Chapter 20
Qian Hui was stunned for a long time, feeling both delighted and at a loss.
It turns out that Nan Tingjin had already seen the letter he wrote...
He was still thinking about her before going to bed last night, hoping to find a chance to sneak into the safe zone the next day.
Unexpectedly, when he woke up, Nan Tingjin was standing in front of him.
"Um……"
Qian Hui nodded haphazardly, then couldn't help but take another half step forward, suddenly throwing herself into Nan Tingjin's arms and hugging him tightly.
"Did you receive it?" Qian Hui looked up, somewhat incoherently, "My letter, I wrote it myself, I even wrote my name..."
His beautiful red eyes sparkled, and the gloom and disappointment of the previous two days were swept away.
Carrot stood on the low wall to the side, quietly observing, its eyes filled with satisfaction.
It seems Qian Hui really likes this "gift," which is why the others stayed up all night, guarding Nan Tingjin until Qian Hui woke up.
Corn climbed up the low wall and went up to Carrot, giving it a massage on the shoulder.
The carrot patted the corn's head, indicating that it was a good idea.
Nan Tingjin replied, "Received."
Compared to Qian Hui, he didn't seem to show much joy at the reunion, but his gaze was fixed on Qian Hui, and his slightly tense breathing was low.
Qian Hui was completely unaware. While she was happy, she belatedly realized that the meeting place arranged in the letter was in the safe zone. How did Nan Tingjin know that she was here?
"When...when did you..."
As he spoke, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar branch wrapped around Nan Tingjin's neck, its blade-like leaves pressing against his skin. If it tightened any more, it would sever his blood vessels.
Qian Hui froze, realizing that something was wrong.
He released Nan Tingjin and turned to look at the man-eating flower.
The carnivorous plant shook its head to indicate that it didn't do it, and then raised its leaves to point at the carrot.
"Woo!" The carrot and corn stood side by side on the low wall, readily admitting it, and even looking quite proud.
Then, the chili peppers and potatoes also climbed up the low wall.
Potato was also excited, but Chili was a little guilty, her eyes darting around and not daring to look at Qian Hui.
Qian Hui even discovered that mimosa was among them, growing to the size of a fingernail and sticking to the forehead of the chili pepper, its color almost blending in.
He opened his mouth, then looked at Nan Tingjin in front of him.
And then there was the game notification I saw when I woke up: "Did something extraordinary," "Caused a huge impact"...
Could it be... what Yumi said that day...?
Qian Hui gasped softly. Before he could recover from his shock and stunned state, the carnivorous plant and the carrot simultaneously turned to look into the distance, sensing the approach of an unfamiliar presence.
Oh no, the people from the safe zone are coming!
The carrot made a few "woof woof" sounds and waved to signal everyone to slip away first.
It didn't want to wake Qian Hui in the middle of the night, so it waited until dawn. Nan Tingjin's subordinates must have noticed something was wrong and started sending people to search everywhere.
Normally, the carrots wouldn't be afraid at all, but now that they've tied up Nan Tingjin, if they don't keep an eye on him when he gets into a fight with humans, all their efforts will be in vain.
Nan Tingjin's strength is not low, so it's best to escape first to be on the safe side. Anyway, Carrot is quite pleased to have successfully kidnapped the leader of a large base.
Without delay, the man-eating plant immediately grew larger. Chili ran to collect the cabbage shells, picked up Qianhui's backpack and the small cabbage, and threw them into the man-eating plant's mouth.
There's no time to cram into my backpack now. The carnivorous plant has grown a little bigger, so I'm bending down to hide the other plants so I can take them all with me.
Finally, only Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin remained. The man-eating flower opened its mouth, indicating that there was still room inside.
That way, even if it's spotted on the road, only one of it will be seen.
All of this happened so suddenly that Qian Hui stood there, seemingly still in shock.
So, his plants sneaked into the safe zone in the middle of the night, kidnapped Nan Tingjin, and were discovered by humans who are now chasing after him.
Qian Hui's mind was a bit of a mess. He had disagreed with Yumi's suggestion earlier because he felt the risk was too great. Although he was clueless about many things, the position of leader should be quite important in the human camp...
However, at this very moment, Nan Tingjin was standing right in front of her, and Qian Hui couldn't contain her joy.
And... kidnapping a leader also rewards the game with 100 prestige points!
Urged on by the man-eating flower, Qianhui steeled her resolve.
He hurriedly pulled Nan Tingjin along and they squeezed into the man-eating flower's gaping mouth.
The two sat up, and the space suddenly became much narrower, with the surrounding plants crowding to the side.
The carnivorous plant closed its mouth, leaving a ventilator, and with a powerful flick of its stem, it moved dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.
Shortly after the man-eating flower left, a group of superhumans arrived nearby.
The team leader was holding a detection instrument, and the pointer indicated that there was high energy nearby, which was very likely a super-grade exotic plant.
But the surroundings were empty. They searched several ruins where they could hide, but found no mutated plants, let alone any trace of Nan Tingjin.
The team drove two modified vehicles and continued chasing the direction where the scent lingered until it completely disappeared and the trail went cold.
The captain, with a grave expression, said into the communicator, "Team Three's search has yielded nothing; prepare to return."
More than an hour ago, inside the safe zone.
All the superhumans who participated in the assignment at Blackridge Mountain Base gathered in the courtyard, and several of them were taking turns questioning the subordinate from last night.
The subordinate claimed to be looking for Nan Tingjin, but instead encountered several mutated plants and was knocked unconscious. He was not discovered until daytime and taken for treatment.
After he woke up, he recounted everything he had seen in detail.
"You're saying that mutated plants have broken in?!"
“I’m absolutely not mistaken,” the subordinate said firmly. “The leader is covered in green vines and is being attacked by a carrot.”
He saw a carrot with its thorns pressed against Nan Tingjin's neck, and before he could even help, he was knocked unconscious by a chili pepper and an ear of corn.
Nan Tingjin is now missing. The guards at the intersection said he left alone by car last night, but his communicator was left on the table.
Even if he had to go out for personal reasons and didn't want to notify any subordinates, Nam Tin Gin would always carry his own communicator.
Later, while searching the room for signs of the plants entering, someone found a line of writing on the table.
Upon closer inspection, the words "Your leader, I have taken him away" were written in large characters.
The handwriting was crooked and messy, and the word "leader" was even misspelled. If you scraped it with a knife, it smelled like mashed radish.
This was obviously left by the carrot. Since it couldn't read, it had the chili pepper do it for it, writing on the table with carrot thorns, deliberately letting humans see it. It seemed to be saying that your leader was alright, but it was actually full of provocation.
Its purpose was achieved, and everyone's face was extremely ugly, unable to believe it.
Based on what his subordinates witnessed and the abandoned communicator, could it be...?
Was their leader kidnapped and taken away by the mutated plants?
But with Nan Tingjin's strength, how could he be so easily controlled by a few mutated plants?
Furthermore... it's almost unheard of for two or more mutated plants to team up and cooperate.
The subordinates continued to be questioned, describing in detail the appearance of the mutated plants from the previous night.
Tall, slender carrots, large, green bell peppers with curved hooks, thin green vines, and shorter ears of corn...
Soon, someone speculated: "The carrot... could it be the super-grade exotic plant that attacked the outer wall a couple of days ago?"
"The mutated chili pepper...it couldn't be one of those with very special abilities..."
Among the crowd were two members of the team who had personally experienced the chili pepper energy attack last time, and they knew how effective that ability was against superhumans.
If it really was that chili pepper, along with a fierce and combative super-grade alien plant, their ability to kidnap Nan Tingjin seems... plausible.
Soon after, the people who went to look for the modified car also sent back news that the modified car had been abandoned on the roadside outside the safe zone, and there was a residual scent of top-grade exotic plants inside the car. Nan Tingjin was nowhere to be found.
Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to accept reality, no matter how unwilling we are to believe it.
The leader of the Black Ridge Mountain base was kidnapped by a group of mutated plants.
If the Black Ridge Mountain base were invaded by mutated plants, they might be able to keep it quiet for the time being. However, this is the inner circle of the safe zone, which concerns the safety of other bases. Furthermore, because of that chili pepper with special abilities, the Sky Base has also been dragged into this.
In short, this matter is of great importance. The purpose of the mutated plant is still unclear. After a brief discussion, the people at the base immediately contacted the heads of the safe zone and the Sky Base to inform them of Nan Tingjin's disappearance.
There are three people in charge of the safe zone. One of them was so frightened when he heard that the leader of the Black Ridge Mountain base had been kidnapped by a mutated plant that broke in at night that he almost lost his footing.
Fearing that it would cause widespread panic, they chose to act covertly, conducting an emergency search and strengthening security in the inner circle while sending people to continue searching for Nam Tinh Jin.
Meanwhile, the Sky Base on the other side also received the message.
The subordinate, carrying a message, hurriedly went to the central pavilion, but was stopped at the door.
“Mr. Wen is still unconscious,” the guard said. “We cannot go in now.”
The subordinate frowned: "Why are we starting again..."
Wen Jue fell into a state of confusion more and more frequently. His special ability was very unique. When he was confused, his brain would be immersed in past memories, and he would be like a walking corpse, suffering greatly.
To maintain order at the base, only a few close confidants knew his situation, and he rarely saw outsiders.
The Sky Base develops drugs and captures mutated plants for domestication or various experiments, all in an effort to completely resolve this issue.
However, the more often Wen Jue uses his superpowers, the stronger the superpowered individual becomes, and the more severe the disorientation symptoms will be.
Even the medicine only provided partial relief, as if it were a curse targeting human superhumans. Zombies and mutated plants, which had also evolved due to the apocalypse, were completely unaffected by it.
Just as the subordinate was about to leave, he saw the lights turn on in the attic.
Wen Jue woke up.
He waited outside the door for a while longer, and after the guard informed Wen Jue, he pressed the switch on the iron gate.
The subordinate quickly entered the attic and saw Wen Jue sitting by the window, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, resting.
His hair was gray, but he looked to be only about fifty years old, which made him seem rather strange.
“Sir,” the subordinate approached, handing over a communicator, “there’s been trace of mutated chili peppers, but…”
Before he could finish speaking, Wen Jue opened his eyes and took the communicator.
After reading the message, he frowned, deep in thought: "Several plants... kidnapped Nan Tingjin?"
"Would you like to take a look, sir?" the subordinate asked. "That man-eating plant might be there too."
After Liang Jie led his team out, there has been no news for a long time, and the chances of them being in grave danger are slim. A few days ago, we heard that the man-eating flower appeared on the outskirts of the safe zone, along with a top-grade alien carrot.
Recently, there have been increasing reports of unusual behavior from the mutated plants. They used to never gather together, but now they have even kidnapped a human leader.
The information we have so far is too fragmented, but Wen Jue's "foresight" can see everything.
Furthermore, his subordinates knew that Wen Jue was quite interested in Nan Tingjin and had been trying to win over the Black Ridge Mountain base. They hoped that he could help them this time and use his special ability to find Nan Tingjin's location.
Wen Jue put down the communicator, and after a moment said, "I can't see it."
He could see no past, present, or future of Nan Tingjin; it was as if this person did not belong to this world.
Not only that, but now he can no longer see anything related to him, including the mutated plants mentioned in the message.
Wen Jue was already very curious about Nan Tingjin; his special ability seemed to be quite unique, not just as simple as controlling objects.
He wanted to know the maximum potential of Nan Tingjin. Mutant plants and zombies could unleash charged attacks, and human superhumans could do the same, but very few people could.
Unfortunately, Wen Jue never succeeded.
Upon hearing this, the subordinate was startled.
He looked up and saw that Wen Jue's expression was not good, so he didn't dare to ask any more questions, picked up the communicator and took his leave.
—
The wind howled outside, occasionally blowing into the gaps between the man-eating plant's teeth.
Money trees are sensitive to cold, so I covered part of it with leaves to make the inside darker.
The mouth of the mutant plant is dry and soft, like a small room pieced together from leaves.
Qian Hui sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, amidst a group of plants, quietly observing Nan Tingjin across from her.
"Waaah!" Carrot hung on Qian Hui's arm, while she held a sharp thorn in one hand and gestured back and forth, vividly describing her achievements last night.
With the addition of chili peppers, Qianhui roughly understood the situation.
He frowned and said in a low voice, "You're so disobedient..."
They even kidnapped the timid mimosa plant... What if something unexpected happens?
But Qianhui knew that the plants were doing this entirely for their own benefit.
He couldn't bear to say anything too harsh, so he scooped up several plants, hugged them tightly, and asked if they were injured or frightened by the humans inside.
Carrots and peppers need no introduction, potatoes and corn are also quite bold, but the mimosa seemed a little scared, timidly hiding in Qian Hui's sleeve and staying still.
Qian Hui wanted to call Ruan Teng back so that he wouldn't have to entangle Nan Tingjin anymore, but Carrot stopped her.
It shook its head solemnly: "Woo!"
Nan Tingjin is quite powerful. To be on the safe side, let's take him into custody before we reach a safe location.
The soft vine diligently maintained its skill level, raising a branch and swaying it to indicate that it was perfectly fine.
Qian Hui had no choice but to give up. After thinking for a moment, he put down the plant in his arms and rummaged through his backpack in the dark to find a few biscuits and some water.
He sidled up to Nan Tingjin and asked, "Are you hungry...? Would you like some water?"
Nan Tingjin replied in a low voice, "No need."
Perhaps because his life was threatened, he showed no sign of resistance and remained silent throughout.
Qianhui said "Oh," and casually handed the biscuits and water bottle to Tudou.
The other plants were also secretly observing Nantingjin; Corn remembered seeing this human in the forest before.
So he was a leader after all...
It's nothing special! They tied it up so easily.
Yumi swaggered over, ready to punch Nantingjin just like she had done to Liang Jie that night.
It came up to Nan Tingjin, raised its head, and met his gaze.
Despite being unable to move freely, Yumi felt a sudden sense of fear under the gaze of those dark, indifferent eyes.
Its body stiffened, its raised fist slowly loosened, it scratched the back of its head, and awkwardly ran away, sneaking behind the carrot to hide.
Before long, the carnivorous plant began to slow down.
It has already moved quite a distance from the safe zone, and there is a forest ahead, making it easier to hide.
The man-eating flower's mouth was full of food. It raised its head, its flower stem pushing through the tree canopy, and continued deeper into the forest. It stopped in a spacious meadow, lowered its head, and opened its mouth.
The plants jumped out one by one, curiously observing their new environment, with Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin following closely behind.
This place is very similar to the previous forest. The unfamiliar plants around have already fled after smelling the carnivorous plant. There are no zombies here, so it's safe for now.
The plants that participated in the kidnapping last night didn't get much sleep, and the carrot is incredibly sleepy right now.
Qianhui fed them some food and let the man-eating flower take them to sleep next to her.
In the end, only the little cabbage and the money tree remained, obediently following at Qian Hui's feet.
Qianhui let them play nearby, but not too far from the man-eating flowers, then turned to look at Nantingjin sitting under the tree.
He slowly walked over, squatted down, and hugged his knees: "Um, I..."
Qian Hui wanted to say that it wasn't his intention to bring Nan Tingjin here like this.
However, when the words came out, they turned into an explanation for the plants.
“Don’t be angry, the radishes didn’t do it on purpose,” Qian Hui stammered, perhaps influenced by the kidnapping incident, but then said with a straight face, “Yes… I wanted to see you!”
He glanced at Nan Tingjin, lowered his head, and continued recounting what happened after he parted ways with Nan Tingjin that day: "I didn't mean to. I encountered some humans who were bullying Xiao Fen... When I went back, I couldn't find you."
He remembered the direction of the base that Nan Tingjin had mentioned, so he came looking for it, then infiltrated the inner circle of the safe zone, and found an opportunity to write a letter.
Qian Hui spoke at length, as he had always done before. When Nan Tingjin was not by his side, he would tell him everything that happened in detail.
Nan Tingjin listened quietly, showing no impatience.
After she finally finished speaking, Qian Hui couldn't help but move closer to Nan Tingjin, her fingertips touching his sleeve: "I really missed you..."
Nan Tingjin responded in a low voice and raised his hand in the direction of Qian Hui.
Qian Hui was feeling uneasy, but when she saw this, she was stunned for a moment. Then she happily jumped into Nan Tingjin's arms and rubbed her head affectionately against his collar.
Nan Tingjin lowered his eyes, raised his hand and gently stroked Qian Hui's silver hair.
A moment later, Qian Hui suddenly felt his palm move and pinch the back of her neck.
The force wasn't heavy, yet it inexplicably made Qian Hui feel a little scared.
He unconsciously tilted his head back, let out a soft hum like a kitten, and pushed Nan Tingjin, but couldn't break free.
Nan Tingjin bent over slightly, leaning closer, his warm breath falling on her hair.
He held Qian Hui in his arms, and the pressure on the back of her neck loosened slightly.
"You miss me..." Nan Tingjin asked softly, "How much do you miss me?"
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