Chapter 186 Three Hostile Gazes
The plane's engines roared to life again, this time heading towards the coast of the East China Sea.
The atmosphere inside the cabin was completely different from when we arrived.
Although Lu Zhanming was still "weakly" leaning on Gu Baobao's shoulder, enjoying the special care from his future wife, everyone's face was filled with relaxed smiles.
While carefully taking care of Lu Zhanming, Gu Baobao chatted with the overly excited system Defu in her mind.
[Defu, how much did my merit points increase this time? I'm a little confused.]
[Host! You are now a true benefactor of immense merit! Let this system give you a breakdown! Orders and influence at the F Country exhibition: Merit points +68,500!]
Successfully exposing illegal drugs and preventing public harm: +20,000 merit points! Saving Kang Zijian, a key talent for the future: +8,000 merit points!
Promoting the popularization and training of medicine in China, merit points +20,000! Received awards upon returning home, granted an independent research laboratory, and about to begin teaching.
The potential impact is huge, and 10,000 merit points have been advanced! Current total merit point balance: 146,789 points!!!
Nearly 150,000 points!
Even though Gu Baobao was mentally prepared, she was still somewhat dazed by this number.
How many items can I exchange this for?
Those exorbitantly priced items that I never even dared to dream of before...
[Host! The premium section of the shop is now fully open to you! A resurrection pill (fragmented) costs 50,000 points! The complete Cell-Directed Induction Repair Technology Package costs 80,000 points!]
The basic gene optimization fluid recipe requires 120,000 points! And that language proficiency (ultimate version) only costs 10,000 points; learning it lets you argue with aliens!
Defu, like a salesman, excitedly rattled off the names of the dishes.
Gu Baobao composed herself:
"No rush, Defu. Let's plan carefully once things settle down. These merit points should be used wisely, such as optimizing existing drug production processes to reduce costs, or researching more affordable disease treatments. By the way, do you have any agricultural technologies for increasing grain yields or resisting pests and diseases?"
She hadn't forgotten that this was the 1960s, and having enough to eat was still a top priority for many people.
De Fu paused for a moment:
[Uh… Host, this system primarily focuses on the fields of medicine, biology, and personal assistance. There is a basic hybrid vigor screening module available, requiring 8000 points, but it needs to be integrated with the actual breeding practices of this era; seeds cannot be conjured out of thin air.]
That's enough!
Gu Baobao's eyes lit up.
[Make a note of this first. We'll deal with it one by one once we get to the capital and things stabilize.]
She felt a weight on her shoulder; Lu Zhanming seemed to be "asleep," his breath evenly spraying against her neck.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at his handsome profile, which was still undeniable even with his eyes closed, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyes, and her heart softened completely.
This man shielded her from a bullet with his body, and the first thing he did upon waking up was to urge her to get married and request protection for her. He even uttered such resounding words in front of his superiors... How fortunate she was.
The plane began its descent, and the familiar azure sea appeared outside the window.
East China Sea, we've arrived.
The sea breeze was blowing fiercely at the naval port dock.
Gu Dongguo discarded his crutches and came to pick up his sister in person.
Beside him, Gu Jianqiang and his wife Li Fenfang kept tiptoeing to look, old man Gu Dahe puffed on his pipe, and Wu Guixiang clutched the hem of her clothes, muttering to herself:
"Why haven't we arrived yet? Will the plane be okay? Oh, my precious darling..."
When Wu Guixiang saw the familiar military transport plane slowly taxi to a stop, the cabin door open, and Gu Baobao's figure appear, tears streamed down her face.
"Baby! My precious baby!"
She staggered forward, but Gu Jianqiang and Li Fenfang quickly grabbed her from either side.
Gu Baobao spotted her family at a glance, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She quickly walked down the gangway, and Lu Zhanming immediately "stood up" and followed behind her.
"Grandpa! Grandma! Dad! Mom! Brother!"
Gu Baobao's voice choked with sobs as she threw herself into Wu Guixiang's arms.
"Hey! Hey! It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"
Wu Guixiang held her granddaughter, tears streaming down her face, touching her head and back as if to make sure she was alright. "You've lost weight! You've suffered so much out there!"
Gu Dahe wiped his eyes and coughed:
"It's good that you're back and safe."
Gu Jianqiang and Li Fenfang were both crying and laughing, asking their daughter all sorts of questions.
At this moment, the gazes of the three men from the Gu family all turned like six searchlights, focusing on Lu Zhanming, who was being "weakly" supported by a guard behind Gu Baobao.
Gu Dongguo had the sharpest eyes. He had fought alongside Lu Zhanming before. That kid was as strong as an ox, but look at him now.
Pack!
It's definitely an act!
He's trying to gain his sister's sympathy!
hateful!
Gu Jianqiang scrutinized:
Hmm, quite tall, good-looking, but his complexion is a bit pale... I heard he was injured?
To protect the baby from injury?
That's what makes him a man.
Old man Gu Dahe took a drag on his cigarette, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Is this the pig that rooted up our lovely little cabbage?
We need to think this through carefully.
Lu Zhanming was extremely perceptive and immediately sensed three hostile and scrutinizing gazes.
He inwardly groaned, but outwardly coughed twice, appearing even weaker, and tried to stand up straight, nodding respectfully to the elders of the Gu family:
"Grandpa Gu, Grandma Gu, Uncle Gu, Aunt Gu, hello. I am Lu Zhanming."
Her voice was faint and delicate, and her acting skills were superb.
[Pfft—! Host! Your Zhanming brother's acting skills are Oscar-worthy in future generations! And the looks your elders gave you, tsk tsk, were like X-rays plus a CT scan!]
Defu was laughing so hard in Gu Baobao's mind.
Gu Baobao's face flushed, and she secretly pinched Lu Zhanming's arm to signal him that it was enough.
Wu Guixiang then noticed Lu Zhanming. Seeing his pale face and the way he was being helped up, her maternal instincts immediately overwhelmed her:
"Oh dear, this must be Xiao Lu? Don't stand there, where are you hurt? Is it serious? Quickly sit down and rest!"
He was about to help her up.
Gu Dongguo darted forward, getting ahead of his grandmother, and grabbed Lu Zhanming, his grip surprisingly strong, but his face beaming with a bright smile.
"Commander Lu! Oh no, I should call you Director Lu now! Don't try to tough it out if you're injured, let me help you! Let's have a good chat, brothers!"
The last two words were pronounced with extra emphasis.
Lu Zhanming's arm ached from being pinched, but he still had to keep smiling.
"Thank you, brother."
Gu Jianqiang and Li Fenfang also came over to inquire about the injuries.
Old man Gu Dahe exhaled a smoke ring and slowly began to speak:
"If you're injured, just take good care of yourself. Baby, take Xiao Lu home to rest first. Talk to him slowly."
So, the group returned in a grand procession to the island's residential compound, to Gu Baobao's expert building with its small courtyard.
In the courtyard, the vegetable plots that the Gu family had previously cultivated were now lush and green. The bok choy and chives were growing vigorously, and the loofah vines were winding on the bamboo trellis, with a few small yellow flowers blooming, creating a lively atmosphere.
"This was all done by your grandfather and your parents."
Wu Guixiang held Gu Baobao's hand and said proudly,
"We're just waiting for you to come back so we can have something fresh!"
Gu Baobao felt a warm glow in her heart.
Once inside, Lu Zhanming was seated in the most comfortable rattan chair in the living room to rest.
Gu Dongguo plopped down on the stool next to him and began to offer words of comfort and concern.
"Director Lu, what exactly happened to your injury? I heard you took a bullet for the baby? Was the bullet removed? Did it break any bones?"
Will there be any long-term effects? Will it have any impact on... cough cough, well...?
Gu Dongguo bombarded him with questions, his eyes piercing like knives.
Gu Jianqiang also sat down, poured a glass of water and handed it to Lu Zhanming, his tone gentle but the core issue was:
"Xiao Lu, I heard your boss approved your job to protect the baby? And you've been transferred to the capital?"
So you plan to settle down in the capital? What do your family elders think?
Old man Gu Dahe sat in the main seat, smoking his pipe. He seemed not to say anything, but his ears were perked up, and he didn't miss a single question.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com