Chapter 50 Blueprint

Recently, the superpowered individuals have been working at night and sleeping during the day, so they should have adapted to this rhythm by now. However, after bringing thousands of students from City D, everyone still felt exhausted. After returning, they all collapsed in Chu Qiang's conference room.

Chu Qiang rubbed his sore arms and muttered, "Logically, the more people there are at the base, the more help we'll have. But I feel like the more people there are, the more problems we have to deal with. When will this ever end?"

We were busy installing solar panels a while ago, and now we have the added task of recruiting people. Even if everyone were made of iron, they couldn't withstand this kind of strain. On the other hand, in other bases, the leaders are high above, and as long as they issue a word, the people below will naturally help complete the tasks assigned to them.

While both are bases, the core team at the Spark Base is in a rather unfortunate situation.

Jiang Rong understood everyone's difficulties and comforted them, saying, "Everyone has worked hard during this period. We are currently expanding rapidly, and chaos is inevitable. Things will get easier after a while."

The number of people registered at their base has now reached 38,000, including more than 500 people with superpowers. At first glance, there seem to be a lot of people who can be used. It seems that as long as Jiang Rong and his group casually say something, many people will be willing to help.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must not allow chaos. Chaos will amplify the good and bad of human nature, and if some people of questionable character were to infiltrate the ranks of level one or level two superhumans, the consequences would be disastrous.

Pan Pan asked, puzzled, "Brother Jiang, you mentioned level one and level two ability user teams before. What does that mean? Does it mean the team's level is determined by the ability user's level?"

Jiang Rong said slowly, "For example, there are seven of us here..."

Chu Qiang corrected, "Xiao Jiang, there are only six of us here. We've already gone out at the crucial moment."

Jiang Rong glanced at Chu Qiang: "He'll be back in a couple of days. In short, the seven of us are the initial level one ability user team. We can set the rules for the base and decide on its planning, construction, and development direction. If any major events occur in the base in the future, each of us has the right to make decisions and veto them."

Hearing this, Chu Qiang and the others couldn't help but sit up straight: "Hehe..." After Jiang Rong said that, they felt that they had a lot of power, which sounded pretty good.

Jiang Rong continued, "Once our core team is stable, everyone can develop their own subordinate teams. For example, Leilei, you can find other superhumans to become your subordinates. When you go on missions together in the future, someone will be there to carry things for you and protect you from harm."

Leilei nodded knowingly: "I understand, Uncle Jiang. Level 1 ability users are like class monitors, responsible for the daily work of the whole class. Level 2 ability users are like class committee members, assisting the class monitor. Right?"

Jiang Rong nodded slightly: "That's a fair way to understand it. The base is like a large class, and we need to select the right people to help."

Once the base is stable in the future, in addition to the level 1, 2, and 3 ability user teams, there will also be temporary teams and individual teams. But that's all in the future. If the level 1 and 2 ability user teams run into problems, the base will have no future.

Ruan Hanyu suddenly realized: "No wonder Brother Jiang asked me to mark all the superhumans in the base. It turns out he wanted us to start evaluating candidates right now."

Jiang Rong smiled and nodded: "Yes, everyone has received the list of superhumans. During this time, everyone can observe, examine, and test these superhumans to select those who are stable in character and proactive in their work."

Everyone silently took note of Jiang Rong's words, and when they looked at the list in their hands again, each of them had a more scrutinizing and cautious look in their eyes.

After a while, Chu Qiang asked, "By the way, Xiao Jiang, where do you plan to plant the old camphor tree?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rong turned on his computer and used the mouse to draw a circle around several mountains southwest of Lingshan Reservoir: "Here."

Everyone stared at the circle for a long time, their eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. Finally, Wang Chunlan asked on behalf of everyone: "Xiao Rong, what's so special about these mountains? Why was the old camphor tree built here?"

These mountains are isolated in the middle of nowhere, with only a few abandoned resorts within a three-mile radius. The only view the old camphor trees planted here is of Lingshan Reservoir; there's nothing else to see.

Ruan Hanyu speculated, "Those college students are being housed in the resort next door. Does Brother Jiang want the old camphor tree to stay with them?" But that doesn't make sense. If he wanted the old camphor tree to stay with the students, Jiang Rong could have planted it in the resort. Why plant it so far away?

Jiang Rong smiled and said, "Of course you can't see it now, but once the base is completed, this place will become our school, library, and research institute. Well then, let everyone see the blueprint I drew. If there's anything wrong, please point it out."

As Jiang Rong spoke, she tapped a small icon on the map. After the screen flickered twice, everyone's eyes widened in surprise: "Wow!"

On the map of Lingshan Reservoir, a white "fan" appeared, with the beautiful Lingshan Reservoir at the end. The fan opened to the southeast, and the huge "fan surface" covered most of the hills and plains in the base.

Scattered across the "fan" surface are countless glittering "pearls," each connected by a shimmering "fine thread." Upon closer inspection, everyone was astonished to realize that these were not "fine threads" at all, but rather wide highways.

Upon closer inspection of the "pearl," one can see that it contains streets and houses, resembling a well-planned town.

Chu Qiang pointed to the largest and brightest pearl near Lingshan Reservoir and said, "Holy crap, isn't that the fishing brigade?"

Fishery Village No. 3 only occupies a small portion of the pearl industry. According to Jiang Rong's plan, it will be integrated with several neighboring villages. In the future, shopping malls, supermarkets, schools, stadiums, and more will appear here…

Jiang Rong said with a smile, "Yes, this is the core location of our base."

Chu Qiang silently sat down, then gave Jiang Rong a thumbs up: "Awesome!"

Human habitation dictates that human settlements are generally not very friendly to plants and animals. However, on this map, every building has a patch of arable land on its roof. Trees are planted between the buildings, their greenery obscuring the structures. If Jiang Rong hadn't specifically changed the marker colors, the town would be difficult to spot from above.

Outside the town, there are fields stretching as far as the eye can see, a breathtaking panorama of varying shades of green.

Upon seeing this blueprint, everyone got excited: "This base is so cool!!"

Chu Qiang grinned excitedly, revealing his white teeth: "Hey, Xiao Jiang, did you know that a Peace Base was recently built in N City next to us? I heard from the news that the Peace Base is building an underground shelter. My God, making me live underground? I'm not happy about that."

In contrast, their base looks quite different. Look at these mountains, rivers, and fields, and the network of rivers and lakes nestled within them—who wouldn't be tempted? Even before the great crisis, no one had such a pleasant living environment!

Jiang Rong nodded slightly: "I've done the calculations, and with this design, our land can feed a million people. However, achieving this effect requires everyone's joint efforts."

As Jiang Rong spoke, she tapped the map again, and the magnificent "fan" and beautiful circle disappeared. Everyone saw the actual map of the base again. Due to the prolonged drought, many plants had withered, and the map appeared as a yellowish-brown expanse. The towns and villages scattered throughout were disorganized and irritating to look at.

Wang Chunlan sighed: "Without comparison, there is no harm."

She initially thought her current place was quite nice, but compared to Jiang Rong's blueprint, everything about it seemed wrong. Now she wished the base construction could be accelerated countless times so they could live amidst the green hills and clear waters as soon as possible.

Ruan Hanyu's eyes sparkled: "Wow! I love this kind of base!" People in other bases are afraid of mutated plants and animals, so they can only live underground or protect themselves with high walls. But their base is different. They seek ways to develop together with mutated animals or plants, leaving behind a magnificent picture in the world.

Pan Pan took a deep breath: "A huge project!"

Jiang Rong nodded: "Yes, it is indeed a huge project. But with everyone here, I think it will all come true." Before the great crisis, such a blueprint would have been a pipe dream. However, the great crisis made it all possible. The ability users can drastically change the environment; with them, changing the course of rivers and shifting mountains is not a problem.

After giving his concluding remarks, Jiang Rong prepared to shut down the computer and tell everyone to go and rest. However, just as he was about to shut it down, he heard everyone pleading, "Please open the blueprint again so we can take a look!"

Jiang Rong was both amused and exasperated: "Okay, but let's make this clear first, this is still an unfinished blueprint. You can't reveal it to anyone, understand?"

*

Jiang Fangming is a villager from Xiaoxingqiao Village in the Xinghuo Base. Before the Great Crisis, he was an electrician, and today marks his 20th day at the Xinghuo Base. On his second day at the base, he and his fellow electricians were gathered together by the superhumans for professional training.

Their training program focuses on how to install solar panels.

Before going to the training course, he was worried that he would be eliminated by the other gifted individuals because he had no experience with solar panels. However, he was surprised to find that installing solar panels wasn't difficult for them at all. After seven days of training, everyone in his class could install the panels independently.

Then they followed the superhumans out on a mission, which was actually quite simple. Their job was to securely install the solar panels provided by the superhumans on the roof and then run wires from the panels to the batteries.

The work hours aren't long, and if there's any difficulty, it's probably that visibility is poor when climbing rooftops at night, and there's a chance of slipping. But even if you slip, it's okay; there will be superhumans watching nearby who will pull you out if they notice anything amiss.

There was no other way; the daytime temperature was so high that even ten minutes in the sun could cause heatstroke, let alone installing solar panels. The village where the solar panels were to be installed was eight kilometers away from their village, in the northwest direction. He set off with his teammates at 2:30 in the morning.

Installing solar panels in the early morning is ideal. Firstly, the weather is cool, so it's less uncomfortable for people. Secondly, by the time the panels are installed, the sun has risen, which is a good time to verify that the panels are working properly.

After several hours of hard work, Jiang Fangming finally finished his task for the day at 5:30 a.m. He rubbed his aching back, straightened up, and looked at the gleaming solar panels on the roof. "Is there electricity?!"

However, after asking several times, his companion didn't respond. Turning around, he saw his companion standing on the roof, hands over his eyes, staring into the distance. Jiang Fangming clicked his tongue: "You're slacking off again, kid. Be careful the superhumans find out, or they'll confiscate your supplies."

His companion gestured with his chin toward the east: "Look, isn't that a military vehicle?"

Jiang Fangming squinted and looked eastward. This village was near the highway exit, and the highway was full of broken-down vehicles. How could there be military vehicles? However, upon closer inspection, he and his companions were unable to look away.

On the highway, several excavators and forklifts were busy clearing the way. The forklifts separated the cars that had collided one by one, while the long arms of the excavators hooked the cars to the side of the road. The vehicles worked together seamlessly, clearing a dozen meters of road ahead in no time.

A few vehicles later, a line of military green SUVs and military trucks slowly drove up.

The long convoy stretched as far as the eye could see, prompting Jiang Fangming to exclaim in amazement, "Wow! This must be the troops setting off!"

His companion responded, "Probably, but I don't know where they're going." After a pause, he said enviously, "It would be so nice to go with them." His companion had good eyesight; he saw heavy armored vehicles at the rear of the convoy, a force that would give anyone a great sense of security.

As ordinary people, they dared not hope to receive the protection of soldiers in such a time. However, seeing so many military vehicles in their lifetime was a feast for the eyes.

Besides them, the village survivors also noticed the commotion. They came out of their homes, looking enviously in the direction of the military vehicles. The children asked their parents expectantly, "Dad, where are the soldiers going? Will they come to our house?"

The elders in the family could only pat the child's head and say, "I don't know." In reality, they knew the soldiers were just passing through; their target was a much larger and better base. Who would want a Starfire Base with only a few superhumans?

As the excavators and forklifts leading the way reached the highway exit, everyone was surprised to find that the vehicles that were originally lined up horizontally in the convoy had now formed a single line, and two forklifts nimbly turned towards the exit.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the scene, wondering: Could the military vehicles be heading to their... Starfire Base?

As the abandoned structures were removed, the congested road cleared up. Military vehicles sped off westward along the main road in front of the village, the ground vibrating with each roll of their wheels. Everyone stared intently in the direction the vehicles had gone, excitedly discussing what was inside the camouflage-covered boxes in the trucks' trunks.

Military vehicles came one after another, and Jiang Fangming's eyes widened: "How many are there?"

His companion turned his head and said in a daze, "I can't count them, there are definitely over a thousand..." They saw that every car that passed by was full of people. If over a thousand cars passed by, then there must be several thousand people sitting inside!

The most frightening thing was that the long convoy stretched as far as the eye could see, and even more vehicles were surging toward this side on the highway.

Jiang Fangming swallowed hard: "Do you think these people are here to take over our territory?" If they really are here to take over our territory, can the few superhumans at the Starfire Base stop them?

His companion shook his head: "I don't know... What kind of territory would require so many vehicles to be deployed?"

Guan Shao drove his excavator slowly at the front, followed by a long convoy of vehicles. Almost home. He wondered what Jiang Rong's expression would be when she saw him bringing back so many people.

As the surrounding scenery became increasingly familiar, Guan Shao's excitement grew. He picked up the walkie-talkie on the excavator and said, "Everyone pull over." At his command, all the vehicles turned on their turn signals and came to a smooth stop on the mountain road.

Guan Shao didn't stop; he drove the excavator onto a side road. Just as the excavator turned the corner, several sharp spikes flew towards the window. The blackish-yellow spikes pierced the glass; luckily, Guan Shao dodged quickly, or they would have struck him.

Guan Shao opened the car window and leaned out: "Little fairy, it's me."

The little fairy exclaimed in surprise, "Ah!" and then her forehead began to splatter with kisses: "Engineer Jiang! Engineer Jiang! Chirp chirp~ Engineer Jiang~ Chirp chirp!"

The bloodthirsty vines on the fairy's body twisted into a heart shape: "Waaaaah~ Waaaaah~"

They're back! The person who used to greet Jiang Gong with affection in front of them is back!

The excavator came to a stop in front of the parking lot, and Guan Shao opened the car door and jumped out. He strode towards the yard. Today was the day he and Jiang Rong had agreed to return, and they had traveled all night to see Jiang Rong as soon as possible.

After checking the time, Guan Shao smiled. It was almost twelve hours earlier than the time he and Jiang Rong had agreed upon. He was really looking forward to seeing Jiang Rong's reaction.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, the gate opened. Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao, the two children, rushed out joyfully: "Uncle Guan—" "Ah—"

Guan Shao bent down and picked up one child in each arm. The little ones showered him with kisses on the cheek, saying, "You're back! We missed you so much!"

Guan Shao affectionately rubbed his cheek against the child's tender face: "I'm back. Is Daddy awake?"

Jiang Xiaoheng's eyes sparkled. "You're awake! Dad's frying little crabs. Uncle Guan, did you bring back the excavator you promised?"

Guan Shao smiled and nodded: "I brought it back, it's outside."

The two children couldn't stay still any longer. They struggled to get down, saying, "Uncle Guan, please let us down! We want to see the excavator!"

As soon as I put the two children down, they ran happily out of the yard. A moment later, screams and cheers came from outside: "Excavator!! Dad! There really is an excavator!"

Amid the children's exclamations, the door opened wider, and Jiang Rong, wearing a gray apron, stood in the doorway with a smile: "You're back?"

Guan Shao responded and quickly walked towards Jiang Rong, "Okay!"

The next moment, Jiang Rong was held tightly in Guan Shao's arms. Guan Shao grabbed Jiang Rong's buttocks with one hand and lifted his entire body off the ground, while quickly closing the door with the other hand.

Jiang Rong felt a blur before his eyes, and his back was pressed against the door. Guan Shao's breath enveloped him tightly; the man's breathing, heartbeat, and the smell of sweat made his legs weak and his breathing rapid.

A flurry of kisses rained down on Jiang Rong's face, finally lingering on his lips. Jiang Rong's hands braced against Guan Shao's chest, intending to refuse, but as Guan Shao pressed closer, he couldn't help but open his mouth to welcome his advances.

This was an unprecedented experience; he never knew what it felt like to be so close to someone. Guan Shao's grip was strong, causing Jiang Rong pain and making it difficult for him to place his hands. Gradually, slender fingers moved from Guan Shao's chest to his back, gathering and tightening the black T-shirt under his fingers.

Not enough, he wanted more and more.

As Guan Shao embraced and kissed him, Jiang Rong belatedly realized that his body was more honest than his thoughts. He missed Guan Shao.

Guan Shao supported Jiang Rong's buttocks with one hand and wrapped his other arm around his lower back. After kissing Jiang Rong until his cheeks were flushed and his breathing became erratic, he couldn't help but nudge Jiang Rong gently, saying, "I missed you so much."

Jiang Rong gently rested her chin on Guan Shao's shoulder: "What kind of person kisses someone and then runs away?"

Guan Shao chuckled softly, "If I don't run, I'm afraid I'll think about it even more on the way. Can you tell me the answer to the question I asked you before?"

Jiang Rong chuckled and said, "Didn't you already know?" Not only did she know, but she continued as soon as she returned.

Guan Shao hugged Jiang Rong tighter again, turned his head slightly, and pried open Jiang Rong's lips. The two exchanged a lingering kiss. After the kiss, Guan Shao's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were filled with anger: "I regret it."

He shouldn't have come back now; he should have come back at night so he wouldn't have to think it was daytime and do impolite things.

Jiang Rong caught her breath and said, "Put me down, the children are all here."

Guan Shao said hoarsely, "They're outside the door."

Jiang Rong looked towards the sofa, and Guan Shao followed suit. The silly Lele, who had been lying on the sofa with its tongue lolling out and grinning foolishly, whimpered and jumped off the sofa to hide when it saw its two owners looking at it.

Jiang Rong couldn't help but laugh: "You scared Lele."

Guan Shao took a few deep breaths, and he touched Jiang Rong unwillingly: "Mine." He never thought that one day he would be so obsessed with someone like a lustful ghost. During this period, whenever he closed his eyes, Jiang Rong's face was all he could think of.

Hormones are a terrible thing; I never knew he could lose control like this for someone.

Jiang Rong raised her head and placed a light kiss on Guan Shao's forehead: "It's stamped, it's mine."

Guan Shao grinned, his eyes sparkling: "Jiang Rong, I'm so happy." The happiest thing in the world is probably when the person you love loves you back, right? At this moment, all he wanted to do was hold Jiang Rong and never let go.

However, a child's voice came from behind the door: "Dad, Dad, come out quickly! Uncle Guan brought back a huge excavator! It's so big!"

Jiang Rong nudged Guan Shao again: "Put me down." The children were all there, and as the head of the family, he had to save face.

After lifting Jiang Rong up in his arms, Guan Shao gently put him down. Jiang Rong wiped his lips and opened the door. Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao rushed in excitedly: "Dad! Uncle Guan brought back a huge excavator!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Xiaoheng frowned and asked in confusion, "Dad, why are your lips so red? Did you eat chili peppers?"

Guan Shao couldn't help but chuckle. Jiang Rong glanced at Guan Shao helplessly and said, "Yeah, I just ate some chili peppers. Do you like the excavator Uncle Guan brought back?"

The two children drawled, "I like it—"

Jiang Rong nodded slightly: "If you like it, then keep playing, but don't fall and hurt yourself."

The two children cheered and rushed out the door again. Jiang Rong glanced at the boom pole raised high outside the yard and said, "I didn't expect you to actually bring back an excavator."

Guan Shao said in a low voice, "A man should keep his word."

The excavator is back, but what about Guan Shao's teammates? Jiang Rong subconsciously looked outside the yard: "By the way, where are your teammates? Where are they? Why didn't you bring them in?"

Guan Shao said slowly, "Well... there are quite a few teammates, and the house can't accommodate them all. I'll have them wait outside first, and we'll settle them in together in a bit."

Jiang Rong asked in confusion, "Can't you fit everyone in? How many teammates did you bring?"

Guan Shao glanced at the sky outside the window and said slowly, "So... about eight thousand teammates."

Author's Note:

Lele: I don't know what happened, I just know that my two owners were hugging and chewing on each other, even more enthusiastically than when I'm chewing on a bone. I actually quite like watching, but when they both looked at me, my instincts told me that I had to hide quickly, or I'd miss out on my dog ​​food.