From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 136 - 127: No. 9 Villa

The middle-aged driver was taken aback. They were still two streets away from the destination on his app.

He subconsciously looked back and saw a weary-faced Li Ming turn to the young woman beside him. "Xiaoxi, there happens to be a large shopping mall nearby..."

After the two got out, the taxi didn’t leave immediately. It waited until they rounded the corner into the mall before peeling away, its exhaust fumes disappearing into the bustling street.

Gu Xi carried Li Ming’s luggage on her back while pushing his wheelchair slowly into the mall. The building was located in the middle of a busy district, its silver-white exterior gleaming in the sun. A sizable fountain stood before the entrance, giving it a touch of pre-apocalyptic splendor.

But once inside, Gu Xi noticed that there weren’t many customers. Most of them had cold expressions and walked with a hurried pace. ’It doesn’t seem like they’re here to shop, does it?’

Only a few staff members, identified by the white ID cards hanging on their chests, wore professional smiles.

Following Li Ming’s directions, Gu Xi pushed him toward the second floor.

Just inside the second-floor entrance was the premium food section.

Although it was labeled "premium," the food here was merely expensive; the mutation coefficient remained stubbornly high.

As a result, this area had pitifully few customers. Those who could afford these prices wouldn’t shop here, and those who wanted to shop here couldn’t necessarily afford it.

Life after the apocalypse was just that real and that cruel.

Gu Xi discreetly released her spiritual power as she casually grabbed a bag of snacks and handed it to Li Ming in his wheelchair. "Ming?"

’That was a good opportunity just now. The driver was about to spill the important details.’ She didn’t understand why Li Ming had suddenly interrupted her.

But Li Ming suddenly spoke up. "Xiaoxi, my people will be here to pick me up soon."

Gu Xi froze. "Ming..."

He reached out, took the bag of snacks from her, and patted the back of her hand. "Xiaoxi, listen to me. Of course, I’d love to go live with you at the South City base. But now is not the time."

"Xiaoxi," he said, looking up at her with a gentle smile, "you came to Central Base this time not just to see old friends like us, but also to use Zhou Jinyu’s connections to get to City A legitimately, right?"

"Yes." Gu Xi nodded, not denying it.

Her previous plan with Li Ming had been to use military channels to find a way to City A.

But plans could never keep up with changes. Now that Zhou Jinyu has actively extended an olive branch, going to City A under the auspices of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute is naturally the more suitable option.

"So at a time like this, we can’t leave Central Base unwatched," Li Ming analyzed with clear logic. "You know what the crybaby is like... I need to stay and hold down the fort here at Central Base."

Logically, Gu Xi knew Li Ming was right.

Back when they used to go on missions, Li Ming had often been the one to command from the rear...

But logic was one thing, and emotion was another.

Besides, back then, Li Ming had been full of vigor and capable of protecting himself. But now... Gu Xi’s gaze fell on Li Ming’s gaunt, pale face.

After a long silence, she finally asked, her voice a little muffled, "Are you going back to the underground black market?"

Gu Xi didn’t press the issue.

For one, Li Ming was such a proud person; she couldn’t use a reason like that, taking him away in the name of "it’s for your own good."

For another, thinking of how Li Ming had abruptly cut her off in the car, Gu Xi lowered her eyes and sighed inwardly.

"No." Li Ming gestured for Gu Xi to push him to the elevator. "From now on, I’ll be living here."

Gu Xi was stunned. ’Live here?’

’This is a bustling shopping mall. For Ming to live here... isn’t that a bit counterintuitive?’

...

「Half an hour later.」

Gu Xi left the mall alone.

Shen Yue was leaning lazily against the front of the car. He looked surprised to see her come out by herself.

"Your friend...?"

Wei Heng got out of the car as well. Gu Xi saw a mixture of hopeful anticipation and a faint trace of excitement on his face. She explained, "It’s not convenient for him to stay with us right now." ’This will be better for misleading semi-informed people like Zhou Jinyu.’

As for any deeper meaning, Gu Xi didn’t want to guess for the time being.

The three of them got into the car, and Shen Yue looked back. "Where to now?"

Gu Xi thought for a moment before replying, "Let’s find Qi Xiang."

Qi Xiang lived with her adoptive father, Dr. Qi, in the residential area of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute.

The Abnormal Ability Research Institute was located in Zone 1 of Central Base.

Unlike Zone 2, which belonged exclusively to the military, Zone 1 was not only the administrative core of the base but also housed many other core confidential institutions similar to the Abnormal Ability Research Institute.

One could say it was a complex web of various powers and factions.

Beneath its seemingly peaceful and prosperous surface, turbulent undercurrents surged.

And as far as Gu Xi knew, the relationship between Zone 1 and Zone 2 had been rather delicate ever since the base was established at the beginning of the apocalypse.

Shen Yue’s car quickly passed through Zone 2 and entered the territory of Zone 1.

There weren’t many pedestrians here either, but compared to the people outside, their clothes were noticeably more refined, and their expressions were a little more relaxed.

’This is Zone 1, after all.’

In the front seat, Shen Yue’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile as he thought of his brothers on the front lines who were still risking their lives.

Wei Heng was also silent.

After showing their identification and passing through three consecutive checkpoints, the gates of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute finally came into view in the distance.

Although Central Base had changed a lot over the years, the Abnormal Ability Research Institute seemed to have remained the same.

As the familiar scenery entered her line of sight, Gu Xi discreetly pressed the knuckles of her left hand.

Shen Yue’s car drove slowly toward the residential area.

Gu Xi lowered her gaze slightly.

Her apocalyptic squad’s base had once been here.

The residential area, No. 9 Villa.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from ahead.

"Gu Xi!"

Gu Xi looked up and saw Qi Xiang standing by the side of the road, waving at them.

"You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting all morning!" Qi Xiang said, letting out a lazy yawn after getting into the car.

Having picked her up, Shen Yue was about to turn the car around when Qi Xiang stopped him.

She looked up at Gu Xi, hesitating to speak.

Gu Xi asked, "What is it?"

Qi Xiang suddenly felt immense pressure.

She bit her lip and said hesitantly, "Um, my adoptive father wants to see you..." Seeing Wei Heng and Shen Yue both look over, she quickly added, "...all of you."

Qi Xiang’s intuition told her that she shouldn’t let her adoptive father meet Gu Xi.

But she knew better than anyone how terrifying her adoptive father could be.

Even though he had only mentioned it seemingly offhandedly last night... it had forced Qi Xiang to seriously consider the matter.

After thinking it over and over, Qi Xiang finally brought it up, though she was still full of apprehension. "Gu Xi, my adoptive father, he’s..."

"Then let’s go see him," Gu Xi said calmly.

Qi Xiang was taken aback, and Wei Heng frowned slightly.

Shen Yue, however, gave Gu Xi a thoughtful look and restarted the car.

Dr. Qi’s home was Villa No. 16, in the core of the residential area.

The moment Shen Yue and the others got out of the car, they attracted the attention of the surrounding neighbors. Dr. Qi was a man of high status and great power. Plenty of people usually tried to visit him to pull strings, but most were stopped outside. Very few ever made it to his home.

Moreover, these young people had been brought here by Qi Xiang herself.

Thinking about how Qi Xiang had gone to South City last year, and how South City had been quite eventful recently—first with someone trying to meddle in the seed business, and then with the reverse evolution experiments on plants...

Some people seemed to put two and two together, and the way they looked at the group instantly changed.

Sizing-up gazes came from all directions, but Gu Xi pretended not to notice.

She followed behind Qi Xiang, stepping through the gates of Villa No. 16 once again after so many years.

Dr. Qi was in his study on the second floor and made no move to come down to greet them.

"Since Dr. Qi is busy, why don’t we come back and visit another day?" Wei Heng said with a frown.

But Gu Xi thought, ’Well, we’re already here...’

"It’s fine. I’ll go up and say hello. You guys wait for me here," Gu Xi said, gesturing for Qi Xiang to lead the way.

As she passed Shen Yue, he discreetly slipped something into her hand before sitting down on the sofa as if nothing had happened. He accepted the hot water offered by the housekeeper and thanked her politely.

Gu Xi followed Qi Xiang to the front of the study on the second floor.

Qi Xiang stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Gu Xi discreetly lowered her head and opened her hand, looking at the very familiar object in her palm.

—It was a small Energy Detector.

Gu Xi raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

’Why did Shen Yue give me this?’

’Could it be that the military suspects Dr. Qi is hiding something in his study?’