Chapter 52: Three-Item Negotiation

When this question was asked, Liu Mu found herself in a bind. "Uncle, didn't that headless Leader Song report to you?"

The two left the cold storage, and just as they stood before the Laboratory, Liu Mu couldn't help but peek inside, wanting to know if they used people for experiments here just like at the Urban Base.

Seeing her curious expression, Yang Shuo stopped in his tracks. "What did you see over there?"

"Mutated humans," Liu Mu said, appearing completely guileless. "They mutated and then bit people; the ones bitten to death came back to life and mutated too. Oh my, if we hadn't run fast back then..."

"You mean they were infected after death and became mutated humans?" Yang Shuo's originally amiable aura turned serious in an instant. "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

"No," Liu Mu said, seeing his expression soften, and added, "Liu Fugui and the others all saw it. Most of the people at that base probably saw it, right? Several thousand people were fleeing at the time. But the soldiers surrounded that group of infected people and opened fire, so it should be fine now."

Yang Shuo didn't continue asking; to ask more would make it seem like he, as a leader, was out of the loop.

"Right, go see Doctor Xing and tell him about the situation first." Yang Shuo pressed the bell on the Laboratory door, and only after the person inside looked over did he speak into the microphone: "Have Doctor Xing come to my office."

As he spoke of leaving, Liu Mu didn't move. "Uncle Yang, why don't I just chat with Doctor Xing here? If you have things to do, go ahead; I still have to go count goods in a while."

Yang Shuo clearly realized that a major event had occurred at the Urban Base, so he didn't linger and left first.

After he left, Liu Mu openly looked through the transparent glass of the Laboratory. Inside were many machines she didn't recognize, as well as caged Mutated Animals. Several familiar researchers were busy, though she didn't know what they were busy with.

Xing Tianyang was still in his white coat. When he came out, he nodded at Liu Mu and was about to head upstairs, but was quickly stopped by the latter. "Doctor Xing, hey, Uncle Yang told you to chat with me, no need to go up."

"You?" Xing Tianyang pulled a small notebook directly from his white coat pocket, ready to record. "What changes have you had in your body recently?"

"Eating well and feeling great," Liu Mu said off the cuff. Seeing Xing Tianyang about to leave, she quickly added, "It's not about me. I'm asking you, do you know that the base in the city uses living people for mutation experiments?"

"What? Impossible!" Xing Tianyang denied it immediately, but the light that lit up in the depths of his eyes was very unsettling. "The General Command's prohibition clearly states that no normal living human body may be used for experiments."

Well, that look in his eyes showed he had thoughts in that direction too, but Liu Mu felt relieved. "You really don't know?"

Xing Tianyang shook his head. "My laboratory and I would not do things that violate the regulations. That would lead to having our qualifications revoked."

"Then congratulations, you can see a mutated human without having to do it yourself," Liu Mu pointed upstairs. "Go find Uncle Yang; I think you'll be heading to that base soon. Doctor Xing, I hope you keep your word and don't learn from the bad people over there."

Xing Tianyang scoffed, but still pressed, "Do they really use living humans for experiments?"

Heavens, listen to that professional jargon; why is it so repulsive?

Liu Mu curled her lip. "Why don't you take me to see those people you've locked up first? Sometimes I have to doubt the quality of your interrogations; such important information wasn't even asked... Of course, if you were a bit more polite to them, maybe they would have said it themselves."

With Xing Tianyang's clearance, they didn't need to bother with Yang Shuo's approval, and they successfully met Liu Fugui and the others.

While it was called detention, the conditions weren't much different from those of the Survivors outside; an original shop had been partitioned into two rooms, separating men and women.

The moment he saw Liu Mu, Liu Fugui jumped up excitedly from the mat used for sleeping. That's right, this fat man who had lost a lot of weight had probably never been this agile more than a few times in his life.

"Boss Liu, are you back from trading?"

Excited as he was, Liu Fugui didn't forget the story he had helped Liu Mu spin and deliberately mentioned trading.

Liu Mu truly felt that Liu Fugui was a talent. Even if she didn't know what he had said, being asked like this, he certainly wouldn't let anything slip. "That's right, Uncle Fugui, are you getting used to it here?"

"Used to what? Boss Liu, these people just don't believe what we say." He Qizheng, with a scar on his head, was doing push-ups on the floor. His upper body was bare, his wheat-colored muscles prominent; it was clear he hadn't gone hungry these past few days.

"Is that so?" Liu Mu smiled and nodded toward the Zhou mother and daughter over there. "Is it that you didn't explain clearly? My Uncle Yang and Doctor Xing are both reasonable people; you should report to them properly."

Xing Tianyang didn't know they had already reached an effective communication in those few sentences; he only cared about things related to his work. "I need you to provide all information regarding the mutation research at that base. You must tell me everything you know."

For this, he even had his new assistant bring a camera. Of course, it wasn't for interrogation evidence; Xing Tianyang just wanted to prove to Yang Shuo that the research at that base violated regulations and required a professional like him to go and handle it.

Come to think of it, in the entire Southeast region, who was more qualified than him, Xing Tianyang?

Liu Mu was on the side, kindly reminding them, "You should answer whatever Doctor Xing wants to ask properly, and make sure not to miss any details."

The two adults, who had been arranged perfectly by Liu Fugui early on, were confused. This... really say everything, including that they fought with the soldiers at that base?

But seeing Liu Mu's confident appearance, they temporarily put away that worry.

They had expected Xing Tianyang's questioning to be as aggressive as the leaders from the base, but they soon discovered that the young man in the white coat didn't care about infighting or persecution at all; he asked almost exclusively about experiments and mutations.

After just a quarter of an hour, the questioning ended. Xing Tianyang put away the camera and stood up, satisfied. Liu Mu reminded him, "Are they done with the questions?"

Xing Tianyang didn't care at all and nodded directly. "They can leave; I have other things to do."

He left quickly with his assistant Researcher. Liu Mu didn't need to guess to know that this person was going to find Yang Shuo.

The guard, an elderly man, was a Survivor recruited from the Base. Hearing Xing Tianyang say they didn't need to be kept anymore, he didn't make things difficult and opened the door to the partition directly.

After letting them out, the old man hung the key back on his belt and asked the question he had been holding back for a long time. "Boss Liu, did you bring food to trade this time too?"

"No," Liu Mu pointed outside. "It's raining so hard, isn't it? I brought some Rain Gear to trade with the Base; you'll all have some when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately smiled until his eyes crinkled, praising Liu Mu for being worthy of being a big Boss, saying she would surely make a lot of money in the future.

After leaving the place of confinement, the group found a corner in the shopping mall. Liu Mu asked them how they felt about this place and what their plans were for the future.

To be honest, having experienced the Urban Base, they hadn't held much hope, but after arriving here, even though they had been locked up because of firearms, they could eat their fill, no one bullied them, and they learned from the guarding old man that as long as one worked actively here, they could earn Contribution Value and trade for basic living supplies.

When they asked if the military would deliberately make them do dangerous things or deduct supplies, the old man indicated how that could be possible. "The Logistics Department has discipline, too; if you violate it, you'll be punished. Besides, the acquisition of Contribution Value and the exchange of supplies are all on the Base bulletin board; no one can fake it."

Luo Sanlin also came to see them almost once a day, bringing some clothes and water.

"Officer Luo is also a good person. This," Zhou Shuqin held a can of milk powder in her hands, "is what he brought over the morning before last. Later, I asked the old man and found out that trading for milk powder takes quite a lot of Contribution Value. So... I was thinking I can't really do much, and Xia is still young..."

As she spoke, she lowered her head in guilt, but her intention to stay at the Base was already very clear.

Liu Mu didn't mind. "As long as you are willing yourselves, Sister Zhou, staying here is a good choice. This base has a good atmosphere, and everyone can take care of each other."

"What about you?" Zhou Shuqin wasn't asking for herself, because Liu Fugui would definitely still follow Liu Mu. She was a bit worried. "Boss Liu, aren't you staying here?"

"Didn't I say? I have a Scrap Station, and I have to do some business usually," Liu Mu answered with a smile. "But I will come often. If you need anything, I can help you look for it in other bases."

Hearing that Liu Mu seemed to think they were staying at the Base, Liu Fugui hurriedly said, "Boss Liu, A Zheng can drive a Truck to deliver goods, and I'm still decent at dealing with people. I was thinking that staying here wouldn't really let us use our abilities much. Why don't you let the two of us follow you?"

He Qizheng immediately nodded along. "I can endure hardship, I'm strong, and I have ten years of experience driving trucks. This is my driver's license."

This man actually pulled a driver's license from his clothing pocket. Opened up, it showed a photo of a young hunk—yes, it was the young version of He Qizheng.

It wasn't that Liu Mu hadn't thought about Liu Fugui wanting to follow her; as for He Qizheng wanting to come too, it wasn't a surprise. If her business was to grow, she would definitely need manpower; more people meant more work could be done...

"I am, of course, honored that the two of you want to follow me. But you have also seen the situation outside with your own eyes; it is truly not peaceful. Even when I go out myself, I often encounter danger, so I hope you consider this point clearly."

"We have both considered it. Even if we stay at the Base, there are outdoor missions, and there is danger just the same," Liu Fugui stated firmly, saying they weren't afraid of danger, only of having no place to put their skills to use. Anyway, nowhere was absolutely safe these days.

Seeing their determined attitude, Liu Mu said she would let them help sort goods later, not agreeing directly. Liu Fugui and the other took this as a test.

Tan Ziyan's convoy made three trips back and forth, hauling a full fifteen Truckloads of Rain Gear back. Piled up inside the perimeter wall, it stunned the Survivors inside the Base, who stood under the eaves to watch, very curious about where so much had come from.

You must know that after the disaster, they couldn't even find a single intact plastic basin; as for clothes, unless they were pure cotton, they were basically either burned or melted. Yet now, there were actually so many intact raincoats, rain boots, umbrellas, and even rain shelters; it didn't even look like they had experienced a disaster at all.

Upon learning that the items were brought by Boss Liu, who had exchanged food with them previously, the crowd was surprised, yet it also seemed somewhat reasonable. After all, Liu Mu was someone who even possessed a luxury off-road vehicle and a truck, and it was said she also had a fairly large Scrap Station; could she be a second-generation rich kid who came out to experience life?

Amidst their confusion, the crowd welcomed their first job in a long time: counting and organizing the goods. As long as they didn't slack off, they could earn one point of Contribution Value per hour. Three thousand people were recruited quickly, and those who wanted to sign up afterward were told that the quota was already full.

However, they didn't leave; they just stood far and near to watch.

When Liu Mu arrived, she received a warm greeting from everyone. She had Liu Fugui take He Qizheng to count the rain gear while she chatted with these Survivors herself.

In just over ten minutes, she learned that people from this Base had also encountered Mutated Animals when going out, but the military usually sent people to exterminate them immediately upon receiving reports, which kept them from feeling afraid. Not long after they chatted, night fell and the Base was about to distribute dinner, so these people reluctantly returned to their respective positions.

Liu Mu took the opportunity to go to the medical room. Sure enough, Li Gang had already moved to the outside, and although the cast on his leg was still there, he was in high spirits; it seemed he was recovering well.

Seeing Liu Mu, Li Gang handed his own ration of dinner to her directly and apologized, "I told the leader about the boat. I'm sorry, I didn't want to bring you up, but I didn't have a proper reason to say I had seen..."

"It's a serious matter, I can't blame you," Liu Mu pushed the porridge and steamed bun back. "I just took a glance, it's no big deal. By the way, can you come back with me this time?"

Upon hearing that Liu Mu had come specifically to pick him up, Li Gang was so moved that his eyes turned red. "Boss, I knew you hadn't forgotten me. I can, I can run and jump..."

He started to stand up as he said this, but Liu Mu hurriedly stopped him. "Hey, hey, hey, if you fall again, don't even think about leaving next month!"

Li Gang behaved himself; he didn't want to continue living like a useless person, especially in this crowded place.

Seeing him listen to advice, Liu Mu asked about the situation of those few people from the Steel Factory and learned that two of them had been taken by Yang Shuo for questioning a few days ago. "The Base should be starting to collect steel from the nearby area. I wonder what it's for?"

"Preparing to build a Barrier," Liu Mu didn't hide it. "There are more and more Mutated Animals, and the environment is deteriorating rapidly. Just staying in a shopping mall like this is definitely not a long-term solution."

Li Gang had also thought about this problem, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon. He had originally thought that after experiencing such a disaster, it would take at least half a year or a year to recover, but only a month had passed.

"Then you," Li Gang glanced at the surroundings where everyone was gathered in twos and threes eating dinner, and then lowered his voice to ask, "You can't just take them out directly, right? Those things have marks on them, it's easy for trouble to arise."

Liu Mu nodded. "Mm, I have a plan. Alright, hurry up and eat. I'm going to find two acquaintances to ask about the situation. Once the goods over there are sorted, I'll have someone come to pick you up."

Li Gang naturally accepted happily. After she left, he showed off to the people he had gotten familiar with nearby, "My boss came to pick me up. Which boss? Why, Boss Liu Mu, of course! She's the one who brought us rain gear today, you all know her, right! That's right, I was personally rescued by Boss Liu..."

How could Liu Mu know that Li Gang was actually a chatterbox? She didn't know if it was because he had been stifled during those years in the special forces, but now he could ramble on with anyone he grabbed.

She went to find Luo Sanlin, mainly to inquire about the distribution standards for the Base's Contribution Value. Officer Luo, who had known she arrived at the Base early on, had asked for an extra portion of dinner, and sure enough, Liu Mu caught him just in time.

Luo Mu and her husband were volunteers. Recently, they had no other tasks, so they helped distribute food at meal times and ate with the other volunteers.

At this moment, in the small area where Luo Sanlin lived, only the two of them were there.

Hearing Liu Mu ask about Contribution Value, Luo Sanlin flipped open his notebook and handed it to her. "The standard tiers are on there. Normally, if I go on a rescue mission, it's five points of Contribution Value if it's not considered difficult. If it's a bit harder, or if more than twenty people are rescued, or if one sustains minor injuries, it's ten points, plus a supply subsidy. Take a look yourself."

Luo Sanlin's parents were intellectuals, and his upbringing since childhood had been thorough; even his handwriting was vigorous and powerful, his penmanship upright.

The record had four pages in total and even included a table. Liu Mu carefully flipped through it while gnawing on a steamed bun mixed with some unknown flour.

She had basically finished reading by the time she finished eating, but she still wasn't quite sure. "Brother Sanlin, how much Contribution Value do you think my rain gear can be exchanged for?"

Luo Sanlin's family relied on work to earn Contribution Value, so he wasn't really good at calculating it for a moment. He thought for a while and said, "Let me put it this way: if our squad encounters an extreme rescue mission and there are casualties, the families of the sacrificed teammates, besides receiving material subsidies and the government's subsequent care for the family, can receive five hundred Contribution Value. These Contribution Values can exchange for about two years' worth of biological supplies for a family of three, and that's if they don't work at all."

One life, five hundred Contribution Value, material subsidies, and as much care as possible in the future.

Liu Mu calculated for a moment. "Then it wouldn't be excessive for me to ask the Chief for six thousand Contribution Value, right?"

"Isn't that a bit much?" Luo Sanlin was a person who thought for the public good, and at this moment, he instinctively stood on the opposite side of Liu Mu. "The supplies that can be exchanged in the Base are limited. If you want so much Contribution Value, it might make things difficult for the leaders when you use it to exchange for things."

Liu Mu didn't think so. "Of course I won't exchange for food and such things right now. I can just keep it in the Base's account and it won't be too late to cash it in after the Barrier is built."

"Not exchanging it now?" Luo Sanlin didn't quite understand. Was so much stuff just being given away for almost nothing?

"That won't do either. You three need to eat and drink, and you need other things too. You should take what you are owed and take care of yourself."

Liu Mu only said she had a plan and wouldn't make things difficult for the Base, but she wouldn't let herself suffer a loss either.

By the time the counting was finished, Liu Fugui came to find her. She didn't say exactly how much Contribution Value she wanted, and Luo Sanlin also went to look at the goods, thinking he should help put in a good word for Liu Mu.

The goods were counted and entered into the military's ledger, but... Yang Shuo was gone!

Liu Mu slapped her forehead, thinking to herself how she could have forgotten this. Yang Shuo must have gone to the city area in person!

However, Yang Shuo had left word for the logistics personnel of the military to satisfy Liu Mu's requests as much as possible. If the Base couldn't do something, they were to record it first and handle it after he returned.

How could Liu Mu wait? The goods had already been received; it was even better that Yang Shuo wasn't there, as it was easier to reap benefits.

Thus, she repeated her argument to Luo Sanlin, first sincerely expressing that she knew the Base wasn't having an easy time and that supplies were scarce, so she absolutely wouldn't make excessive demands, and that her requirements had already been reported to Yang Shuo.

She also said how useless Contribution Value was to her, just like a bounced check issued by a bank; she wouldn't use it for the time being, nor did she need to.

Amidst her sincere words, three terms of the negotiation were completed:

Defensive fortifications for the Scrap Station, defensive equipment and weapons, and... ten thousand Contribution Value!