Chapter 435: Filling the Sea
Lu Weiyi had flipped a couple of pages in the file. The interrogation sessions started on the day of the incident and continued every few days. Until, finally, one line had been written in red ink:
[Ability Transplantation]
Lu Weiyi looked up in shock. Zhuang Mingxu nodded. “It must be someone who escaped from Zhuang Mobai’s lab. I asked Zhuang Mobai—he admitted there were some who left the lab, ability users who followed its orders and did shady things in secret.”
“We made a lot of noise back then. They probably sensed danger and went into hiding. Now for some reason, they’ve resurfaced and are trying to trade that information for profit.”
Zhuang Mingxu sighed. So much had happened at the Capital Base back then, one thing after another. He simply hadn’t had the energy to pursue it further. Since Zhuang Mobai hadn’t mentioned it, he’d forgotten all about it—never imagining it would come back to bite them now.
“Did he ever meet that person?” Lu Weiyi asked.
Zhuang Mingxu shook his head, a trace of regret in his voice. “It was an outsider, a merchant, who saw him. He tried to set up a deal with a group, but they were all killed, and the lead was lost.”
“Our base has a lot of normal people. Who knows if someone might be tempted by this idea? That’s why I think it’s time we stop taking in new residents. We’ve already got over 80,000 people. That’s not a small number. Besides, in this world, power matters more than population.”
“Alright. Then go ahead and make the announcement,” Lu Weiyi agreed after some thought. “Although… it probably won’t eliminate the risk completely. Many are still out there searching for family or friends—there’s always that connection.”
“Then we’ll implement a sponsor system. If something happens, the sponsor takes responsibility,” Zhuang Mingxu decided swiftly.
*
As spring arrived and nature awakened, news of Half Moon Bay Base no longer accepting new residents was broadcast to all connected bases.
The responses that came back weren’t all good: reports of zombies once again surrounding cities, and the rise of mutated animals.
Many bases were attacked by mutant animals after starving through a harsh winter, suffering heavy casualties.
At the same time, a mysterious assassination group calling themselves the “Avengers” suddenly appeared. They moved silently through the bases, wiping out entire families without warning—leaving only the word “revenge” behind.
From north to south, the Mengbei Base, Changhong Base, Pingjin Base, and Capital Base all saw factions suffer targeted killings. These base powers, fearful and on edge, tried to unite and track down the true culprits.
Meanwhile, Half Moon Bay Base, also in the north and near those bases, showed no signs of disturbance. Suspicion began to shift toward them. Some factions even recalled their ties to the Capital Base and tried to pressure them to investigate.
Lu Xiao immediately reported the news to Zhuang Mingxu. Just days later, the entire family of the faction leader who first made the suggestion was wiped out in a massacre. From that point on, no one dared bring it up again.
And the one who had struck fear into them all? He was currently sparring with his younger brother.
The two hulking men were brawling on the beach, kicking up sand as they exchanged blows.
Though the weather had only just begun to warm, Qin Yu wasn’t afraid of the cold. She lounged on a beach chair in a bikini and sunglasses, sipping wine. Every time sand flew in her direction, she’d gracefully shift her position while still holding her wine glass.
Next to her sat Dong Hongyuan with a diaper bag beside him. The open pouch revealed water bottles, tissues, and spare clothes. His head was turned at a sharp angle, watching something behind him.
There, Taotao was playing catch with Qin Nian and Baby Dong. Three wolf-sized dogs darted back and forth, as lively as huskies. Every time the ball veered off course, one of the wolves would catch it with precision and toss it back.
Naive little Qin Nian thought they were playing with him and happily tossed the ball again. Baby Dong giggled, drooling, her little head turning side to side.
Li Zhuang lounged lazily in a nearby pavilion, recording the scene on his phone and sending it off. A few message pings followed—whatever was said made him smile at the corner of his eyes.
In the front garden, Xi Shi was sowing vegetables for the year. Dean carefully picked out seeds from the box, asking about each one.
Inside the villa, Zhuang Aiyi was reciting multiplication tables, her voice occasionally corrected by Xia Qiao.
If not for the lightning-fast crab the size of a basin suddenly scuttling into view, the whole scene would have felt like a peaceful vacation.
Before the two brawlers could react, Dong Hongyuan had already launched a swift kick, sending the crab flying back into the ocean.
Li Zhuang stood up with a tsk, grumbling, “Couldn’t you have just caught it for lunch?”
Dong Hongyuan hesitated, then turned stiffly. “Should I go catch it?”
Li Zhuang waved him off with a helpless sigh. Qin Yu didn’t even take off her sunglasses—she just laughed heartily.
The two brawlers paused mid-fight as the ball flew between them again, then stopped in sync.
Eric lifted his empty water glass toward Qin Yu. She snapped her fingers, and water visibly rose to fill the glass.
He chugged it in a couple gulps and asked, “Do mutant sea creatures come ashore often?”
“The surrounding waters are overflowing with them. A few days ago, the hunting team reported a squid—or maybe an octopus—bigger than a cargo ship near the coastline. They went out to hunt it,” Li Zhuang said, picking up Qin Nian who had fallen, then sent him off with Taotao into the yard.
“Did they catch it?” Eric asked curiously.
“Nope,” Antonio shrugged. “But they did encounter a hundred-meter-long mutant orca and another…” He stretched both arms wide to demonstrate, “a whale as big as an island.”
“You actually came back alive? That’s impressive,” Eric praised, unsure how to interpret the gesture.
“We just got lucky and weren’t attacked,” Li Zhuang frowned, rubbing his forehead. “Our team’s been driving off large mutated creatures around here lately, so if you want to see the captain, you’ll have to wait until evening.”
“You can talk to Zhuang Mingxu directly—he’s the one in charge,” Antonio said bluntly, clearly trying to send him away.
“No problem. I actually just want to consult your captain on ability-related matters,” Eric replied, then glanced toward the sea. “Davis, I think fresh seafood sashimi must taste amazing.”
Antonio shot him a glare, trying hard to pretend he hadn’t heard that.
Eric sighed dramatically. “I traveled thousands of kilometers across several bases to help someone…”
“That was in exchange for resources,” Antonio reminded him, unwilling to accept any favors.
“You’re saying I can be bought with supplies?” Eric’s teasing gaze made Antonio grit his teeth. After a long pause, he finally gave in and got up to go catch seafood.
Luckily, mutant sea creatures had been constantly rushing to shore recently, so catching them wasn’t difficult. He circled the central island and came back with five crabs, three scallops, and two mutant fish.
Antonio dropped the haul off in the kitchen and stepped outside—just in time to see a shrimp as thick as a child’s waist curled up in the yard, ready to attack Baby Dong.
“Baby—!” Dong Hongyuan shouted, running over.
Antonio also quickly sent out a flying blade. But the distance was too far. As Baby Dong turned her head at the sound, the shrimp, with its barbed legs, was about to claw her face.
In an instant, countless green vines wrapped around Baby Dong and yanked her away. At the same time, the airborne shrimp seemed to hit an invisible barrier and bounced off, crashing to the ground.
Antonio swiftly sliced it in half. Dong Hongyuan had already scooped up Baby Dong, voice trembling, “Are you hurt? Does anything hurt?”
“What happened?”
“Is everything okay?”
Dean and Xi Shi dropped what they were doing and ran over.
“There was a mutant shrimp in the yard,” Antonio pointed at the two halves on the ground, tone exasperated. “Fortunately, no one got hurt.”
“I got attacked by a mudskipper in the garden a few days ago,” Xi Shi added, grabbing a handful of handmade candy from his pocket for the three children. “We’re surrounded by water on all sides. With no barriers, it might not be safe for kids to play in the yard anymore.”
Little Dong Bao Bao, being the youngest, had no idea what had just happened. She giggled as she stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth, then tried to feed one to Dong Hongyuan as well.
“I think I just sensed… psychic power,” Eric said as he walked over slowly, his gaze circling the two children before finally settling on Qin Nian.
Taotao noticed his gaze and immediately grabbed Qin Nian, backing up two steps before turning to run toward the villa. “Come on, let’s go find big brother.”
“He was attacked by zombies last winter, and then his ability manifested,” Antonio said calmly, covering for Qin Nian. “The young captain teaches him every day.”
“Antonio, could you install a metal mesh fence all around the coast?” Li Zhuang changed the subject. “There’s no way to keep them from playing outside otherwise.”
“I can try,” Antonio replied, then turned to Li Zhuang with suspicion. “Before leaving, did the captain ask you to scout the nearby waters and come up with a land reclamation plan?”
Li Zhuang raised an eyebrow and said nothing.
“You forgot, didn’t you? Haha, you’re doomed,” Antonio said gleefully. “I wonder what poor Dr. Xu is going to have to learn next.”
Dean’s face showed a mixture of sympathy and secret relief. He muttered, “Poor Dr. Xu,” and immediately pulled out his phone to send a message.
Right after, Li Zhuang’s phone rang. On the other end, Xu Yi’s furious roar came through, completely unfiltered: “Li Zhuang! If you dare let Lu Weiyi mess with me again, you can go back to your own damn room—!”
“Wow,” Qin Yu exclaimed dramatically, “Zhuangzhuang-ge, I didn’t know you don’t even sleep in your own room?”
Li Zhuang ignored the amused looks from everyone and strode off toward North Island. He called Qin Yu to help with dinner and also rang Gu Qingyue for reinforcements.
“You just said land reclamation—reclaim what land exactly?” Eric wasn’t so easily brushed off.
“It’s not a big deal,” Antonio explained. “There’s been a sudden spike in large mutant sea creatures in nearby waters this year. A few fishing boats have run into them—one even got capsized a while back and several crew members died. The base wants to fill in the shallow coastal areas to reduce the water depth. If the water’s shallow, big creatures won’t be able to come in.”
