Chapter 88: Revenge? A Sweep?
The convoy had just left the Shou’an base when Su Tao received a call from Gu Mingchi.
She thought he was calling about the monthly water supply, but as soon as he spoke, his tone was heavy, “You got injured?”
Su Tao instinctively looked around, feeling as if the man had a surveillance camera installed right above her head.
Annoyed, she adjusted her clothes and said, “Boss Gu, your reach is quite something. You even have spies in Shou’an?”
Gu Mingchi ignored her remark. “Stop moving forward. I’ll send someone to bring you back to Dongyang.”
Su Tao immediately sat up straight. “Are you out of your mind? Still half-asleep? I’ve already made arrangements with Zhuang Wan. If you need water, just go to Taoyang and take it yourself.”
“Su Tao, you barely left Dongyang and already almost lost a hand. If you had any sense of crisis, you’d realize just how dangerous the outside world is. You should turn back while you can. Shi Zijin is someone who puts the mission first and his teammates second. You’re not a priority to him.”
Su Tao was at a loss for words. After a long pause, she finally asked,
“Are you trying to sow discord? I don’t see how this benefits you. Gu Mingchi, can you interfere in my life a little less? I have no obligation to listen to you. Besides, you’re a businessman—you should know that every business comes with risks. If I die, the Eastern District loses its water supply. That’s the risk you have to face. Do I need to spell that out for you?”
“If you don’t want to deal with that risk, why not end our partnership early and find yourself a more stable water supply?”
After hanging up, Gu Mingchi felt a pounding headache.
He turned to Zhong Gaoyi and asked, “Is she just ungrateful?”
Zhong Gaoyi didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded. “Why does she always talk to me so aggressively?”
Zhong Gaoyi remained silent, thinking: Isn’t it because you meddle too much?
Gu Mingchi felt suffocated. “I’m not calling her again. Let her live or die however she wants.”
Zhong Gaoyi: Now that’s the right attitude.
*
Shi Zijin and his team caught up with the convoy at six o’clock the next morning.
Not only was no one injured, but they also brought back an entire truckload of medical equipment—treatment devices, medical electronics, infusion chairs, hospital beds, stretchers, medical refrigerators, and more.
Su Tao was dumbfounded. “Did you go for revenge or a full-on raid? Where did you get all this?”
She wanted some too!
Shi Zijin glanced at her wrist, saw that she could move it freely again, and nodded in satisfaction. He explained,
“Ge Haibin is a coward who fears trouble. He apologized and compensated me. Besides, Shou’an doesn’t care about equipment meant for ordinary people. They don’t value human lives. These machines were just collecting dust in a warehouse rather than being used to save lives. So when I asked for them, Ge Haibin agreed immediately.”
Su Tao was skeptical. “It couldn’t have been that easy.”
“Well, the process was a little more complicated.”
A little? More like a full-on battle. The lingering scent of gunpowder and blood on their clothes gave it away.
But she didn’t press further—men had their pride.
Instead, she gazed at the truckload of medical equipment, eyes filled with envy.
Shi Zijin saw her expression and immediately understood her thoughts. He sighed helplessly and chuckled.
“I’ll allow you to pick a few items.”
Su Tao turned her head, delighted. “Really?!”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Thank you, Boss Shi! You’re so generous! Wishing you prosperity and wealth!”
As soon as they returned to Taoyang, she’d pick the best ones for the clinic!
As the sun rose, the convoy set off again, heading toward Panliu Mountain—the location of the hidden mission prompt and an abandoned garage.
Shi Zijin’s plan was to drop her off, let her finish whatever she needed to do, and then have Zhou Hai and Zhou Yang tear open a space tunnel to send her back to Taoyang.
Su Tao agreed. Going back sooner was better for both her and Shi Zijin.
“It’s about a three-day journey. Once we reach Panliu Mountain, you’ll have one day. Whether you finish or not, you’re leaving with Zhou Hai and Zhou Yang back to Dongyang.”
Su Tao nodded. “Understood. I’ll follow orders.”
One day should be enough. Once she reached the designated area, the system would likely provide the next hint.
She just hoped the hidden mission wasn’t too ridiculous—she really wasn’t into dangerous tasks.
*
Two days later, the convoy stopped at a supply station to rest and reorganize.
Finally, their communicators picked up a signal. Su Tao immediately contacted Zhuang Wan to check on Taoyang.
Zhuang Wan was thrilled and sent her several photos of the sunlight cultivation house. Inside, multi-layered hydroponic planting boards were neatly arranged, with some vegetables already sprouting. Four technicians, dressed in protective gear, were carefully inspecting the seedlings.
Su Tao stared at the photos for a long time, as if seeing the green future of Taoyang.
Zhuang Wan said excitedly, “Isn’t our efficiency amazing? Qian Lin has barely slept lately, running around collecting hydroponic tools. She spent two whole days just looking for a proper drip irrigation system. She even made a trip to Yuncang Base to get a custom order from a plastics factory, and they delivered it overnight.”
“She’s worked hard. You too.”
Zhuang Wan shook her head. “It doesn’t even feel like hard work. Really. Watching Taoyang grow, seeing people’s lives improve—who would complain? If anything, I just wish I had more hands and a bigger brain to get things done faster.”
“Boss, when the first batch of vegetables is ready, I hope you’ll come back. Everyone misses you.”
As Su Tao gazed out at the barren wasteland, she found herself missing home—missing her friends in Taoyang, Old Mei, and even Black Sesame and White Sesame.
“Oh, by the way, Boss—Dr. Zhong arrived last night. This morning, he fixed Lan Lingling’s broken spine—it’s completely healed now.”
It took Su Tao a moment to react. She thought for a second before asking, “Lan Lingling? The one who originally wanted a single-room apartment but got tricked by her boyfriend into sharing a double?”
Zhuang Wan shared some gossip. “Yep, that’s her. Apparently, her ex found out she ran off with a new guy and got so mad he confronted her. They argued, and he pushed her down the stairs, breaking her back. If Dr. Zhong hadn’t arrived in time, she would’ve been in pain for days.”
Su Tao rubbed her forehead—Taoyang tenants and their dramatic love lives.
“No one else got caught up in this mess, right?”
“Nope. If anything, it was a great source of entertainment. Even Granny Cen came to my place to get the latest gossip firsthand.”
Su Tao laughed. “Looks like Granny Cen is in high spirits these days.”
“More than just high spirits—she’s volunteering at the cultivation house! She arrives earlier than the technicians and watches over the seedlings like they’re her own children. Right now, she’s even taking close-up photos to document their growth.”
Neither of them knew that after taking those photos, Granny Cen immediately sent them to Old Mei.
And Old Mei, in turn, forwarded them to Wu Zhen, who was still in Shou’an, along with a heartfelt message:
“Xiao Zhen, I’m not lying to you. The sunlight house is almost done. Look, the seedlings are sprouting—fresh vegetables aren’t far off now! Oh, and our doctor arrived yesterday. He just treated a patient with a broken back—she was carried in but walked out in under ten minutes.”
