Chapter 166: Surveillance
The next day, Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian led their team out.
The rose even provided a live update: “Your brother’s convoy has reached the foot of the mountain. I saw them with my other body.”
“Judging by their speed, they should indeed be arriving at the foot of the mountain by now,” Xia Lu Nong mused, looking at the rose whose flowers were beginning to fade. “Your ability is pretty useful. If we planted your body in different places, it’d be like real-time surveillance.”
The rose was wary and said, “What are you up to? I don’t agree.”
“I’m not up to anything, just saying.” Xia Lu Nong lightly pinched its leaf tip. “No more chatting, focus on growing well.”
After watering the rose, Xia Lu Nong went to water the pepper plant and the honeysuckle.
While watering, he noticed that the chives in their backyard had grown tall and looked fresh and tender. They’d probably taste great stir-fried.
He grabbed a big bunch of them.
Since only he and Kong Zhi were home, too many chives would go to waste, so he filled a basket and decided to give some to Liao Cheng on his way out.
He planned to visit the White Building today to check maps and prepare for their upcoming trip.
When Liao Cheng heard their plan, he asked, “Why are you heading out in this freezing weather?”
Xia Lu Nong accepted the pine nuts Liao Cheng handed him and replied, “Well, every season has its own tasks, and this is the time when we’re free.”
Liao Cheng sighed, “Even when you’re free, you could take a good rest. You’ve been working non-stop all year. Isn’t it exhausting?”
“It’s alright.” Xia Lu Nong smiled. “We’re heading out tomorrow, so please take care of the vegetables, the sheep in the valley, and other tasks around here while we’re gone.”
“No problem. Since I’ve taken your food, I’ll look after everything.” Liao Cheng saw him out. “Just be careful when you’re out there, stay safe, and come back early if anything comes up.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled, waved goodbye to Liao Cheng, and headed to the White Building.
Borrowing the map there went smoothly.
The staff at the White Building even made him a photocopy so he could take it with him for easy reference.
Having the copy made their trip much more convenient.
Feeling a bit embarrassed after asking for the favor, Xia Lu Nong thanked the scientists at the White Building several times before leaving.
As he stepped outside, he coincidentally ran into agronomy expert Yan Ming Qing.
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t expected this. When their eyes met, he quickly greeted him, “Professor Yan, off to work?”
They had worked with Yan Ming Qing before.
During one collaboration, Xia Lu Nong had overexerted his powers and ended up in the medical ward.
His brother found out, scolded him fiercely, and even took out his anger on Yan Ming Qing, causing them to cut off contact.
Even though they were in the same small base, Xia Lu Nong hadn’t seen Yan Mingqing in a long time.
Now, bumping into each other like this, the atmosphere felt a little awkward.
Yan Ming Qing looked the same as before, still a bit unkempt, but his complexion seemed fine.
Though Xia Huo Qu had forbidden Xia Lu Nong from associating with Yan Ming Qing, he hadn’t used his power to make things difficult for him. Yan Ming Qing’s career as a scientist at the White Building seemed to be going well.
Yan Ming Qing nodded and glanced at the map in Xia Lu Nong’s hand. “Heading out again?”
“Yeah, taking advantage of the free time during winter to look around.” Xia Lu Nong waved with a smile. “Professor Yan, I have things to do at home, so I’ll be heading back.”
Yan Ming Qing quickly replied, “Go ahead, don’t mind me.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled warmly. “See you later.”
After saying goodbye, Xia Lu Nong left the White Building.
As he reached the main road outside, he glanced back and saw Yan Ming Qing still standing upstairs, watching him.
He smiled and waved to signal Yan Ming Qing to go back inside.
Yan Ming Qing also smiled and waved back, as if the previous tension between them had never existed.
Xia Lu Nong went home and told Kong Zhi about it.
Kong Zhi remarked, “Professor Yan is a scholar.”
“Yeah,” Xia Lu Nong agreed. “He seems to be doing well now.”
Kong Zhi teased, “Just reflect on it yourself, but don’t let brother Huo Qu hear about it.”
Xia Lu Nong definitely didn’t want his brother to know, fearing it might hurt his feelings.
He quickly changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about that. Have you packed everything?”
“Almost. I’ve packed most of what we need. Check to see if it’s all there. Tomorrow, we’ll take two space bamboo containers—one for general supplies and the other for anything we find along the way.”
Preparing for the trip wasn’t a trivial matter. Even though Xia Lu Nong trusted Kong Zhi’s meticulousness, he still double-checked everything, especially making sure they had enough vitamins and medicines.
With the space bamboo containers, traveling had become much easier. They could bring all the food, medicine, clothes, and sleeping bags they needed.
This time, Xia Lu Nong decided not to take any plants with them. Xia Hua Jiao was easy to placate—it was satisfied after going on one trip. The real challenge was the rose.
The rose grumbled, “It’s only been a few days, and you’re leaving again. What’s the point of planting me here if you’re always gone?”
“Going out is rare. Most of the time, we stay at the base,” Xia Lu Nong explained. “By next spring, you’ll see—we spend most of spring, summer, and fall here.”
The rose was persistent. “Who knows what’ll happen in the future? All I know is that you brought me back only to abandon me.”
Seeing it like this, Xia Lu Nong sighed. “So, what do you suggest? How about I give you a bit of energy?”
The rose questioned, “Just a little?”
Xia Lu Nong felt a headache coming on. “Alright, a bit more. But not too much—we’re about to leave, and it wouldn’t be safe without enough energy on the road.”
The rose remained silent, as if weighing whether “a bit more” would be acceptable.
Xia Lu Nong said, “How about you think it over while I go inside and pack?”
The rose immediately protested, “No! You have to stay with me!”
Xia Lu Nong glanced at it and joked, “Even my boyfriend isn’t as clingy as you.”
The rose replied, “If you give me enough energy, I could be your boyfriend too.”
“In your dreams!” Xia Lu Nong pinched its leaf tip. “If my boyfriend heard that, he’d come over with a knife and uproot you!”
They bantered for a while.
Eventually, the rose relented with a sigh. “Maybe you should go back to N City and dig up more of my original body.”
The rose couldn’t leave the soil for long.
Its current form had already had some branches cut, so it couldn’t be trimmed again. If it were to accompany them on a trip, they’d have to return to the flower bed to get more of its original body.
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Weren’t you unwilling earlier?”
“I’m willing now,” the rose huffed. “Do you want it or not? If not, forget it.”
“I want it!” Xia Lu Nong felt it was worth the trip for the rose’s main body.
By transplanting more of its main body along the way, they could keep complete control of the road conditions. It would be far more useful than the pre-disaster surveillance cameras. Cameras could only record, but the rose could analyze and provide timely warnings.
Excited, Xia Lu Nong transferred about half of his energy to the rose. “Tomorrow, we’ll head out directly and get to the flowerbed where your main body is. We’ll collect a few more segments, and then we can discuss further.”
Although the rose was thrilled, it pretended to be indifferent and said, “Do as you please.”
Xia Lu Nong returned to the house and told Kong Zhi about the matter.
Xia Lu Nong said, “Ever since these mutant plants turned into intelligent beings, they’ve started feeling lonely and now seek companionship.”
“That’s normal. Even after mutating, they’re influenced by human civilization, so their way of thinking is still similar to ours,” Kong Zhi replied. “But let’s not talk about that. Let’s eat quickly and get some rest so we can wake up early tomorrow.”
Xia Lu Nong had a different idea of “rest.” He warned, “Not too late tonight.”
Kong Zhi smiled and teased, “I’ll shut the windows tightly, so the rose won’t sense anything.”
In a way, Kong Zhi was a bit of a trickster.
That night, Xia Lu Nong bit the edge of the blanket and whimpered, “I told you not to be too late!”
“I never said that,” Kong Zhi paused, leaned down, kissed him, and said softly, “I just said I’d shut the windows tightly so the rose wouldn’t notice.”
“Ugh—” Xia Lu Nong regretted it and punched the bed in frustration.
With the movement, the blanket lifted, and waves of heat escaped into the room.
Kong Zhi kissed Xia Lu Nong’s ear and whispered, “Do you really want to stop?”
“…!” Xia Lu Nong glared at him. “What nonsense are you talking about now? Keep going!”
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t actually unwilling; he just knew he lacked self-control, so he didn’t want to get too caught up in it.
The next morning, Xia Lu Nong had transformed into Xia the cat, being carried by the Golden Eagle as they flew out of the base.
Still groggy, Xia the cat dozed off in mid-air. Even though they were flying high, his thick fur kept him warm, and he slept soundly with his eyes half-closed.
Xia the cat had grown used to being carried by the Golden Eagle, and it didn’t interfere with his naps. In fact, being carried was more comfortable than riding on Kong Zhi’s back—he didn’t have to think about anything and could do whatever he pleased.
Sometimes, they’d hit air currents or have to dodge other mutant birds, which added a roller-coaster-like thrill to the ride.
Once Xia the cat woke up a little, he glanced down.
The aerial view was always fantastic, and every time he looked, it lifted his spirits.
The scenery around their base was familiar—he’d seen it a hundred times before, so there were no surprises, and he still couldn’t spot the crater from his dreams.
They made a quick loop around the valley where the sheep were kept.
The valley entrance was densely covered with trees, and the sheep inside were thriving, safe from danger and with plenty of food. They even seemed a bit fatter than before.
The Golden Eagle continued flying with Xia the cat.
Their destination was N City, where they needed to retrieve the rose’s main body.
Unlike ordinary birds, Kong Golden Eagle didn’t have radar and couldn’t rely on instinct to navigate. They mainly used ground landmarks and followed their pre-planned route, confirming each point along the way.
Flying was much more efficient than driving, allowing them to take a straight path and travel much faster.
After camping out for half a night, they reached the rose’s flowerbed the next morning.
The flowerbed looked just the same.
As soon as the rose reconnected with Xia the cat, it started complaining, “I’ve been waiting forever! Why are you only getting here now?”
Xia the cat retorted, “How is this my fault? Your place is so far from our base. If we were driving, it would’ve taken twice as long!”
“Hmph.” The rose grumbled, “Fine, you can take my main body now. Just make sure to take plenty this time.”
Xia the cat replied, “Hold on. Let me change back into human form, and then we’ll start digging up your main body. How much do you think I should take?”
The rose casually said, “Dig up a hundred plants to make it an even number.”
“A hundred?!” Xia the cat’s green eyes widened, and he lifted a paw, almost scratching his own ear. “If I dig up a hundred, there’ll barely be any left to guard this place!”
