Chapter 72: The Spatial Ability User Lin Fangzhi
Previously, Su Tao hadn’t thought much of it, but seeing the crystal energy weapon in person, it looked incredibly valuable.
It seemed Changjing must have invested a substantial amount of resources into its development.
Moreover, the entire Dongyang base had only received two crystal energy weapons, and she had one of them all to herself.
The old chief, Xing Hongwen, was also present. He smiled kindly and said:
“Go ahead and try it. Zijin mentioned that your shooting practice has been quite good lately. Once you get a feel for it, take it to the training ground and show everyone its power.”
Su Tao reached out to the crystal energy gun but paused, asking, “Is it safe to touch directly? It feels like there’s a flow of air around it.”
“It’s fine.”
The moment she touched it, the airflow vanished instantly, and the crystal-clear energy gun settled steadily in her hand.
It felt a bit cool to the touch, with a strange yet pleasant texture. It wasn’t heavy at all—rather, it was quite light.
Shi Zijin guided her, “Bring the crystal core close to it, and it will start charging.”
Su Tao did as instructed. As soon as the crystal core approached, the gun began to vibrate in her hand, and the sensation shifted from cold to warm.
The ghostly green crystal core seemed to be drained completely. In less than five seconds, it turned into a transparent substance and shattered in mid-air.
The crystal energy gun, now fully charged, appeared as if pearlescent liquid was flowing inside, resembling a sky full of dazzling stars in broad daylight.
The process was so mesmerizing that Su Tao almost forgot it was a dangerous weapon.
At the training ground, she aimed at the hardened giant limb of a prepared evolved zombie, the “Blood Scythe,” and fired.
With just one shot, the giant limb, which couldn’t be penetrated even by concentrated fire from regular bullets, shattered into pieces.
The “Blood Scythe” had its two scythe-like giant limbs as the hardest parts of its body.
These limbs were also its strongest weapons—destroying them essentially meant taking away its attack power.
Everyone present was delighted by this result.
Even Shi Zijin hadn’t expected it. He approached to inspect the shattered limb and said:
“The power is impressive—equivalent to a full-strength attack from a close-combat ability user, and the speed is remarkable.”
He then smiled and asked Su Tao, “How does it feel?”
Su Tao nodded enthusiastically, “It’s definitely much better than an ordinary handgun! It’s so light, not tiring to hold, no recoil, and barely any gunshot sound. I almost thought I hadn’t fired.”
She stroked the gun lovingly, but then paused, “But isn’t the energy consumption a bit too much? I only fired one shot, and the pearly glow inside has already faded quite a bit. It’s not as warm as when it was fully charged.”
Shi Zijin explained, “Yes, the instructions from Changjing also confirmed that with one evolved zombie crystal core, the crystal energy gun can only fire four times.”
Su Tao immediately felt a pang of heartache, “Then I’d better use it sparingly.”
She suspected that the entire Dongyang base didn’t even have ten evolved zombie crystal cores. The “Blood Scythe” was not only difficult to hunt but could also easily turn the tables and kill its pursuers.
Su Tao thanked the old chief, her face brimming with the joy of having acquired such a treasure.
Xing Hongwen, pleased as well, turned to Shi Zijin and said, “About the other crystal energy weapon, I plan to give it to Pei Dong. She doesn’t have the kind of powerful abilities you do, and guarding the city isn’t exactly a safe job…”
Shi Zijin replied, “You don’t need to explain to me. I understand completely. Besides, I really don’t need it. Back then, I could take down that beast on my own. Now, with a whole team going out, there’s even less to worry about.”
Su Tao poked him with the gun handle and generously said, “You can use mine if you want, but you’ll need to provide your own crystal cores.”
Shi Zijin and the old chief both laughed.
Shi Zijin chuckled, “You just keep it for yourself. As long as you stay safe, that’s enough.”
On the way to the logistics department, Su Tao was beaming, her mood as bright as a blooming flower.
Having this gun significantly boosted her survival chances, making her more optimistic about the upcoming mission.
She was already planning to ask Grandma Cen to sew a small pouch for her, to tie around her waist specifically for the gun.
In case of danger, she could lift her shirt, draw the gun, and fight alongside her teammates.
Maybe, just maybe, she could be as agile as Guan Zining and even personally take down a “Blood Scythe.”
Shi Zijin could tell from her expression that she was daydreaming and splashed cold water on her hopes, “Don’t think that having this weapon makes you invincible. The ‘Blood Scythe’ isn’t a stationary target like what you practiced on today. They move, and they have some intelligence. If they attack the convoy, it’s best if you just stay in the vehicle and play dead—leave the dangerous stuff to us.”
Su Tao accepted his reality check, “Thanks, I was just daydreaming.”
When they reached the logistics department, the logistics chief greeted them warmly and led them inside.
At that moment, Jiang Jinwei was carrying a supply crate to the warehouse. She glanced over and immediately saw Su Tao.
Her teammate noticed her hesitation and urged, “Jinwei? What are you staring at? Come on, hurry up. The higher-ups are rushing us—Major General Shi is about to lead a mission, and we need to have all supplies ready within two days.”
Jiang Jinwei’s expression shifted as she subtly gestured toward the man opening the door for Su Tao, “Who is that?”
She hadn’t expected Su Tao to really find herself a man with a significant military rank, and seeing how the logistics chief was being so attentive…
Her teammate, who had been at the logistics department longer and had seen Shi Zijin a few times, explained, “That’s Major General Shi. It’s normal if you haven’t seen him. He’s often away, and even though he’s been back for a month, he doesn’t come to our department much.”
Jiang Jinwei’s face turned a mix of emotions. She eventually muttered an “Oh,” clenched the crate tightly, and turned away.
“Major General, here are the profiles of three candidates I selected in advance. Would you like to take a look?”
Shi Zijin didn’t look at them. Instead, he handed the profiles directly to Su Tao.
The logistics chief immediately turned his attention to Su Tao, “Miss Su, these three candidates all have similar space ability capacities, and they’re all reliable. Especially this young lady, Luan Yanyan, 24 years old. She once completed a simple mission with the Major General’s team and successfully brought back supplies—she has experience.”
Shi Zijin glanced over but didn’t seem to recognize the person in the profile, so he stayed quiet.
Su Tao didn’t make a decision immediately. Instead, she asked to meet all three candidates in person.
Soon, two men and one woman arrived.
Su Tao’s attention was instantly drawn to the small, thin, and youthful-looking boy at the back of the group.
It wasn’t that the boy was particularly handsome—at most, he could be described as delicate.
It was just that he looked so skinny, and his age didn’t match the profile stating he was 18. He looked even younger than 16-year-old Qian Rongrong.
The logistics chief, being a shrewd person, immediately understood Su Tao’s surprise and explained, “Fang Zhi only recently arrived in Dongyang. He suffered quite a bit on the way here.”
Su Tao immediately understood—he must be one of the survivors who fled to Dongyang to escape the harsh conditions, as Guan Zining had mentioned. Most likely, he was an orphan with no parents and poor nutrition since childhood, which explained his frail appearance.
When Lin Fangzhi heard his name, he looked up at Su Tao.
His eyes were like those of a fawn—a mix of innocence and the weariness of life, creating a contradictory and unsettling impression.
As soon as Shi Zijin’s gaze shifted toward him, Lin Fangzhi immediately lowered his eyes.
