Chapter 62, Chapter 18: Female Supporting Character in an Apocalyptic Novel
Xu Qingzhou answered him.
He held a strand of Yu Wanwan's hair, twirling it around his finger and playing with it, his brows and eyes relaxed.
"Zhao Kun's side is trying to win them over with nothing more than money and food. E District doesn't have any money, but as for food, do you think we have more or they have more?"
The man thought about it carefully and then silently shut his mouth.
He didn't believe anyone who had experienced life like this in Zone E would be happy to go back to the old ways.
These people who have been turned don't need to do anything; they will naturally turn to their side.
After everyone left, Yu Wanwan pulled out a lock of her hair and looked at him with a smile.
"Don't push your luck!"
Xu Qingzhou withdrew his hand nonchalantly, looking completely bewildered.
"Huh? What do you mean by 'taking an inch and wanting a mile'?"
Yu Wanwan puffed out her cheeks and squinted at him.
That bastard has been dragging her to his office all the time lately.
He didn't let her do anything; he just let her stay inside and listen to him talk with his subordinates.
If it were just that, it wouldn't be so bad, but whenever there are outsiders around, he acts like he has ADHD, always secretly touching her hand and playing with her hand gestures.
It's like someone's sick!
Yu Wanwan was too lazy to argue with him, so she snorted and turned to leave.
You know perfectly well what I'm saying!
Xu Qingzhou didn't stop her. He watched her leave before letting out a slightly regretful sigh.
Why would she only reluctantly give him face and not reject his affection in front of others?
However, it seems there won't be a next time.
If you keep doing this, next time it won't just be about being affectionate in front of others; she'll probably beat you up on the spot.
After that, Xu Qingzhou indeed stopped bothering Yu Wanwan.
The main reason is that he no longer has the opportunity to pester her.
Returning to the ground isn't something you can just do on a whim.
During this period, the people who flocked to Zone CD are gradually integrating into the life of Zone E.
Meanwhile, high-ranking officials organized the first vanguard teams to go to the ground.
This kind of thing shouldn't be done by ordinary people, but unfortunately, the official team in District E is just a makeshift operation, and it's unrealistic to rely on Black Three and his group alone.
E District issued a recruitment notice, seeking volunteers willing to join the vanguard team.
Most of those who came to apply were natives of Zone E. Of course, there were also people from Zones C and D, but compared to their total number, they were not many.
Unlike the people in District E, who were driven to despair long ago, they now enjoy a better life under the leadership of Xu Qingzhou and Yu Wanwan, and have a blind admiration for the two of them.
These people had finally made it to Zone E and were living normal, ordinary lives, so most of them didn't want to leave.
Among those from zones C and D, there were more from zone D.
Many of these people had secretly bought oxygen from Xu Qingzhou, but later chose not to side with him.
Having learned their lesson the hard way, this time they mustered their courage and chose to follow in his footsteps and give it their all.
Fortunately, the number of people who came to apply totaled nearly 10,000, which was enough for the vanguard team to explore the way.
The team was led by Xu Qingzhou and Yu Wanwan.
He handed over the management of Zone E to Lord Su.
Lord Su knew the importance of the matter and didn't refuse, readily agreeing.
Just like when he saw Sun Man off a few years ago, Lord Su stood up straight, leaning on his cane, and watched the procession leave in a grand manner.
The dean stood beside him and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Manman will come back safely this time."
Lord Su smiled, turned his head away, and forced back the tears welling up in his eyes.
"certainly!"
Only after the last person in the group disappeared into the passageway did the two elderly men, escorted by silver-clad military personnel, return to the office building.
Xu Qingzhou didn't choose a city too far away as the first one to be recaptured; he chose the ruins he had visited with Yu Wanwan before.
Nearly two years have passed, and the place that was once destroyed by bombs is now covered by tall grass.
Resources in Zone E are limited, and even though they now have researchers, they can't produce many protective suits.
But fortunately, they have Xiao Teng.
The main body of the vine did not come out, and the Pure Breath Moss in Zone E could not do without it.
What came out this time was just a branch of it.
With the vines around, as long as they don't run too far and leave the area that the vines can extend to, they won't be attacked by the mutated plants.
The first thing to do upon arriving on the ground was to plant cleansing moss on the ruins.
Unlike the underground city, the surface area is smaller and protected by shields. The poisonous gas here is continuous, and the Purifying Moss they have is not enough to purify this flowing poisonous gas.
Fortunately, they brought a pulse generator.
This is a little gadget that Ya Ya made.
A machine, about the size of a television, can release a protective shield after the start button is pressed.
Initially, the protective shield only covered a few meters. Later, the researchers improved it, and now the protective shield released by one machine can cover 500 meters.
After calculating the distance, installing the machines, and activating the protective shields, the ruins were enveloped by the protective shields released by the machines.
With these protective shields, people inside don't have to worry about being attacked by mutated creatures.
The protective shield was of excellent quality and could not be broken by those mutated creatures, which reassured the people who had been prepared to die.
Planting *Clerodendrum trichotomum* is very simple; it will take root as soon as it touches the ground.
In just seven or eight days, those inside the protective shields were able to breathe freely without oxygen tanks, just like they were in Zone E.
Even while they were unable to leave their oxygen tanks, they didn't stop working; they prepared for the reconstruction of the city.
Now that I can breathe on my own, I start working immediately.
With many hands making light work, the weeds were cleared away little by little, the rubble was moved away piece by piece, and the ground was bustling with activity.
Their requirements weren't high; they didn't need to build skyscrapers like before the apocalypse, just enough to make it habitable.
With everyone's concerted efforts, small houses appeared on the ground, replacing the ruins and weeds that once stood there.
There were designated plots of land for cultivation.
With construction in one area on track, Yu Wanwan and Xu Qingzhou immediately headed to the next region.
The two of them couldn't do much, but it wasn't difficult to go ahead and set up a protective shield and plant the moss.
While Zhao Kun was still waiting for the energy in Zone E to run out and become unsustainable, one small oasis after another had quietly been built on the ground.
A year has passed, and Zhao Kun is still waiting.
The first oasis city on the ground was built, and the first batch of people from District E, led by the Dean, moved into the city and began to set up this first successfully reclaimed city on the ground.
The people moving in this time are all family members of those who participated in the vanguard team that recaptured the ground.
Upon learning that the ground had indeed been successfully recaptured and that they could truly return to the surface, those who had not responded to the call or had been rejected were filled with regret and flocked to Lord Su, wanting to join now.
Lord Su did not agree immediately, but just laughed it off.
"That depends on the situation on the ground. Besides, it gets more dangerous the further we go. Are you really willing to go?"
"Lord Su! We are not afraid of danger! Please talk to Lord Xu and let us go!"
Faced with the public's pleas and persuasion, the elderly man with a full head of white hair seemed to feel a little reluctant, and in the end, he let out a long sigh.
"Alright, I need to ask Qingzhou if there's anything else on the ground that needs help. You guys go back and wait!"
He patiently comforted them and persuaded them to go back.
After they left, the official who had been standing next to him spat, his face still showing some resentment.
"These people refused to go at first, but now that they see the benefits, they're all saying nice things!"
Lord Su simply smiled good-naturedly, rubbing his cane with his thumb.
"Even ants try to survive, let alone them?"
The official fell silent and helped Lord Su walk slowly back.
"Are we just going to let them have their way?"
"You're too impatient. You really should learn from Qingzhou."
This official was the successor being groomed by Lord Su when he was in District A.
Su Man has only ever been interested in scientific research since childhood and has never thought about taking over the position of city lord.
He was supposed to be the next city lord, but now he works under Xu Qingzhou. People often compare the two of them.
At first, he was also unconvinced.
But as time went by, his initial resentment turned into admiration and respect.
He could have imagined many of the things Xu Qingzhou did, but compared to him, Xu Qingzhou was more thorough and prudent, and his thinking was more comprehensive.
No detail is too small, and every aspect is taken into account; that perfectly describes someone like Xu Qingzhou.
The official, who was in his thirties, was acting like a child, muttering to himself as if he were being unreasonable.
"I just can't learn it, that's why he's the city lord and I'm not!"
There was no resentment, just stating the facts.
Lord Su shook his head and said nothing more.
He didn't reply to those who volunteered to go to the ground immediately, but left them hanging for seven or eight days until they couldn't hold back any longer and came to him again. Only then did Lord Su have a worried, wrinkled face.
“I asked, and Qingzhou said that the construction teams on the ground are not short of manpower for the time being.”
After waiting for so long without any news, these people already had a vague premonition.
But when I actually heard the answer, I couldn't help but feel disappointed and resentful.
"Lord Su! Is there really no other way?"
"Yes, Lord Su! Look! When I was in District C, I worked on construction sites. I'm very strong and I know a lot about building houses! Please think of a solution!"
Lord Su hesitated for a moment before nodding at their pleading.
"Okay, then I'll ask Qingzhou if there's anything else I need to do!"
"Thank you, Lord Su!"
These people went back to wait.
This time, City Lord Su didn't keep them waiting long; in just three days, he brought them new news.
"Qingzhou said that if you really want to go, he can assign you the city cleaning work and let you form a cleaning team. However, your treatment will be worse than that of the vanguard team, and your families will not be able to move to the surface before the vanguard team's families. Can you accept that?"
In the past, they definitely would not have agreed.
Why are they, who all do the work and put in the effort, considered inferior to the vanguard?
After more than ten days of anxious waiting, just when they thought they would be rejected again, the other side relented. What else could they be dissatisfied with? They hurriedly nodded in agreement and signed the agreement that Lord Su had prepared in advance.
After signing, they each clutched the agreement like it was some precious treasure and went home to pack their things, preparing to head to the ground.
After seeing the group off, Lord Su twirled his cane and smiled kindly.
"Alright, the manpower issue is settled. Notify Qingzhou and Manman to prepare the support and arrange for people."
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