Chapter 457: Striking Up a Conversation
As long as no one died, no one would interfere. That made the subsequent matches increasingly brutal—and gradually drew more spectators.
Zhuang Mingxu, who had just sealed several deals with other bases, had barely taken a sip from the water he retrieved from his spatial storage when he spotted a woman in a striking red dress approaching Lu Weiyi with two very different-looking men in tow.
Nearby, staff were setting up display areas for the afternoon’s equipment showcase. As previously agreed with Zhuang Mingxu, the Capital base had taken the opportunity to promote some of their newly developed technology alongside the exhibition.
“Who’s that?” Li Zhuang asked. He was just playing the bodyguard role and usually didn’t say much unless it directly concerned him—nor did he bother remembering which bases everyone was from.
“Ling Shengge, younger sister of the captain of the Blaze Team from the Mengbei base,” Zhuang Mingxu replied. His impressive memory was on full display.
After saying this, Zhuang Mingxu quickly strode toward Lu Weiyi. Maybe others in the team didn’t know the woman’s reputation, but Zhuang Mingxu had done his research thoroughly. After all, if someone’s name was flagged across multiple bases—even if for negative reasons—they had to be noteworthy.
*
When Lu Weiyi sensed someone approaching, he had already noticed her—just a woman with two ordinary people, so he didn’t pay much attention. Hearing her greet him, he nodded and asked the staff for the layout map.
Though he didn’t know exactly how much equipment the Capital base was showcasing, Moon Bay had brought quite a lot, in various shapes and sizes. Some items had to be placed directly on the ground, others needed raised platforms for better accessibility.
“Have the areas already been divided in advance?” Lu Weiyi asked the staff member.
“Yes—this line marks the boundary. Capital base’s area is to the left, and Moon Bay base’s area is on the right.”
The forty-something staff member didn’t dismiss him because of his age and explained everything respectfully, ending with:
“Base Leader Lu, do you need any modifications to the layout?”
“Since the crew is here, we can get everything set up at once.”
Lu Weiyi surveyed the space, then used a pen to sketch a rough outline on the ground.
“These areas need platforms, about this high—1 meter square. Space them out a bit—at least three meters apart…”
After discussing for quite a while and confirming the details, Lu Weiyi turned to return to the rest area, only to find the woman who spoke earlier was still there.
“Were you looking for me?” he asked when he saw her still watching him.
The woman lowered her gaze and smiled.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Base Leader Lu. I just wanted to introduce myself.”
“I’m Ling Shengge from the Blaze Team at Changhong Base. A metal-type ability user.”
She extended her hand toward Lu Weiyi.
As soon as he grasped it, he felt her thumb subtly caress his fingers. The sensation was sticky, soft, and unpleasant—like the feeling of sinking into a mud pit as a child, struggling to get out but getting pulled deeper. It triggered a visceral sense of disgust in him.
“Base Leader Lu, I hear your ability level is very high. Do you have time to teach me? I’m a very eager learner,” Ling Shengge said, leaning in close. Her warm breath hit his face as she spoke, her bright black eyes gleaming slyly.
Lu Weiyi immediately withdrew his hand, pulled a wet wipe from his space, and meticulously wiped each finger. Then he tossed the wipe in the trash without hesitation and replied in a cold tone:
“No time.”
Ever since Ling Shengge walked over, people nearby had been secretly watching. Seeing her so brazenly flirt with Lu Weiyi, some showed clear disdain—but others hoped her approach might succeed, so they could also find a way to get close to him.
Seeing Lu Weiyi’s calm expression and his behavior practically broadcasting his disdain, many women who disliked Ling Shengge couldn’t help but sneer aloud.
“Some people are really overestimating themselves, thinking they’re some peerless beauty, that every man wants to hook up with them.”
“Exactly. She should look in the mirror. Someone of that caliber—he can have anyone he wants. Why would he lower himself to be associated with someone who’s been used up like her?”
“She probably thinks she’s hot stuff. Didn’t they say she even keeps male lovers at her base? The rumors about her snatching up good-looking men on the streets have spread to other bases.”
“Don’t say that. She’s just one of those who can’t live without men. Didn’t she drag a few of her boy toys all the way here just for a conference?”
…
The murmurs around only made Ling Shengge’s face darken slightly, but she quickly regained composure. She gave a discreet push to one of the men who had come with her, her eyes silently gesturing in Lu Weiyi’s direction.
The two men hesitated for two seconds before immediately chasing after Lu Weiyi. Ling Shengge followed closely behind and stood next to them. Unlike earlier when she had one man on either side, now she placed herself between them—with Lu Weiyi on her other side.
“Base Commander Lu, hello. May I ask you a few questions about Half Moon Bay Base?” a handsome, boyish-looking man was the first to speak. He smiled sweetly, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
“No, you may not,” Lu Weiyi refused bluntly. Half Moon Bay Base had stopped accepting civilians, so there was no need to probe for information.
The man was stunned for a second, and the other man—tall, well-built, and good-looking—immediately chimed in, “I heard that the soldiers from your base are still searching for family members. One of my relatives served in the military, and I’ve been hoping to find them. But I don’t know where to look.”
“You can register your personal information and the details of the person you’re looking for. If they’re at our base, our administration will coordinate with yours.”
“Can I register now? Our base, Changhong, doesn’t have a registration center for this.”
“Yes. Any Flame Base trade center here in the Capital can take your information.”
“That’s great. Maybe I’ll be able to reunite with my family one day.”
“Hmm.”
“Thank you so much. I’ve always heard how fair you are to civilians—people from all kinds of bases really admire you,” the man prattled on endlessly, talking to himself without a trace of embarrassment.
“Look at you, all starry-eyed—might as well throw yourself at Commander Lu. Why not just follow him home?” Ling Shengge teased.
“You’re joking. Commander Lu would never be interested in someone like me,” the man replied, though his eyes sneaked a glance at Lu Weiyi, as if waiting for a different response.
At first, Lu Weiyi had a slight appreciation for the man’s polite posture—especially rare among ability users. But now, the man’s subtle flirtatious tone was more repulsive than anything from the pre-apocalypse brothels, instantly souring Lu Weiyi’s mood.
He ignored all three and turned toward Zhuang Mingxu, who was striding over from not far away.
Ling Shengge recognized him too but showed no sign of respect—not even a greeting. In her view, Zhuang Mingxu was just an ordinary man who had secured his position as base leader thanks to Lu Weiyi’s backing. How long he could keep it depended entirely on Lu Weiyi’s attitude. Judging from how eagerly he was walking over, he clearly understood that too.
A smirk crept onto Ling Shengge’s lips.
“I need to talk to you. Are you done here?” Zhuang Mingxu’s eyes flicked over Ling Shengge and the two men beside Lu Weiyi before he looked at him directly.
Lu Weiyi didn’t reply but lifted his foot and followed him away. Ling Shengge stayed behind, watching their backs disappear into the distance, while the two men beside her awkwardly shrank into themselves.
They didn’t speak again until they returned to the team’s temporary rest area.
“So what do you need from me?” Lu Weiyi asked.
Li Zhuang and Xu Yi both turned to watch Zhuang Mingxu, as if waiting for him to come up with an excuse.
Zhuang Mingxu handed him a bottle of water and said leisurely, “I noticed the space they set up over there isn’t very big. I’m not sure if it can hold all the equipment we brought. I was thinking we might want to discuss expanding it a bit with the Capital team.”
“Pfft,” Xu Yi snorted, then pretended to focus on eating his snack with exaggerated seriousness.
Li Zhuang had his legs up on a bench, a faint smile on his lips. With sunglasses on, it was hard to tell where he was looking.
Zhuang Mingxu wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. Especially since Lu Weiyi clearly believed him, and after glancing at the modified layout he had requested, he gave it some serious thought. “No need.”
“Our team is small. We only need to put out one or two machines of each type as demos. I already arranged the display layout by category. It should be enough.”
“That’s good,” Zhuang Mingxu nodded and gestured for him to sit as he started discussing the afternoon schedule, smoothly glossing over the earlier scene.
But of course, troublemaker Xu Yi wasn’t going to let it go that easily. He asked bluntly, “That woman just now—she practically shoved those two men at you. Didn’t you notice?”
“I noticed.”
“And you still talked to them?” Xu Yi had just been trying to stir the pot for fun, but now that the chance had come and gone, he glanced at Zhuang Mingxu’s calm expression and suddenly felt a little guilty.
“There are always people trying to cling to me. I can’t go around hitting everyone because of that.”
Xu Yi looked surprised but, thinking about it carefully, realized it actually made sense and didn’t know what to say.
Someone carrying a big food bag walked over and looked at the four resting members. “Hello, leaders. Our squad just cooked up a fresh batch of snacks. Captain Zheng asked me to bring some over for you.”
“Thanks,” Zhuang Mingxu took the bag and sent the man off. He explained, “Zheng Yi mentioned this morning that their team hunted a bunch of mutated chickens yesterday. The shop’s making braised meat today, so I had him send some over—for you guys to kill time with.”
The bag was opened, and each lunchbox was filled with various chicken parts—chicken necks, feet, hearts—along with marinated tofu, edamame, and peanuts.
Xu Yi’s eyes lit up at a glance. “We need beer for this!”
“Tone it down, we’re in public,” Lu Weiyi said, though he still pulled out a pack from his storage space.
