43. Mutual probing

Sun Hui was dressed in a crisp black combat uniform, with the major's insignia on her collar particularly eye-catching, and several subordinates in the same uniform followed behind her.

Shi Dong's gaze fell on the combat uniform, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Commander Sun, you seem to be enjoying yourself," Fu Yunong teased with a smile.

Sun Hui said coquettishly, "Stop teasing me."

He immediately stopped smiling and said seriously, "The leader invites everyone to have a chat." He then turned to the side and gestured for them to leave.

Fu Yunong and her companions exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

The group followed Sun Hui out of the accommodation area and onto an open space next to the administration building, where three black SUVs were already waiting. The base's emblem was emblazoned on the vehicles, making them appear more imposing and solemn than ordinary cars.

"Please get in the car." Sun Hui opened the back door of one of the cars.

Fu Yunong peeked inside and saw that besides the driver, there was also a soldier in the passenger seat with an expressionless face, holding a rifle in his hand, silently intimidating.

In the end, the five people were divided into three cars. Fu Yunong and Sun Hui rode in the same car. Before Shi Dong got into the car, his eyes swept over Fu Yunong without making a sound, and then he lowered his head and got into the car.

Perhaps because it was her first time meeting such a high-ranking leader, Fu Yunong was a little nervous.

To be honest, she was just an ordinary office worker. The highest-ranking leader she had ever met was the company chairman, who stood far away on a high platform at the annual meeting. But this leader was someone who had single-handedly built up a base of nearly 100,000 people in such difficult circumstances.

Fu Yunong asked herself honestly, and she knew she absolutely couldn't do it.

To ease her tension, she looked out the window.

Along the way, you can see greenhouses and small factories, and in the distance, the sound of orderly drills can be heard from the training ground.

Before we knew it, the car entered a courtyard that was even more solemn than the administrative headquarters. It stopped in front of a two-story red brick building. Not only were there fully armed guards standing in front of the building, but there were also several communication vehicles with antennas erected on the open ground.

Someone was already waiting on the steps, rubbing their hands together. As soon as the car stopped, they quickly came to greet it.

Sun Hui got out of the car first, smiling and greeting, "Secretary Li."

Secretary Li nodded casually, then extended his hand warmly to Fu Yunong and the others, "Miss Fu, Miss Shi... I've heard so much about you. The leader has been waiting inside for quite some time. Please follow me."

The group exchanged glances and followed him inside. Just as the guards at the door were about to step forward to check, Secretary Li quickly waved his hand, "No need, the commander specifically instructed that." He then looked down at the flowers at Fu Yunong's feet and added, "Let this little guy come in too."

Shi Dong raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to himself: He's got a knack for winning people over. With Fu Yunong's personality, he'll probably be completely fooled.

She glanced to the side and, sure enough, saw Fu Yunong looking flattered, her face plastered with a cheap, fawning smile.

"..."

Before entering, Secretary Li said to Sun Hui, "Major Sun, you can go ahead and get back to work."

Sun Hui's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and replied, "Okay."

Fu Yunong and the others followed Secretary Li into the small building. The guards at the door immediately pushed open the heavy wooden doors on the left and right, revealing the solemn and spacious interior.

Turn right upon entering, and you'll find a spacious reception room. Behind a large mahogany table in the center sits a man with slightly graying hair.

Upon seeing them enter, the man immediately stood up, a kind smile on his face, his voice gentle yet firm, "Gentlemen, we've been waiting for you."

Shi Dong's eyes narrowed slightly. Along the way in, she had sensed at least five superhumans, the highest being level three, and she couldn't rule out the possibility that there were even higher-level ones than her.

But none of this surprised her. Besides Secretary Li, a level two ability user, the leader in front of her, who was over fifty years old, was also an ability user, and a level three one at that!

But thinking about it, it makes sense. In today's world where strength is paramount, it's difficult for an organization's leader to command respect if they themselves are not strong.

Mr. Yin smiled and walked to the sofa area next to him, gesturing for them to sit down as well. “My surname is Yin. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Uncle Yin. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Besides Shi Dong and Huangfu Jinrang, Fu Yunong and Lin Songsong all called out "Uncle Yin" in response, and even Xiao Linfang called out "Uncle Yin".

Old Yin smiled so much his eyes narrowed into slits, and pointed to the teacup on the table, saying, "Try it, it's freshly brewed jasmine tea."

Fu Yunong picked up her teacup, took a sip, and glanced around the room. She didn't see a stove or any appliances, so she guessed that the heating system was probably a floor heating system.

Hua Hua was already lying on the carpet, her paws tucked in and her tail swaying gently.

After a few casual words, Old Master Yin suddenly waved his hand. Secretary Li understood and quietly led his men out, gently closing the door behind them.

Only a few of them remained in the room. Old Yin's smile faded slightly as he looked at Fu Yunong and said earnestly, "Your arrival is just in time; it's a godsend for our base."

Seeing Fu Yunong's puzzled expression, he sighed deeply. "We actually made preparations before winter, and experts also predicted that the temperature would be very low. But when the extreme cold came, we found that it was far more serious than expected. Water froze instantly, and everything withered. In particular, after several snowstorms, even the base's walls collapsed."

Old Yin's voice deepened, "The base suffered heavy losses, with most of its personnel killed or wounded. We're telling everyone there are 80,000 people, but in reality, it's less than half."

The group felt a sinking feeling in their hearts as they listened.

Shi Dong, in particular, felt his hair stand on end. This was absolutely a top secret of the base, and he just said it so easily. What was he planning to do?

Old Master Yin's gaze slowly swept over the group, finally settling on Fu Yunong. "I am very interested in Miss Fu. To be honest, before you came, I had someone investigate your backgrounds. Everyone else has some clues, but for you, there is absolutely nothing."

He crossed his hands on his knees, leaned back slightly, and gave a meaningful smile. "Although I am not very talented, if even I cannot find out, it can only mean that Miss Fu, your background is not simple. It's as if you appeared out of thin air."

Fu Yunong's heart tightened suddenly, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

Fortunately, Shi Dong broke the silence at this moment, with a half-smile, "Old Yin, you might as well speak frankly. What is the purpose of calling us here in particular?"

Old Yin chuckled and looked at Fu Yunong, "Then I'll get straight to the point. Miss Fu, how about this? Our base will provide manpower and equipment to jointly study your space, and we'll share the results. You and the others will enjoy the highest level of treatment at the base, and the base will even award you an honorary title. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunong instantly stopped being nervous. All she could think of was, "This old man is trying to fool me?!"

Not only her, but Shi Dong, Xiao Linfang and the others also frowned and looked at Fu Yunong in unison, afraid that she would be fooled.

Fu Yunong, of course, could not agree. She put down her teacup, smiled, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Yin, but I only accept fair trade. You provide the crystal cores, and I will provide the supplies. I will not consider anything else."

Old Yin was somewhat surprised, but the curiosity in his eyes deepened.

He became even more certain that Fu Yunong's spatial dimension was inextricably linked to the crystal core. As a superhuman, he knew very well that the crystal core was key to leveling up, but it wasn't entirely tied to strength; blindly absorbing it would only lead to his body exploding and dying.

He couldn't understand why Fu Yunong needed so many crystal cores.

Thinking of this, Elder Yin's smile faded, his face darkened, and his tone became serious, "Comrade Fu Yunong, you must understand that your space could very well affect the course of humankind! I hope you will not be overly concerned with personal gains and losses, and disregard the fate of all humanity!"

Fu Yunong was amused. Was this old man trying to morally blackmail her? To put it bluntly, she hadn't caused any of this, and this wasn't her world. What did her survival have to do with it?

She suppressed her anger, and her tone turned cold. "In that case, we'll take our leave."

After saying that, she got up and walked towards the door, and Shi Dong and the others immediately followed.

Old Yin sat motionless, his expression changing several times.

At the same time, Shi Dong heard a series of light footsteps, and Huangfu Jinrang also noticed that there were many more people outside.

Hua Hua suddenly stood up, her expression serious, her ears perked up.

Shi Dong tugged at Fu Yunong's sleeve; the group was ready to make their move...

"Hey, wait a minute!" Old Yin suddenly stood up to stop them, his tone softening. "You young comrades are so impatient. I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Fu Yunong stopped and glanced at him sideways. "What else is there to talk about?"

Old Yin immediately changed the subject, "Alright, alright, let's do it your way, exchange crystal cores for supplies! Sit down first, let's talk slowly."

"Aren't you going to study it anymore?" Fu Yunong asked back.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, let's not talk about it anymore." Old Yin waved his hand.

Fu Yunong then sat back down on the sofa, and Shi Dong and the others followed suit.

Hua Hua looked left and right with her head turned, then lay down again.

Seeing this, Old Yin took out a long list from the drawer and handed it to Fu Yunong, a hopeful smile appearing on his face. "Look, can you provide these things?"

Fu Yunong took the list, which was densely packed with items. After a quick glance, it could be roughly divided into several categories: high-energy food and cold-weather supplies, rice, flour, cooking oil, seasonings and spices, various crop seeds and fertilizers, farming equipment, medical and health support supplies, weapons and military equipment, heavy industry and infrastructure equipment, etc.

Fu Yunong thought to herself: Good heavens, they're treating her like a wishing well turtle.

Old Master Yin sat opposite her, his deep eyes subtly scrutinizing Fu Yunong.

As time went by, his smile faded, and he secretly mocked himself, thinking that he was really getting old. He had actually believed this fantastical story after being persuaded by Xiao Sun.

Unexpectedly, Fu Yunong raised her head and said calmly, "Weapons are not available, but other things can be discussed. However, I need to provide a price list first, and you can continue the discussion if you can agree to my prices."

Old Yin was taken aback, then his eyes lit up again, and he quickly confirmed, "You mean, it's using crystal cores?"

“Of course.” Fu Yunong nodded.

Old Master Yin breathed a long sigh of relief, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

While the lack of weapons is regrettable, these other things are sufficient. At that time, the base's strength will be enhanced in no time, recruiting talent will be easy, and the combat power of those with superpowers can often be equivalent to a hundred, or even more.

Thinking of this, Old Master Yin's kind smile returned, and he waved his hand, saying, "You've come from afar, and I haven't properly entertained you yet." He then called out towards the door, "Secretary Li!"

The door was quickly pushed open, and Secretary Li strode in with a warm smile on his face. "Sir, what are your orders?"

"Prepare a banquet to welcome our guests and wash away the dust of their journey," said Old Master Yin.

Secretary Li immediately replied, "Everything was prepared long ago, just waiting for your word! Please proceed to the banquet hall."

Shi Dong observed discreetly that the people who had been lying in ambush around him had gradually withdrawn.

Hua Hua stood up from the carpet, stretched, and wagged her tail gently.