Chapter 57, Chapter 13: Female Supporting Character in an Apocalyptic Novel
The little vine seemed to be angry; it shook its leaves and suddenly disappeared into the field, disappearing into the lush green crops.
Yu Wanwan chuckled softly.
【Wanwan, I'm actually very curious too, why did you help them?】
She has never been one to meddle in other people's business.
If she wanted to help, she would have done so as soon as she arrived; why would she have waited until then?
Yu Wanwan glanced at the sun lamp hanging above.
That was something she and Ya Ya modified together.
Ya Ya is the little girl from the oxygen station.
She was an exceptionally bright girl. Although she had never been to school, she seemed to have an innate talent for some things, learning them instantly.
Yu Wanwan, for reasons unknown, began teaching her these things, and she learned them very well.
Currently, most of the energy technology issues in Zone E are controlled by Ya Ya.
"I did it because I wanted to, what reason is there?"
This answer was quite satisfactory, and Daoguo had nothing to say.
Why did you provoke it again?
Watching the last branch of the vine disappear like a snake, Xu Qingzhou's handsome features showed a hint of helplessness.
Ever since the people of District E learned of Xiao Teng's existence, it has been swaggering in and out of District E.
Its branches are scattered throughout the entire E area, but even it doesn't know where its main body is hidden.
At first, the people in Zone E were also afraid. After all, who wouldn't be afraid of such a lively vine that could climb all over the city with its roots, comparable to a naughty child?
But when they learned that the Purifying Moss in Zone E, which could purify the air and release oxygen, was able to survive and reproduce because of Little Vine, they treated Little Vine like a precious gem, afraid of dropping it or melting it in their mouths.
This made Xiao Teng even more arrogant and overbearing.
Every now and then, you can see it somewhere, getting so angry with Yu Wanwan that it goes berserk.
Yu Wanwan is innocent.
"What do you mean?"
It was clearly that brat who kept provoking her, and he was no match for her.
Xu Qingzhou shook his head and didn't pursue the topic any further.
Anyway, it won't be long before Xiao Teng comes running back to her, so he doesn't need to worry about it.
The two chatted as they walked toward the building in the city center.
This building had long since become their office space.
Not everyone in District E is a clueless old farmer; many people have their own talents, but in the past, they had no opportunity to use them.
After Xu Qingzhou took over District E, he gradually discovered many talented people and assigned them to various places.
Upon arriving at the office, Xu Qingzhou took a document from his drawer and handed it to her.
"This was delivered by people from the black market."
Yu Wanwan paused for a moment.
He never hides anything from her. Even if she doesn't ask, he will tell her on his own initiative, regardless of whether she wants to hear it or not.
She knew that a month ago, he had made a deal with the black market using a batch of grain.
It seems this document is what the transaction involved.
Yu Wanwan roughly guessed what the document contained, paused for a moment, and then took it to look through it.
She sat on the sofa, quietly flipping through the documents, while Xu Qingzhou waited quietly beside her, his palms inexplicably sweating.
It was exactly what she expected.
The document contains information about the granddaughter of the dungeon lord.
The city lord of the underground city is surnamed Su, and he is over ninety years old this year. His son and daughter-in-law died in District E twenty years ago.
No one knows exactly what happened back then, only that shortly afterward, the government withdrew from Zone E overnight, abandoning Zone E.
After they died, they left behind an infant, who became the owner of this body.
Her name is Su Man. She was raised by City Lord Su and perfectly inherited her mother's scientific research talent. She joined the research institute at a young age and achieved considerable success.
Later, while accompanying an exploration team to collect research samples on the ground, he was attacked by a mutated monster, lost contact with the exploration team, and disappeared without a trace.
Yu Wanwan wasn't interested in Lin Xiaoman's... oh, I should say Su Man's background and experiences. She glanced at it briefly and then put it down.
"so what?"
Xu Qingzhou was stunned, not expecting her to react this way.
There was no doubt, confusion, or excitement, only a familiar gentleness, as if she had known all along.
Her attitude made him hesitate.
"Area A is probably going to be in chaos... Lord Su is your grandfather, we..."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou choked up, looking at her suspiciously.
But you can't tell from anything that she really doesn't care.
This left him utterly silent; he couldn't utter a single word, no matter how prepared he was.
The turmoil that Xu Qingzhou spoke of came very quickly.
The changes in Zone E over the past year are most clearly seen in Zone D, which borders Zone E.
It can be said that they have witnessed firsthand how Area E has gradually transformed into the idyllic paradise it is today.
The people of Zone E, who were once considered trash, filthy, and emaciated, are now all well-fed, healthy, and have happy smiles on their faces.
All these changes began with the broadcast that Xu Qingzhou was selling poison gas and that a new toxin had been produced in Zone E.
This made the people of District D, who had participated in the farce of besieging Xu Qingzhou, deeply regretful.
If they hadn't blindly believed the broadcast and hadn't participated in that siege, but instead stood firmly on Xu Qingzhou's side like those in District E who had received his kindness, wouldn't they be the ones breathing freely and living good lives now?
As this idea gradually deepened, public dissatisfaction with the underground city government began to emerge.
The dungeon is in chaos.
Starting with protests from residents of District D, the protests spread all the way to District A.
People in Zone E can see people from Zone D parading through the streets every day, holding banners.
Some cursed government officials, while others ran outside the protective barrier in Zone E, weeping and apologizing in remorse.
However, none of this had anything to do with Zone E; they were just treating it as a bit of fun.
But it has to be said that seeing these people's faces made them feel very relieved.
Initially, patrol teams and officials would try to appease the protesters in a friendly manner, but as time went on, their protests not only did not subside, but intensified, and the authorities finally began to use force to suppress them.
But this did not stop the unrest. Not only in District D, but also in District C, people started to stir up trouble. The situation became increasingly serious and was completely out of control.
In the office building in Zone E, Xu Qingzhou looked at the woman curled up on the sofa reading a book.
"You really don't care?"
"Have you finished your work? You're so free, yet you still have the energy to meddle in other people's business!"
Xu Qingzhou was speechless after being rebuked.
Who was he doing this for?
Yu Wanwan was too lazy to pay attention to him anymore, so she turned around and went downstairs.
By the time Xu Qingzhou chased after her, she had already disappeared.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, and Xu Qingzhou was already used to it, so he didn't take it to heart.
The communicator on his wrist suddenly rang; he paused for a moment, then answered it anyway.
"The timing is almost right. You're really going to give up such a good opportunity?"
Listening to what was being said on the other end of the communicator, Xu Qingzhou pressed his temples and hummed in agreement.
"I have no interest in power. Just proceed according to the original plan, and you'll still get your share of the benefits."
"OK!"
The communicator was disconnected. Xu Qingzhou breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the office building to handle his work.
The chaos in the dungeon lasted for several months without any sign of abating.
The conflict between the people and the military is escalating.
Section A, inside the council chamber.
Government officials are engaged in heated debate about whether or not to seek peace with District E.
An elderly man with gray hair sat at the head of the table. His eyes were cloudy, but the light in them never dimmed. He coldly watched the arguing people.
These people spontaneously split into two camps.
One group, led by the Dean of the Research Institute, advocated for peace, acknowledging the existence of City E in exchange for the method of cultivating the Pure Breath Moss.
One group, led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, advocated directly bombarding Area E and forcibly retaking it by force.
But Lord Su understood perfectly well that while they kept saying they wanted to reclaim District E, in reality they just wanted to take over that restored and pristine land for themselves.
The two sides argued heatedly, their faces flushed, but Lord Su and Commander Zhao remained silent, seemingly waiting for something.
Finally, after a long wait, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the council chamber.
The argument paused for a moment as Lord Su and Commander Zhao simultaneously looked up.
The doors to the council chamber opened, and soldiers in camouflage uniforms filed in, carrying guns. Following them was Mr. Wang, dressed in a custom-made suit.
The moment Lord Su saw Mr. Wang, his shoulders slumped, as if all his strength had been suddenly drained away.
On the contrary, Commander Zhao laughed heartily a few times and uttered his first words of the day.
"Lord Su, it seems I have won this time. You should abdicate and enjoy your retirement!"
Lord Su glanced at the people sitting at the long conference table.
From the moment the door was pushed open, the people here automatically split into two camps.
Some people remained seated, their faces blank.
But many more people had moved behind Commander Zhao, standing quietly with their heads bowed.
Most of the people who stood there were officials from wealthy families who came up from Zone B.
He had always known that the underground city's operating model was flawed, and that the government would eventually be corrupted by conglomerates.
But I never expected this day to come so soon.
In truth, it all comes down to the independence and restoration of District E, which severely undermined the very foundation of these tycoons' wealth accumulation and fueled their rebellion.
But Lord Su couldn't bring himself to say anything to accuse him.
If he hadn't given the order to abandon Zone E first, things wouldn't have come to this.
"You've earned quite a bit over the years, isn't that enough?"
The voice of Lord Su was filled with weariness and sorrow.
"What are you saying, Lord Su?"
Commander Zhao twirled his pistol, a smug look on his face.
"It's just that we understand you're getting old and it's time for you to step down and make way for someone more capable."
"Abdicate and hand over the reins to a more capable person?"
Lord Su's voice, tinged with age, was clear and distinct, reaching the ears of everyone in the council hall.
"Your so-called 'wisdom' means ensuring that the dungeon can never recover its vitality, and can never return to the era a hundred years ago when people could breathe freely?"
Commander Zhao was not angry; a smile played on his lips.
"The city lord is mistaken. For the past hundred years, our military has maintained order, risking their lives to form exploration teams to collect samples and materials on the surface. The tycoons provide resources, and the common people below provide labor. Everyone has their own role, and that's how the underground city has been able to operate for a century. This model is so good, but you..."
A cold glint appeared in his eyes.
"Why insist on changing this situation? Wouldn't it be better for everyone to get what they need? What about equality for all? That's ancient history!"
Commander Zhao stood up, kicked over a chair, and his military boots creaked as they hit the ground.
"In this day and age, power and force are the only true principles. Useless commoners should just eke out a living on our charity!"
Author's note: I give up, I set the timer wrong again, I'm such an idiot.
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