Chapter 57
Jiang Zhi explained, "My friend didn't want it and gave me the opportunity."
Luo Yonghui was also happy for her and said with a smile, "If you want it, that's no problem. Come to the research institute tomorrow, and I'll take you to see it."
After setting a time, the two hung up the phone.
Upon hearing that someone would be sent to the southern base to exchange supplies, the Jiang family couldn't help but exclaim, "The base leader is a good person; he always thinks of the people."
Even so, the base still couldn't take care of everyone.
We can only try our best to take care of most families.
Jiang Hai sighed, stood up and said, "While there's still time, let's hang up as many of the thorny branches we brought back today."
We'll probably have to be on guard during this period.
Jiang Shu volunteered, "Uncle, let me do this!"
He's also very good at setting traps and such.
After taking the triangular ladder made by Jiang He, Jiang Shu picked up the ivy and went outside.
Jiang Zhi took her two children and went to help.
The barbs on the thorns are thick and sharp, making them difficult to remove.
The brother and sister even wore thick work gloves.
One person stood on the ladder, while the other passed it up.
Only after the ivy had grown so densely that it was impossible to touch it did the ginger tree begin transplanting its roots.
Virginia creeper is the only plant that the facility allows to be brought in and planted.
The mutated Virginia creeper, apart from having larger and thicker leaves, poses no threat.
However, there is a certain fee required to plant Virginia creeper.
And it must be trimmed once a week, otherwise it will spread everywhere.
Jiang Hai didn't want to spend those points, so he specially cut down several large patches of ivy, which he could just hang up and use immediately.
Jiang Shu found some hemp rope at home, strung several horizontal lines, and tied the ivy to the rope every half meter.
Anyone who wants to climb over their wall should think twice.
The job wasn't tiring, and Jiang Shu finished it before the power went out at the base.
From a distance, the walls of the Jiang family's courtyard are covered with dense ivy, its leaves glossy and thick, completely concealing the courtyard.
In the courtyard, there were several chipped earthenware pots in the corner, containing mutated cacti that were crooked and twisted, with thick, hard, dark red thorns that looked prickly. If a thief wanted to sneak in, he would have to get past these three "gates of hell" first.
In the kitchen, Ye Qingyun made a late-night snack for the second wife's family. She used the flour that Old Mrs. Jiang had previously traded for to make vegetable pancakes.
It's simple, but it tastes good.
The Jiang family was methodically making preparations for winter, unaware that Ma Yanhong from next door was hiding behind the door, watching them intently.
Ever since her nephew was taken away, she has become a sinner in the Ma family.
Not only did her family take away most of her family property, but they also took all her grain.
I originally thought that with my son, I could live a decent life no matter what.
Unexpectedly, everything has been reversed, and given the current situation at the base, Ma Yanhong is filled with remorse and hates the Jiang family even more!
Ma Yanhong had been holding back her anger for days, determined to find an opportunity to vent it!
When Ma Yanhong's husband saw that she had started spying on him again, he was furious. "You thieving woman! What time is it and you're still looking at other people! You better take all the points in the house and use them to buy food! If you can't buy any, you can just wait to starve to death!"
Ma Yanhong pursed her lips, "Our son gets a food allowance every month, what's there to be afraid of?"
Ma Yanhong's husband was exasperated: "Didn't you hear? Winter is coming!! Then, not only will we be hungry, but even your son might not have enough to eat! You'd better start stocking up on food! Otherwise, I'll never forgive you!"
Ma Yanhong's eyes darted around. "Old man, do you think the Jiang family has received some news lately? Otherwise, why would they be so eager to collect things? Every time they come back, they bring back piles and piles of stuff."
Ma Yanhong's husband said impatiently, "How would I know? They have two mutants, isn't it normal for them to bring back a lot of things?"
Then he scolded, "What time is it? Why aren't you resting? Stop spying on others like a pervert! Tomorrow, go find your son and figure out how to get some food."
He went back to his room while muttering and cursing.
Ma Yanhong snorted softly and turned her head to continue looking at the Jiang family.
The malice in his eyes was almost impossible to hide.
She refused to believe that the Jiang family's food supply would be preserved when winter came!
*
The next day, when Jiang Zhi woke up, she found that the person in the yard was carrying a slingshot.
Under Grandpa Jiang's direction, her brother pounded the cotton.
I must say, it actually looks quite convincing.
They didn't plan to go out to collect anything today.
After yesterday's broadcast, the number of people going to collect samples during this period will definitely increase dramatically.
In this atmosphere of widespread anxiety, even the slightest friction can easily escalate into a major conflict.
Instead of competing with others for gathering territory, it's better to stay home and prepare for the winter.
Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, Ye Qingyun said, "You're up? There's still some double-skin milk left from yesterday. Sui Sui and Si Si each had a bowl. You can have the rest for breakfast."
Jiang Zhi savored the sweet taste of yesterday, but finally said with a heavy heart, "Mom, I'm going to the Lin family."
Upon hearing that they were going to the Lin family, Ye Qingyun took out a bunch of grapes from the house and said, "Take these with you."
She leaned close to her daughter's ear and whispered, "Mom has inquired for you. Grandpa Lin has a huge craving for food. Send him more food so it will be easier to ask him for help in the future."
Jiangzhi obediently agreed.
Anyway, her mother was very good at handling interpersonal relationships.
Jiang Zhi carried the things, covered them with palm leaves, and headed towards the Lin family's house.
Before they even knocked, Lin Yuan came out from inside. Their eyes met, and they both couldn't help but be stunned.
Lin Yuan quickly realized what he meant and laughed, "You've come to bring food?"
Jiang Zhi was a little embarrassed and just hummed in response.
"Come in, the old man is busy in the studio."
Lin Yuan noticed her wariness, stepped aside to let her in, and then prepared to leave.
Jiang Zhi entered the courtyard and thought of his special props.
I couldn't help but turn around and glance at him.
On a whim, I asked, "Lin Yuan, how are your family planning to get through the winter?"
After asking the question, Jiang Zhi wished she could sew her mouth shut.
What a stupid question.
Lin Yuan was somewhat surprised that the other party was willing to talk to him, and smiled and said, "About the same as you guys."
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips, nodded haphazardly, and prepared to go in to find Grandpa Lin. Then she heard the other party say, "However, no one in my family knows how to make fur coats. I wonder if any of you know how to make them?"
Seeing Jiang Zhi looking over, Lin Yuan's smile remained unchanged. "Of course, we will pay you."
Jiang Zhi didn't really want to have too much contact with the Lin family, but she had just asked Old Master Lin for help in making a space device, and it would seem too heartless to refuse now, so she could only say, "My second aunt and sister-in-law can make it."
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Then I'll send the fur over later. Thank you for your help."
An awkward politeness was maintained between the two.
Jiang Zhi felt a little awkward. She nodded and went inside, ignoring Lin Yuan behind her.
There was no sign of Grandpa Lin inside; all that could be seen were dried meat and vegetables filling the room.
The quantity is no less than theirs.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but mutter to herself.
The man actually let her in like that, wasn't he worried that she would covet all the food in the room?
She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and called out, "Grandpa Lin?"
However, no one answered.
Hearing a faint sound from the room on the left, she knocked on the door.
"Grandpa Lin? It's me, Jiang Zhi, here to bring you some food."
A moment later, Old Master Lin's voice came from inside the house, as if it were drifting from afar.
"Come in."
Jiang Zhi pushed open the door and went in. In an instant, the sound of a huge cutting machine operating reached her ears. She thought the room was only a dozen square meters, but it turned out to be more than 200 square meters.
Jiang Zhi was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening—
This studio also uses space stones.
The studio contained three cutting machines, with scraps piled up crookedly next to them. The tools hanging on the wall looked very old and clearly had been used frequently.
Grandpa Lin sat on a wooden stool, holding a dusty stone in his hand, squinting as he slowly carved it with a carving knife.
On an old coffee table not far away, a few tea leaves of unknown origin floated in a teacup. Mixed with the hum of the machine, it had a more down-to-earth feel than those high-end studios.
"Grandpa Lin?"
Grandpa Lin worked for a while longer before turning off the machine.
He pushed his glasses up to his forehead. "What are we eating today?"
Jiang Zhi brought over the fruit and double-skin milk.
Grandpa Lin took one look and said, "Your family is doing quite well, you're even drinking milk now—what kind of milk is this?"
Jiang Zhi: "Grandpa Lin, this is double-skin milk made from goat milk."
Old Man Lin had no idea about double-skin milk pudding; he just scooped out a bite and ate it.
It has a refreshing sweetness and a soft, smooth texture, which makes it quite delicious.
Seeing that he looked relaxed, Jiang Zhi quickly asked, "Grandpa Lin, how's the spacecraft coming along?"
Old Man Lin snorted, "You're quite impolite, girl. At least wait until I've finished eating before asking."
Jiang Zhi felt a little embarrassed by what she was being told, and said, "Then I'll ask again after you've finished eating."
Old Man Lin: ...
He rolled his eyes, tossed the finished space device on the table to her, and casually ate a grape.
"Here you go. This spacecraft is 152 square meters and can't hold more than 10 tons of items. Use it wisely. If it gets out of balance and cracks, don't come to me for repairs. I can't help you."
Jiang Zhi looked at the space artifact in her hand, which had been polished to the size of a Rubik's Cube, and felt a surge of excitement.
"Wait a minute, Grandpa Lin, are you saying this space vessel is 150 square meters in size?"
"What? Is there a problem?"
Jiang Zhi was a little confused, "...What I saw in my research before was that such a large spacecraft was at most seventy or eighty square meters in size..."
Old Man Lin scoffed, "Can those junk products from the research institute compare to what I make? Humph."
Jiang Zhi felt that she was truly blessed with good fortune.
I never expected that the spacecraft maker I randomly found would be so amazing, making spacecraft that easily surpasses the official products.
Jiang Zhi couldn't resist giving it a try, and casually put the palm leaf in her hand into her spatial device and then took it out again.
After repeating this several times, Jiang Zhi noticed something was amiss—
She hesitated and said, "Grandpa Lin, this spatial device seems... to consume a lot of mental energy?"
No one knows which words touched a nerve with Old Master Lin, but his eyebrows shot up and he shouted, "Such a large space, what's wrong with expending a little mental energy? If you want to use good things, how can you do it if you don't have the ability?! I'm telling you, Jiang girl, I only made this for you because I like you. If you don't like it, then I'll take it back."
Jiang Zhi smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Not at all, I'm more than happy that you can help me. How could I possibly complain? What's a little bit of spiritual power?"
Upon hearing this, Old Man Lin's expression softened, and he said smugly, "You're quite sensible. Better than those old fogies and conservatives in the research lab!"
Hearing this, Jiang Zhi understood everything.
It's likely that Mr. Lin left the research institute because he disagreed with the official opinions, and others didn't adopt his production methods.
Jiang Zhi found it somewhat amusing and said, "Grandpa Lin, I've transferred the payment to you."
Old Man Lin hummed in satisfaction: "Girl, don't think I'm charging too much. This space stone requires special tools to make, so I'm only charging you the cost price."
Jiang Zhi believed this.
Spacecraft are so precious that money cannot measure their value.
Grandpa Lin only charged the cost price, which was already a great favor to the Jiang family.
But it seems that Grandpa Lin has everything he needs, and Jiang Zhi doesn't know how to repay this favor for the time being.
After returning home with the space device, Jiang Zhi conducted several more experiments in front of everyone.
The time flow in the spacecraft is the same as in the outside world; it's not sped up like in those novels.
Furthermore, Jiang Zhi discovered that larger and heavier objects require more mental energy to handle.
With her level of mental strength, handling 100 kilograms of objects 10 times would almost deplete her mental energy.
No wonder the official version didn't use Mr. Lin's production method.
Ordinary people don't have that much mental energy.
Seeing Jiang Zhi put another basket of potatoes into the space device, Grandma Jiang exclaimed, "This space device is really convenient! It's like having an extra hundred square meters of space. Azhi, can we put all our things in here? There's almost no room left in the house."
Jiang Zhi shook her head: "No, Grandma. As long as something is put in, it will consume mental energy all the time. The person holding the space device can't handle it."
Without sustained mental energy, the spacecraft will soon collapse, and everything inside will explode.
Grandma Jiang said regretfully, "That's a pity."
Jiang Shu excitedly took the space device to experiment, and upon hearing this, he said, "Grandma, it's not a pity at all. With this, we can bring back more good things in the future."
Wu Xiu: "That's right. If this space device had been finished yesterday, we could have picked a lot more grapes."
The ginger tree's spiritual power is not as strong as the ginger branch's. It can only collect and store items weighing about 50 kilograms at a time, and it gets exhausted after only four or five times.
He couldn't help but complain, "Why is what Old Man Lin made different from what Uncle Luo and the others made? Uncle Luo's spatial device consumes far less mental energy than this."
Jiang Zhi said truthfully, "Uncle Luo's spacecraft is smaller in size and can only support a much smaller weight."
Ye Qingyun's attention was elsewhere: "Azhi, how many points did it cost to do this?"
Jiang Zhi hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Grandpa Lin only charged the cost price, 80,000 points."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt it wasn't expensive.
Jiang Hai, in particular, knew a little about the legends surrounding spacecraft. "It's really not expensive. I've heard before that it costs hundreds of thousands of points to make just one spacecraft at the base."
Jiang Hai looked at the space device and said, "Grandpa Lin must also be a mutant, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to make a space device."
Compared to this, Jiang Zhi felt even more that she had gotten a great deal.
Grandma Jiang immediately said, "That old man Lin is quite nice. Last time I complained about his sharp tongue, but it seems he has a good heart."
Grandpa Jiang said, "That old man doesn't like anything else, he just loves good food. In the future, if Qingyun makes something delicious, make him an extra portion."
The Jiang family members were not the type to accept favors from others for nothing, so they thought about how to return the favor.
Ye Qingyun also said, "Azhi, Dashu, I see that Grandpa Lin is usually alone at home. You should go and keep him company more often when you have time."
The brother and sister agreed.
After everyone had eaten breakfast, Jiang Dafa came over with his sons.
Although they used to have a good relationship, the current situation at home makes Grandpa Jiang afraid to let anyone into the house.
Grandpa Jiang: "Dafa, what's going on here—?"
Jiang Dafa looked embarrassed. "Brother, you listened to yesterday's broadcast, right?"
Grandpa Jiang paused, then laughed and said, "So you want to take back the flintlock bow?"
Jiang Dafa quickly replied, "No, no, no, we agreed to rent it to you for 10 days, and the time hasn't come yet."
Grandpa Jiang: "So what's going on here?"
Jiang Dafa explained his purpose: "Brother, it's like this. You know what I used to do. Now that the base has issued the news, winter is definitely coming. I was thinking of taking this opportunity to earn some winter supplies with some people in the village."
Grandpa Jiang felt more at ease. "You want to set up a workshop like before?"
Jiang Dafa nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, we want to take on quilt-making jobs. Doesn't your Ahe know carpentry? We just want to..."
Jiang Dafa was very embarrassed to say what he was about to say, afraid of being rejected.
After the catastrophe, most of the people in Jiangjia Village moved to Ancheng Base. Depending on each family's assets, some moved into self-built housing areas, while others still live in low-rent housing areas.
Let alone helping each other, most of those who are doing well have cut off contact with each other for fear of being scammed.
If it weren't for Grandpa Jiang coming to him to rent a cotton gin, Jiang Dafa wouldn't have had the nerve to come looking for him.
Grandpa Jiang laughed and said, "I thought it was something serious. Isn't this a small matter? I'll let Ah He out, and you can tell him what you need."
As he spoke, Grandpa Jiang turned to go back into the house.
Jiang Dafa quickly called out to him, "Wait, big brother!"
Grandpa Jiang turned around in confusion.
The old man's dark face was a deep reddish-black, and his chapped hands were nervously rubbing together.
"Well, we don't have any wood to make cotton bows... We heard that you, Ahe, also do carpentry work, so we wanted to borrow some wood from you..." Jiang Dafa was afraid that the other party would disagree, so he hurriedly explained, "Don't worry, once we earn some points, we will pay you back at a discounted price."
Jiang Dafa's eldest son also said, "Uncle, if you're worried that we can't repay you, we can sign an IOU. Of course, if you want grain, that's fine too. We can repay you at the market price!"
Jiang Dafa's son also lost his right hand. Like Jiang Jun, his eldest son also lost a hand when he encountered a mutated stink bug while collecting things.
Looking at the anxious expressions of Jiang Dafa and his sons, Old Master Jiang seemed to see the Jiang family in its predicament back then.
He felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
Back then, before the great catastrophe, Jiang Dafa's family, like everyone else, was considered one of the wealthiest families in the village.
Their children and grandchildren are successful, earn money, and are filial, even more so than the Jiang family.
I never thought I'd be reduced to begging and having to be subservient to others.
Grandpa Jiang said in a hoarse voice, "We're all from the same village, how could I not trust you?"
These words inexplicably brought tears to Jiang Dafa's eyes, and he choked out, "Big Brother..."
Actually, Jiang Dafa had considered asking his fellow villagers for help before, but he was either driven away or mocked in a sarcastic manner.
Jiang Dafa could understand. In this era, when people can't even get enough to eat, who has the mood to help others?
Jiang Dafa thought he was very open-minded. If it weren't for the approaching winter and the family's food shortage, he wouldn't have thought of taking the plunge and shamelessly asking.
He was prepared to be rejected by Grandpa Jiang.
Unexpectedly, Grandpa Jiang agreed before he even had to beg.
Jiang Dafa's two sons were also very excited and repeatedly said, "Thank you, Uncle Jiang!"
Grandpa Jiang is the second son. In the past, the younger generation in the village called him Uncle Jiang the Second.
The Jiang family all know a little about cotton carding. But right now, they only have one cotton carding bow at home, so even if they wanted to take on more orders, there's nothing they can do.
Grandpa Jiang called Jiang He out, and when he heard that it was to help make a cotton bow, he was a little embarrassed: "Uncle, I also want to help you make one. I have wood at home, but I don't have the tools to make a bowstring."
A cotton gin bow consists of a bow body, bowstring, cotton ginning hammer, and bow frame. Cotton gin bows are actually not difficult to make. If it weren't for the lack of something like a ox tendon, Jiang He would have made one himself long ago.
Jiang Dafa said, "It's alright, we're used to doing this kind of work, we can use hemp rope."
Hemp rope isn't as elastic as ox tendon, but Jiang Dafa has spent most of his life making cotton gins, so this wasn't a problem for him.
Jiang He said, "Okay! I'll make it just like the one in your house."
After the two parties agreed on the price and delivery time,
Jiang Dafa and his sons thanked him profusely and went back home.
After seeing the group off, Grandpa Jiang called on his sister Jiang Zhi to help brew wine.
After a night, the mutated grapes placed in the hall were still plump. Jiang Shu couldn't resist trying to steal one, but Grandpa Jiang slapped it away.
"This is what your grandma gave me to brew wine! You're not allowed to eat it! If you want to eat it, go find your grandma."
Jiang Shu curled his lip—
Well! The wine hasn't even been brewed yet, and they're already protecting it.
In fact, Grandma Jiang only allowed her husband to use half a basket of mutated grapes to make wine.
Grandpa Jiang naturally cherished it very much.
After having a few young people wash and dry the grapes, they put them into a clean porcelain jar. Then, Grandpa Jiang crushed the grapes with his hands, keeping the skins and seeds intact. He then crushed sugar cubes and sprinkled them in, according to the ratio of three pounds of sugar for every ten pounds of grapes, and stirred them vigorously until well mixed.
During this process, Grandpa Jiang did not let anyone else help; he did it all by himself with great care.
Then, pour the grape juice and pulp into a large earthenware jar and tighten the lid. Place it in a cool, well-ventilated corner.
Based on past experience, winemaking requires a temperature of approximately 15 to 25°C and aging for 7 to 10 days.
But the weather makes it impossible, so Grandpa Jiang had no choice but to put it in the cellar.
During these 7 days, you need to open the bottle cap and stir it every day to make the wine ferment better.
Once the time is up, you can use a clean gauze or filter to remove the skins, seeds, and other residue.
After doing all this, Grandpa Jiang sighed, "It's a pity that sorghum is so precious now, otherwise we could make sorghum liquor..."
As he said this, he smacked his lips a few times, as if recalling the taste from the past.
Grandma Jiang rolled her eyes at him, "You're practically in your coffin with one leg already, and you're still so greedy. I think Da Shu got his looks just like you!"
Jiang Shu cried out that he was wronged: "It's only natural to like to eat! I'm just an ordinary person, what's wrong with me eating a little? Azhi likes to eat too, why don't you say anything to her, Grandma?"
Grandma Jiang had a perfectly valid reason: "A-Zhi is so thin and small, how can she keep up with the nutrition if she doesn't eat more?"
Jiang Shu was extremely resentful, but Jiang Zhi ignored his gaze, told the others, and prepared to leave.
Jiang Shu quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Uncle Luo."
Jiang Shu: "I'm going too!"
Ye Qingyun: "It's almost ten o'clock, hurry up and come back! Don't keep everyone waiting for your lunch."
The two responded and then went out.
They didn't know until they went out, and what they found there really gave them a fright.
Along the way, I was surprised to see that every household was building a protective layer for their houses.
The men climbed wooden ladders, carrying buckets of antifreeze paint, and used brushes made of soft bristles to smear it back and forth under the eaves.
The women squatted on the ground, sealing the window cracks with clay, and also repairing the door frame.
The younger children didn't know what was going to happen, they only knew that the base had been unusually lively lately. Perhaps fearing that they wouldn't have the chance to go out again, the parents stopped keeping their children in check, causing the kids to run around their rooms like it was a holiday.
Neighbors who don't usually interact are now all out chatting.
You can hear gossip from time to time.
"Did you get this antifreeze paint from the supply depot up ahead?"
"Yes, I should have reported a larger house size back then, now the amount I received isn't enough."
"I wonder how effective this antifreeze coating is? If it works well, I'll buy some and apply an extra layer."
Another person spat, "You think applying an extra layer will make it warmer? It'll have the same effect. Don't waste your money. Wouldn't it be better to save it for food? Food prices are skyrocketing these days! I'm not buying any; the free stuff the base provides is enough."
...
The brother and sister listened and exchanged a glance—
Jiang Shu, shamelessly, leaned closer and asked, "Aunties, are you saying the base distributed free antifreeze paint?"
Seeing Jiang Shu smiling, the women didn't object and replied, "Yes, it's right at the entrance of our district. Each family can receive it according to the size of their house, but there are a lot of people queuing up now."
Having received confirmation, the brother and sister ran straight there and saw the people queuing up in the distance.
Upon inquiring, it turned out to be free. Jiang Shu couldn't help but say, "The welfare at our base is really good; they even give out free antifreeze film."
Jiang Zhi agreed.
Living in such a community, even if life is tough, having a leader who cares about the people is truly a blessing for ordinary people like us.
There were even many nearby residents selling items around the queue.
Jiang Zhi looked around and saw that everything was a summer essential.
Fans, straw mats, and even straw sandals...
Who would buy these things nowadays?
"A-Zhi, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and join the queue!" Jiang Shu had already consciously joined the end of the long line.
Jiangzhi: "Didn't we already apply antifreeze film to our house?"
Jiang Shu gave him a "you spendthrift" look: "This is free!"
Jiang Zhi suddenly realized, "Oh, right, it's free."
At this moment, many more people stood behind Jiang Shu.
Jiang Zhi patted her brother on the shoulder: "Brother, then I'll trouble you to wait in line slowly."
Jiang Shu's eyes widened: "You're not going to leave me alone and go to Uncle Luo's place, are you?"
As they spoke, a small queue had already formed behind the ginger tree.
If I leave now, I don't know how long I'll have to wait in line again.
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Brother, I'll only be gone for a little while. I'll be right back, and when I get back, I'll have Mom make you some cucumber salad."
As Jiang Zhi spoke, she ran straight towards the research institute, making Jiang Shu grit his teeth in frustration.
When Jiang passed by the base store, Jiang Zhi squeezed in to take a look at the new grain prices.
It would have been better not to look, because once I did, my heart sank.
Previously, 20 kilograms of buckwheat only cost 60 points, but now one kilogram of buckwheat costs 30 points.
The price increase is significant.
Even the official base store is like this, let alone Han Lei's side.
I reckon her 100,000 points won't buy her much food at all.
Jiang Zhi felt terrible and could only console herself that at least the family had stockpiled a lot of food, otherwise no amount of points would be enough.
After leaving the base store, Jiang Zhi went to the research institute again, and Zhu Min recognized her at a glance.
"Hello, Ms. Jiang."
Because Jiang Zhi happened to be there when the last training room record was broken, Zhu Min had a fairly deep impression of her.
Upon hearing that Jiang Zhi was looking for Luo Yonghui, the look in her eyes immediately changed.
"Captain Luo is being honored up there. You might need to wait a moment?"
"A commendation?"
Zhu Min smiled and nodded, "Captain Luo has made a contribution to the base this time, so he's going to be promoted."
Jiang Zhi never expected that her casual decision would have such an effect.
When I met Luo Yonghui, he was indeed beaming with joy.
Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, he immediately smiled and said, "Jiang girl, you're here?"
"I've come to ask for special items."
Luo Yonghui was speechless; this girl was as direct as ever.
"Come with me."
Luo Yonghui led Jiang Zhi to the third floor.
The door to the room in the mouth was heavily secured, with the security system pushed to its limit.
Luo Yonghui showed his identification and displayed his iris and fingerprints before entering the room.
As an outsider, Jiang Zhi was not allowed to enter and could only wait in the outer room.
But even the outer room was more luxurious and grand than what Jiang Zhi had seen before.
The four walls are inlaid with matte silver-gray anti-magnetic alloy panels, and the floor is covered with dark gray electrostatic insulating floor mats. It's clearly designed for theft prevention.
Not long after, Luo Yonghui came out with a collection of books.
"This is a special life skills item that I specially applied for for you. We agreed that you can only choose one."
Jiang Zhi outwardly agreed, but what she was really thinking was impossible for others to discern.
She opened the album, which contained photos of special props, each with detailed annotations.
Mutant pearls with glow-in-the-dark properties, soft rattan sofas that automatically adjust their size and firmness according to body shape, and mutated cassia seeds that can ensure a good night's sleep...
They were all strange and unusual things.
It was much more comprehensive than what Supervisor Guan had shown them before.
But after looking through them, Jiangzhi didn't find anything she particularly wanted.
"Uncle Luo, are all my choices here?"
Luo Yonghui raised an eyebrow: "You're not trying to say that what you want isn't here, are you?"
Jiang Zhi remained silent.
Luo Yonghui laughed in exasperation, "You girl, you have high standards. There's nothing I can do if you don't like them. Special life-related props are rare to begin with, and even if there were, they would have been bought up by the upper class long ago. How could they possibly be left to gather dust in the research institute?"
That's true.
"Can we keep the reward for now and ask for it later when we need it?"
Luo Yonghui: "It's not up to me to decide; we have to submit a report and get approval from higher-ups."
Jiang Zhi had originally thought that if all else failed, she would ask for some more grain to take back, but she didn't expect there was still hope, so she put her thoughts aside.
Having failed to select the special item she wanted, Jiang Zhi decided not to stay any longer and prepared to go back, but was stopped by Luo Yonghui.
"Where's your brother? I haven't seen him."
"We're queuing up to get our things."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yonghui opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. "Never mind, you can go back first."
Jiang Zhi knew something was wrong as soon as she saw his expression.
But she wouldn't ask; she'd just pretend she didn't see it.
As a result, Luo Yonghui did not let her off the hook.
"Wait a minute," the middle-aged man finally asked, "Jiang girl, let me ask you something. Is your brother usually very lucky?"
Jiang Zhi looked over suspiciously, her face asking, "What are you up to?"
Luo Yonghui coughed awkwardly. "It's like this, your brother's skills have been recognized by our team, and I'd like to ask him for a favor..."
I knew that anyone who offered unsolicited kindness was either up to no good or a thief.
Jiang Zhi gave a light snort: "What is it?"
Luo Yonghui looked embarrassed: "Thanks to you guys, our team got some exposure this time."
Jiangzhi: "You got promoted?"
“…He did get promoted.” Luo Yonghui’s expression was complicated. “But he also received a task from above.”
Jiang Zhi asked curiously, "What kind of mission?"
Luo Yonghui took out a golden iron lump from his pocket, which was clearly a man-made object.
"This is a newly developed item transport device at the base."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi's eyes widened immediately.
"Item teleportation... device? Uncle Luo, could this thing teleport things to another place remotely?"
Luo Yonghui frowned. "How did you know?"
Jiang Zhi said innocently, "That's how it's written in novels."
Luo Yonghui choked.
Okay, he's convinced he has a generation gap with young people.
"The effect is indeed similar to what you said, but there are also prerequisites."
Jiang Zhi felt as if she were witnessing the birth of a new technological era, and she couldn't help but feel excited. She suppressed her emotions and asked, "What are the prerequisites?"
Luo Yonghui needed Jiang Zhi's help, so he had to explain in more detail: "This device is made from an energy source stone modified from the head of a space mutated beast. It was captured by Captain Ji Xing himself, and its value is no less than that of our country's [illegible] in the past."
"However, the conditions for using this teleportation device are also very demanding; a small space station must be built at the teleportation endpoint."
Jiang Zhi understood.
In other words, it cost a huge amount of money.
Luo Yonghui continued, "The Southern Base has now reached an agreement with us to become a cooperative teleportation point, but the prerequisite is that we deliver this device to them."
Jiang Zhi suddenly realized: "Did the higher-ups order your team to deliver this device to the southern base?"
"Pretty much. The two bases agreed that at the border of Hunan Province, we would deliver the goods to the other side, and they would give us what we wanted in return."
"Don't worry, this time we're going with the main force. The main force will transport supplies, and we just need to hand over the equipment to them."
What Luo Yonghui didn't say was that if this succeeds, the landscape of humanity will undergo a tremendous change.
In the future, transactions between bases will be possible, eliminating the need to spend a lot of manpower and resources on exchanges as before.
Jiang Zhi didn't understand, "What does this have to do with my brother?"
Luo Yonghui was a little embarrassed, "Your brother's lucky..."
Although he thought Jiang Zhi was also quite good, as the girl in front of him was always the first to spot danger, Luo Yonghui felt that Jiang Zhi's good luck was even more crucial this time when they were working with the main group.
Jiang Zhi: ...So she's treating her brother like a mascot.
She flatly refused: "No, my parents won't agree."
“Don’t rush to refuse,” Luo Yonghui said. “This isn’t just about delivering goods; there are benefits to be had as well.”
Jiang Zhi looked at him suspiciously, "What benefits?"
"Remember that mutated oak tree we climbed together before?"
Jiang Zhi nodded.
The towering figure of that oak tree is hard to forget.
Luo Yonghui: "Not just any plant can grow into those shapes. Don't you find it strange? The mutated plants and animals on oak trees evolve much faster than those we've seen elsewhere?"
Jiang Zhi has indeed thought about this issue.
Seeing that Jiang Zhi had taken it to heart, Luo Yonghui continued, "Other bases have conducted research, and these unusual phenomena are very likely related to the great catastrophe of that year."
Jiang Zhi was somewhat surprised.
The cause of that great catastrophe remains unknown to this day.
Unexplained tectonic movements caused all the plants and animals on Earth to mutate overnight, resulting in the deaths and injuries of countless fellow creatures...
All of this is a pain that humanity cannot bear to recall.
But now, Luo Yonghui says that the oak tree holds the culprit that caused the catastrophe on Earth.
Jiang Zhi frowned: "What does this have to do with this operation?"
Luo Yonghui said, "Do you know why we chose the capital of Hunan Province as the trading location? It's because we detected anomalies there. If the base's detection equipment hadn't malfunctioned, the same situation as in Oak Tree would have occurred there."
Jiang Zhi immediately understood.
In other words, this trip to Hunan Province also had the intention of treasure hunting.
She raised an eyebrow: "That's what the base needs. Even if we find it, we still have to hand it over."
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "No, that's not it. The base didn't issue any related missions. You can consider it a private matter. I was thinking that since that thing can evolve mutated plants and animals, it might also evolve human superpowers. The mutations over there have just started, so the risk isn't too high. Your brother is lucky; he might actually be able to snag a bargain. What do you say? Not interested at all?"
Jiang Zhi was somewhat interested. Putting everything else aside, the fact that it could help mutated plants and animals grow and evolve told him it must be a good thing.
But there were too many variables involved. After weighing the options for a second, Jiang Zhi decided to give up: "We don't have that ability, so let's forget about it."
Luo Yonghui was just asking and didn't intend to force him, so he could only say, "Fine, if you don't want to, then forget it."
Jiang Zhi looked at him strangely, "Uncle Luo, this doesn't seem very sincere."
Luo Yonghui curled his lip.
"This is my personal request. I don't have anything good to give you, but of course, I can still give you some Suyuan malt cakes."
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