Chapter 120
Seeing Wang Jianguo's tired appearance, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but ask, "Commander Wang, if someone is really willing to come, how will the base accommodate them?"
Wang Jianguo said gently, “You don’t need to worry about that. The base originally planned to expand into the eastern district, and a lot of land there has been vacated. Although construction has stopped now, we can let them set up tents there temporarily.”
Jiang Zhi's heart stirred.
Dongcheng District...
She suddenly remembered that when they first arrived at the base, Ye Qingyun had said that if the base expanded, the land they had bought would increase in value.
I never expected it to come true in this way.
After the meeting, Jiang Zhi went to the No. 1 collection area.
Just outside the city gate, you can see the thick vines standing in the center of the gathering area, like a giant dark green tower, firmly rooted in the ground.
Jiangzhi comes to check on things every day.
Watching the vines change every day was quite a sight.
Yesterday, the main stem was only about one size thicker than the support column of the research institute. Now, the base has expanded outwards, and the branches climbing upwards are even denser.
Previously, the edges of the leaves were light green, but now they have all turned into a glossy dark green.
Looking up, it truly seems to soar straight into the sky.
I see him every day, but every time I stand up close to look, I still have to stare blankly for a moment before I dare to recognize him.
Professor Zhang, who works in the same lab as Professor Shen, greeted Jiang Zhi when he saw her.
"Comrade Xiao Jiang, you've come to check on Shuguang's situation again?"
Dawn was the name that Professor Shen and his friends gave to the vine.
Jiang Zhi thought it was quite fitting for the occasion, so she didn't object.
She smiled and replied, "Professor Zhang, let me take a look at today's data."
Professor Zhang: "Professor Shen is taking notes over there. You can just go over there."
After learning about the function of the vines, Professor Shen led a team to build a temporary observation and experimental shed near the vines.
The damselfly is used to record the growth of the vines at all times.
Jiang Zhi walked into the experimental shed. In front of her was a video projected by the damselflies. Professor Shen was watching the video while writing something in his notebook.
She stopped quietly and waited for Professor Shen to finish writing a line before asking, "Professor Shen, have the monitoring data from this morning come out yet? Have the diameter and height of the main stem changed compared to yesterday?"
Professor Shen stopped what he was doing when he heard that Jiang Zhi had arrived.
He raised his hand and pressed his temples: "Comrade Xiao Jiang, you've come at just the right time."
"Today I've summarized the previous data; please take a look."
The other party handed over a data monitoring chart.
Upon examining the ginger branch, the problem was quickly discovered.
Professor Shen said, "The data has been stable these past few days, but if you look closely at this curve—" He pointed to the broken line with his finger, "the increase in these three days is actually nearly 30% slower than before."
He put his pen on the table and pushed the data book next to him in front of her: "Including today's data, look for yourself—the diameter and height of the main stem are still growing steadily, but much slower."
You can immediately tell the root cause by looking at the ginger twig.
The reason the vines grew so quickly was probably because they received energy from a level 9 mutated creature.
It's almost fully digested now, so the process has slowed down.
Professor Shen saw Jiang Zhi's expression and knew that she understood, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems you know the reason. So, what should we do next? We can't just watch it slow down like this."
Jiang Zhi didn't speak.
She tried to connect with the seed in the pool of spirit.
The place was empty and desolate, with only the faint scent of the seed floating in the air, like a sprout buried deep in the soil.
After an unknown amount of time, just when she was almost convinced there was no response, a very faint, indistinct sound suddenly came from her mental pool, like a pebble falling into shallow water, fine and fragmented, yet clear enough to convey its meaning—
"Hungry……
A soft, slightly aggrieved syllable gently touched her heart.
It's true that we're running out of energy.
Jiang Zhi frowned, looked up at Professor Shen, and asked with a hint of certainty, "Professor Shen, does the base have anything that can quickly replenish nutrients for plants and accelerate their growth?"
Professor Shen was taken aback at first, then realized what she meant and continued, "Yes, there is... You mean, 'Dawn' is missing this?"
He paused, his gaze falling on the curve in the data book, as if talking to himself or confirming, "That makes sense. With such a large size, and having grown so wildly before, the nutrients in the soil alone certainly wouldn't have been enough."
He immediately turned to his assistant and instructed, "Go and apply for all the fertilizers specifically for growing grain. Don't go through the research institute's procedures; go directly to the commander for his signature."
The assistant looked troubled upon hearing this, and hesitated before speaking, "Professor Shen, if we do this, I'm afraid Professor Qiao will..."
Professor Shen frowned, his tone resolute: "If there are any problems, tell her to come directly to me."
Seeing this, Jiang Zhi asked softly, "Professor Shen, is there some difficulty?"
Professor Shen shook his head and explained, "The fertilizers used to cultivate grains have always been precious. In the past, they were only used to supply high-quality grain seeds and were never used for anything else."
"But this time is different. Comrade Xiao Jiang, don't worry, I know what's important and I will never let 'Dawn' fail at this time."
Looking into Professor Shen's resolute eyes, Jiang Zhi felt her worries subside. She nodded slightly, her voice filled with genuine gratitude: "Then I'll trouble Professor Shen to take care of things."
Professor Shen waved his hand.
The two discussed the situation of the vines for a while before Jiang Zhi walked up to them.
As soon as I got close, the tangled main stem seemed to sense it, and its leaves swayed gently.
Jiang Zhi raised her hand and stroked the thickest main stem, her palm touching the slightly cool skin. She took a deep breath and quietly sent her spiritual energy through her palm.
A faint, gentle response surfaced in the pool of spirit. Jiang Zhi gazed at the vines reaching towards the clouds, hoping the fertilizer would arrive soon.
After calming the vines, Jiang Zhi didn't linger and left Collection Area 1.
Along the way, I planned to first go back to my lodgings to pack quickly, and then set off out of the city.
Firstly, I wanted to find those of the same kind who were scattered elsewhere, and secondly, I also wanted to go to a few other places to confirm the situation.
This means my trip will probably be delayed for several days.
With something on her mind, Jiang Zhi quickened her pace unconsciously and soon arrived near her residence.
As Jiang Zhi approached, she saw several staff members in the base's logistics department uniforms standing in front of the Lin family's house not far away. They were holding some things in their hands and stood there, unsure of what to do, with a troubled look on their faces.
The wooden door of the Lin family's house was half open, and Old Master Lin was standing inside, leaning on his cane, his brows furrowed. He waved his hand at the door and said in a loud but firm voice, "I said you don't need it. Take it back! That boy is doing alright now, and the family doesn't need anything. You don't need to trouble yourself."
The staff members wanted to say something more, but the old man slammed the door shut.
The group stood there, holding their belongings, exchanging glances. In the end, they could only sigh helplessly and slowly leave, clutching their things.
Jiang Zhi waited until they were far away before walking to the front of the Lin family's house. She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door: "Grandpa Lin, it's me, Jiang Zhi."
The door opened a crack quickly, and when Grandpa Lin saw that it really was her, his expression softened: "Zhi'er, what is it?"
Jiang Zhi looked inside and out, but didn't see Lin Yuan. She asked, "Grandpa Lin, how is Brother Lin Yuan now? Is his injury any better?"
Grandpa Lin glanced at her and muttered under his breath, "Only now you're asking? Looks like you really have no interest in that brat anymore."
Jiang Zhi: "Grandpa Lin, what are you saying?"
Grandpa Lin: "It's nothing, that kid is fine. He just went on a mission recently and his powers were used up too much, so he's been recuperating lately."
Jiang Zhi hesitated, recalling the other person's pitted and uneven mental pool.
Now that her ability level has increased, repairing her mental pool shouldn't be a problem...
Thinking this, she looked up at Grandpa Lin and asked earnestly, "Grandpa Lin, may I go in and see Brother Lin Yuan?"
This made Old Master Lin extremely happy.
He couldn't be happier.
"Why not! Come in, come in!" The old man hurriedly stepped aside to let her in, and just as he finished speaking, the door to the inner room creaked open.
Lin Yuan happened to walk out of the house.
Perhaps because the hall was heated, the other person was wearing a plain-colored sweater with the cuffs casually rolled up, revealing their wrists with clearly defined knuckles.
He was still enveloped in a faint, calm aura from the use of his spiritual power, like an old book that had been warmed by the sun, gentle yet with a subtle elegance that made people feel at ease.
He looked up and saw Jiang Zhi at the door, paused for a moment, a clear look of surprise flashing in his eyes, then smiled and said, "Jiang Zhi? What brings you here?"
Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him come out, and walked over with a smile: "Brother Lin Yuan, how have you been lately? How are your injuries?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan's smile deepened: "Thanks to you, I'm almost fully recovered. You were a great help when you treated me before. After resting for a while after returning, I'm almost completely healed."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback upon hearing this. When she looked up at Lin Yuan, her eyes were full of suspicion, and she raised her eyebrows slightly: "...Brother Lin Yuan, are you just being polite?"
Lin Yuan was amused by her appearance.
"No, it's the truth."
Jiang Zhi couldn't believe it—she had only lost a few strands of her spiritual energy at the time, and to say that she had cured him was just a lie.
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Lin Yuan raised his hand and said, "If you don't believe me, check it yourself."
Jiang Zhi glanced at him, and without hesitation, reached out and grabbed his wrist.
Her fingers, slightly cool in temperature, gripped his wrist tightly, and then a tiny wisp of her spiritual energy probed into it.
Lin Yuan didn't dodge; he simply loosened his wrist following her force, letting her spiritual energy probe into his spiritual pool.
After a short while, Jiang Zhi withdrew her hand, most of the doubt in her eyes dissipating, leaving only some surprise: "You...."
When Jiang Zhi probed over just now, she could clearly feel that most of the previously pitted bottom of the pool had been filled in, and the entire mental pool had also expanded considerably. Jiang Zhi could tell at a glance that the other party had leveled up.
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Yes, my injury has healed, and I also leveled up a few times."
Jiang Zhi:......
What does it mean to "gain a few levels incidentally"?
Is this something a human being would say?
She even suspected that this guy was the legendary male protagonist of a novel.
Not only did his injury inexplicably heal, but he also suddenly became a high-level superhuman.
Compared to this, the opportunities that the siblings received are simply insignificant.
Just as Jiang Zhi was mentally ranting, Lin Yuan seemed to read her mind and smiled, "We still have to thank you for your help before."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi wrinkled her nose. "Brother Lin Yuan, please stop teasing me. I certainly didn't have the ability to cure you back then."
Seeing her make this funny face, Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh:
“I didn’t have any entertainment. I didn’t receive any other treatments afterward, nor did I take any special substances.”
Seeing how serious he was, Jiangzhi couldn't help but start to have doubts.
—Could it really be due to my own abilities?
But she had only transferred a few strands of spiritual energy before, so how could there be such an obvious effect?
As Jiang Zhi was frowning in thought, Lin Yuan's voice suddenly came from beside her: "Jiang Zhi."
"Hmm?" She responded subconsciously, looking up at him.
Looking at the confusion in her eyes, Lin Yuan asked slowly, "Don't you know that your spiritual power is quite special?"
special?
She recalled that after she transferred her spiritual energy to Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu recovered from her near-death state.
Could it be that her mental strength is really different from others?
"Alright, I guess you could say I helped out." Jiang Zhi was still a little skeptical, but she didn't want to argue about it, so she simply said, "Since you're alright, I won't bother you any longer."
Grandpa Lin, standing to the side, grew anxious and winked at his grandson.
Why can't this brat know how to show weakness?
Even if it's good, you have to say it's bad, otherwise how can you make a girl feel sorry for you?
Lin Yuan ignored the old man's furtive glances and simply said to Jiang Zhi, "Wait a moment."
He took out a fist-sized, teardrop-shaped bead from the spacecraft.
The bead was clearly liquid, but its edges seemed to be covered by an invisible thin cocoon.
"Ding—A purple-gold item has been found: the Essence of Myriad Plants. Using it will allow plants to grow rapidly."
Jiang Zhi's eyes suddenly opened slightly.
Purple-gold items?
"Where...where did you get this?"
Lin Yuan laughed and said, "After the sinkhole disappeared, I saw it in the crack in the ground. It looked special, so I recovered."
Jiang Zhi choked, opened her mouth but couldn't say anything, and after a long while she finally managed to squeeze out, "It's that simple?"
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. "You know what this thing is used for?"
Jiang Zhi hadn't expected the other person to be so perceptive. Avoiding his gaze, she vaguely asked, "...It looks like a good thing. Are you sure you want to give it to me?"
Lin Yuan placed the object in Jiang Zhi's palm, his tone casual: "It's no use keeping it here."
Jiang Zhi certainly wanted this.
The moment this thing appeared, the hidden seed in her mental pool kept stirring up trouble in her consciousness, repeatedly saying "hungry, hungry, hungry," with such a frantic energy that it seemed it would wither away in a moment.
Even without seeds to stimulate it, just by looking at the information on the dashboard, she knew that this stuff was good for the vines.
She thought for a moment, then took out a box from her spatial storage device, filled with dewdrops from the gas sac hydra. "I won't accept yours for nothing," she said.
She handed the box to Lin Yuan, pausing slightly when her fingertips touched his hand, before quickly and steadily passing it over. "Seeing that your injuries have almost healed, this should be useful to you."
As she spoke, she put away the essence of myriad plants.
Lin Yuan looked down at the box in his hand, clearly not expecting her to hand it to him, and a genuine look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He ran his fingers over the box, and when he looked up, a smile appeared in his eyes: "Thank you."
Jiang Zhi carefully collected the essence of the myriad plants. Hearing his thanks, she smiled and said, "You're welcome. Consider it an exchange."
Finally, she glanced at her watch and said, "It's getting late, I have something to do, so I'll head back now."
The smile on Lin Yuan's face faded slightly, leaving only a faint gentleness in his eyes.
He didn't say anything more, the seriousness in his eyes eased, and he simply nodded slightly to her.
The sharp jawline seemed to be bathed in a soft glow as he nodded.
Jiang Zhi blurted out abruptly, "Brother Lin Yuan, are you aware of the prophecy?"
Lin Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the girl's face, without immediately responding.
His gaze wasn't scorching, but rather carried a warm, deep meaning.
After a moment, Lin Yuan softly replied, "I know."
Jiang Zhi herself couldn't explain what was going on, but Lin Yuan's answer actually made her feel somewhat at ease.
She smiled at him and softly replied, "Okay."
This time, she didn't say anything and simply turned and left.
After everyone left through the gate.
Grandpa Lin muttered to himself, "You brat, the atmosphere was so good just now, why didn't you keep them here to talk more?"
Lin Yuan ignored his old man.
Instead, they opened the box.
There were three green dewdrops of different sizes inside.
Old Man Lin leaned closer to look. "What is that?"
With a crisp "snap," Lin Yuan closed the box, his movements so fast that no one could see what was inside.
Grandpa Lin was left with nothing.
Looking at his grandson's expressionless face, as if he were protecting some rare treasure, he couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You little rascal, you're so protective! You won't even let your own grandfather take a look?"
Lin Yuan glanced indifferently at the ill-intentioned old man and went back into the house.
"You brat, I'm talking to you!" Old Master Lin was furious at his attitude and followed him all the way. "You know, that young lady gave you something, she must be interested in you too, you'd better make a move—"
Lin Yuan stood up and interrupted the old man, "Old man, I'm going out again. If I'm bored, I'll go visit the Jiang family."
Old Master Lin was displeased. "Those people at the base, are they trying to get your help again?"
Lin Yuan smiled and simply said, "Wait for me to come back."
*
When Jiang Zhi returned home, she told her family about the mission she had taken on from the base.
The others weren't so worried when they heard that they went by chirp.
After winter sets in, there are fewer mutated creatures in the outside world, making it generally much safer than in summer.
In addition, since Qiuqiu is virtually unmatched in the sky, the elders put aside most of their concerns. They just pulled Jiangzhi aside and gave her a few more words of advice, mainly telling her to be careful on the way, not to be reckless when she arrived at the base, and to be mindful of everything.
Jiang Shu knew she was going to do something important, so he simply said, "Azhi, you can leave the family to me without worry."
Jiang Zhi nodded with a smile.
Only Ye Qingyun's gaze fell on her daughter's face, sweeping from her forehead to her chin, as if she wanted to see clearly whether she had lost weight recently. Her eyes reddened slightly, but she did not let the tears fall.
She only let out a soft "sigh," her voice filled with unbearable heartache.
"Go ahead, I'll pack your things."
Ye Qingyun worked quickly and efficiently, stuffing several portions of glutinous rice balls into Jiang Zhi's backpack, then packing dried meat and fried ribbonfish into a small earthenware jar, and finally preparing an extra set of padded jackets for her.
After everything was packed, Ye Qingyun held her daughter's hand tightly before letting go: "Take food with you on the way, don't get your clothes dirty, and wear more layers if you get cold, don't try to tough it out."
Jiang Zhi grasped her hand in return and smiled, "Mom, don't worry. I still have to come back and protect you. I won't let anything happen to myself."
"I'm leaving," Jiang Zhi said loudly, then turned and went out the door briskly.
Outside the base, Chirp was already waiting there with its head tilted. When it saw her come out, it affectionately rubbed its wing against her arm. After Jiangzhi sat down, she patted Chirp's feathers: "Let's go, let's go to the vines first."
With a soft chirp, Jiangzhi's wings traced a steady arc in the low sky as she swept over the uneven rooftops of the self-built housing area, taking one last look down at the scene.
Ye Qingyun's figure had long since shrunk to a blurry dot, hidden by the crisscrossing corners of the houses.
She gently patted Chiu Chiu's back, gesturing for them to go to Collection Area 1.
Not long after, the familiar vine appeared below. Jiangzhi let Qiuqiu stop in the empty space above the vine.
You can feel the vines' longing for that drop of pure essence from all plants from afar.
"Hungry, hungry, hungry—"
Jiang Zhi took out his backpack, aimed at the thickest vine stem, and dripped it directly onto it.
The vine leaf below, which had been swaying gently, suddenly curled its edges upwards as if it couldn't wait, and steadily caught the transparent "drop of water".
Immediately afterwards, the leaf flesh undulated slightly, and the drop of liquid quickly seeped in along the leaf veins, leaving not a trace.
Almost the instant the liquid had completely seeped out, the thickest vine trembled violently, as if a surge of energy was rising from its roots.
The stems, which were originally a meter thick, swelled at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in just a few breaths, they grew even thicker.
Along with it, the vines that were climbing upwards also grew rapidly. What was originally only up to the height where Qiuqiu was hovering in the air has now shot up several meters higher. The new leaves at the top have unfurled, shining green and looking extremely vibrant.
Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.
He couldn't help but fantasize that if there were more of these purple-gold items, he wouldn't have to worry about the vines growing well.
The researchers below quickly discovered the changes in the vines.
The exclamations reached the upper levels, and Jiang Zhi smiled, directly gesturing for Qiu Qiu to leave.
Chirping understood, and with a flap of its wings it created a gust of wind, instantly carrying her deep into the No. 1 collection area, leaving the exclamations and the shadows of the vines far behind.
Jiang Zhi planned to take a walk around the surrounding area first.
But as Chirp flew further and further away, she gradually realized something was wrong—based on past experience, at Chirp's speed, it should have already left the base's gathering area by now.
But looking around now, all that could be seen was an empty expanse of land.
She looked down and saw that the landmark rocks, which should have been scattered around, were now far apart, as if someone had quietly moved them.
Even some of the rivers that swept past our feet were nearly twice as wide as we remembered, and the mudflats that the water had overflowed extended much further.
Jiang Zhi was somewhat taken aback.
Just as Commander Wang said, this world is indeed quietly growing.
*
It is located one province away from the base.
Several simple wooden houses were built on an open space in a valley.
White steam was billowing from the chimney, and several people wrapped in thick cotton-padded coats squatted on the stones in front of the house, holding hot sweet potatoes in their hands, chatting idly.
"Hey, have you heard?" A short man took a bite of a mutated potato and mumbled, "The broadcast from Ancheng base came on again this morning, saying something about a major cataclysm coming and telling everyone in the surrounding area to gather there. Do you believe it?"
The woman in the gray coat next to him breathed on her hands and said, "What's the use of believing or not? Are you really going to go? That place is a hundred or two hundred miles away. Let alone whether you can even get there, what will you do when you get there? You'll have to start all over again. It's not as comfortable as staying here."
“Exactly,” another man squatting on the threshold chimed in, still weaving straw rope in his hands. “It’s cold now, those mutated creatures have already gone into their burrows to hibernate, they’re doing just fine. The potatoes and corn we stocked up on a while ago are enough to last until next spring, there’s no need to bother.”
Some people rubbed their hands and laughed, with a hint of wishful thinking: "I think maybe Ancheng Base is just making a fuss. We're backed by mountains and there's a river next to us. The conditions are great. If there really is a catastrophe, the tall ones will hold up the sky when it falls. How could our little place be affected?"
The wind blew through the treetops, carrying a chill. The group chatted for a few more minutes, mostly expressing their feelings that it was "far," "troublesome," and "unnecessary." In the end, they all shrank back and went back to their houses, leaving only sweet potato peels rolling in the wind on the open ground.
As the group chatted, the sweet potatoes in their hands were still steaming, when suddenly, something seemed to flash into their minds.
The eaves of my own wooden house were clearly still in front of me, but a scene straight out of a movie exploded in my mind—
The ground beneath our feet suddenly cracked open with a bottomless fissure, and the once stable mountaintop seemed to have been cleaved by a giant axe. Rocks and mud fell down, and the sky above was as dark as if ink had been splashed on it. The wind was filled with the sound of things breaking.
The scene was so realistic it was chilling.
The dull thud of falling gravel seemed to be right next to my ears, and even the chill rising from the cracks in the ground felt like it could pierce through a cotton-padded coat. It felt as if the stones beneath my feet would crack open at any moment, and the sky above my head would collapse and crush me.
There is absolutely no room for anyone to doubt that this is an illusion.
"Hiss—" The short man suddenly gripped the sweet potato tightly, his knuckles turning white, and cold sweat beading on his forehead. "You...you saw that?"
The woman in the gray coat had already stood up, her face deathly pale, her lips trembling: "What...what was that? The sky collapsed? The earth cracked..."
The man who had just said "it's not our turn" had lost his smile, staring blankly at the distant mountain shadows, his throat tightening: "What exactly is going on? Is this a hint from heaven?"
At that moment, the old man who had been inside rushed out, shouting, "Quick, let's pack our things now and head to Ancheng Base... Only there is safety!!"
Such scenes are quietly spreading to every corner of human settlements.
Whether it's a simple campsite with wooden cabins in the woods, a settlement built against a cave in a mountain valley, or a temporary shed made of sheet metal by the roadside—
Wherever humans set foot, there were people staring blankly at their work, or suddenly standing up from their low stools, their eyes filled with fear.
The images of the "earthquake" had not yet faded from their minds, and the roar of falling rocks still seemed to echo in their ears. Only one thought was racing through their minds: Go to Ancheng Base!
By the time the people on the ground had recovered from their panic and were hurriedly packing their things to rush back to the Ancheng base, Jiang Zhi, riding on Qiu Qiu, was already on her way to the southern base.
The wind blew in from the south, carrying a touch of moist warmth.
Jiang Zhi looked down and saw that the highway, which should have been quiet, was now lined with a long queue—several SUVs were protecting the front and rear, and in the middle were people pulling carts and carrying luggage.
The queue was incredibly long, with thousands of people!
The cart was piled with bedding and grain sacks, and the children, wrapped in thick coats, were being escorted forward by adults.
Most of the people in the group had somber expressions, and occasionally someone would talk in hushed tones, their words filled with anxiety. Even the sound of wheels rolling over stones conveyed a sense of haste and urgency.
Jiang Zhi was somewhat surprised.
Are these... people from the Southern Base?
Judging from the direction, it is indeed heading towards Ancheng Base.
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