Chapter 361: Taoyang Needs Young People Like You
The “treasure” Wu Zhen went to clean up the mess.
Just as he promised, as soon as the two man-eating plants were released from the “cage,” they slowly shrank back into two ordinary Venus flytraps.
Wu Zhen pulled them out by the roots and shook them in front of Su Tao.
“It’s fine now, Boss Su.”
Su Tao: “Good, good. Keep them away from me… Then go find Qi Yunlan and have her mark a perimeter outside Taoyang. Just plant them along that line.”
Qi Yunlan marked the perimeter right at the edge of the surveillance range.
If the plants were too close, they might accidentally hurt tenants or survivors around Taoyang.
Meanwhile, Luo Yan stood on his balcony smoking. Midway through his cigarette, he froze and squinted toward the distance.
What was that big, green, swaying thing?
A new type of zombie?
Feeling alarmed, he quickly pulled out his communicator to check for any related news.
After scrolling for a while—even scanning Changjing’s internal network—he found no reports about new zombie variants.
Could he really be the first to discover a new type of zombie?
Luo Yan snapped dozens of photos and was just about to send them to Su Tao, urging her to impose martial law and prepare for a fight, when he overheard two tenants on the neighboring balcony talking excitedly:
“That’s the man-eating plant. The internal bulletin said Director Wu cultivated them as ‘Taoyang Guards.’ They eat everything—stone, wood, metal, even zombies. If there’s a large-scale enemy invasion, they’re the first line of defense.”
The other tenant, after checking the bulletin, marveled:
“With the protective shield and now these ‘Taoyang Guards,’ this place is ridiculously safe. But the announcement also said to stay away from the perimeter—if you get swallowed, you’ll have to wait for Director Wu to rescue you. That’s kinda embarrassing.”
Luo Yan quietly put away his communicator.
Still unconvinced, he stretched his neck to get a better look. Over time, he saw one plant… then two… then three… popping up. And just as quickly, they all disappeared again.
His eyes grew sore from staring, and he finally couldn’t help but call out to the tenants next door:
“Hey, brothers—where did those plants go?”
The tenants eyed him suspiciously:
“You didn’t read the announcement?”
Luo Yan hesitated mid-shake of his head, then quickly explained:
“…Don’t misunderstand—I’m a guest of Boss Su. Just staying here for a few days. I don’t have access to the internal network.”
“Oh, I see. Well, the bulletin says the man-eating plants only grow large when they sense living things nearby. Most of the time, they remain as ordinary Venus flytraps—too small to notice from here.”
Luo Yan thanked them and returned to the living room, pacing back and forth.
Qian’an could really use these highly aggressive and stealthy plants—especially since they required no manpower.
He hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise on this trip to Taoyang. The only question was whether Su Tao would be willing to sell him some.
When Luo Yan asked about buying the man-eating plants, Su Tao was momentarily stunned. She turned to Wu Zhen and asked:
“They can’t be too far from you, right?”
Wu Zhen nodded and told Luo Yan:
“I could give you two genetically modified man-eating plants, but if they get too far from me, they won’t distinguish between friend and foe. If you’re not worried about them attacking your own people, you’re welcome to take them.”
Luo Yan: “…Never mind.”
It wouldn’t be worth it if the plants ended up eating his precious ability users instead of zombies.
His gaze toward Wu Zhen was filled with both envy and longing.
Such a valuable talent… How did Taoyang manage to recruit someone like him?
Feeling awkward under Luo Yan’s intense stare, Wu Zhen quickly found an excuse to slip away.
Su Tao gave Luo Yan a side glance:
“What are you plotting?”
Luo Yan waved his hand:
“Nothing—just admiring your ability to recruit talent. It’s impressive.”
Su Tao tilted her head toward Wen Man, who was chatting with Xiao Wenyu in the distance:
“Well, I’m equally impressed with your ability to find a wife—beautiful and understanding. Truly enviable.”
Luo Yan: “…
If not for the fact that Su Tao was a woman, he’d think she was hitting on his wife.
Just then, Xiao Wenyu called out:
“Boss Su, everything is ready. We can begin construction!”
Wu Zhen had barely taken a few steps when he was stopped by the “infamous” Granny Yu.
He thought she was about to scold him for the earlier commotion.
Lately, many Taoyang employees had received lectures from her, urging them to work hard and prepare Taoyang to face unknown threats.
She spoke with such seriousness that everyone was starting to feel anxious—seeing her felt like encountering a strict school principal.
“Granny Yu… I was wrong!” Wu Zhen admitted fault immediately.
Granny Yu gave him a strange look.
“Who said you were wrong? Let me ask you—those man-eating plants outside, do they really work as city defenders?”
Wu Zhen blinked in surprise before quickly answering:
“Yes.”
“No exaggeration?”
“Absolutely not. I can guarantee that even if they’re severely damaged, as long as a piece of the root remains, they’ll regrow by the next day.”
Granny Yu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly clapped him on the shoulder.
“Taoyang needs young people like you—keep up the good work!”
After saying that, she gazed into the distance. Though the sky was already darkening, it seemed as if she could see the light of dawn.
Granny Yu approved Wu Zhen-xiansheng!