The person who arrived was naturally Zhou Zhengde. He brought back many good things from the front lines this time.
First, there was a certificate as a "Specially Appointed Weapon Expert of the D5 Comprehensive Combat Zone." This certificate would allow Wang Jixuan to connect with various military channels and enjoy direct military protection under the identity of Wang Zheng. With this certificate, Wang Jixuan could freely enter and exit all fortresses in the D5 Comprehensive Combat Zone and regularly apply for compliant research funding (various materials) from the command center.
Next, there was a medal representing the highest technological honor of this combat zone, the "Fifth Science and Technology Medal." This medal proved that Wang Zheng had made outstanding contributions to humanity's fight against the Blade Beasts. Seeing these two items, Uncle Tai was very excited, while Daoist Wang remained calm.
However, Daoist Wang quickly spotted a third item that made him feel thrilled. Zhou Zhengde was carrying a box containing twenty-five high-quality basic Blade Beast crystal cores! Daoist Wang liked this reward. Spirit stones were the most valuable currency in their cultivation world!
Daoist Wang quickly realized that the military commander must have known about his efforts to extract the Blade Beast crystal cores. Perhaps it was because he had presented the Demon Breaking Dagger, proving his greater value, that the military didn't force him to hand over his methods of utilizing spiritual energy?
While Wang Jixuan was happy, he remained somewhat cautious. There were many spies from the Thirteenth Institute within the military; Ling Tong had mentioned that there were also some "extremely evil" individuals in the military. The world isn’t just black and white; a large organization will inevitably have intertwined interests and produce multifaceted intentions. This box of crystal cores brought mixed feelings.
"The Black Storm is particularly famous now; you really know how to find the camera," Zhou Zhengde said, giving Wang Jixuan a light punch on the shoulder, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "How do you feel now? Any problems?"
"I'm fine, no feelings," Wang Jixuan replied simply. "The biggest problem now is the boy we just rescued. The Thirteenth Institute will want to see him alive or dead, and their attitude will be very tough."
"I'll handle that; I have excellent administrative experience," Zhou Zhengde said directly. "Can the improved process for the Demon Breaking Dagger be completed within three years?"
Three years? Daoist Wang had originally planned to finish it in two to three months, but since it was like this... "It should be possible, but I can't promise too much. Let's say three to five years."
Zhou Zhengde sighed in relief. "That's good. I'll report to my grandfather later... That long gun of yours seems to be more advanced than the Demon Breaking Dagger."
"Ordinary people can't use this kind of weapon," Wang Jixuan said firmly. "I don't want this technology to leak to the Thirteenth Institute; it would give their spiritual energy users an advantage. In my current perception, the spiritual energy users in the Spiritual Energy Capital no longer see themselves as human."
"That's true; the trend in the Spiritual Energy Capital is like that. However, the spiritual energy users on the front lines of various combat zones, as well as those born from severely injured soldiers sent to the Thirteenth Institute's equipment, are still quite good," Zhou Zhengde said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
He had already received news that Uncle Feng, a B-level spiritual energy user, was on his way here. Wang Jixuan asked, "Can we get rid of these two B-level spiritual energy users directly?"
"No, that would give the Thirteenth Institute's headquarters a chance to fully intervene in D5. Although the various combat zones are unhappy with the Thirteenth Institute, due to geographical restrictions and the important role of spiritual energy users on the battlefield, the Thirteenth Institute can always look down on us."
Zhou Zhengde murmured, "I suddenly understand why my grandfather urged me to come back and said I could solve the problems here. Next, it's not about physical combat, but political maneuvering. My grandfather is consciously training me on how to wrestle with the Thirteenth Institute. Wang Zheng, leave this matter to me; you should rest first."
Zhou Zhengde's deep eyes sparkled with confidence and strength! "Now it's my battlefield."
Daoist Wang gave a thumbs up, picked up the certificate and medal, and carried the box of crystal cores. "Do well; you have a bright future, young man. I’ll go give Ling Tong a massage; she needs to rest."
Zhou Zhengde: ... Who are you calling young man? I'm over thirty! But, it has only been a few days since we last met...
Zhou Zhengde tilted his head, observing the two people walking into Ling Tong's room, first "tch," then "oh," and finally inhaling sharply.
The half-mechanical Deep Sea approached quietly and asked, "Got any gossip, Zhengde? Share it."
"I just got back." Zhou Zhengde decided that once things calmed down, the Blade Beasts were pushed back, and the Thirteenth Institute behaved, he would join the young people's gatherings in the Central City and Upper City. He wanted a sweet romance. His last real relationship was with Wei Na; it was sweet but a bit... too much to handle.
...
Zhou Zhengde quickly entered work mode. He borrowed Wan Xiaoqi's console and swiftly contacted the fortress governor, his mother, and Colonel Dongfang, the commander of the fortress defense army, to consolidate the internal forces of the fortress.
Five minutes later, a multi-rotor aircraft landed near the supply station. Deep Sea and Uncle Tai moved a tightly wrapped magazine onto the aircraft, which quickly left the fortress's outer expansion C zone, heading straight for the D5 Comprehensive Combat Zone Command Center.
Twelve minutes later, the mechanical girl Red Snake left the outer expansion C zone, following the Blade Beast reconnaissance team sent by the military to provide protection.
At the same time, the alert at Ling Tong's supply station was lifted, and over half of the three hundred soldiers in the perimeter left, with Zheng Shiduo taking his team away.
According to regulations, during peacetime, spiritual energy users could not get too close to the half-mechanical supply station.
Twenty-five minutes later, a convoy of spiritual energy users appeared at the outer expansion C zone camp, arriving at Ling Tong's supply station. To elevate his own status, Uncle Feng, a B-level spiritual energy user, stood on top of the vehicle, directly negotiating with Zhou Zhengde.
Both sides were very restrained in their words, citing legal regulations throughout. Uncle Feng insisted that the boy was the property of the Thirteenth Institute, and while Qin Qin could arbitrarily convict him, the property must be returned. Zhou Zhengde firmly stated that they had never had contact with the boy.
Uncle Feng demanded to enter the supply station for an investigation, and Zhou Zhengde countered with military regulations. The two sides exchanged words for over ten minutes, and Uncle Feng, frustrated, jumped down from the vehicle.
Deep Sea, standing behind Zhou Zhengde, smiled and winked at Uncle Feng.
Uncle Feng claimed he could still restrain himself.
In the end, both sides retreated half a step. The supply station temporarily shut down power, and everyone came out to use biological detection equipment for investigation.
After a lot of fuss for over half an hour, the spiritual energy users found nothing. The aircraft that had left from here finally caught their attention. Uncle Feng and the others immediately left.
Zhou Zhengde didn't linger in the outer expansion C zone either; he followed the spiritual energy users, took Deep Sea back to the fortress, and tried to block the fortress's third layer communication signals.
About an hour and a half later, a message returned to Ling Tong's supply station. The aircraft was locked by a missile of unknown origin and exploded in the air. Fortunately, the two pilots managed to eject and parachute down, and there was a nearby fortress that had already begun rescuing the pilots. Unfortunately, all the "others" on the aircraft met with misfortune.
...
Inside Ling Tong's supply station, Wang Jixuan, Ling Tong, Zheng Shiduo, Uncle Tai, and the already awakened boy in a wheelchair were all watching the accident footage displayed on the projection screen, their expressions a bit hard to describe.
Zheng Shiduo was still pushing the wheelchair; he was the one who secretly took the boy away and hid him in the outer mining cave.
Uncle Tai sighed, "An aircraft is really expensive; it requires a lot of resources! They really dare to attack!"
"I didn't expect it to be a missile attack," Wang Jixuan shook his head. He didn't say the latter part, "The local military is indeed heavily infiltrated by the Thirteenth Institute."
Ling Tong softly said, "There shouldn't be any problems for now. A cosmetic surgery machine will be sent over shortly to change his appearance."
Everyone looked at the boy in the wheelchair. He remained calm but was still not quite used to being around so many people, looking to Wang Jixuan for help.
"Is it okay, sir?"
"Okay what?" Wang Jixuan asked, confused.
"Um," the boy said quietly, "for cosmetic surgery."
"That's up to you," Wang Jixuan said gently. "If you don't want it, just express it directly. There’s also a kind of mask here that can modify your appearance through programming."
The boy nodded, "Alright."
Wan Xiaoqi, hands behind her back, bent down to examine the boy, murmuring quietly, "Are you really a B-level spiritual energy user? Aren't B-level spiritual energy users all supposed to be super impressive?"
The boy smiled shyly, looking down and trying to distance himself from Wan Xiaoqi.
Zheng Shiduo explained from behind, "This kid has a bit of fear of women... He’s been in a nutrient chamber for a long time and isn’t quite adapted to this environment."
"Okay then, let’s formally introduce ourselves!" Wan Xiaoqi took off her dirty repair gloves and extended her small, pale hand to the boy. "I’m Wan Xiaoqi! The number one logistics mechanic for the future Ling Tong Ji team! Nice to meet you!"
The boy smiled slightly, shook hands with the dirty big sister, and quickly pulled his hand back.
Zheng Shiduo showed a knowing smile.
The boy looked at Wang Jixuan and asked, "Sir, what should I do next? Do you need me to sense the location of the Blade Beasts, or do some other work? In the fortress era, everyone needs to find their own value."
He added, "That’s what the book says."
"Rest," Ling Tong said simply. "Avoid the Thirteenth Institute's pursuit as much as possible; a mere trick won't fool them for long."
Zheng Shiduo patted the boy's shoulder, "This is Big Sister Ling Tong; you should listen to her, the one you trust."
Wang Jixuan raised an eyebrow.
It depends on the situation, like when he told Ling Tong to lie down during a massage; she couldn't just lie on her stomach...
Gulp—
Huh?
Wang Jixuan and the boy frowned at the same time, instinctively looking toward the northwest, as if they could see through layers of barriers and catch a glimpse of something.
The boy's eyes turned a light white.
He murmured, "Caterpillar... a royal-level larva is gathering its army... locking onto the half-mechanical unit intruding into the desert..."
"Red Snake might run into trouble," Wang Jixuan looked at Ling Tong.
"Quickly notify her and the reconnaissance team to come back; prepare my gear!"
Ling Tong turned and rushed to her room; she needed to change into high-load combat gear, and Wan Xiaoqi immediately followed.
"Yes!" Uncle Tai and Wan Jie replied, immediately getting to work.
Zheng Shiduo pointed at the boy and asked, "Do I still need to continue being his babysitter?"
Wang Jixuan: ...
"So, is there a relatively normal babysitter around here?"
"I’m going! You hurt my feelings!"
Zheng Shiduo clutched his heart, exaggerating his expression as he said, "This is just a poor kid; I still have a market among adults! I’m just a bit weird, not pathological!"
"Then please continue to take care of him."
Wang Jixuan advised the boy, "Don’t use your spiritual energy too much; the Thirteenth Institute should have means to detect spiritual energy users. I’ll make you a bracelet later."
"Mm," the boy seemed hesitant to speak.
Wang Jixuan smiled and said, "It's good to express yourself; boys should be brave in expressing their thoughts."
"I saw some flowers and grass, the sky and clouds, and a mining cave with tracks... I saw it all!"
He was calm yet excited.
Wang Jixuan almost reached out to pat the boy's head but said, "You can look freely... if everything goes smoothly in the future."
"Sir, can you give me a new name?"
The boy asked softly, "My previous name was randomly given by them when I participated in military activities; I want to change my appearance and my name."
Wang Jixuan thought for a moment.
The boy was waiting for a new life; he would curiously observe this world, seeing the blend of light and darkness, experiencing the complexities of human hearts, simple ideals, and the bittersweetness of life.
So, he said earnestly, "You are reborn; you will face this chaotic world. I hope you can maintain your pure nature, always striving for knowledge, and I bestow upon you the title of 'Wumian' (No Fullness). As for your surname, that depends on what you like."
Zheng Shiduo laughed, "Why not just call him Wu Mian? The character for 'no' and the character for 'full'—Wu Mian."
The boy nodded seriously.
Wang Jixuan smiled and clenched his left fist, extending it toward Wu Mian.
A hint of a smile appeared on Wu Mian's serious face as he raised his severely malnourished right hand and lightly bumped fists with Wang Jixuan.
"Thank you, sir."
"You can thank me later when you survive the Thirteenth Institute's pursuit," Wang Jixuan said, thinking of something. He called out to Zheng Shiduo, "Remember to play at least three hours of music for him every day. The songs by that underground singer T.E.R. are pretty good; they have a soothing power."
Zheng Shiduo murmured, "We all listen to death metal; that stuff is too boring!"
Wang Jixuan scolded, "I warn you, don’t lead Wu Mian astray!"
Wu Mian shook his head with a smile.
He suddenly tilted his ear, turned to look toward the fortress, and tugged at Wang Jixuan's sleeve.
"Sir."
"What’s wrong?"
"There should be Blade Beasts inside the fortress; they are responding to the commands just issued by the young royal larva... They are mimetic Blade Beasts, and there are very few of them."
Everyone in the supply station was startled at the same time.
(End of Chapter)