Chapter 74: Preparing to Recruit

Next morning, feeling restless hands on her body, Li Feifei opened her eyes, quickly brushed off Li Qingxuan's hand, got dressed, left the bedroom, sat in the Study and discussed a Transaction with people in the Private Chat.

She secretly praised her own cleverness; otherwise, let alone work, just getting out of bed would be a problem, and at the same time a hint of hesitation rose in her heart, wondering whether she should find someone to help share the burden.

Thinking of Li Qingxuan's savage, charging energy and his unsatisfied look, the psychological barrier she had never been able to break through was completely shattered. Making up her mind, Li Feifei sprang into action.

Li Feifei's fingertip flew across the Regional Channel, her sharp gaze scanning, searching for a suitable 'prey'—or rather, future 'sisters'.

Seeing Li Qingxuan dress and walk out, wearing a mischievous smile as he looked at her, her face involuntarily flushed; his presence made her slightly sober.

Li Feifei walked to the table, keeping a distance from Li Qingxuan to prevent him from lunging at her, and asked: 'Stinky Little Brother, should we recruit some more people? We're getting overwhelmed.'

Li Qingxuan leaned against the doorframe, his wicked smile growing richer, his piercing gaze fixed on the distance she deliberately kept: 'Overwhelmed? I saw you having fun swiping on the channel just now—are you busy with that?'

Li Feifei, having her thoughts exposed, felt the flush that had just faded flare up again; she forced herself to stay calm and cleared her throat: 'Cough… you also saw it—now the greenhouse keeps expanding, and with just the two of us, planting, maintenance, patrol, and guarding against those… things outside, we're indeed stretched thin. Not to mention we still need to conduct transaction defense.' She paused, lowered her voice slightly, with a hint of probing: 'Moreover… in the future… won't we need someone to do some basic work?'

She didn't say it outright, but Li Qingxuan instantly understood the hidden meaning behind her words 'basic work'.

The smile in his eyes faded a little, replaced by a touch of amusement and scrutiny, as he walked toward her at a leisurely pace.

Li Feifei instinctively tried to step back, but her heels hit the table leg.

"Recruit?" Li Qingxuan stood before her, his tall figure emanating an invisible pressure; he slightly leaned forward, hands braced on the table edge, trapping her between him and the table, close enough to feel each other's breath: "Are you looking for someone to help you share the 'firepower'? Or… do you feel, Sister Feifei, that one of me isn't enough?"

He deliberately emphasized the words 'firepower' and 'share', his gaze hook-like, staring at her slightly open collar and the lingering red marks on her collarbone with a wicked smile.

Li Feifei felt ill at ease under his gaze, her heart pounding like a drum, both ashamed and annoyed; she simply threw caution to the wind and glared back: 'So what? Don't you have any sense yourself? Even someone made of iron couldn't withstand your torment.'

Recalling how her body had almost fallen apart those few hours, feeling sore and weak all over, her confidence grew a bit: 'Hiring people to work is only natural! For the fortress to develop, can we really rely on just the two of us?'

Li Qingxuan quietly watched her angry, puffed-up look, like a frizzy cat; in her eyes were shame and anger, fatigue, but deeper still, a hint of serious planning for the future and a vague anxiety.

He suddenly reached out, not to hug her, but gently brushed his fingertips over her warm cheek, the motion soothing.

"Okay." He replied in a low voice, his tone sinking, no longer teasing but carrying the steadiness of a decision-maker: "You're right; the fortress needs to develop, and we can't do it alone."

Li Feifei hadn't expected him to agree so readily, and for a moment she was stunned.

Li Qingxuan withdrew his hand, stood up, and turned his gaze to the window, where the greenhouse lit by lights teemed with life; that verdant place was both the foundation of their survival and bore a great responsibility.

"But hiring isn't a small matter, Feifei." His tone grew serious: "The fortress is our home, and also our last stronghold. Those we bring in must be reliable, capable of work, and moreover… able to keep secrets, to suppress their thoughts."

He turned back to face Li Feifei: 'Do you have a plan in mind? Have you decided what kind of person you're looking for? And…' He paused, his gaze sweeping over her face, 'Are you sure… that the people you recruit will truly be willing to 'help' you?'

That last remark carried a hidden meaning, and Li Feifei's face flushed again; she of course understood his meaning—those 'sisters' were to share not only farm work, but also his excess energy.

That thought stirred in her heart a mixed feeling of sourness and awkwardness, and her earlier firm resolve wavered a bit.

She avoided his probing gaze, lowered her eyes to the tabletop, and unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes: 'I… I just feel we need more hands.'

Her voice muffled: 'As for how to recruit, of course we need to think it through carefully. At the very least… we should find diligent, hardworking people, preferably women…' The last two words she said quickly.

Li Qingxuan watched her troubled expression, a flicker of complex emotion crossing the depths of his eyes; he didn't press her further about the 'women' preference, merely nodding as if accepting that premise.

"Good." He spoke again, his voice returning to its usual steadiness, carrying an unquestionable resolve: "Since we've decided, let's do it. But the rules must be set first—who we recruit, who we don't, how we use them—all that's up to us, and once they're in, they must abide by our rules."

He walked to her side, without embracing her, merely gently pinching her stiff, tense fingers: 'This matter, we'll handle together. First we figure out what kind of people we need, then… I'll help you vet them.'

Li Feifei felt the steadiness coming from his fingertips, that tension oddly eased a little; she lifted her head to meet his deep eyes, which held no teasing now, only a weighty sense of responsibility and his support for her.

"Mm." She nodded firmly, took a deep breath, sat back at the table, and opened the Regional Channel interface.

The faint glow of the screen illuminated her face, still flushed but now regained its seriousness.

Her fingertip slid across the cold touchpad; the stream of messages rolled quickly, mostly desperate cries for food and medicine, or boasts of martial prowess and declarations of ambition seeking alliances.

Li Feifei's gaze was hawk‑like, sharply screening: 'We need obedient, sensible people,' she murmured while quickly browsing, 'no planting experience required—at least they should be nimble and able to cook. The chores in the greenhouse are handled by robotic arms, basically no need to worry about them.'

"And pretty." Li Qingxuan, unbeknownst to when, had stepped behind her, his arms naturally encircling her, braced on the table edge, pulling her half into his embrace, his chin nearly resting on her shoulder.

His warm breath lightly brushed over her ear, sending a faint tingling sensation.

Li Feifei forced herself to stay calm, trying to ignore the distracting intimacy, her eyes fixed on the screen: 'Yeah, if they're not pretty, they won't catch your old man's eye.' She let out a light hum.

(PS: Please donate for free to keep the author motivated; your support will give the author more drive, please.)