Chapter 2916: Small Town Infrastructure Construction Proceeds Happily 40

Then, when Yan Tenggu found them at the edge of the test field, Jin Chen's reaction almost made Huo Zhaoye lose his composure.

He saw Jin Chen put down the drawings, turn, face Yan Tenggu; the faintly lax look on his face gathered, his face slightly stiffened, brows slightly furrowed—just that expression made one instinctively feel the situation was very serious.

Jin Chen: "Yes, Deputy Leader Lu… he went alone into the western wilderness."

Jin Chen sighed, then added slowly, his tone carrying just the right sigh.

"When he left, his mood seemed off, very forlorn."

Yan Tenggu's eyes trembled, thinking of Lu Jun's recent avoidance of him.

So, did he really hurt him that badly? To the point… of going alone to hide in the dangerous wilderness?

"... Did he bring enough supplies? Is he safe? Did he say when he'd return?" Yan Tenggu asked incoherently.

"He only brought two or three days' dry rations, saying he was going to clear out the anomalies,"

Jin Chen replied, then shook his head solemnly: "That western forest may not be as deep as the experimental zone, but it often has troublesome anomalies. He's alone… sigh."

That hesitant sigh was like the last straw.

Yan Tenggu could no longer stand, gave Jin Chen and Huo Zhaoye a quick nod, turned and hurried toward the west side of the base, his steps somewhat unsteady.

Only after Yan Tenggu's figure disappeared at the end of the dirt road did Huo Zhaoye finally couldn't hold back, letting out a low laugh.

He stepped forward and planted a loud kiss on Jin Chen's cheek.

"Boyfriend, your scary, stern look is really… cute."

His acting was superb, leaving Professor Yan stunned again and again.

Jin Chen felt a tickle from the warm breath on his ear, slightly turned his head, and simply let him hold him.

"Cute?" Jin Chen countered, his tone slightly rising with a hint of teasing, "Leader Huo's been pretty good at praising people lately."

"Speaking frankly." Huo Zhaoye tightened his arms, pulling him closer, his cheek rubbing against Jin Chen's hair.

After a couple of jokes, Huo Zhaoye remembered the business, turned a bit more serious: "Are we really helping by doing all this?"

Describing Lu Jun as miserable and wretched made Yan Tenggu's mind go into turmoil.

But when it comes to feelings, outsiders meddling often just make things busier.

Huo Zhaoye was a bit worried: Will Jin Chen's strong medicine be too heavy a dose?

Jin Chen tilted his head slightly, gazing toward the direction Yan Tenggu had gone, his eyes distant.

"It's useful."

After all, they aren't lovers for just one lifetime.

In a far more ancient past, the dragon that the Earth God salvaged from the primordial chaos and the Earth God who found him share a bond stronger than blood, contract, or time.

So they will never truly part; temporary confusion, escape, even hurt are just part of the process.

Jin Chen tilted his head slightly, looking at Huo Zhaoye with a faint smile, "We're just… giving them a slight push."

"By the way, we can also collect a labor fee."

Huo Zhaoye nodded, "Indeed."

"Then… should my teaching time continue as well?" Huo Zhaoye hinted, pointing at the planning sheet for the observation station in Jin Chen's hand.

"The boyfriend's taken care of external affairs; now it's time to return to internal duties and teach him how to read the plans."

Jin Chen couldn't help laughing again, picked up the plans, rolled them, and tapped Huo Zhaoye's forehead.

"All right, Classmate Huo, look here."

Jin Chen's fingertip landed on a spot on the plans: "How deep should we dig here, do you remember?"

"Remember, we need to avoid the shallow rubble—at least 1.2 meters—to get a relatively stable ground temperature." Huo Zhaoye answered immediately, looking quite focused, as if the one who had just been clinging and acting cute wasn't him.

"Not bad." Jin Chen nodded, the corner of his mouth slightly curving.

"Reward."

He turned slightly and quickly kissed the corner of Huo Zhaoye's lips, which still held a hint of a smug smile.

——

Two days later, the weather was clear and fine.

Jin Chen and Huo Zhaoye made plans with Yan Tenggu to go together and look at the newly planned agricultural land ready for reclamation.

This tract lies on the old world's Henan bank, just beyond the former southern town's range, relatively flat, near a water source; the soil, after Yan Tenggu's preliminary survey, is poor but lightly polluted, making it a key area for near‑term agricultural expansion.

Yan Tenggu now, like Jin Chen, leads a batch of youths interested in agriculture who can handle basic soil sampling, data logging, and daily care.

But when it comes to choosing varieties for new plots and tackling technical difficulties, he still prefers to be on site himself.

The three walked and discussed which fast‑growing, hardy crops to plant first to improve the soil, and where to draw water from most sensibly.

Until they reached the north end of Silence Bridge, preparing to cross to the south bank.

On the opposite side of the bridge, near the entrance to the southern district of Peace Base, Lu Jun was there talking with another person.

It was Lu Jun, returned from the wilderness.

He seemed fine, and the person he was talking to was a young man with a refined, scholarly air.

The man's old backpack, as he spoke to Lu Jun, he gestured with his hands from time to time, quite relaxed—evidently the conversation was going well.

Jin Chen and Huo Zhaoye fell silent for two seconds, then both looked at Yan Tenggu.

Yan Tenggu's gaze fell straight onto the opposite side of the bridge, onto Lu Jun and that unfamiliar youth, his lips pressed tight.

It was as if something he considered his own was suddenly being approached by others, while he was shut out.

Jin Chen and Huo Zhaoye exchanged another glance, sharing a tacit understanding.

Oh la.

Following at their feet, Ling Gun Gun, disguised as a mutant white tiger, also munched on melon seeds.

【Host, you say the Earth God's heart is a wall—does that count as an earthquake?】

Jin Chen: 【……】

After the repair, Zero Egg's deadpan humor had improved; he must have learned bad habits from Bai Ze again.

The other side of the bridge also noticed them.

Lu Jun said something to the youth beside him, and then the two walked over to this side of the bridge together.

Finally, the five met at the middle section of Silence Bridge.

Jin Chen was the first to break the silence, his gaze falling on the unfamiliar youth: "Vice Leader Lu, who is this?"

Lu Jun glanced at Jin Chen, then quickly glanced at Yan Gengu, before speaking up, his voice as usual: "His name is Lin Xi; he used to be from South Town, also did agricultural research, but our town is small and backward, so there wasn't much to learn. Later he went to the Qingrang Base in the east to study for a few years, and only recently came back."

"He's… a friend of mine."