From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 60 - 55: Wanted Criminal

The three men at the corner table by the window were already on high alert.

Their table was also in a very strategic position, with a line of sight that covered almost the entire South City Hotel.

So, even though Gu Xi had quickly looked away, her casual glance had still caught the attention of one of the men.

Normally, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. But then, Qi Xiang brazenly and openly stared right at them.

The three men exchanged a look, stood up, and were about to pay and leave.

But just then...

"Huh, aren’t those people from the Special Service Team...?" Qi Xiang’s gaze went straight past the three men, landing on a group that had suddenly appeared at the entrance. Before her brain could even process it, she was tugging on Wei Heng’s arm and asking the question.

’This is bad,’ Gu Xi thought.

Sure enough, when she looked up, she saw the faces of the three men in the corner change. Without a second thought, they began to scatter and flee.

Two of them jumped out the window, but the remaining one charged straight for their private room.

When a familiar spatial fluctuation emanated, Gu Xi’s pupils contracted sharply. With no time for words, she grabbed Qi Xiang’s arm and rolled to the ground.

Dragged to the floor by Gu Xi in a rush, Qi Xiang accidentally knocked over the bowls and chopsticks in front of her. The delicate tableware clattered loudly as it hit the ground.

Beside them, Wei Heng had already engaged the man in combat.

To be able to fight Wei Heng to a standstill, the man’s skills were clearly impressive.

Gu Xi narrowed her eyes slightly.

Just then.

"BANG! BANG—"

Gunshots rang out, and the entire restaurant instantly descended into chaos. Screams rose and fell one after another.

The chaos erupted without warning.

Gu Xi stared at the cloth pouch on the man’s hip. Her heart pounded like a drum and her blood began to boil, but her expression remained mostly unchanged.

It was Qi Xiang, pulled aside by her, who finally snapped out of it. "Gu... Gu Xi..."

The private room was a complete mess. The dining table was overturned, and unfinished fruit and food were scattered all over the floor. It was the first time Qi Xiang had ever encountered such a situation, and for a moment, she was at a loss.

But right then, the man made a feint, dodged Wei Heng’s attack, and lunged toward Qi Xiang.

Qi Xiang’s face went pale with fright. ’I’m just a Golden Carp Luck user,’ she thought, ’My Combat Power is practically zero!’

’It’s over.’

Qi Xiang squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

Fortunately, Gu Xi was right beside her and quickly pulled her away, allowing her to narrowly miss the man.

But the man still slammed into the outside of her shoulder, leaving it bruised and aching.

At this point, the Special Service Team had finally gotten the situation under control.

The gunfire outside subsided. All three men were subdued and taken away.

With the situation contained, the management of the South City Restaurant finally made a belated appearance.

Gu Xi overheard some of the conversation and learned that today’s incident was the result of the Special Service Team hunting down dangerous criminals.

The criminals were taken away, and the matter seemed to be over. However, Gu Xi and the others were asked to remain in the South City Restaurant to cooperate with the investigation.

Of course, it wasn’t just them. Everyone who was at the South City Restaurant that afternoon was told to stay.

The base’s garrison was questioning people one by one, likely trying to determine if any of the criminals’ accomplices were among the crowd.

Gu Xi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Don’t be scared, it’s alright. I’ll handle this in a moment. We should be able to leave soon," Wei Heng whispered comfortingly.

Perhaps because he had just been in a fight, Wei Heng’s usually pale face had a healthy flush to it.

Gu Xi nodded. She wasn’t scared.

’It’s just...’

Gu Xi looked up at Qi Xiang.

Beside her, Wei Heng followed her gaze.

Qi Xiang’s eyes widened, still shaken from the ordeal. ’Wait, why are you both looking at me?’

Just then, two garrison officers walked up to the three of them.

Wei Heng stepped forward to speak with them.

He was the former deputy captain of the Special Service Team, and the leader of the squad on this mission was one of his former subordinates.

An identity like that would naturally hold up under scrutiny.

And as for Huang Er, he was a local big shot with a complex background and military connections, so there was even less to worry about.

Soon, the group was allowed to leave.

During that time, Huang Er’s personal terminal was ringing constantly.

He had probably heard some inside information. After leaving the South City Restaurant, he exchanged a few pleasantries with Wei Heng, apologized to Gu Xi for the "poor hospitality," and then left in a hurry.

Gu Xi watched him leave, lost in thought.

The reason she had agreed to cooperate with this man was precisely because of his status.

To be a middleman in a major base like South City, and to meddle in the grain trade right under the officials’ noses, he must have known people from all walks of life and had his own sources of information.

And what had just happened clearly confirmed this.

For Huang Er to have gathered inside information in such a short time... his capabilities were clearly not to be underestimated.

At the very least, when it came to information sources, the man had his unique advantages.

And what Gu Xi lacked most right now was information—all kinds of information.

She needed to gather a massive amount of information, analyze it for useful intelligence, and use it to deduce what had happened over the past thirty years and what was happening now that she had reappeared!

In the past, Li Ming had always been responsible for intelligence work.

Although Gu Xi had never been directly involved, after years of observation and exposure, she was certainly no novice.

Just as she had been willing to offer some trust in exchange for Shen Yue’s intelligence before, she was now willing to offer some of her grain in exchange for Huang Er’s information network.

For her, this deal was a bit risky, but it was actually quite a bargain.

’As for whether Huang Er would agree?’

Gu Xi wasn’t worried at all.

As long as she could continuously produce grain with a low mutation coefficient, then even without Huang Er, there would be a Tom, a Dick, or a Harry...

She had chosen Huang Er before because of his military background.

And now... Gu Xi’s gaze fell on Huang Er’s wrist. It seemed she had an extra layer of insurance.

On the way back, Wei Heng kept turning to look at Gu Xi, hesitant to speak.

Gu Xi thought for a moment and knew what he was worried about. She asked bluntly, "Are you worried that fight just now will arouse suspicion?"

"A little," Wei Heng nodded, his expression grave. "When I fought that man just now, I didn’t use any abilities, but..." ’Anyone with a discerning eye could tell the difference.’

"But they don’t have any proof, do they?" Gu Xi countered.

Given Wei Heng’s previous condition, using an ability would have finished him off completely. So without definitive proof, no one would force him to use his abilities just to prove himself.

Besides, Wei Heng had served in the Special Service Team for many years and had made countless contributions, both large and small.

Gu Xi believed that even if the higher-ups had their suspicions, they would handle Wei Heng’s case with caution.

Wei Heng wasn’t worried about himself; he was just worried...

"But," Wei Heng turned his gaze forward, his voice filled with worry, "once the higher-ups start suspecting my condition has improved, I’m afraid they’ll investigate the people around me..."

Shen Yue and the others had backgrounds that could withstand any investigation.

But Gu Xi...

"Have you all forgotten about me?" Just then, Qi Xiang suddenly spoke up.

Seeing them both look over, she pointed to herself and blinked. "I’m the famous Golden Carp Luck user. With me around, isn’t it perfectly normal for Wei Heng’s health to improve?"

After all, something as ethereal and intangible as Golden Carp Luck, who could really explain it?

It was the perfect excuse.

Gu Xi: "..."

Wei Heng: "..."

’She... kind of has a point?’

But Golden Carp Luck wasn’t a hundred percent effective, as evidenced by what just happened at the restaurant...

The three of them left the South City Base with mixed feelings.

Halfway there, Qi Xiang suddenly felt an itch on her side and couldn’t help but scratch it...

Suddenly, her hand froze, and her whole body went slightly stiff.

The next second, Qi Xiang looked down at her hand and called out nervously to Gu Xi, "Gu... Gu Xi, look what this is!"

Her trembling voice startled Wei Heng so much that he slammed on the brakes. He turned around to see Gu Xi staring intently at Qi Xiang’s hand.

And in Qi Xiang’s palm lay a thin, transparent crystal, about half the size of a grain of rice.

"What is that?" Wei Heng asked, confused.

He instinctively looked up at Gu Xi.

Gu Xi had already composed herself. She picked up the transparent crystal from Qi Xiang’s hand with her fingertips, and after confirming what it was, she looked up at the two of them. "This is mine."

The moment she finished speaking, a small green sprout shot out from her fingertip and, quick as a flash, snatched the object away.

Caught off guard and unable to stop it in time, Gu Xi was left speechless: "..."

Completely baffled, Wei Heng and Qi Xiang were also speechless: "..."

"Gu Xi?" They both looked at her, their concern mixed with a hint of curiosity.

"I’m fine." Gu Xi lowered her gaze, deep in thought.

’That thing just now was actually a fragment of my Crystal Core. No wonder when I saw that man at the South City Restaurant, I had a vague feeling his aura was familiar.’

’It was because he was carrying a fragment of my Crystal Core...’

’But where did my Crystal Core Fragment come from? And how did it end up in that man’s hands?’

’On top of that, the man just happened to be an SSS-rank criminal wanted by the authorities?’

Gu Xi had a gut feeling that this matter wasn’t simple. It was very likely connected to the thirty years she had mysteriously disappeared.

She then thought of the orange that Qin Yi had brought back... ’So, I must be missing more than just this one Crystal Core Fragment.’

Things were getting more and more complicated.

However, there was one thing Gu Xi was now certain of.

She looked up at Qi Xiang and thanked her sincerely, "Qi Xiang, thank you." ’This girl’s Golden Carp Luck is truly the real deal.’

Qi Xiang: "..."