Besides the Fu family, the three most powerful families in S City are undoubtedly the Mu and Leng families.
Jiang Yong, the base's second-in-command, was a slightly bald, bespectacled, and somewhat overweight middle-aged man. He wore a suit and white shirt, but with a thick military overcoat wrapped around his shoulders.
Jiang Yonggang met with the eldest daughter of the Leng family and accepted a batch of supplies donated by the Leng family.
When Lu Chen asked, he was naturally the first to answer.
"The Leng and Mu families have been relatively peaceful recently. All the Mu family members have returned to their ancestral home in Shuanghegou. We have also received news that the village of Shuanghegou has been placed under full control by the Mu family."
Lu Chen nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the paper map on the table in front of him. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said meaningfully:
"Shuanghegou is quite far from our safe base."
Jiang Yong was somewhat intimidated by Lu Chen's unpredictable nature and didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he turned his head to look at the leader's expression.
The base's top leader, Qi Hongshen, was a military man. He wore a crisp military uniform, stood upright, had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and a square face that exuded an air of quiet authority.
He seemed oblivious to the deeper meaning in Lu Chen's words, responding casually and naturally.
"Yes, it's in the southernmost part of our city. The city center is still heavily occupied, so you have to take a detour to get there."
Even disregarding unforeseen circumstances on the road, it will take at least three hours to drive there.
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Qi Hongshen without leaving a trace, and did not continue to ask questions. Instead, he inquired about the Leng family's situation.
"Where is the Leng family?"
This time, Qi Hongshen didn't speak again. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yong, the second-in-command, smiled easily and replied:
“The Leng family lives quite close to us. They are in the Yunhe Mountain Villa next door, and it only takes half an hour to get there.”
After saying this, Jiang Yong, seeing that Lu Chen showed no dissatisfaction, grew bolder and continued:
"The Leng family is quite quiet and cooperative with our base's work. Leng Zhian's daughter even rescued a group of survivors from Tianxi Town the day before yesterday and had them escorted to the base."
"They contacted me again today and donated a batch of emergency supplies to our base."
As he spoke, he took out a list of supplies from a blue folder he had prepared earlier and respectfully handed it to Lu Chen.
Despite having no official position before the apocalypse, Lu Chen's visit to the base was merely a casual assignment from his superiors, who gave him the title of "inspector."
Actually, everyone knows perfectly well that if it were before the apocalypse, the Lu family might have been more discreet and avoided suspicion, but now...?
With military power in hand, the Lu family is someone no one in China can afford to offend.
Lu Chen had already learned from Lu Peiting about some of the things that happened in Tianxi Town the day before yesterday.
He also knew that Li Xin'er seemed to have an unusual relationship with this young lady from the Leng family.
So, wanting to learn more, he gestured to his assistant, Wang, and took the list.
After quickly glancing at the list, Lu Chen couldn't help but sigh.
"That's a big investment."
Jiang Yong nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes, the Leng family has also stated that they will continue to support the construction of our base."
Lu Chen suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light, as if he could see right through people. He asked casually, "..."
"How much did you receive?"
Before coming to S City, he thoroughly investigated the background information of the base management personnel here, just to facilitate the work.
Jiang Yong has no family ties with the Leng family, so for him to speak so blatantly on their behalf, he must have gained a lot from it.
Jiang Yong was stunned for a moment, "Huh?"
He immediately realized what was happening, and despite the freezing weather, he broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands.
"No...I..."
He was stammering as he tried to explain, but Lu Chen didn't seem to care. He smiled gently, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor.
Lu Chen gently comforted him:
"Don't be nervous, I was just asking casually."
They might turn a blind eye to reasonable favors, as long as they aren't excessive, and not pursue the matter further.
Especially during such a special period, maintaining apparent stability is a necessary measure, and digging too deep into the matter may backfire.
Jiang Yong nodded a beat late, responding somewhat hesitantly.
"Oh...okay...okay."
Lu Chen continued to inquire about some details concerning the Leng family, but ultimately did not express his own opinion, only instructing the people at the base to keep an eye on the movements of both families.
At the end of the meeting, Lu Chen gave instructions to everyone:
"We also need to expedite the clearing and demarcation of areas, expand the safety zone, and allocate accommodations, and implement the plan as soon as possible."
"After I finish what I'm doing, I need to see the new safe zone map before I return to Kyoto."
The matter at hand was dealing with the Fu family. Upon hearing the time limit given by Lu Chen, all the managers became anxious.
Dealing with the Fu family won't take long, but before that, they need to complete the expansion of the safe zone, which involves a lot of trivial matters.
But Lu Chen's words were essentially equivalent to an order from a superior, like an order from the top military commander. Everyone in charge had no choice but to accept it, even if it meant facing difficulties.
After the meeting, Lu Chen kept Lu Jin'an alone.
Lu Jin'an was Lu Chen's favorite junior. He had always thought highly of this nephew, and his attitude towards him in private was much more amiable, without the oppressive feeling he had when facing Lu Peiting.
Lu Chen asked casually, as if chatting with someone, "Did your dad send you?"
Lu Jin'an was still wearing her special forces uniform, and when facing Lu Chen, her usually resolute and serious face showed a hint of relaxation.
"Yes, the fact that the Warwing Legion is staying in China is a ticking time bomb. We need to find out more about it."
Lu Chen gave Lu Jin'an a meaningful smile, then shook his head slightly and said:
"I'm afraid you've all guessed wrong. The people from Zhan Yi are nothing special."
Lu Jin'an asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Lu Chen asked with great interest, "How much did you know about Li Xin'er before you came here?"
He felt that, compared to Zhan Yi, Li Xin'er was the real ticking time bomb within the country.
Lu Jin'an frowned as he recalled Li Xin'er, his tone hesitant.
“I have looked up all her information from childhood to adulthood, so I should know her quite well.”
"But I feel like I don't understand her at all. She's like a mystery, something I can't figure out."
As she spoke, Lu Jin'an looked up at Lu Chen, revealing an expression of humbly seeking an answer.
He knew that since Lu Chen said that, he must have discovered something.
For Lu Jin'an, his third uncle Lu Chen was more like a mentor or a close friend. They used to discuss problems together often, and he would seek Lu Chen's help whenever he encountered any confusion.
After a moment of silence, Lu Chen said with extreme caution:
"I've met her twice, and all I can say is that she's either all show and no substance or unfathomable."
Lu Chen's comment made Lu Jin'an's heart pound.
Because without realizing it, his heart had already leaned towards the latter possibility.
Unfathomable.
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