Apply to enter the base
In the high-end box of the club, Mr. Du San was sipping tea.
He is in his fifties, well-maintained, elegant, and has a bit of the arrogance of a collector.
He didn't know why the security department wanted to meet with him, as he hadn't done anything illegal.
The head of the security department came straight to the point without any polite greetings.
"Mr. Du, we are from the joint task force of the National Security Department and the Ministry of Public Security."
The person in charge revealed his identity and said, "We are here this time to talk about the ancient tree you recently acquired."
Mr. Du was about to drink his tea when he heard the words. He paused holding the cup, put it down, and said, "Oh? An ancient tree? I have a lot of collections. I wonder which one you are talking about?"
The representative of the Ministry of Public Security stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "It was an ancient tree that was stolen from Luoyang three weeks ago.
This tree has extremely high scientific research value and special significance, and is extremely precious. According to our investigation, the tree is currently in your hands."
Hearing the word "stealing", Mr. Du's face finally changed. He thought he had bought it at a high price through secret channels, but he didn't expect it to be stolen goods.
"This... Did you guys misunderstand? I just bought it through a middleman and didn't know it was stolen." Uncle Du Sanye tried to distance himself from the matter, and he was not as calm as he was at the beginning.
The person in charge took out several photos, which were the scene photos of the ancient tree being stolen, as well as a picture of the ancient tree drawn based on Zhong Ling's description.
"Mr. Du, this tree is no ordinary tree. Its value cannot be measured in monetary terms. It holds special significance to the country. Stealing and hoarding such a national resource is a serious crime."
The person in charge spoke up, his voice even more stern: "Mr. Du, your act of buying stolen goods has violated the law.
Considering your social status, we hope you will cooperate with the investigation and return this ancient tree to the state as soon as possible. This is the purpose of our visit, and it is also to give you an opportunity.
Mr. Du sat there with a gloomy expression on his face.
The birthday gift he carefully planned turned out to be a hot potato.
He looked at the people in front of him and knew that this matter could not be settled with money.
The other party's attitude is clear and firm, with no room for turning back.
"What if I refuse?" Mr. Du's voice was a little dry.
The person in charge said with sharp eyes: "Uncle Du San, this tree is very important to us.
It is so important that we must get it back at all costs.
Your choice will determine the course of subsequent events, so please proceed with caution."
The atmosphere in the box reached its lowest point.
Under the strong pressure, Mr. Du began to waver.
He weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately, the businessman's instinct to seek profit and avoid harm overwhelmed his obsession with the ancient tree.
He let out a long sigh and leaned back heavily, looking a little tired.
"Okay... I'll give it to you." Uncle Du's voice was filled with reluctance and helplessness. "The tree is right here with me. I haven't moved it. It's just... it's just that I didn't know it was stolen."
"We will verify this. Please arrange to hand over the ancient tree to us immediately."
Mr. Du nodded, picked up the phone, and began to arrange the handover of the ancient tree.
The members of the task force breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Mr. Du San making a phone call.
The tree was finally found. The next step is to verify the situation and return the ancient tree safely.
The stolen ancient trees were transported to Zhong Ling's planting base.
Qiao Jianmin was personally present to coordinate, and the ancient tree was placed in a reserved open space. After that, everyone left the base, leaving only Zhong Ling.
Zhong Ling looked at the tree. The tree's origin was severely damaged, but it could indeed be saved.
She stretched out her hand, her fingertips touched the tree trunk, and pure wood-type spiritual power slowly poured into it.
Then she took out a bucket of spiritual spring water from the space and poured it into the soil around the tree roots.
Afterwards, the whole tree regained its vitality at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the originally yellow leaves instantly turned green again.
The rich vitality spreads out from the ancient tree, and the air becomes a little fresher.
Zhong Ling nodded with satisfaction. She patted the tree trunk and said softly, "Stay here. When you recover, I'll take you to see Xiaolu."
The ancient tree seemed to understand her words, and its branches trembled slightly, as if in response.
On the other side, the National Center for Agricultural and Biotechnology Research.
A group of top botanical and biological experts are anxiously awaiting news.
They knew that the ancient tree with intelligence had been found and sent to the base, but without Zhong Ling's permission, they could not get close to it.
"How is it? How is the tree?" an old professor asked the staff who came to convey the news.
The staff shook their heads: "Miss Zhong is handling it, the situation is unclear. The base is under martial law, we can't enter."
"Can't get in?!" another middle-aged researcher said excitedly, "That's a living, intelligent ancient tree! We have to go and take a look."
"That's right! It's more valuable for research than Miss Zhong's vegetables!"
Although the researchers clamored to go to the base, no one actually dared to go.
Although they were eager, they still knew the rules. No one dared to go without Zhong Ling's permission.
It is really torturous to know but not be able to see or touch it.
After some discussion, they decided to formally submit an application to Qiao Jianmin, requesting to enter the base to study the ancient trees up close.
The application was quickly delivered to Qiao Jianmin's office.
He looked at the earnest request in the report and understood their feelings very well.
This ancient tree is indeed of great value, and it is reasonable for experts to want to conduct research on it.
But he knew better that the final decision was in Zhong Ling's hands.
Qiao Jianmin picked up the phone and dialed Zhong Ling's number.
"Miss Zhong, has the ancient tree been settled?" he asked cautiously.
"Well, I'm recovering well." Zhong Ling's voice sounded relaxed.
"That's good, that's good." Qiao Jianmin breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, the experts at the research center are very interested in this ancient tree.
They've submitted an application, hoping to visit the base to conduct some observation and research. Do you think...is that possible?"
Zhong Ling was silent for a few seconds, as if thinking.
Qiao Jianmin was a little nervous, afraid that Zhong Ling would reject him.
"Oh, come on," Zhong Ling said nonchalantly. "The base is quite large. Let them explore it themselves. Just don't touch anything."
"Okay, okay! Thank you so much!" Qiao Jianmin didn't expect Zhong Ling to be so easy to talk to, so he quickly agreed.
Afterwards, Qiao Jianmin arrived at the planting base with a group of experts.
There are five or six top researchers, all of whom are over fifty years old.
The base is heavily guarded, with guards manning the entrance.
Qiao Jianmin showed his ID and after going through layers of verification, the group was allowed to enter the base.
Once inside the base, the air is noticeably fresher than outside. Taking a deep breath, one feels relaxed and refreshed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
