Chapter 487: Arrangements
Compared to taxation, the base needed the abilities of these users more. Zhuang Mingxu had started thinking about this as soon as he heard rumors of teams transitioning. He had also been considering ways to reassert control. Now, the newly developed instruments were the perfect leverage.
“What’s your plan?” Wu Yue asked in a low voice. He directly oversaw the Guild, so any confusion would come to him first.
“Naturally, qualification for purchase will be evaluated. In addition to crystal cores, we’ll require team contribution points.”
“Team contribution points? Different from the ones used in city trade?”
“Team contribution points are specific to teams. They’re awarded based on contributions to the base—for example, by completing missions assigned by the base. This last trip would count too.” Since this was the first rollout, Zhuang planned to grant the top teams a grace period so they could afford some of the equipment. The rest would be up to them to earn.
This was essentially a way to force teams into participating in base missions. If they wanted advanced equipment, they had no choice.
Still, Wu Yue frowned. “Won’t this cause backlash? We didn’t impose this on other bases when they made purchases.”
“If another base wants to buy one of our power suppressor bands for 12,000 crystal cores—discounted to 10,000—I won’t ask for anything else,” Zhuang said, glancing at their now half-empty vehicle.
Aside from large items carried by each team, the rest were just the personal spoils brought back—compared to others’ high-tech gear, theirs looked embarrassingly shabby. It was mostly clothes, shoes, and food.
He rubbed his brow, and when Li Zhuang signaled it was time to return, he nodded.
Beside him, Wu Yue was still processing the price Zhuang had mentioned, mentally calculating the crystal cores they’d harvested. His face alternated between shock and excitement—he looked like an overwhelmed fool.
“Pull yourself together. Don’t look like some bumpkin who’s never seen the world,” Zhuang muttered and headed for the office building to hand over some affairs.
“Zhuang Mingxu, Daoist Tianning isn’t willing to stay at the accommodations we arranged on Zhongdao,” Xu Yi called out from the front gate.
Zhuang turned to see him driving a small electric car from Zhongdao, with Daoist Tianning and Lin Mo already on board.
“Is there something unsuitable with the arrangements?” Since Taotao’s situation still depended on him, Zhuang quickly stepped forward.
Daoist Tianning gave him a bow. “The accommodations are too luxurious. I prefer something simpler.”
Zhuang had indeed arranged guest-level accommodations for him—not only for Taotao’s sake but also because Wen Jing had specially requested it. But seeing the Daoist’s clear discomfort, and knowing that Zhongdao was relatively safe, Zhuang asked, “May I ask what kind of environment the Daoist prefers?”
Tianning’s gaze swept around and eventually settled on two children quietly standing in a corner, unnoticed by others. “May I ask, how does the benefactor plan to arrange for those two children?”
“The base has a specialized child-care center. Any child under twelve without family is taken in by the base,” Zhuang answered honestly. This was something Liu Rui had arranged in advance to handle any complications caused by Xu Sa’s assumed identity.
“Then I’ll stay there with the children,” Daoist Tianning said calmly. “I know a bit of medicine and might be able to help.”
As the future hope of the base, the nursery had both proper management and high-level security. Besides, Qin Jin’s parents and Dong Hongyuan were also there, so it was expected that Daoist Tianning would be safe. More importantly, there would be someone available to observe him firsthand.
Zhuang Mingxu immediately waved Gu Qingyue over. “Go find Yin Jin and have him arrange a place for Daoist Tianning to stay in the nursery. Make sure all daily necessities are fully prepared.”
He then patted Gu Qingyue on the shoulder meaningfully. “Take those two children as well. Settle them properly.”
Before departure, he had already explained Daoist Tianning’s importance—and the need to be cautious about him—to a few members of Team One. Though he hadn’t fully spelled things out, Gu Qingyue was clever enough to understand what he meant. With a smile, he stepped forward to greet Daoist Tianning. “Daoist, allow me to take you there.”
Trying to stay unnoticed, Qin Leyang quietly held Qin Lean’s hand and followed behind them.
As everyone else began to disperse, the last remaining person—He Mei—suddenly reached out to grab Li Zhuang. He deftly dodged and shot her a cold look, scaring her into stepping back. Still, she summoned her courage and asked, “Can you take me to see Dong Hongyuan?”
Li Zhuang raised an eyebrow and was about to refuse when Zhuang Mingxu interjected, “Take her to see him. Let things be made clear—so there won’t be issues later on.”
He didn’t finish the sentence. From the moment they decided to bring He Mei back, her future had only two possible outcomes:
If Dong Hongyuan accepted her, the base might, out of consideration for Li Zhuang, ease up slightly on their research into him.
If Dong Hongyuan rejected her, a pampered woman like He Mei, who had lived comfortably for so long at the Capital Base, would have almost no chance of surviving here. When the research institute eventually offered her a seemingly easy opportunity, how could she possibly refuse?
And once she accepted…
What happened next would depend entirely on Dong Hongyuan’s stance. Zhuang Mingxu simply wanted Li Zhuang to make things clear to avoid unnecessary conflict. Dong Hongyuan was a talent, and no one knew what position the base might assign him in the future. These minor issues weren’t worth stirring up trouble.
“You take him back,” Li Zhuang instructed Lin Mo as he stepped down from Xu Yi’s electric cart, understanding Zhuang Mingxu’s intention.
“Understood, Deputy Leader,” Lin Mo replied and gestured for Xu Yi to go ahead.
*
Three Days After the Plane Incident
Three days after the crash, Capital Base finally received the news.
The military’s mission to deliver “anti-variant medication” had been widely known the moment the Ability User Conference ended—every base was eagerly awaiting it, especially those struggling to survive against the mutated beasts.
So when the aircraft appeared over the Jinnan Base, it instantly drew public attention. They had even prepared a landing area inside the base, and the leadership waited with high anticipation.
But the helicopter instead landed far from the base. Before the welcoming party could even arrive, the aircraft restarted and flew toward the Panshui Base.
Not long after, some scouting teams noticed the helicopter circling in the air, never settling down. It wasn’t until nightfall that it finally changed direction—then came an explosion.
The blast was too far away for anyone to see clearly, but the pillar of fire reaching into the sky was undeniable.
Once the returning team reported back, the base immediately contacted Lu Xiao.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Xiao’s mind went blank with a loud buzz. He suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed to the side, barely caught by a nearby bodyguard.
“Major General! It might not be fatal,” the guard said urgently, calling for a healer while trying to calm Lu Xiao down. “We had parachutes and high-level wood-type ability users on board—they should’ve been able to land safely.”
Lu Xiao gripped the guard’s arm tightly, forcing himself to regain composure. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he turned to the communications officer. “Contact people at Jinnan Base immediately. Offer a high reward to anyone who can investigate the situation. Gather any intel you can. And also, contact Base Chief Zhuang…”
His rational mind told him to stay calm, but his emotions wouldn’t cooperate. He suddenly slammed a fist into the wooden table, the uncontrolled energy bursting into flames and igniting the table debris.
As he took a deep breath—still not having put out the fire—the office door creaked open, and Zhuang Aiyi peeked in with a frightened expression.
“…Lu Xiao.”
“Aiyi?” He saw the drawing of a duck still in her hand and forced himself to soften his tone. “Did Uncle Xiao scare you?”
Zhuang Aiyi shook her head, then nodded slightly. She slowly walked over, reached out to feel his still-warm hand, and, finding it wasn’t hot, gently hugged him. “Uncle Xiao is mad?”
“Don’t be mad. Big Daddy says being angry is bad for your health.” She stroked his back with her little hand. “When Little Daddy gets angry, Big Daddy pats his back, and he feels better. I’ll do it for you too. Don’t be mad anymore.”
The warmth of her small hands, paired with her soft, childlike voice, made Lu Xiao feel both heartache and guilt. He choked up. “Okay, Uncle Xiao won’t be mad anymore.”
Sensing his lingering tension, Aiyi motioned to Taotao at the door. Taotao stepped forward and scooped a spoonful of ice cream from his bowl. “Uncle Xiao, have some ice cream. It’s cold and soothing—if you eat it, you won’t feel so sad.”
“Eat mine! Mine is mango!” Taotao added, wobbling over with an even bigger scoop from his own bowl.
Lu Xiao bent down and hugged both kids, ignoring the mess of ice cream all over his clothes. Taking a few deep breaths to stabilize himself, he forced a smile. “You two eat, okay?”
After returning with the children to the office area, Lu Xiao had fully regained his composure. All the team leaders who had received the news were waiting in the conference room. He asked the bodyguard to let the children play quietly in a corner, then turned to face the group with a cold, commanding presence.
“Where are the people from Panshui Base?”
“He left yesterday morning.”
Lu Xiao looked up at the person who spoke. The burly middle-aged man immediately added, “He left at 7 o’clock.”
“Send a helicopter to intercept them. Order them to return—otherwise, shoot on sight,” Lu Xiao said coldly, his gaze sweeping to Cong Qing.
Cong Qing responded immediately, “I’ve mobilized all remaining personnel and supplies from our teams, ready to launch a rescue operation at any time.”
“I’ll lead the team myself. All spiritual-type ability users, assemble now.”
“…Yes, sir!”
