Chapter 378

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"Quick, climb the tree!"

Shen Yao supported Song Ling with one hand, lifting her up into a loquat tree several dozen meters high.

The loquat trees here grew thick enough to blot out the sky, with many forked branches and dense leaves and loquats; even staying up there all night, as long as one didn't court death, there was a chance of surviving.

Shen Yao didn't know what was happening outside, but that beast's roar frightened her.

"The, the back basket still has loquats," Song Ling was reluctant to put down the back basket on her back, her eyes looking wildly toward the distance as she limped along.

Shen Yao took it and set it aside, her hands continuing to push Song Ling up the tree. "Leave it all to me, I'll handle it, Mom, you climb up first!"

Song Ling:...

Song Ling finally got up the tree. Seeing that where Song Ling was staying was temporarily safe, Shen Yao carried the back basket up the tree herself, wrapping the back basket and fishing net together and carefully hanging them on a thick branch.

"Daughter, daughter"

Song Ling hugged the tree trunk, lowered her head to look down, and called Shen Yao softly.

Shen Yao made a "shush" gesture with her hand and continued climbing up with Song Ling.

It couldn't be ruled out that mutant beasts might climb trees; even hiding up in a tree, they had to make as little sound as possible.

"There's no alert on the wristwatch, let's hide first and see how things go."

If there was danger in Chang Le Town, the base would send patrol team members to eliminate the crisis and conduct rescue operations along the way.

Pushing aside the branches blocking her view, Shen Yao saw a scene of devastation in the distance.

Bad news: mutant beasts had indeed attacked.

Good news: the mutant beasts were no longer in place; they should have walked far away or left.

"The car overturned on its side on the way back; we have to wait for the base to send people."

Don't come down from the tree for now — who knows if the mutant beast is playing tricks, hiding and waiting for them to deliver themselves as food.

It wasn't that Shen Yao thought the mutant beast was smart; actually, mutant beasts weren't low in intelligence. Every cold season, mutant beasts would appear outside the base to cause trouble.

Otherwise, why would E District and F District be the most dangerous? Wasn't it because of the existence of mutant beasts?

Hearing that the car had overturned, Song Ling was immediately so frightened her heart and liver trembled. "Is it that serious?"

Shen Yao nodded, tapped her wristwatch, and had Song Ling set her wristwatch to silent mode as well.

After waiting about ten minutes, Shen Yao saw someone appear at the edge of the car.

Too far away to see clearly, Shen Yao only felt the other person might be searching to see if there were any survivors left in the car, when suddenly two gray wolves leaped from the overturned vehicle, one biting into that person's body without making a sound.

Shen Yao:...?!!!

Shen Yao instinctively gripped Song Ling's wrist, and when Song Ling asked in surprise, she shook her head. "It's a wolf pack. They haven't left."

So to return to the base safely, they had to rely on the patrol team coming to rescue them.

She tapped away on her wristwatch, and Shen Yao immediately sent the email, unsure whether the officials could receive her message. She only hoped it would be of some use — if the wolf pack couldn't be dealt with, no one here could escape.

The waiting time was agonizing. With this precedent appearing, none of the others hiding dared to show their heads.

Until the sky gradually darkened, and the sound of vehicles came from the distance — it was the base patrol team.

"We're saved, we're saved."

Song Ling grinned happily. Although she often complained that the patrol team did nothing, when encountering danger outside, ordinary people like them could only rely on the patrol team.

The base put interests first, but it didn't blindly sacrifice ordinary people.

The arrival of the patrol team was like a beam of light in the darkness, bringing them hope.

Shen Yao and Song Ling lay motionless on the tree until the patrol team dealt with the wolf pack, then took out a speaker to loudly announce that they couldn't stay in the wilderness too long and needed to return to the base as soon as possible.

Shen Yao supported Song Ling down from the tree, then took down the back basket and carried it properly.

Some of the loquats in the back basket were crushed, but most were intact. Still, this pained Song Ling — one loquat was worth several points!

"Mom, let's go quickly."

Shen Yao pointed at the crowd constantly running forward, worried that if they were late they'd only be able to sit at the back.

The patrol team that arrived drove a large truck, with people sitting in the cargo bed behind. The closer to the outside, the more dangerous.

Hearing this, Song Ling cried out and, pulling Shen Yao, ran forward nimbly.

Shen Yao:...?

Her mom's foot wasn't sprained, so how could she run so fast?

"Alright, alright, it was nothing originally. If it weren't for being too anxious this afternoon," she wouldn't have sprained it.

When the two arrived, the patrol team members were signaling the crowd to board the vehicle.

"All sit in the cargo bed. Seize the time. If we're late, we won't wait for anyone."

The young man was tall and well-built. Although his tone wasn't very good, just his appearance alone satisfied the young girls and married women present.

The young ones were shy, but the older ones were not. The aunties competed with each other in vigor — either asking the young man if he had a partner, or asking the patrol team members if they wanted arranged marriages. Families with daughters to marry would definitely give priority to the patrol team.

"Daughter, look at those people up front. How about they are? Should Mom help you inquire?"

Song Ling observed everything around her. The patrol team's young man was indeed not bad; the best were those few standing at the front of the vehicle.

All of them were handsome with long legs — anyone who saw them would have their heart thumping.

Shen Yao touched her chest, which was beating a little fast. She thought her mom might not say anything else, but her eye for people was really good. Those standing at the front of the vehicle were either captains or deputy captains — not only high rank but strong ability. Finding such a person as a son-in-law would bring great face.

"Mom, they look down on us," Shen Yao said, rationally shaking her head after carefully assessing the gap between them. The system was still there, so she could find a way. Without the system, she wasn't a great beauty (in this era, delicate beauties had no survival space — whether high level or ordinary person, everyone liked powerful people). Love at first sight? Unless the other person was blind.

"Nonsense. What do you mean not good enough? My daughter is good enough for anyone."

Song Ling didn't like hearing Shen Yao belittle herself, patted the back of her hand to stop her from talking nonsense, then went over to the other women, smiling and ingratiating herself.

More and more people crowded into the truck bed; after repeatedly confirming no one was coming out nearby, the Patrol Team drove away.

Rumble—

The truck bed kept shaking, tossing the people inside left and right; Shen Yao gripped the iron sheet beside her, steadied herself, and didn't forget to put the back basket in front of her chest, clamping it with her legs.

Song Ling wailed, "Ay yo, ay yo, this won't do!" She only stayed upright because Shen Yao helped pull her; anyone else would probably have fallen out.

"We're here, we're here, the base is here, hurry up and get off, hurry up and get off..."

The cover on the outermost side of the truck bed was removed, and the people inside fell out like dumplings being dropped into a pot, clattering out one after another.

Shen Yao and Song Ling were in the middle, with people in front and behind them; to protect the loquats in the back basket, Shen Yao was a bit slow, and someone pushed her in the back, sending her stumbling forward.

She didn't hit the hard ground she expected; instead, someone caught her and helped her up.

Shen Yao subconsciously said thank you, and only when she stepped back did she notice that the person who helped her was from the Patrol Team, and was the son-in-law candidate Song Ling had mentioned.

"Watch your safety."

Cheng Qi said that, turned around Shen Yao, and continued watching the people in the truck bed.

Suddenly, something was stuffed into his hand; Cheng Qi lowered his head and saw several yellow-skinned loquats.

Loquats?

Looking up, he met Shen Yao's smiling face; Cheng Qi twitched the corner of his mouth, "No need."

"Take them, thank you just now," Shen Yao pressed down Cheng Qi's wrist as he tried to return them, then left carrying her back basket.

Song Ling stood not far away, seeing her daughter talking to someone from the Patrol Team, her expression still a bit puzzled, "Daughter, do you know him?"

Shen Yao shook her head, "Don't know him, he helped me out just now when we got off the vehicle."

"Mom, let's go home first, rest tomorrow, deal with these loquats before going out again."

Ripe loquats couldn't be kept for long, and they had finally gotten some fruit; neither wanted to sell them to the Exchange Center, who knew when they'd pick more next time.

Song Ling's attention was indeed diverted, and she hurriedly started talking about what was best to make with loquats.

Shen Yao listened with a smile, occasionally adding a sentence or two, walking home along the streetlights outside the base.

Dawn Base B District

Cheng Qi entered the house and was called over by Cheng Ma, who asked with concern, "Everything went smoothly?"

"It's fine, just a group of mutant wolves," the type of mutant beast they dealt with most often; the base's wooden warehouse was useful, and no one was injured.

Cheng Ma patted her chest, "That's good; don't think your Patrol Team has nothing happen normally—whenever something happens, it's a big deal; there's nothing simple about missions that go out."

Although mercenary teams licked blood off the blade's edge, the Patrol Team wasn't a greenhouse flower either; because Cheng Qi had joined the Patrol Team, Cheng Ma still got angry when she thought about it these past few years.

Their family didn't rely on their son for food, so why did both sons have to be sent to the Patrol Team? Especially since the eldest son had an accident two years ago and barely survived; Cheng Ma had always had a knot in her heart.

This led to Cheng Ma sitting in the main hall waiting for news every time Cheng Qi went out; she absolutely wouldn't sleep until she saw her son return safely.

"Mom, don't worry, I know," Cheng Qi stuffed the loquats in his hand to Cheng Ma; rare fruit, he let her taste the flavor.

"Loquats? From the Chang Le Town area?" Cheng Ma sometimes went out to gather things, but her health hadn't been good in recent years, so she mostly stayed home to take care of the children.

Cheng Qi nodded, "Something happened in Chang Le Town; probably can't go there recently."

"You like eating loquats; when I have time I'll buy some separately," the Exchange Center didn't have them, but today the girl who stuffed loquats into his hand should have plenty.

Cheng Qi didn't know Shen Yao's name, but he remembered her appearance.

The Patrol Team didn't go out every day; most of the time they walked around inside the base.

He'd have his subordinates help keep an eye out; Cheng Qi wasn't worried at all about not finding her.

Cheng Ma hummed in acknowledgment, "Buy some back; your two nephews keep coughing; loquats can resolve phlegm and stop coughing; boil them into loquat paste and mix with water, everyone at home can drink it."

Cheng Qi replied "fine," stood up, took off his outer jacket, and planned to wash up and sleep.

Cheng Ma told him to go to the kitchen to eat first, "I made noodles for you; eat then wash up."

How could he not eat? Wasn't his stomach important? What if gene collapse happened? Cheng Ma wore a helpless expression, worrying about her youngest son in all sorts of ways.

"You're at the age; why don't I help introduce you to some girls?" Being single really wasn't a thing; Eldest Brother and his wife already had a pair of children.

Cheng Qi refused, "No rush, I'm waiting," he didn't like anyone, and the ones Cheng Ma introduced weren't suitable, so Cheng Qi didn't want to waste time.

Cheng Ma:...

Cheng Ma reached out and slapped him, "Waiting for what? I think you're just stupid," waiting until you're the last one left and have only yourself to cry to.

Don't you know good girls are in high demand? Our family's this silly fool who doesn't know how to move forward, just standing in place waiting—could it be some great miracle will happen?

Cheng Qi:...

Come to think of it, his mom had some potential as a prophecy emperor; something like this really happened.

Seeing Cheng Qi suddenly appear before her, standing there dazed and motionless for a while, Shen Yao couldn't figure out why this man had come to find her.

Their connection should just be the help last night when they returned to the base? But she had given a return gift—a loquat cost 5 points at the Exchange Center, she gave at least four—just for helping steady her body, really not cheap.

"Miss Shen, I came to buy some loquats separately; the price will definitely be more cost-effective than the Exchange Center."

Cheng Qi, regaining his senses, steadied his mood and patiently communicated with Shen Yao.

No wonder they say Patrol Team members are capable; finding a person's information was simply too easy—in less than one morning he found Shen Yao's residence.

What Cheng Qi hadn't expected was that Shen Yao's looks and temperament fit his aesthetic perfectly, causing himself, who hadn't paid much attention last night, to be inexplicably attracted.

His words even came out a bit dryly; Cheng Qi lowered his head and pursed his lips, annoyed at himself for being so useless—if she ended up disliking or hating him because of this, he'd regret it to death.

"You're here to buy loquats?" Shen Yao blinked, thinking this man came all this way just for loquats? Was he really deliberately framing her?

Cheng Qi nodded, indicating he truly wanted to buy loquats, and showed his wristwatch.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao told Cheng Qi to wait, then turned and went into the house to take out the loquats.

"These can all be sold, 5 points each," same as the Exchange Center.

After all, he was from the Patrol Team; Shen Yao didn't want to offend these local snakes.

Cheng Qi waved his hand, "Six points each, I'll buy all of these."

After adding each other as friends, Cheng Qi transferred the points over, and while at it explained a couple of sentences that he hadn't intended to investigate, it was just that the Patrol Team came on duty today and he happened to run into them.

"Captain Cheng, when we gather fruit in the future, we'll contact you again."

The big customer's face had to be given full respect; Shen Yao didn't care whether Cheng Qi was doing it on purpose, anyway those who gave points were all good people.

"Just call me Cheng Qi, I'm only a deputy captain, not really a captain."

Cheng Qi smiled, standing tall against the backlight, adding a bit of pressure coming straight at them.

Shen Yao nodded, sending the person off with a fake smile, then turned around, bewildered.

Was she very familiar with this Captain Cheng? He looked decent enough, but his speech was very strange; surely he wasn't secretly hatching some bad idea.

"Mom, when are Dad and Brother and them coming back?" With no men at home it really wouldn't work; after Shen Yao went downstairs she couldn't help but think this and that.

Especially since Cheng Qi's visit today was strange enough, making her even less confident.

Song Ling tilted her head, "Saying they'd be going out for at least a week."

"Was that person just now the captain of the Patrol Team? Daughter, what do you think?"

"What do you think?" Shen Yao didn't understand, or rather hadn't thought of it at all.

Until Song Ling rolled her eyes, "Stupid Person, of course it's about the other person's appearance; do you think putting in effort could work?" A good job plus good looks, suitable for their family's daughter, there was some talk to be had.

Shen Yao:... Ah?!!!