Chapter 409: Granny Yu’s Big Reveal
Su Tao said, “My dear Granny, these are already impressive—”
Before she could finish, Granny Yu snorted.
“Stupid Tao, send someone to my place to carry things over. Today, I’ll show you what real ‘impressive’ looks like!”
The noisy crowd fell silent instantly.
Su Tao gestured to Xu Qi, “Get two people to help Granny Yu carry the stuff.”
Granny Yu waved her hand dismissively. “Two people aren’t enough. You, you, and all of you—come with me.”
When the group arrived at Granny Yu’s workshop, she lifted the dust covers to reveal rows of neatly arranged and fully optimized crystal energy guns.
The room fell so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
Granny Yu casually pulled one out and handed it to Su Tao. “Try it and see how efficient it is now.”
Swallowing hard, Su Tao recalled the last time Granny Yu optimized the crystal energy gun—it consumed one-third of a crystal’s energy with a single shot.
The guns distributed by Changjing were slightly better, consuming only a quarter of a crystal’s energy.
But since Granny Yu was so confident this time, Su Tao suspected the new version might match the efficiency of Changjing’s advanced weapons.
Everyone’s eyes followed Su Tao as she picked up the gun.
Outside the workshop, Su Tao fired a shot into the sky. When she checked the energy consumption, she was stunned.
The curious onlookers couldn’t hold back. “Boss, how is it? The power seems on par with Changjing’s, but what about energy consumption?”
Su Tao, wide-eyed, turned to Granny Yu. “It only consumed one-seventh of a crystal! Granny… how did you do this?”
Don’t underestimate the difference—one crystal could now fire seven shots.
In large-scale battles, with the same crystal reserves, these weapons could double Taoyang’s combat capacity.
The crowd erupted in excitement.
Granny Yu raised her voice smugly. “Now, that’s impressive, isn’t it?”
Su Tao immediately responded, “Big reveal, big reveal—you’re Taoyang’s national treasure, Granny!”
The others joined in, showering her with sincere praise.
And honestly, it wasn’t flattery—Granny Yu’s skill outclassed Changjing’s entire weapons research team.
Compared to her upgraded arsenal, the weapons Changjing sent seemed lackluster.
Granny Yu tried to maintain a serious face, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her pride.
Her apprentice, Xiao Yu, scratched his head and giggled, “Hehe…”
Granny Yu smacked him lightly. “What are you giggling about?”
With these new weapons, everyone in Taoyang’s security division received one.
Generous as always, Su Tao also provided each member with a crystal as an energy reserve—a life-saving measure.
The team was ecstatic. After all, crystal energy weapons were incredibly rare—most bases in Changjing only received one or two, and the largest got five or six at best.
Yet, Taoyang’s ten-person security team was now fully equipped with them—and there were still piles left unclaimed in Granny Yu’s workshop.
Su Tao set aside ten guns to send to Dongyang and planned to equip Taoyang’s independent military corps with the rest.
With manpower and superior weaponry, Taoyang finally became a fully armed base.
Even without a protective shield, any force thinking of attacking Taoyang would have to reconsider after seeing their arsenal.
That night, Su Tao slept soundly.
At the beginning of November, good news kept pouring in.
The convoy sent to the coast successfully arrived at the nearest coastal base and was warmly welcomed.
Within a day, all the supplies they brought were pre-ordered, and they received three thousand crystal deposits upfront.
Clutching her chest, Su Tao thanked Gu Mingchi over the phone, “Thank you so much.”
The windfall was overwhelming.
Gu Mingchi replied indifferently, “You’re welcome,” but immediately turned around and began promoting and giving raises to his subordinates.
His staff quickly caught on: if Boss Su was happy, Boss Gu was happy—meaning promotions and raises for them.
Lesson learned: to secure better pay, make sure Boss Su stays happy.
Out of the blue, Gu Mingchi asked, “By the way, where’s the RV I gifted you?”
Su Tao, without thinking much, answered, “It’s parked in my garage. I don’t need it right now. Oh, by the way—start preparing in the Eastern District. Once the convoy returns with the crystals, we can officially absorb it into Taoyang’s territory.”
Despite the ongoing zombie threat, with some areas still battling zombie waves, the Eastern District—being an outer zone—remained particularly vulnerable. Integrating it into Taoyang was a matter of urgency.
Su Tao’s governance of annexed zones was relatively hands-off; she provided protection but allowed local management to remain independent.
Ironically, this light-touch approach made other bases actively seek Taoyang’s protection—even offering to cede half of their authority in exchange.
Some bases were completely unknown to her, making the influx of applicants even more surprising.
After handling another wave of petitions, Zhuang Wan sighed, “Let’s hope Mr. Shen’s team develops the vaccine soon. We’re already hearing reports of increased mutant zombie activity—and some bases are even dealing with disguised mutant zombies infiltrating their leadership, causing widespread panic.”
Su Tao’s expression turned serious. “Be extra vigilant with new hires. If any infiltrate the research lab and sabotage Mr. Shen’s work, we’ll be in real danger.”
Zhuang Wan nodded firmly. “Rest assured! I discussed this with Mr. Shen. He gave me a special spray—harmless to humans, but it causes mutant zombies’ pupils to dilate. I personally screen every new recruit using it.”
Su Tao felt reassured.
Meanwhile, deep in Shou’an City, Siren roamed the streets, searching for more of his kind.
His plan was simple: if he could gather at least three mutants, they would launch an attack on Xindu—the largest base in the south—delivering a bloody message to humanity.
So far, he had only found two—one being the captured Huapi, whom he considered a failure, and another hiding in Shou’an as a small-time leader.
Finally, after ten minutes of searching, Siren spotted a potential ally in the crowd.
When their eyes met, they both stopped, silently acknowledging each other.
After a brief discussion, they aligned their goals—starting with a massacre of Shou’an Base to send a signal to any remaining mutants:
It’s time to unite and cleanse the world of humanity.
