Chapter 113 – Lost Car
That evening, it was time for the base’s meeting about credit currency.
Before the disaster, Xia Lu Nong had only been a college sophomore and had never attended such a formal event or participated in something so important.
He had been nervous all afternoon and, after dinner, made a point of washing his hair, taking a bath, and brushing his teeth. He dressed up in a shirt and slacks to show respect for the occasion.
Meanwhile, Kong Zhi sat in the living room, reading absentmindedly. His eyes kept drifting toward the bathroom door.
The bathroom door clicked open softly, and Xia Lu Nong emerged in a cloud of steam.
His neck was long, and his belt cinched his waist so tightly that it accentuated his tall, slender frame, making him look like a bamboo swaying in the wind, or even a graceful crane turned human.
As he turned to open the door, the smooth lines of his ivory-white arms were as clear and sharp as those of a finely crafted sculpture.
Kong Zhi walked over.
Noticing the movement, Xia Lu Nong turned his head, looking puzzled. “What’s up?”
As he spoke, his lips curved slightly, revealing neat white teeth, making his red lips and pearly teeth stand out even more.
Kong Zhi’s breathing grew heavier. Wrapping his arm around Xia Lu Nong’s waist, he smiled. “I’m feeling a little tempted.”
Xia Lu Nong lifted his foot and kicked him. “Get lost.”
For someone with such a celestial aura, his playful banter brought him down to earth, making him seem all the more vibrant and lively.
Kong Zhi held him tightly, pulling him into an embrace, and whispered, “Just a hug.”
“This is way more than just a hug. Let go—we need to head to the meeting soon.” Xia Lu Nong blushed and kicked him again. “My brother’s right next door. Hurry up and change before we get caught.”
Kong Zhi grinned. “Your brother already knows about us.”
“Knowing and being caught in the act are two different things!” Xia Lu Nong laughed, pushing him away, his face flushed. “Go, now.”
Kong Zhi gently lifted his chin and kissed his lips, whispering, “Just taking a little interest in advance.”
Xia Lu Nong had been ready to go for a while, but after all the teasing, his shirt was wrinkled, his face was red, and his breathing was uneven. He couldn’t possibly attend the meeting like that.
So, he went back to his room and changed into something more casual—just a T-shirt and pants, with sneakers.
No matter what he wore, Xia Lu Nong always looked good. Even in a simple T-shirt and shorts, the exposed skin of his hands and neck glowed softly under the light, like warm jade.
Kong Zhi, holding a flashlight at the door, waited for him. Seeing him emerge, he waved the light and said in a husky voice, “Let’s go.”
Xia Lu Nong crossed his arms and glanced at him knowingly. “Shouldn’t you take a cold shower first?”
Kong Zhi paused for a second. “I’ll go change my pants.”
Once Kong Zhi was ready, they were nearly late for the meeting, so they didn’t dawdle anymore.
As they walked side by side toward the white building, Xia Lu Nong wondered aloud, “I wonder what brother Xi Nian and the others will say at the meeting tonight.”
Kong Zhi replied, “They’ve probably had several private meetings already, so they won’t bring up anything too complicated. Most likely, it’ll just be an announcement. We probably won’t need to say much—just vote in agreement when it’s time.”
Xia Lu Nong exhaled. “That’s what I think too. We’ll just listen.”
Tonight’s meeting was for the base representatives.
There were only about twenty people seated in the small conference room of the white building.
Familiar faces like Old Liu, Cong Lian, Liao Quan Nan, Zhang Shi Hai, and Yan Ming Qing were there, though not everyone was a close ally.
Once Xia Lu Nong entered the room, he tucked away his usual soft demeanor and adopted a serious, no-nonsense expression.
He looked rather imposing.
As for Kong Zhi, he naturally exuded a calm and composed air.
After everyone greeted one another, they quickly took their seats.
To Xia Lu Nong’s surprise, his brother was the one chairing the meeting.
Xia Huo Qu was concise and to the point when he hosted meetings. He efficiently conveyed the key points with just a few sentences.
The meeting progressed quickly, as Kong Zhi had predicted. Xia Huo Qu mainly discussed the implementation of a credit currency system for the base.
Yan Xi Nian explained why it was necessary to introduce the credit currency now.
Another person, Chen Bai Shen from the white building, explained how the credit currency would be implemented and the exchange rates.
The meeting was straightforward. No one wasted time, and everything was clearly explained.
The last item on the agenda was a secret vote on whether to support the new credit currency system.
Xia Lu Nong wrote down his approval.
He didn’t look at the other votes, but most people were likely in favor. The current bartering system was highly impractical. Everyone valued food, but most people didn’t need excessive amounts of it, and storing large quantities at home was a real problem.
Xia Huo Qu read each vote aloud, flipping the ballot over to show everyone the written response.
The proposal to implement the credit currency system passed unanimously.
Once the meeting was over and the goal was achieved, the discussion moved on to some specific details, which Xia Lu Nong wasn’t particularly interested in, and neither was Kong Zhi.
The two quietly listened until the meeting adjourned, then headed back home.
Several people stayed behind to chat with Xia Lu Nong’s brother, so he just nodded in acknowledgment before leaving with Kong Zhi.
As they walked, Kong Zhi remarked, “This base changes almost every day.”
“That’s a good thing,” Xia Lu Nong responded. “It shows that the base is full of life and energy again.”
Their home wasn’t far from the white building. As they strolled back, they noticed that their house was now hidden from view by a row of pepper trees. From a distance, all you could see were the shadowy outlines of the trees, with their house nestled behind them.
When they reached the front gate, Xia Lu Nong quietly pushed open the fence and tiptoed to check on Xia Hua Jiao, their pet.
It appeared that Xia Hua Jiao was asleep again. Xia Lu Nong approached, but it didn’t stir.
Not wanting to disturb it, he gave it a quick once-over to ensure everything was fine, then headed back.
Kong Zhi waited for him by the side and, as Xia Lu Nong returned, pulled out the house keys. “You’re like a dad checking if the baby’s kicked off the blanket in their sleep.”
“That’s a pretty accurate comparison,” Xia Lu Nong laughed. “Xia Hua Jiao is like our son, after all.” Before he could finish, Kong Zhi kissed his neck, making him go weak at the knees. Thankfully, Kong Zhi was holding onto his waist, preventing him from collapsing.
Kong Zhi guided him forward a few steps and pressed him down onto the sofa.
Xia Lu Nong, breathless from the kisses, felt his chest rising and falling rapidly in the darkness.
Kong Zhi’s hand slid to Xia Lu Nong’s waist. “Hmm?”
Feeling the shift in Kong Zhi’s body, Xia Lu Nong swallowed nervously. “I-I don’t think I’m ready.”
“How about I just collect a little interest first?” Kong Zhi whispered, his hand moving downward. “Leave it to me.”
“Let’s, let’s go to the bedroom.”
Once in the bedroom, Xia Lu Nong found himself overwhelmed, swept away repeatedly in a tide of sensations.
Despite years of single life that had honed his skills, he was no match for Kong Zhi. Eventually, he gave up completely, surrendering to Kong Zhi’s lead.
“Your brother’s back,” Kong Zhi said, holding Xia Lu Nong close, not stopping his movements. His warm breath brushed against Xia Lu Nong’s ear. “It sounds like they’re unlocking the door. They’re inside now, and it seems like they’re heading this way to find you.”
Xia Lu Nong’s body tensed, filled with nervous energy. Despite biting down hard on the sheets to muffle any sound, a few small whimpers still escaped.
—
The next day, Xia Lu Nong woke up late. The sun was already high in the sky, and through the wooden window lattice, everything outside seemed glaringly bright.
He glanced at the bed beside him. The sheets were rumpled and wrinkled, despite someone’s best efforts to smooth them out, still bearing silent testimony to last night’s events.
Xia Lu Nong covered his face with his hands, feeling a strange sense of exhaustion that made him want to smoke, even though he didn’t usually smoke.
From the living room, the sound of quiet conversation drifted into the room.
At first, Xia Lu Nong thought his brother and the others were just chatting casually, but after listening for a while, he realized there was an unfamiliar voice mixed in.
Had a guest arrived this early?
Curious, Xia Lu Nong strained to hear more but couldn’t make out what the visitor was saying.
He got out of bed, dressed, and checked his appearance in the glass window, trying to make sure nothing looked out of place.
However, the strong sunlight outside made it impossible to see his reflection clearly. He ruffled his hair, double-checked his clothes for any suspicious marks, and then finally headed out.
He had taken so long that the guest had already left by the time he entered the living room.
Relieved, Xia Lu Nong asked, “Brother, who was that just now? Were they here to talk about the credit currency?”
“No, that was Lu Shi Yi. You probably don’t know him well. He came to ask us for a favor,” Xia Huo Qu replied.
Xia Lu Nong headed toward the bathroom and casually responded, “I know who he is, just not very well. What did he ask for?”
“Do you know about the Changhe Swamp?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded.
Lately, people from the base had been going there to hunt birds, and he had not only heard about it but had also eaten quite a bit of bird and animal meat from the marsh in the past few days.
“They went hunting in Changhe Swamp and provoked the birds, which attacked them. They transformed into their beast forms to escape, but their truck was left behind. Now, they’re offering us supplies to retrieve it.”
Standing by the bathroom door, Xia Lu Nong paused. “We don’t usually take on these kinds of jobs. Shouldn’t Old Liu and his crew handle this?”
Xia Huo Qu raised his chin slightly. “Old Liu’s team did take the job but couldn’t manage it. They got injured and had to flee as well.”
“Those birds are that aggressive now? We probably shouldn’t take it on either. Whoever caused the mess should clean it up; it’s not worth getting hurt over.”
“Well, those birds are dangerous for them, but your brother and I should be able to handle it,” Xia Huo Qu said. “I’ll think about it and give them an answer this afternoon.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, yawning. “How much are they offering in supplies?”
“For just scouting the area, 500 kilograms of rice. If we bring the truck back, it’s 5,000 kilograms.”
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes widened. “That’s quite generous. Why don’t they wait until winter to get the truck? Once the snow comes, the birds should leave the area. They could retrieve the truck then, and the repair costs would only be around 1,000 or 2,000 kilograms of rice, right?”
“True, but they’d end up blacklisted by the base’s logistics committee. They wouldn’t be able to borrow trucks or any supplies in the future.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded sympathetically. “That makes sense.”
