Chapter 55 Little Darling Attacked
Early the next morning, Zheng Zhanqing and his friends arrived outside Jiang Rong's yard. Upon seeing the enormous cactus standing outside, their eyes widened in astonishment: "My God..."
Although I had already learned of the existence of the fairy from Chu Qiang, seeing it with my own eyes was a shock that words could not describe.
The little fairy was draped with a blood-red vine, the Bloodthirsty Vine, its tendrils hanging down from the cactus and the courtyard wall like a giant red net. When they were on missions together before, the little vine was obedient and well-behaved, and everyone enjoyed teasing it. If they hadn't witnessed the Bloodthirsty Vine's terrifying fighting power firsthand, none of them would have associated it with the word "fierce."
Seeing the lazy Bloodthirsty Vine, Wang Cheng called out, "What are you doing, little darling?"
The Bloodthirsty Vine swayed listlessly, too exhausted to even speak.
Chu Qiang lowered his voice and said to everyone, "Don't talk to them now. Xiao Jiang punished them by not letting them watch cartoons for half a month, and they're feeling really bad." Not being able to watch cartoons for half a month is such a cruel thing for two loyal cartoon fans.
Everyone: ...
What kind of punishment is this?
As soon as Chu Qiang finished speaking, Little Darling and Little Fairy both let out a mournful cry: "Cartoon..."
Wang Chenggang's lips twitched: "Looks like he's harboring a lot of resentment."
After the major crisis, Zheng Zhanqing discovered he could understand animal speech. When he first heard Ba Wang call him "Dad," he was completely horrified. Over time, however, he found this ability quite useful, sometimes allowing him to hear unexpected news.
As soon as Zheng Zhanqing entered the courtyard, he saw a giant, striped tiger pacing back and forth. The tiger glared at the group, and as soon as they took a few steps forward, it bared its gleaming fangs.
This is Zheng Zhanqing's mission today: to communicate with Tiger and make him work for the superhuman team.
The tiger in front of him looked formidable. Zheng Zhanqing had only ever interacted with mutated pet cats and dogs before; this was his first time facing a ferocious beast directly. He composed himself, put on a warm smile, and prepared to greet it.
But before he could speak, he heard the tiger's deep warning growl.
Zheng Zhanqing instinctively stretched out his hands to stop his companions: "Back up, back up, don't go forward." If they went any further, they might anger the tiger, which would be disastrous.
Everyone quickly took a few steps back, and Chu Qiang clicked his tongue and said, "This guy looks even bigger than yesterday."
When Chu Qiang saw the tiger yesterday, it was lying on the ground, and he could only see its body length. Today, after it stood up, Chu Qiang realized that the tiger was almost as tall as him.
The tiger paced back and forth in front of the group, swishing its tail. Facing the courtyard gate, it formed an invisible wall with its body. If Chu Qiang and his companions dared to take a single step forward, it would immediately lower its stance and bare its teeth.
Jiang Jinhu frowned and clicked his tongue: "An unreasonable beast."
Zheng Zhanqing quickly stopped Jiang Jinhu: "Old Jiang, you can't say that!" If he couldn't communicate with mutated animals, he would also think that the mutated animals were not very intelligent. But through his exploration over this period of time, he discovered that animals domesticated by humans are very intelligent.
The moment Zheng Zhanqing finished speaking, Tiger's eyes widened and he fixed his murderous gaze on Jiang Jinhu.
Jiang Jinhu exclaimed in surprise: "Really? It understood?"
Fortunately, Jiang Rong and the others quickly noticed the anomaly in the courtyard and opened the gate. Sensing the noise behind them, the tiger instinctively lay down on the ground. With its back to the gate, it stared intently at Zheng Zhanqing and his group.
Zheng Zhanqing frowned; the tiger's reaction was quite strange. Logically, it should treat all humans equally, so why did it seem to have already claimed Jiang Tou'er's house as its territory? This didn't seem like a wild tiger at all; even a guard dog wouldn't be this alert.
When Jiang Rong woke up this morning, he noticed that the tiger's condition was different from what he had imagined. Before opening the door, they were prepared for the tiger to retaliate, but after the door opened, the tiger simply turned its head and glanced at them before lazily lying down in the yard.
Jiang Rong called out, "Xiao Zheng, ask this tiger what its name is."
Zheng Zhanqing looked into the tiger's eyes. Facing the king of the forest, who exuded an overwhelming aura even while lying down, his palms were sweating. "Hey, Brother Tiger, what's your name?"
The tiger flicked its tail but did not respond.
No matter how Zheng Zhanqing introduced himself or tried to communicate with the tiger, it seemed as if the tiger hadn't heard him. All the techniques he'd used on the Overlord were ineffective against the tiger, making him question his existence: Did his superpower only work on mutated pet dogs and cats?
Just then, Jiang Rong heard Jiang Xiaoheng's soft voice calling from behind: "Dou Dou..."
The tiger suddenly stood up from the ground, turned around, and strode quickly toward the gate. Guan Shao stepped forward and blocked Jiang Rong and his son's path. A pale purple barrier appeared in front of him, with faint flashes of electricity within it.
Just as the tiger was about to touch the barrier, its movements suddenly slowed down. It lowered its head and obediently lay down on the ground. At the same time, Zheng Zhanqing heard a slightly childish voice call out, "Liver!"
Zheng Zhanqing's eyes lit up: "It spoke! It's calling for the two children's caretakers!"
Jiang Rong and Guan Shao exchanged a glance. Could it be that this tiger has really recognized Xiao Heng and Xiao Hao?
With the help of Xiao Heng and Xiao Hao, Zheng Zhanqing quickly pieced together the tiger's origins from its mouth. The tiger's name was Jun Jun, and it was the prized possession of the D City Zoo. It was born on the first day of the new year and was a Siberian tiger bred by the D City Zoo.
Despite its large size, Junjun is actually not even eight months old yet; it's still a tiger cub.
After the great crisis, the zookeepers disappeared, the animals in the zoo either died or mutated, and the animals that were left unattended broke out of their cages and escaped after enduring painful torment.
Junjun was one of the animals that fled, but it wasn't a tiger. Its mother tiger led it westward into the mountains, and without its keepers' care, their lives were difficult. One day, the mother tiger went out to hunt for food and never returned.
Junjun waited in the same spot for several days, realizing its mother wouldn't return. So, driven by instinct, it chased after prey, and during this time, Junjun's hunting skills improved rapidly. It quickly grew from a small tiger bullied by other animals into the king of the forest, its territory expanding ever larger.
One day, while passing by a hilltop, it saw a square cement house. This house looked just like the cage it and its mother used to live in, and seeing the house made it feel especially close to it.
Outside the house stood a large cactus. Whenever Junjun tried to approach, sharp thorns would fly up to stop it. The more it was prevented from getting closer, the stronger Junjun's curiosity became; it was determined to see what lived inside the house.
Two naive children lived in the house. They fed the tiger like a house cat for a while, during which time the tiger became less and less wary of them, until it got injured in a fight with a snake and jumped into the yard seeking help.
As everyone knows, Jiang Rong looked directly into the tiger's eyes and said seriously, "Jun Jun, if you want to stay in our family, you have to behave well. Can you do that?"
Junjun blinked its golden tiger eyes, and Zheng Zhanqing translated, "It says yes."
As a captive-bred tiger, Junjun's wildness is far less than that of its wild counterparts. Rather than roaming the world and marking its territory everywhere, it prefers to stay with its keepers.
After receiving Junjun's affirmative answer, Jiang Xiaoheng and the others were overjoyed. They cheered and pounced on Junjun, showing no trace of the terrible state their bottoms had been in yesterday.
Jiang Rong was still a little worried watching her son playfully rolling around with the tiger. Guan Shao comforted her, "Don't worry, many wealthy people abroad keep lions and tigers as pets. Since Junjun promised, we should be able to do it. Besides, it stayed because of Xiao Heng and the others, so it won't hurt them."
*
Junjun's matter was resolved satisfactorily, and the superpowered team gained another ferocious beast to command, a result that pleased everyone. The group sat in Jiang Rong's living room, chatting casually in a relaxed atmosphere.
Although they knew Guan Tou'er lived in Jiang Rong's house, this was the first time Wang Chenggang and his companions had seen the furnishings of Jiang Rong's home. Wang Chenggang sincerely praised, "Jiang Tou'er's house is really well-built. If we ever build a house, we should build it to this standard."
Wang Chenggang and his group were trusted by Guan Shao, and Jiang Rong also wanted to bring them into the core team.
Jiang Rong waved his hand with a smile: "Don't say that. I had no choice but to build it like this." As a designer, he knew how ugly his house was on the outside. The only thing he could be proud of was the interior decoration.
If he had known earlier that he would awaken his wood-type abilities after the great crisis and receive help from a fairy-like girl, he would have definitely built an elegant little courtyard in the mountains. But at that time, he was just an ordinary person, so his only requirement for the house was: sturdiness.
Xu Jinhu disagreed: "This house is great, big and spacious, and beautifully decorated." Xu Jinhu and his comrades had been in the military for many years, and the houses in the army were all square and regular. Jiang Rong's house was much more pleasing to the eye than those crooked and crooked buildings outside.
Jiang Rong smiled and said, "If everyone likes this kind of house, I will give you the design drawings and decoration plan once the site is stabilized."
When the topic of base stability came up, everyone had a lot to say. The base had just been established and everything was in need of rebuilding. The two most important things right now were manufacturing solar panels and building warehouses.
Manufacturing solar panels is actually not too bad. Jingyi Optoelectronics has a lot of raw materials stocked in its warehouse, and there are also power generation units in the factory area. As long as the personnel are in place, the production line can be started.
Building a warehouse is a complex undertaking, involving blueprints, manpower, equipment, materials, and so on, and none of these aspects can be omitted.
The college students have already started surveying, and the soldiers brought by Guan Shao are also excellent workers. There are several well-known manufacturing enterprises in D City, and they have a lot of large-scale machinery and equipment.
The biggest shortage right now is materials. Wang Ting said with distress, "We went to several companies, but the materials we found were far from what we expected."
Perhaps due to the previous extreme heat, several material processing companies in City D have suspended or reduced production, resulting in very low material reserves in their warehouses. If material shortages persist, warehouse construction will have to be postponed.
After thinking for a moment, Chu Qiang said, "There aren't many material processing companies in our city. I remember that several of our company's previous suppliers were in Jiangbei. If all else fails, how about we make a trip to Jiangbei?"
There's a river to the north of City D, with sand quarries along its banks and supporting material factories further along. If we could get to the north bank of the river, the material issue should be resolved. However, getting from the base to the north bank requires traversing not only the entire city of D but also the entire river.
Jiang Rong nodded: "Okay, this matter can't be delayed. Everyone go back and prepare. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."
As they left the Jiang family, Chu Qiang and the others discussed how many people to take, chatting animatedly. Zheng Zhanqing, sitting in the back row, didn't join in; instead, he grinned foolishly out the window.
Meng Weixian noticed his odd behavior and nudged Zheng Zhanqing, laughing, "What's wrong? You've been so absent-minded ever since you left Jiang Tou'er's house. Is something good happening? You're laughing like that."
Zheng Zhanqing chuckled twice, then lowered his voice and said, "Our big happy event is just around the corner."
Everyone perked up their ears: "What good news? Tell us quickly!"
Zheng Zhanqing grinned foolishly: "Just now, Jiang Tou'er's Lele asked me if kisses smell good? If they don't, why do Jiang Tou'er and Guan Tou'er kiss and hug each other every night?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in gossipy chatter: "Oh~~"
Wang Chenggang slapped his thigh excitedly: "What did I tell you? Xiao Jiang is Guan Tou'er's type! No wonder he's Guan Tou'er, he won the beauty's heart so quickly. No wonder he dragged everyone to the Spark Base, now I know!"
It's no secret that Guan Shao likes men, and everyone is happy for him that he has found someone he likes.
Laughter and chatter filled the pickup truck, but Chu Qiang remained expressionless. The little pickup nearly tumbled onto the curb after wobbling a couple of times on the mountain road. Chu Qiang's irritable voice came from the window: "Damn it!"
*
It's over a hundred kilometers from the base to the cross-river bridge. Jiang Rong and his team set off early in the morning, but by noon they had only traveled a little over eighty kilometers. The closer they got to the bridge, the worse the traffic congestion became. Looking at the piles of vehicles ahead, Jiang Rong picked up his walkie-talkie and directed, "There's a gas station ahead. Let's all go in and rest for a bit."
The convoy slowly pulled into the gas station, and Guan Shao opened the door and jumped out of the car: "I'll go check if there's any gas."
After a busy morning, Jiang Rong was hungry. Just as he took out his backpack to prepare lunch, Chu Qiang scurried into the car and plopped down next to him.
Chu Qiang stared at Jiang Rong's face with a complicated expression: "Xiao Jiang, you..."
Jiang Rong raised an eyebrow: "You ate all the delicious food your aunt made for you? Now you want some of mine?"
Before they set off, Aunt Chu prepared a large bag of delicious food for each of them, including fruit, snacks, and staple foods. Knowing Chu Qiang as he did, Jiang Rong knew he wouldn't be able to resist devouring all the treats.
To his surprise, Chu Qiang shook his head and stammered, "Is what happened between you and Guan Shao true?"
Jiang Rong looked over in surprise: "Huh?" He and Guan Shao had never deliberately hidden their relationship, so it was rare for Chu Qiang to be so sensitive.
Chu Qiang's expression changed several times. "Are you with Guan Shao?"
Jiang Rong blinked, showing no embarrassment or shyness at being caught: "Yeah, so what?" Isn't it normal for an adult like him to be with someone he's compatible with? There's no need to hide it.
Chu Qiang said earnestly, "Xiao Jiang, it's not that I'm against you finding a partner. It's just that you have to be careful about such an important life decision."
Jiang Rong chuckled: "What's wrong? Didn't you admire Guan Shao a lot? Why are you reacting like this now?"
Chu Qiang scratched his head, looking exasperated. "I didn't say Guan Tou'er was bad. I just feel like he's not the type to settle down. Think about it, Guan Tou'er is too capable. Can he really take good care of you?"
Chu Qiang didn't sleep a wink last night, feeling a mix of emotions. Jiang Rong, whom he had watched grow up, was actually dating right under his nose? It felt like the cabbage he had painstakingly raised for over twenty years had been eaten by a pig, which made him practically spitting fire when he looked at Guan Shao today.
If Chu Qiang weren't outmatched by Guan Shao, he would have already taken him in for a sparring match. That Guan Shao! Xiao Jiang carefully took him in, and he actually took advantage of everyone's inattention to start a relationship with her.
Chu Qiang was furious. Why did he have to send Cheng Gang's gym address to Xiao Jiang? If he hadn't sent the location, would Xiao Jiang have avoided meeting Guan Shao?
The thought that the cabbage he had personally nurtured had been eaten by a pig he had attracted made Chu Qiang want to slap himself a few times.
Jiang Rong laughed: "Isn't it a good thing that he's capable? Besides, I'm an adult, what do I need him to take care of?"
Chu Qiang scratched his head anxiously: "Xiao Jiang, you're not the same person you used to be, you know? Look, you're an ability user now, and a leader at the Spark Base. After a long day of work, you still have to take care of Xiao Heng when you get home. Wouldn't it be better to find someone more practical? At least you'd have a hot meal waiting for you when you get home!"
Jiang Rong chuckled and opened the lunchbox, which contained several cute little rice balls. He handed one to Chu Qiang: "Want some?"
Chu Qiang casually picked up a pill, popped it into his mouth, and continued to persuade him, "Xiao Jiang, I know Guan Tou'er is capable, a good person, and very charming. I also understand your character; you never play around with people, and when you're in a relationship, you're always looking for a life together. I just feel that you're so busy right now, even if you're going to find someone, you should find someone gentle, considerate, obedient, and who will take care of you. If you're with Guan Tou'er, it's hard to say who will take care of whom."
"Let me jinx it one more time. What if, I mean, what if you and Guan Tou'er don't make it to the end? You're carrying such heavy burdens, and if you break up, the base suffers, and you both hate each other, how are we supposed to work?"
Jiang Rong listened to Chu Qiang's rambling with a smile. Seeing his expression, Chu Qiang became even more worried: "Jiang, you need to be careful about this. Listen to your brother, you need to be careful."
Chu Qiang ate as he talked, and soon he had finished three rice balls. Jiang Rong asked with a smile, "Is it good?"
Chu Qiang quickly gave a thumbs up: "Your cooking is great, it's delicious, give me another one."
Jiang Rong said gently, "Guan Shao made it."
Chu Qiang was stunned for a moment, "Huh?"
Jiang Rong said slowly, "Ever since he came to our house, he's been doing the laundry and cooking whenever he has free time. He puts his heart into making delicious food for the two children and knows their needs better than I do. Brother Chu Qiang, I know what you mean. You hope I can find someone who cares about me and treats me well. I just want to tell you that I have good taste, and not just anyone can catch my eye."
"Guan Shao is the person I've chosen, and I intend to live a good life with him. Of course, I've also considered the issues you raised, even more deeply. After careful consideration, I've decided to let things take their course. If we really do end up parting ways, I'll accept it."
Chu Qiang opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Well, it's a matter of mutual consent, so I really can't say too much. I wish you both well and hope you can stay together for a long time."
Just then, Guan Shao's voice came from outside the window: "Jiang Rong, there's still some oil left in the gas station, shall we take it?"
Seeing Guan Shao return, Chu Qiang quickly grabbed a rice ball from his lunchbox. He opened the car door and stood facing Guan Shao. After a long while, he raised his fist and pressed it against Guan Shao's chest: "Guan Shao, I'm entrusting my brother to you. You have to treat him well, understand? If you ever wrong him, even if I'm too busy during the day, I'll break your legs at night."
Guan Shao nodded solemnly: "Don't worry."
Chu Qiang popped the rice ball into his mouth and strode towards the pickup truck. He had given the necessary reminders; as for what would happen to Xiao Jiang and Guan Tou'er in the future, he would watch quietly.
After Guan Shao got into the car, he fastened his seatbelt. "No, I won't."
Jiang Rong raised an eyebrow in confusion: "Hmm?"
Guan Shao said earnestly, "There will never be a day when we part ways. I have good judgment, and I never play with people's feelings. Once I've decided on someone, I only want to be with him for the rest of my life."
It turned out that Guan Shao had overheard everything Chu Qiang said. He understood Chu Qiang's feelings; Jiang Rong was his childhood friend and brother. As the older brother, Chu Qiang always had to worry about his brother finding a partner.
Guan Shao's words to Jiang Rong weren't just perfunctory; they came from his heart. It's not easy to meet someone you like, and he just wanted to cherish every day with Jiang Rong.
Jiang Rong smiled and handed over the lunchbox: "Okay. Let's eat."
Jiang Rong understood everything Guan Shao said. Feelings are complex and can't be explained in a few words; since fate has brought them together, they should cherish it.
*
After resting at the gas station for about half an hour, the convoy set off again towards the cross-river bridge. Four forklifts took turns stacking the cars stuck in the road and moving them to the side of the road. After working like this for two hours, they finally reached the main bridge.
As soon as the convoy drove onto the main bridge, everyone felt something was wrong. It was a creepy feeling; despite the bright sunshine outside, several of the superpowered individuals in the convoy couldn't help but shiver.
Guan Shao gave the order without hesitation: "All vehicles retreat to the approach bridge."
Jiang Rong opened the car door and called out, "Little darling, make way for me."
Following Jiang Rong's command, Little Guai Guai rolled off the heavy truck, its red vines spreading along the bridge. Clinging to the bridge, it quickly climbed towards the center of the river.
Jiang Rong and Guan Shao stood by the bridge, observing Xiao Guai Guai's movements through binoculars. Xiao Guai Guai was very fast, and in no time it had climbed more than a thousand meters.
Jiang Jinhu couldn't help but praise, "I've crossed this bridge countless times, but never before have I felt such a chill down my spine as today." Most people with superpowers have a strong sense of danger, and the fact that this bridge made everyone feel uncomfortable suggests that something must be nearby.
Luckily, Little Darling was there to help scout ahead. If we had sent the brothers, who knows what would have happened. Besides, Little Darling searched meticulously; no mutated plant or animal escaped its reach.
As they were talking, Little Darling had already climbed onto the river surface. At this moment, it seemed to have discovered something. It propped itself up and leaned out from under the bridge, its red vines drooping towards the water.
Is there something in the water?
Just as Little Darling's vines were about to touch the water's surface, a large splash suddenly erupted from the calm water, and a vast expanse of dark green "ribbons" surged out of the gray water. Upon closer inspection, they were clearly thousands of thick, long water plants. The water plants quickly wrapped around Little Darling's vines, instantly binding most of the Bloodthirsty Vine tightly.
Jiang Rongxin was startled: "My little darling! Come back quickly!"
However, it was too late for him to speak. Little Darling cried out "Ouch!" and was pulled into the water. Her red figure flashed on the surface of the water for a moment before being submerged by the water plants.
"My little darling—"
Author's Note:
Lele: Listen to me, my two owners hug and nibble on each other every night.
Zheng Zhanqing: Is that really true? How did they manage to eat it?
Lele: I can't say this, I need to add more dog food.
Fairy: I heard something is attacking you because it can't understand something?!
Little Darling: Yeah, hiccup—
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