Chapter 231: Dispatch a Special Task Force, Preparing to Gather Mothwing Grass

The jungle had already grown dark.

Soon it would be pitch black, unable to see one's own fingers.

The two decided to find out exactly what they were being watched by.

So they spread some weeds and leaves on the spot and lay down, pretending to sleep.

All around was silent, no insects chirping or birds singing, only faint occasional splashes from a distant swamp could be heard.

Ning Jingli and Xiao Qidi lay facing each other.

In the dim, hazy light, their gazes met, each watching the other's tender eyes, and unconsciously their ten fingers intertwined.

A rustling sound suddenly rang out.

Something was slowly approaching from this side.

Not only in the underbrush, but it seemed there were also some in the trees.

"I see," Ning Jingli's gaze passed over Xiao Qidi's face, "there are several dark silhouettes behind you, getting closer to us; they seem... to be people, and they're especially agile."

Xiao Qidi whispered, "There are also some behind her—about four or five in the underbrush, and an unclear number up in the trees."

Ning Jingli said, "Could it really be as the rumors claim, that there are water bandits here, and we've run into them?"

"It seems there's no other possibility," Xiao Qidi said, staring at the shadows drawing nearer behind her, "Alright, I'll count to three; we'll catch two first."

"Okay."

"One... two... three!"

Wham—

Ning Jingli and Xiao Qidi locked onto the targets, rolled over simultaneously, and each lunged toward the other's rear, snatching one in an instant.

The shadows surrounding them from all sides suddenly sprang up and down, also letting out odd shrieks.

"Huh? Why is it so fuzzy?" Ning Jingli, sensing the odd texture, exclaimed, "Wait... this is..."

Xiao Qidi saw a wrinkled, grotesque face, baring its teeth and lunging at his own face; startled, he quickly let go and flung the creature away.

The shadow was extremely agile; after being tossed to the ground, it sprang up instantly and zipped onto a tree.

Ning Jingli, still gripping the one she had caught, swung it around several times, and at the same time pulled a powerful flashlight from her coat and switched it on.

The bright beam instantly illuminated the surroundings.

The leaping black shadows were now exposed with nowhere to hide.

Xiao Qidi was startled and said, "So... they're a bunch of odd-looking monkeys?"

Ning Jingli was also surprised; she looked around, then lifted the monkey she had spun so fast it was dizzy, and examined it closely.

It resembled a baboon more, with a blue‑gray face and protruding canines, larger than ordinary monkeys; when it stood upright it was slightly shorter than an average adult. Covered in long black‑brown hair, the dim light made its size appear comparable to a human's, though it was actually much slimmer.

About a dozen of these monkeys surrounded Xiao Qidi and Ning Jingli, baring their teeth and shrieking, unwilling to approach yet not fleeing.

Ning Jingli shone the flashlight toward them; the monkeys, blinded by the glare, covered their eyes like people.

"All this time they were watching us..." Ning Jingli said with a wry smile, putting the monkey she was holding back on the ground.

The monkey, having just been flung in the air and spun several times, landed wobbling as if drunk, and after only a couple of steps its left foot tangled with its right, nearly toppling.

The other monkeys surged forward as a pack, tugging and pulling at it in a human‑like manner; only then did they gradually depart, soon disappearing into the dense forest.

Ning Jingli finally could relax and opened a Time-Space Gate.

"Let's go," she took Xiao Qidi's hand, "I've shifted the passage to my factory side; let's get a good rest tonight."

Xiao Qidi glanced back at the pitch‑black forest, and together with Ning Jingli stepped into the Fluorescent Vortex.

——

Late at night, the monkey troupe, after traversing patches of dense forest, arrived at a highly concealed shallow bay.

The shallow bay was surrounded by towering trees, their lower trunks submerged in water; their branches were entwined with dense aquatic vines, and various unknown plants, forming a natural barrier.

In the center of the bay stood a strange structure built from countless wrecked boats piled together.

The broken vessels of various sizes and shapes were stacked and interwoven, resembling a massive irregular triangular fortress—grand, rugged, and unique.

Many of the wrecks bore torches, their speckled glows adding a mysterious and dangerous aura to the fortress.

The monkeys clambered quickly along vines thicker than a human arm, swinging and swaying, passing through the barrier and leaping onto the wrecked fortress.

Then, familiar with the route, they slipped through a gap and entered a room converted from a ship cabin.

The room was lit by an oil lamp, its light dim.

Scattered haphazardly were piles of junk and a myriad of tools that resembled both fishing gear and weapons; in the corner on a bed lay a man whose features were indistinct.

The old wooden floor emitted a foul odor, and creaked as the monkeys entered.

"Did you track down those two people I spotted during the day?" a husky voice asked.

The monkeys chattered and scampered toward the direction of the voice, circling the bedside, shouting, leaping, and gesturing with hands and feet.

When the monkeys finished gesturing, the man rose, limped to the wall corner, and lifted a bamboo basket, dumping its contents onto the floor.

Scattered inside were some wild fruits and unknown plant stems, mixed with a small amount of dried fish and jerky.

The monkeys immediately scrambled over, snatching and devouring the food until it was all gone, then left.

The man returned to the bedside, sat down, and muttered to himself:

"Two young men and women of unknown background, carrying no food, silver, or..."

"Officials?"

"Seems unlikely... the authorities wouldn't send someone so young, especially a woman."

"Could they have committed a crime and fled, aimlessly stumbling here?"

"Based on the monkeys' description, that woman has a luminous object on her, its light dazzling, bright enough to turn night into day; it must be some rare contemporary treasure."

After some contemplation, the man formed a hypothesis.

That man and woman either stole a priceless treasure and fled here to evade the authorities, or they are affluent heirs fleeing with a family heirloom to elope.

There are, of course, other possibilities, but these two are the most likely.

However, regardless of which possibility it is, the mysterious treasure the woman carries obviously must be snatched.

When fatty meat is placed at your mouth, what's the reason not to eat it?

Afterwards he went to see the Grand Boss and reported all the situation he discovered and his conjectures.

The Grand Boss is a hulking, rough man with a tiger's back and a bear's waist; upon hearing of such an extraordinary treasure, he became especially interested and immediately wanted to rally men to seize the treasure overnight, and also capture that young woman to make her the village's lady.

"Grand Boss, we shouldn't act too hastily," Quezi advised, "The backgrounds of these two are still only my preliminary guesses; we should be cautious. Our Black Water Village grew to eight hundred brothers and occupies a hundred‑mile radius around Black Water Bay because we've always acted carefully. We must never let a rash impulse over that rare treasure cause a mishap."

The Grand Boss is exceptionally brave and martial, the top expert of Black Water Village, but in terms of intellect, he certainly cannot match Quezi, the village's strategist.

Since the strategist said so, the Grand Boss had to endure for a while, then, following the strategist's plan, he selected some agile and clever subordinates and ordered them to covertly tail that man and woman.

——

Early the next morning, Ning Jingli called Shangguan Ying.

Because in all actions and projects involving the two linked worlds, the personnel arrangements on this side are led by Shangguan Ying.

For example, the several researchers dispatched to Zhuiyingjian, including Professor Hua, were all strictly selected by Shangguan Ying.

According to Shangguan Ying, all participants are members of the organization, but the level of secrecy varies with rank.

Take Professor Hua as an example: although he went to Zhuiyingjian, he himself does not know about Time Travel, let alone that Zhuiyingjian is in another world.

Therefore Ning Jingli directly told Shangguan Ying that she had found Moth Wing Grass.

Shangguan Ying decisively stated that she would dispatch a Special Action Team there at the fastest speed to assist Ning Jingli in detailed surveying, and all actions will be under Ning Jingli's command.

As long as there are enough Moth Wing Grass over there, even if the environmental conditions are terrible, a collection plant must be built there.

Once we can solve the domestic inability to produce the Bisi slow‑release agent, another weak point that our country has been exploited by M Guo will be eliminated.

This matter is of great significance, and the top state leadership will give strong support.

After saying that, on the other end of the phone, Shangguan Ying's tone suddenly became somewhat solemn. "Jingli, there's another thing I wanted to tell you; since you called just now, I'll tell you now."

Hearing that tone, Ning Jingli instantly felt uneasy. "Sister Ying, go ahead."

Shangguan Ying paused for a moment before speaking, "We have a lead on your uncle Ning Hai."

"Found his whereabouts?" Ning Jingli asked anxiously, "Where is he now, can we capture him?"

Ning Jingli was puzzled; having a lead on Ning Hai should be good, so why was Sister Ying's tone so off?

Shangguan Ying sighed and said, "Alas… it wasn't one of our people who found him; he himself reached out to us. He has now taken M Guo citizenship and even became a special‑grade scientific research expert of M Guo, protected by both its government and military."

"Wha… what?!" Ning Jingli was stunned.

She knew that Ning Hai had gone to M Guo to study abroad when he was young, majoring in science and engineering research, and had earned a high degree.

But she could never have imagined that Ning Hai, who fled overseas with a murder case on his back, within just a few months transformed not only into an M Guo citizen but also obtained such a powerful status there.

"Sister Ying… this is… this is absurd," Ning Jingli said, baffled, and asked, "If he hadn't gone into business, he indeed has the ability to become a research expert, but… a special‑grade expert of M Guo? Dual protection? That doesn't match his abilities. How did he achieve that?"

Shangguan Ying said, "We have no way of knowing that. Whether it's him or the M Guo authorities, they cannot disclose it. In short, he is now especially valued by the M Guo government. M Guo is even willing to make significant concessions on some important industries it has suppressed internationally, using that as a bargaining chip to obtain our country's pardon of Ning Hai and his wife Lin Lina."

Shangguan Ying paused for a few seconds, then continued, "Our top leadership, after careful consideration, leans toward accepting M Guo's terms. Moreover, I have spoken with your parents; they are willing to accept. But I still hope to obtain your consent as well. If you refuse, our negotiation representatives will reject M Guo."

Ning Jingli replied without hesitation, "I agree! Although I will never forgive what he and Lin Lina did, they once stole my parents' belongings and we have already reclaimed them. Moreover, we can use them to secure important national interests for us; only a fool would refuse!"

"Alright, hearing you say that puts me at ease," Shangguan Ying smiled helplessly, "I truly hope that one day our country can not only surpass M Guo in every aspect but also leave M Guo far behind, and then… we won't be restrained by it any longer."

Ning Jingli silently clenched her fist, "I believe that day will come soon enough."

That morning.

The Special Action Team dispatched by Shangguan Ying arrived at Ning Jingli's factory.

The members averaged thirty years old, few in number—only twenty—but each was a top‑tier elite, capable of holding a whole army alone.

Besides personnel, a few trucks of assorted instruments and equipment were also delivered, many of which Ning Jingli had never seen before.

What surprised Ning Jingli even more was that they also provided an armed helicopter.

The Special Action Team members told her that this armed helicopter is a new model not yet publicly released, capable of operating in various harsh and complex weather and environments.

Of course, since its primary use is its robust flight performance for surveying rather than combat, no heat weapons were installed on the armed helicopter.

Xiao Qidi was seeing this kind of thing for the first time, and at a glance was drawn to its unique and imposing shape.

Especially after learning from Ning Jingli about the armed helicopter's combat capabilities, his eyes became intensely fiery, muttering that it would be great if the Daxuan Army could also wield such weapons.

Ning Jingli laughed, "Don't even talk about military aircraft; even the most basic civilian light plane isn't something you can just fly—it's far harder than learning to drive, and it also requires supporting equipment and takeoff/landing facilities. Take your time; haste can't eat hot tofu."

Just as Ning Jingli was preparing to teleport the Special Action Team members and all the equipment,

an unknown call came to her phone.

She didn't think much and answered, "Hello, who is this?"

A familiar voice came through the handset, "Cousin, do you have time to meet?"

Ning Jingli frowned, "Ning Yao?"

"What, surprised?" Ning Yao said with a hint of cold sarcasm, "Or perhaps you have so many important people that you forget things, and already within a short time have forgotten your cousin's voice?"

Ning Jingli replied calmly, "Do you have something to discuss?"

Ning Yao said, "It's not really a matter, I just want to see you once more before I go abroad. We're relatives after all; perhaps we won't get to see each other again later."

"Better not see each other; I wouldn't mind that," Ning Jingli said coldly, "I'm busy, goodbye."

On the other end, Ning Yao's face darkened, and she immediately said, "I suppose you already know my parents have been pardoned. Don't you want to know how my father managed to make M Guo protect him at any cost?"