From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 68 - 63: One of Our Own

For a split second, the color drained from Huang Er’s face and his pupils contracted, but he quickly composed himself.

"Miss Gu, what are you talking about? I don’t understand." Huang Er frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on Gu Xi.

At the same time, his left hand, hanging at his side, quickly formed another set of strange hand signs under the cover of night.

The secret code checked out.

He was one of them.

Gu Xi let out a small sigh of relief. Her gamble had paid off.

Shen Yue had mentioned before that this Huang Er had a complicated background.

Later, he’d had someone investigate in more detail and vaguely uncovered that Huang Er actually had some connection to the Military Department’s armory.

Then, when she saw Huang Er at the entrance to South City Base that day, Gu Xi noticed he was wearing a string of ink-black beads on his wrist.

The style of the beaded bracelet was very ordinary.

What wasn’t ordinary, however, was the special symbol carved on the inner side of one bead, a mark almost invisible to the naked eye.

And that symbol, along with the string of numbers she had just recited, was part of an agreement she once had with a certain person.

And this agreement was something not even her former teammates knew about!

Because back then, that certain someone had severe social anxiety and thus really disliked her friends.

So, at his strong insistence, Gu Xi never shared this secret with her teammates back then.

But thirty years later, she had seen that symbol again on Huang Er’s wrist...

So at that moment, Gu Xi guessed that this Huang Er was likely one of Lu Chenyuan’s men.

And Lu Chenyuan was the one who had made that agreement with her.

Though Lu Chenyuan had severe social anxiety, his mind was exceptionally meticulous.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become the Military Department’s chief weapons expert at such a young age.

Over the years, Lu Chenyuan had adopted many war orphans, and this Huang Er was one of them.

As for whether Lu Chenyuan could be trusted?

In truth, Gu Xi wasn’t so sure.

Back then, she had only known and spent time with him for a little over a month due to a weapons issue before her final expedition.

But now, if Gu Xi wanted to use Huang Er, she had to take a risk.

She had to seize this opportunity to gain more intelligence.

"I want to know what happened with those three wanted criminals," Gu Xi looked into Huang Er’s eyes and asked slowly.

"Who did they meet and what did they say after entering 176?"

"And what was with the massive riot at 176 last night?"

Huang Er frowned slightly.

He didn’t know how the young girl before him knew their internal contact code, but since her identity was confirmed, she was undoubtedly one of them.

Huang Er thought for a moment, then advised, "It’s best if you and I don’t get involved in this matter."

He paused, then added, "This is also my foster father’s wish."

’The ’foster father’ he’s talking about must be Lu Chenyuan,’ Gu Xi thought.

"Why?" Gu Xi frowned slightly. She was missing too much core intelligence... she couldn’t afford to miss this information.

This was the only direct lead related to her thirty years of absence that had appeared so far.

Before her Crystal Core Fragment appeared, she, Gu Xiaoxi, could have lived a quiet life, indifferent to fame and fortune. She could have contentedly hidden away in the mountains, farming and living a peaceful, leisurely life.

She could even laugh off and ignore being forced into a revenge plot.

But that was all on the condition that there wasn’t an eye always watching her from the shadows!

She didn’t like it.

She didn’t like being watched constantly, and she especially disliked being schemed against and used for no reason.

Huang Er stared into her eyes for a long moment before finally speaking slowly, "Because the waters here run too deep! It’s not something small-timers like you and me can wade into."

"How deep?" Gu Xi raised an eyebrow.

In that moment, Huang Er clearly felt a terrifying aura from the young woman before him.

Composed and serene, yet cold and ruthless.

Huang Er subconsciously tensed his body and narrowed his eyes slightly.

But then, he sighed and asked Gu Xi, "Then do you know how those people in 176 died last night?"

Gu Xi nodded. "I have a vague idea. They were killed to be silenced, right?"

"Correct." Huang Er wasn’t surprised she had figured that out. ’She is one of my foster father’s people, after all...’

"Then have you considered who was behind it?" he asked.

Gu Xi thought for a moment. "This matter seems like a struggle between the Abnormal Ability Research Institute and South City Base, but there must be other forces hidden in the background..."

’Judging by their previous actions, it was unlikely that either the Abnormal Ability Research Institute or South City Base would have made a move. After all, their goal should be my Crystal Core Fragment.’

’But now it’s gone.’

’So, until they find the missing Crystal Core Fragment, neither side is likely to act.’

’Besides, if the Abnormal Ability Research Institute wanted to silence them and hide the news, they could have just ordered the Special Service Team to execute the three wanted criminals on the spot back at the South City Restaurant.’

’That way, none of this would have happened.’

’As for the base, that’s even more unlikely. An incident at 176 is a major disaster for which the entire base’s upper management would be held accountable.’

’So, that only leaves one possibility...’

"Someone is fishing in troubled waters."

Gu Xi said with certainty, "Their goal... is likely to blur the public’s perception, or even divert attention from the incident itself." ’All to conceal the secret they truly want to keep hidden.’

Gu Xi guessed that this secret was likely related to 176 itself, or perhaps even South City Base.

But she didn’t know the specifics yet.

The reason the person who took her Crystal Core Fragment would allow another power to stir up trouble was likely because Gu Xi herself had unintentionally gotten involved.

Compared to the Crystal Core Fragment of a Divine Rank user, the Divine Rank user themselves was, of course, far more valuable.

That was beyond doubt.

Thus, someone was biding their time, while the one who made the move was likely hidden among the upper echelons of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute or South City Base.

They might even have people on both sides.

Because they knew very well—even if they silenced everyone in 176, so what?

—Because of that Crystal Core Fragment, neither South City Base nor the Abnormal Ability Research Institute could bring this matter out into the open.

Both sides had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

In other words, the third party hiding in the shadows very likely knew of her existence as well, which was why their operation was so clean and decisive...

This probably involved a power struggle between multiple factions.

But there was no need to tell Huang Er about these hidden details.

"It seems you’ve also guessed that a third party is involved," Huang Er said with certainty, but then his tone shifted.

"But have you ever thought..."

He stared into Gu Xi’s eyes and said in a low voice, "Since they could make a move right under the noses of both the Abnormal Ability Research Institute and South City Base—and in such a brutal fashion, silencing everyone in 176 overnight..."

One can only imagine how powerful that party is, and just how deep these waters run!

Gu Xi nodded.

It was precisely because she knew that she needed to find out even more: who exactly did those three wanted criminals meet in 176, and what did they say!

She was going to find the eye that was hiding in the shadows.

Seeing Gu Xi’s insistence, Huang Er could only sigh. "I don’t know much either. I only vaguely found out that those three escaped from the Southwest and were likely carrying something very important..."

"It also involves a powerful figure from the Abnormal Ability Research Institute, but I haven’t found out who specifically. After the incident at 176, my foster father sent word telling me not to get involved anymore..."

Huang Er told her everything he knew.

He didn’t hide anything.

This was because the string of numbers Gu Xi had recited was actually the highest-level directive agreed upon between him and his foster father.

This directive’s priority was even higher than orders his foster father issued through the network.

But Gu Xi didn’t know this.

She thought for a moment, then asked, "Can you continue to investigate this for me?"

"I can," Huang Er said, looking at the young woman before him. "But if you insist on getting involved, I must report it. I can’t hide this from my foster father."

"Then report it," Gu Xi said after a moment of thought.

Sooner or later, she would have to meet the people from her past.

And since she had already met Xv Yiyisan, meeting Lu Chenyuan as well wasn’t out of the question.

More importantly, compared to the companions she grew up with and her former teammates, her relationship with these two wasn’t actually that deep.

Meeting them first to see how things were wouldn’t hurt. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

After giving Huang Er a few more instructions, and specifically reminding him to come back in a few days to pick up another shipment of grain, Gu Xi left.

Leaving Huang Er standing alone in the night.

A long moment later, Huang Er released his spiritual power, and after confirming that Gu Xi was far away, he opened his personal terminal...

Just then, a night breeze swept by, and the surrounding mutant plants rustled.

Huang Er had heard this sound countless times over the years and had long since grown used to it, so he didn’t think much of it.

But what he didn’t know was that sometimes, the mutant plants covering the mountains and fields could also be someone’s eyes...