure you to transfer, don't confront them. Your safety is the most important thing!]

She was lost in thought for a moment, then took out the "Monthly Diary" she had kept, looked at the words "I and they need each other" on it, smiled, and still burned it.

......

The next day, the rain stopped and the sun shone brightly in the sky as usual, making the weather even hotter.

Qi An painstakingly put together an outfit to match Su Qingran's taste, then tied up her chestnut-colored long hair halfway before heading out to the bar-style restaurant called "Looking Back".

At 9 a.m., when customers were scarce, the owner and employees were picking vegetables and basking in the sun at the shop entrance.

When Qi An appeared, the three people and a waiter who was cleaning the lobby were all immediately impressed!

She wore a loose-fitting pale yellow long dress, covered by a khaki leather jacket, and long boots, which made her legs look long and slender.

A blend of gentleness and strength emanated from her. She smiled at the shopkeeper at the door and said, "Good morning, boss." Then she looked at Xiang Shiyang and Wang Ming, her smile fading slightly, and said softly, "Good morning, Uncle Xiang, good morning, Brother Wang."

The boss and Wang Ming were both stunned.

The boss, realizing what was happening, quickly said, "Good morning! Good morning! Good morning, beautiful lady!"

The boss was deeply impressed by Qi An's reminder yesterday.

He asked Xiang Shiyang about Qi An's identity, and Xiang Shiyang said that she was his niece from the same hometown.

The boss was filled with endless emotions and sighs.

What luck! How could Lao Xiang run into such a beautiful niece, even though they were thousands of miles apart!

Qi An followed Xiang Shiyang into the private room again, and simply swiped his card to transfer 400 contribution points to Xiang Shiyang.

The two men's eyes lit up, and they lazily smiled at Shi Yang, "Little Qi is so good! How's work going, Uncle?"

Qi An said, "I already contacted someone yesterday and am waiting for a reply."

She glanced at the phone Xiang Shiyang was holding.

Foldable screen, this is an old model from before the apocalypse.

Modern mobile phones are like small hand grenades—compact, sturdy, drop-resistant, and waterproof—without any flashy or impractical tri-fold screens.

Xiang Shiyang's phone screen was covered in cracks, probably because he brought it from Southeast Base No. 4 and had patched it up to make it usable.

Qi An's gaze met briefly before moving on.

Xiang Shiyang looked at her inquisitively for a while, then nodded: "That's good, don't delay."

Qi An obediently nodded in agreement and left the restaurant.

The small commercial street had many narrow alleyways and intersections. Instead of returning to the military camp, Qi An found a completely hidden intersection filled with clutter and squatted down to observe the "Looking Back" restaurant.

Ten minutes later, Xiang Shiyang and Wang Ming went out. Wang Ming was in high spirits, obviously going to do some shopping.

Buying new clothes requires trying them on, and Qi An estimated that they would also need to check out the new phone, which would take at least half an hour.

Once they were out of sight, she immediately returned to the restaurant.

"Boss, can I get breakfast here?" she asked as she entered the shop.

The red-nosed shopkeeper was a little surprised to see her return.

Qi An laughed and said, "I was planning to go back to the camp for dinner, but then I remembered that the canteen is already closed at this time."

Uncle Xiang works at your shop, and I thought I shouldn't let someone else earn the money for breakfast, so I had to eat here at your shop.

The boss laughed immediately: "Of course! What would you like to eat, beautiful lady? I'll make it for you right away!"

Qi An: "Just a bowl of noodles or two multigrain steamed buns will do. My surname is Qi, what's your surname, boss?"

"My surname is Qian, Miss Qi, you can just call me Lao Qian."

A bowl of noodles with mutton sauce was quickly placed on Qi An's table. She thanked him and began to eat earnestly.

Seeing that she seemed talkative and cheerful, Mr. Qian tentatively sat down next to her and started chatting.

"Miss Qi just mentioned 'in the camp,' does that mean a military camp? Is Miss Qi a soldier?"

Qi An smiled and nodded: "I am a purification specialist in the army."

Mr. Qian was startled, but then he realized what was happening.

This girl's demeanor and posture suggest she has received professional training, but her complexion is too fair, unlike someone who is exposed to the elements daily. Considering yesterday's reminder, she must indeed be a purification specialist from a military hospital!

Xiang Shiyang's niece is actually a purification master!

What incredible luck!

Mr. Qian was incredibly envious. Looking at the smiling Qi An, he began to make some plans and hesitated about how to start the conversation.

Qi An asked first, "I noticed it yesterday. Boss Qian's pollution level must be quite high, almost reaching level 2 mutation. Why didn't you go to the hospital for purification?"

Mr. Qian lowered his head, "Sigh, it's expensive..." He stammered, then looked at Qi An expectantly.

Qi An knew exactly what was going on. He finished the last mouthful of soup and smiled, "I'm very grateful that the boss took in my Uncle Xiang when he was in trouble. I can help you with a free purification."

Mr. Qian was overjoyed! He thanked him profusely and eagerly extended his hand.

Half an hour had passed since she went back into the store. Qi An glanced at the street outside the window and could vaguely see the two people returning.

She immediately grasped Mr. Qian's short, stubby hand, feeling a spiritual connection.

The depth of this resonance was comparable to the purification Qi An gave Chen Xi.

Qi An saw in Boss Qian's mental world the dimly lit, run-down restaurant, where his wife, who had just given birth, died when the apocalypse broke out, and his infant daughter died in his arms during the subsequent escape.

But Qi An didn't want to see these things at the moment; she tried to search her memories.

What she wanted to see was not the profound memories that would come with the purification process, but the mundane, everyday memories, or the important memories that were locked away as secrets!

As the resonance deepened, Mr. Qian felt so comfortable that he almost collapsed on the ground, but he also felt a sense of unease, as if his body was being invaded.

He hesitated between rejecting Qi An and continuing to accept her, while Qi An was secretly delighted.

Found it!

When Mr. Qian first joined the base, he worked as a cook in the factory. He worked hard to save money and had a bit of insight and luck to open a bar-style restaurant, which did quite well.

But saving money had become his obsession. In order to save money, he used gaseous insect oil that was not completely purified!

The gas cylinder is located in the restaurant's kitchen and is used for daily cooking.

That's why people like Boss Qian, Xiang Shiyang, Wang Ming, and even the waiter have accumulated a lot of pollution.

This accumulation is slow and long-term. It may not seem like anything is wrong in daily life, but once it encounters intense emotions or is stimulated by pollutants, the pollution level will soar and it will be extremely difficult to purify!

Such incompletely purified gas canisters are definitely prohibited items.