Chapter 173.1 – Key (16)

◎ Hi, familiar face ◎

“Song Ke’er, let’s go,” Lin Youyou urged, leaning against the apartment door with her hands crossed.

Her attire today was the same as when they first met, sporting a refreshing sports outfit. Her chestnut-colored voluminous curls were tied into a ponytail, exquisite makeup adorned her face, with plump red lips giving off a hint of her former sweet idol style.

Behind her, Su Cha was carrying two tactical bags with a single hand, he wore black T-shirt and long pants, wrapping around his well-defined and smooth muscles. Military boots landed silently, resembling a poised cheetah ready to pounce.

Xu Xing, with a little yellow duck backpack on his back, fully equipped with sunglasses and a sun hat, was dressed head to toe in designer brands, happily bouncing out the door.

Fang Zhixu shook his head with a tut-tut sound, and the braid at the back of his head swayed back and forth: “Luxurious stuff, roll in the zombie pile, and it all has to be thrown away.”

“You’re jealous; I’ve got money!” Xu Xing snorted.

“Can money make you taller? When Tiantian was eight years old, she was already taller than you…” Fang Zhixu muttered.

“Are you really that great? Only 1.7 meters!” After spending a long time together, Xu Xing had long abandoned the innocent and naive image, exposing the true face of a young lion, teasing Fang Zhixu and Song Ke occasionally.

Fang Zhixu blushed, his neck stiff as he argued, “I’m 1.75.6 meters, rounded up to 1.8 meters!”

With a “swoosh,” the 2.5 meters tall Lu Xiaoyu’s mechanical arms swung by, passing by the arguing duo.

Fang Zhixu and Xu Xing both went silent: “…” This man has such an inexplicable desire to win.

After checking her equipment, Song Ke pulled up the zipper of her jacket and turned to look.

Zhuang Qingyan leaned against the bar, shirt tucked into his pants, two extraordinary long legs casually crossed, silently watching her.

Song Ke was momentarily stunned, suddenly realizing that since she found Zhuang Qingyan in Hua City, this was the first time they were separating for an operation.

“You…” The melancholic mood had just started to rise, and Zhuang Qingyan unexpectedly broke it.

He held his chest in a dramatic manner, tearfully said, “As long as you don’t cheat outside, I can also endure being alone in an empty room.”

Song Ke remained expressionless, casually donning a hood with an air of indifference. “Let’s go.”

If everything went smoothly, the round trip would only take three or four days. Why make it so awkward? Even her goosebumps were rising.

The brilliant sunlight pierced through the clouds as a special starship was setting sail. On the outer surface of the cabin, the words “V587” were spray-painted in red and blue, each stroke exuding extravagance. Various types of weapons were graffitied alongside, intertwining in a display of boldness. On a massive billboard, the hotline for ordering Song Clan’s spiritual weapons played in a continuous loop.

“Look, it’s the exclusive starship of V587! Are they going on a mission?”

“I heard V587 took on the commission from the Huangyuan Zombie King. They truly live up to the reputation of our B10 district!”

“By the way, have you guys bought spiritual weapons? This thing is still on limited edition. I’ve been squatting in the black market for a week and haven’t managed to grab one.”

“Cough, cough, actually, I ordered a plum blossom hairpin, planning to propose to my girlfriend.”

“Damn, when did you get a girlfriend?!”

Amidst the gazes of numerous awakeners, a silver light flashed in the sky, and V587 departed from the northern base.

*

At the residence of the magistrate, an unmanned floating car slowly came to a stop. As Zhuang Qingyan just arrived at the villa entrance, he heard Ye Zimei’s roar:

“Captain Song, the starship is public property! How could you… how could you casually spray-paint and modify it, and even put s on it!”

“No, it’s not about the division of profits! I can’t accept a three to seven split! It’s about the bad influence; there has never been such a precedent.”

Whatever was said on the other end, Ye Zimei weakly massaged her temples. “You want to save money to buy rhenium? To restore… fine, fine, if it can be restored, it’s fine. No need for your compensation.”

Zhuang Qingyan’s lips curled slightly. Knowing Song Ke as he did, at this moment, she must be tightly holding onto her purse, defending herself with a guilty face.

Yearning began to sprout in his heart, but reason forcefully suppressed it once again.

Zhuang Qingyan exchanged greetings with the exhausted Ye Zimei. With his information already saved in the access control system, he smoothly entered the front hall.

Bai Qi, with both arms covered in numerous steel nails, was engaged in rehabilitation training alone in the courtyard.

“How’s it going?” Zhuang Qingyan stopped beside him, his expression indifferent, as if casually inquiring.

“Not bad,” Bai Qi nodded.

From the worldly perspective, Bai Qi’s fall from S5 to S2 was lamentable, but he had never regretted it. There was no trace of “sympathy” or “pity” in Zhuang Qingyan’s eyes. Bai Qi seldom spoke, expressing his gratitude to Ye Zheng for adopting him as a war orphan. Due to his personality, he wasn’t articulate, only silently appreciating Ye Zheng’s kindness.

After awakening the S-level ability “Determined Resolve” during the apocalypse, his first thought was, “I want to stand in front of General Ye, be his sword and shield.” As for the levels that ordinary people cared about, he had already made psychological preparations and didn’t value them so much.

In the assassination incident, Bai Qi dropped three levels consecutively, delaying time to ensure Ye Zheng’s safety. He genuinely felt that it was “not bad.”

Zhuang Qingyan patted his shoulder. “Old Fang is an orthopedic specialist. If you have any problems, you can always find him.”

“Thank you,” Bai Qi nodded solemnly.

Ye Zheng was practicing calligraphy in the study. Although the aging process couldn’t be reversed, his complexion was noticeably healthier, and his spirits were good. In the first phase of Ning Rong’s clinical experiment, Ye Zheng’s crucial heart underwent short-frequency radiation stimulation. Although it didn’t reach the level of “regeneration” yet, cell division promoted self-repair, and the surrounding organs were functioning normally. Combined with Ye Zheng’s well-adapted S-level physique, there were currently no adverse reactions.

Ning Rong predicted that if the development continued successfully in the subsequent experiments, Ye Zheng could live at least another ten years.

“Has Xiao Song and the others already set off?” Ye Zheng asked without looking up.

“Yes, they left in the morning,” Zhuang Qingyan replied.

“I asked you to stay; there’s no resentment in your heart, right?”

“General, your words are too heavy.”

Originally, Zhuang Qingyan intended to go to the Huangyuan with V587, but it was Ye Zheng who spoke up, requesting him to stay at the Northern Base.

As Ye Zheng dropped his wrist to the pen, the strength penetrated the paper, and he seamlessly wrote two characters with a brush – “Cang Feng” (Hidden Blade).

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean to separate or coerce you. I just want you to help me with something,” Ye Zheng explained.

“Please speak, General.” Zhuang Qingyan’s gaze swept over the two characters, his expression impeccable.

Ye Zheng put down the pen and looked at the young man in front of him. This person, intelligent enough and rational enough, had a heart too cold, distancing himself from the world, not wanting to get involved in anything. Without a bit of attachment, he might easily drift towards another extreme.

“A month ago, I asked about your impression of the Northern Base,” Ye Zheng began slowly. “At that time, it seemed quite unfavorable. Has your opinion changed now?”

“Both you and District B10 are very admirable,” Zhuang Qingyan replied affirmatively.

Ye Zheng circled out from behind the desk, his steps steady without the aid of a cane. “People like Xiao Song, awakeners with ideals and pursuits, can’t be stopped from going out to explore. But when they’re tired or in trouble, there must be a place they can return to with peace of mind. Don’t you agree?”

“Do you think the Northern Base can become a ‘home’?” Ye Zheng asked.

Zhuang Qingyan remained silent for a moment, not directly answering. “Song Ke really likes it here.”

Ye Zheng smiled. With the recovery of his strength, the dignity he once held over the world was gradually returning.

“If you stay at the Northern Base and help the old man with some tasks, rest assured, as long as I’m alive, no one can harm you.”

The eyes behind Zhuang Qingyan’s lenses flickered subtly, sensing that Ye Zheng might have guessed something.

Ye Zheng tapped a few times on the terminal and pulled up several thick files. “These days, I’ve had the Ling siblings follow you first to talk about official matters. I’ve been researching the things left by our ancestors, trying to extract some essence to use in practical combat.”

Zhuang Qingyan glanced at it and immediately recognized, “Ancient Civilization Military Strategies?”

“Oh? You’re familiar with it too?” Ye Zheng expressed surprise.

“A little, just a little,” Zhuang Qingyan modestly replied.

Ye Zheng’s lips curled with a smile, beckoning him to come closer.