Chapter 292 | Chapter 293 | Chapter 294
Chapter 292: Admiring General Wu
With their departure approaching, Huai Yu became extremely proactive. Even Zhou Qian picked up the pace. In just one afternoon and one morning, they finished building the water-heating stove and the adjoining shower room, and installed the indoor stove and piping as well.
Aside from not being freshly plastered white, the bricks were stacked surprisingly neatly!
At mealtime, Gao Ming came again, still dazed, the scab on his head unchanged. But after standing at the doorway for a long time, he finally realized—
He had no food now.
Not only no food, but also no chance at ginseng whiskers.
Meanwhile, the mutated cold arrow bamboo in his house still stood tall and robust. The bamboo sheath hadn’t fully fallen off, and the thickest part at the base had reached about eighty centimeters in diameter—far beyond his ability to cut down.
From the hole it had smashed in the roof, faint daylight filtered in, and the first stars of evening could already be seen.
Gao Ming stood in the workspace, suddenly feeling an unprecedented silence and stillness.
Though, in truth, this wasn’t much different from his usual life.
After some thought, he looked up at the roof again, guessing that the incompleteness of the house was making him uneasy. Soon, he lowered his head and buried himself in his experiment once more—
Even without ginseng whiskers, he would review today’s experiment and eliminate all variables that might have influenced the mutation direction.
Only then could the next experiment be more precise.
…
That evening, Huai Yu found Da Pang sitting in its flowerpot and felt a surge of pity.
“Da Pang, someone pulled your whiskers—why didn’t you say anything? Did it hurt?”
Da Pang looked confused.
“Ah?”
After a moment, it stammered:
“I—I for-forgot! It d-doesn’t hurt!”
As it spoke, it rolled its pot forward with its whiskers and moved to a corner of the treehouse.
“L-look!”
“I—I lose t-too m-much h-hair!”
Huai Yu looked—and fell silent.
In the corner, thin ginseng whiskers were piled together, crisscrossing—at least a dozen or twenty. Judging by how dried they were, they hadn’t all fallen at the same time.
She looked back at Da Pang and narrowed her eyes.
“That’s not right. Since when do ginseng lose hair? Are you lying?”
Even if ginseng could shed, it should be leaves—not whiskers, right?
And anyway, better to test it. With Da Pang’s personality, if it were natural shedding, it would have said so already.
This little chubby radish cared a lot about its growth.
Da Pang grew nervous.
“O-other g-ginseng d-don’t lose h-hair…?”
It was still young and had never met others like itself. Naturally, it lacked experience. Its palm-shaped leaves stiffened slightly.
Huai Yu nodded seriously.
“That’s right. Others lose leaves. Losing whiskers means you broke them yourself…”
Could it really be lying?
Da Pang became aggrieved.
“I—I don’t k-know! I—I didn’t d-do it on p-purpose! W-when I m-move… it j-just f-falls off…”
As it spoke, it pushed its pot forward—and stumbled slightly. Sure enough, another thin whisker snapped off.
Ah…
Huai Yu suddenly understood.
After all, Da Pang had its pride. It probably didn’t want to admit it broke its own whiskers pushing its pot around.
No wonder when Gao Ming pulled its whiskers, it didn’t complain—it probably didn’t even realize what had been taken.
Sigh!
Huai Yu gathered the scattered whiskers, then told Zhou Qian about it, her face full of worry:
“Brother Zhou Qian, look how silly it is. If we don’t take it to the wasteland, won’t it get eaten clean when we come back?”
Though her desire to carry the entire house was obvious, her concern wasn’t unreasonable.
Da Pang and Ke Taro had no self-defense ability. Leaving them at home under Kuang Biao’s care was unreliable.
Zhou Qian rubbed his forehead in frustration.
“Got it, got it. When I pick up the permit this afternoon, I’ll ask the garage if they can modify our vehicle.”
Entering the wasteland would mean winter conditions. A simple roof wasn’t enough—the sides had to be enclosed against wind, while still allowing ventilation and ensuring safety…
Tsk.
After finally saving up some money from selling vegetables, now they’d have to spend it again.
And no matter how they modified it, the ride would still be bumpy—so they’d need extra shock absorption in the back…
Zhou Qian thought: if they didn’t go soon, Huai Yu would come up with even more ways to spend money.
With that thought, he pressed the accelerator a little harder.
First, the municipal hall—no matter how approachable Commander Bai seemed, he couldn’t keep her waiting.
It had been a while since he last came. The hall was still bustling. All civil services had been moved here, and buses from all directions could reach it.
Zhou Qian signed in and waited outside the office for less than twenty minutes when Fang Ze from yesterday came out, cheerfully bringing him inside.
“All I can say is—being a commander is really hard! So many things to handle! I’m just filling in for one day and I can’t take it!”
Zhou Qian glanced at him, thinking: with that nonstop chatter, if he stayed any longer, it’d be Commander Bai who couldn’t take it.
Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, Bai Yu said,
“Fang Ze, if there’s nothing else, head back to the team. You won’t be able to sit still here anyway.”
Fang Ze immediately brightened, packed up, and left happily.
Bai Yu looked at Zhou Qian. Instead of mentioning the permit, her expression turned slightly complicated.
Zhou Qian didn’t understand, but he couldn’t just stand there in silence.
“Commander Bai—”
Before he could finish, Bai Yu flipped through the documents, confirmed them, and handed them over decisively.
Zhou Qian took them. Before he could even read, Bai Yu suddenly asked:
“I heard General Wu’s ancestral home is Flower City. As someone from here, you must admire him, right?”
Zhou Qian’s first thought—
Don’t mention that name! Little Yu would find it unlucky again.
Then he realized: Ah, good thing she didn’t come today.
Only then did he respond belatedly:
“Ah? Oh.”
Those two syllables sounded perfunctory. He wanted to add something, but when he opened his mouth, all he could think of was Huai Yu’s angry expression from before—so he closed it again.
Bai Yu, however, leaned back in her chair, relaxed and smiling:
“I knew it. General Wu nurtured the Rose Corridor—he’s a hero of Flower City. Everyone must admire him deeply, right?”
Chapter 293: Heroes Think Alike
Zhou Qian sat there, unable to put on any appropriate expression.
His thoughts wandered instead—Huai Yu had said that if he joined the garrison troops, in a couple of years he might even become a commander. But looking at Bai Yu now, smiling warmly and speaking gently… was this something an ordinary person could handle?
Every sentence she spoke twisted three times. He couldn’t even tell whether she wanted a positive or negative answer.
His thoughts drifted, and the words stuck in his throat.
Across the desk, Bai Yu seemed even more relaxed, her expression more sincere than before.
But no matter how sincere she looked, she simply smiled at him—without speaking.
Zhou Qian: …
After a moment, he nodded stiffly.
“Mm. I admire him.”
Bai Yu let out a soft laugh.
That tone of “admire”—if replaced with “hold a grudge,” it wouldn’t sound unnatural at all. She didn’t even need to ask anymore—it was clear they didn’t get along.
Still… strange.
Even if someone disliked General Wu, it shouldn’t reach this level of resistance. Could it be… he knew something about Wu’s past?
Bai Yu became interested.
But she didn’t ask directly. Instead, she casually shifted the topic:
“When are you planning to go to the wasteland? This permit allows entry within one month.”
Zhou Qian calculated silently.
“Probably early November. Once the temperature drops, we’ll leave.”
Bai Yu nodded.
“Then how about going together? You can be attached to my personal convoy—you’ll still handle your own matters, but with the garrison troops clearing the way ahead, the early stage should be much easier.”
He didn’t lack money or benefits, and he happened to have issues with General Wu—almost like a gift from heaven. The only thing she could do now was show goodwill.
Thinking of Zhou Qian wanting to take Huai Yu to gain experience, she added thoughtfully:
“If things aren’t too intense at the beginning, your sister could even get some practice.”
Zhou Qian didn’t know what to say.
If he had known this two months ago, he might have been overjoyed.
But now, it only gave him a headache.
He refused with difficulty:
“Thank you for the offer, but Little Yu’s body isn’t suited for fast-paced movement. We’ll just take it slow on our own.”
This younger sister really was frail—this she couldn’t do, that she couldn’t handle.
Bai Yu didn’t doubt it. Huai Yu looked delicate, with no visible muscle, thin and pale. In this world, even her soft, fair palms revealed that her body wasn’t strong enough to bear hardship.
No wonder Zhou Qian was so worried.
But it didn’t matter. Bai Yu would be in Flower City for at least a year. There was plenty of time.
And successful people were never short of patience.
Thinking of the earlier mention of General Wu and Zhou Qian’s odd reaction, she added kindly:
“By the way, since you don’t want to go with the main team, I suggest leaving earlier after the temperature drops. This year, the garrison troops will also move earlier—because…”
She was smiling, but the feeling she gave off wasn’t pleasant. It was more like a forced smile.
“Because General Wu plans to start the initial exploration from his hometown this year—that is, for the first exploration this winter, he’ll be coming along.”
This news had only arrived yesterday. Wu Yue had spoken on the phone in a tone that sounded almost like granting her favor. Bai Yu had responded with a smile and cheerful voice—but inside, she was furious.
What a Wu Yue.
What a garrison officer.
She should have been more cautious. Someone like General Wu must have his strengths. His ability manifested in the Rose Corridor, making direct combat comparisons meaningless.
But his political skill—that was innate.
As the youngest and fastest-promoted commander in the garrison troops within six years, and with the highest mission count in half a year, Bai Yu had spent months in Flower City working tirelessly—balancing both strategy and administration—to finally establish strong cooperation with political departments and the defense forces.
She had only needed to perform well in this winter’s exploration missions to firmly establish her reputation as a commander. She had already made detailed plans and thorough preparations, ready to showcase her strengths.
But one phone call from him—and everything she built became his backdrop.
With such a renowned hero present, all success would be attributed to him. Even if he did nothing, people would assume it was because of him.
And the foundation she had worked so hard to build would now be questioned—why had General Wu, who had never participated in Flower City’s explorations for six years, suddenly come right after she took charge?
Was it because of a personal relationship with Commander Bai? Or did he simply not trust her abilities?
Either way, it was infuriating.
And yet, he had said on the phone that he was coming to support her—as if he were traveling from afar just to take care of her.
No wonder Bai Yu couldn’t hide her expression.
If even she couldn’t, Zhou Qian certainly couldn’t either. His brows knotted instantly, irritation obvious:
“He’s coming too?!”
Bai Yu’s heart stirred.
“Captain Zhou, did you know General Wu before?”
Zhou Qian paused, then shook his head.
“No.”
After a moment, he added,
“Not really. If anything—this April, when he came to Flower City, he heard news about General Lin and insisted on breaking into a private residence…”
Bai Yu frowned.
“There was news about General Lin? What news? Special situations allow special actions—entering private property isn’t a big issue, as long as a report and compensation are handled afterward.”
That was standard protocol.
Zhou Qian shook his head.
“When he entered, he seemed a bit agitated. He triggered the ability seal left by General Lin—not only was the entire house destroyed, but the ice sculpture containing the seal also disappeared.”
Bai Yu frowned, clearly regretful about losing such a powerful tool.
Then she seemed to realize something—so that was the incident that led everyone to conclude General Lin had gone to the wasteland.
She hadn’t expected Zhou Qian to be involved.
Zhou Qian gave a faint, bitter smile.
“That house… Little Yu built it herself.”
“And that ice sculpture… was something General Lin left for her.”
He said it calmly, without any strong emotion in his tone. But even so, it was obvious—he was deeply irritated at the thought of Wu Yue coming, and possibly traveling with them.
Bai Yu recalled the report she had read before, now confirmed by Zhou Qian’s account. She couldn’t help but smile again.
Yes, having someone she disliked come was annoying.
But if that same person also happened to be disliked by the talented individual she wanted to recruit…
Then perhaps, the situation wasn’t so bad after all.
Chapter 294: Modifying the Vehicle
Bai Yu had already begun making preparations for Wu Yue’s arrival, but Zhou Qian’s mood was anything but pleasant.
He still remembered the look on that man’s face when he stood before the Rose Corridor back then—full of emotion. If he came again this time to revisit old places and discovered Huai Yu’s secret, that would be trouble.
And the Rose Corridor itself… although both he and Huai Yu now felt it likely had nothing to do with Wu Yue, it was only speculation. What if he really could communicate with it?
With these tangled thoughts, Zhou Qian first went to the highway entrance to arrange procurement matters, then, through Boss Tang’s introduction, arrived at a vehicle modification shop.
Calling it a car modification shop was generous—their business covered everything. Bicycles, motorcycles, tricycles… they could even do welding, patch things up, and resell them.
Driving his bright sunflower-patterned vehicle through rows of bicycles, tricycles, and handcarts, Zhou Qian felt rather out of place.
But the boss’s eyes lit up immediately.
“A big one! Big job coming in—brothers!”
At his shout, more than ten men rushed out, staring at the vehicle like they might start drooling.
Zhou Qian: …
Honestly, if he didn’t have some ability, he wouldn’t even dare get out of the car.
Nearby, someone pushing a bicycle for repairs froze at the scene, then quickly turned around, hopped on, and pedaled away on a flat tire.
Boss: …
Even a mosquito is meat—how did that run off? In all of Flower City, they were the only proper repair business! Others barely had a pump. And yet this customer came and didn’t cherish it?
He didn’t think it was his own problem at all. Instead, he circled Zhou Qian’s car enthusiastically and asked:
“Brother, want modifications?”
Zhou Qian hesitated, then nodded, trusting Boss Tang’s recommendation.
“I want to modify the rear cargo bed.”
The boss had already climbed up to inspect it.
“Ah, back when I ran this shop, it was so lively! Now I don’t even see a car for months. These new materials—layer after layer—good stuff, sure, and profitable, but too durable! Even going to the wasteland, tires don’t burst anymore—how am I supposed to make a living?”
He spoke openly, clearly having held it in for too long.
After inspecting and even asking Zhou Qian to start the engine, he looked puzzled.
“This is already pretty good. What do you want to change?”
Zhou Qian thought: Exactly—it’s already good.
Back when he got the car, he thought he’d made a huge profit—it cost him no points at all.
Now? Not a single point would be left.
He sighed and explained:
“Improve the shock absorption in the back. Then enclose the sides and add a roof—block wind and rain, but not fully sealed. It needs good ventilation, and it’d be best if you can still see outside.”
The boss looked confused.
“What, are the roads in each district safe now?”
Zhou Qian blinked.
“No? I heard cleanup is still ongoing. Nearby cities are more stable though… why?”
The boss stared at him.
“If you’re not planning to overload and transport people back there, why go through all this trouble?”
Zhou Qian had no answer.
Thinking of what Huai Yu planned to bring… not exactly people, but they were treated the same.
The boss’s enthusiasm dropped slightly.
“So what kind of setup do you want? High-end, premium—we’ve got all kinds of new materials. The exterior coating can even match your color scheme. Not sure about replicating that sunflower design though… but if you’ve got time, I can hire an art graduate to repaint it perfectly!”
Zhou Qian shook his head.
“No time. The faster the better. And no need for repainting—points are tight.”
“Just make it sturdy and with good shock absorption.”
The boss looked at him, then at the group of workers behind him, all eyeing the car eagerly. Finally, he sighed.
“If you’re in a hurry, add 200 points. We’ll finish it today.”
Zhou Qian: …
Anything related to cars really treated points like nothing. Two hundred points could sustain a family for a month!
But he needed the car urgently—to prepare supplies and to leave before Wu Yue arrived.
After some bargaining, they settled at 100 points for expedited work.
Then the boss calculated the rest.
“Cheap—doesn’t cost much. 3500 points.”
That’s cheap?
Zhou Qian thought about how many harvest cycles it would take to earn that back.
But he had no choice. He gritted his teeth and agreed.
“I was introduced by Boss Tang. I’ll pay, but the quality must be good—especially durability.”
“Don’t worry.” The boss waved a hand. “With things like this, if I cheat people, who’d come back? What if I offend someone important?”
Then he shouted:
“Brothers! Priority job—start now!”
Immediately, saws and welders roared to life. Zhou Qian watched, dazzled, until he saw alloy pipes being mounted onto the rear bed—and finally felt something was off.
“What exactly are you building?”
“Can’t you tell?” the boss glanced at him. “You seen those livestock transport cages before? We’re making something like that. New materials—light but strong. Put a waterproof cover on top, and it’s perfect for sun, wind, rain—cheap too!”
“For the base, we’ll add a layer of dandelion shock-absorbing bricks. Expensive, but very effective! It’s popular now—compress mutated dandelion fluff into mats. Even on rough wasteland terrain, the ride feels almost smooth.”
Then he leaned in eagerly.
“If that’s too simple, we can upgrade to a full alloy rear cabin. Triple-layer dandelion mats—how about—”
“No need.”
Zhou Qian checked his remaining points.
“Just do this.”
A livestock cage was a livestock cage. As long as it worked, that was enough.
Surely Ke Taro and Da Pang wouldn’t have any objections.
