Chapter 169 - 168: Fewer Schemes

Chapter 169: Chapter 168: Fewer Schemes

Zhang Wenyuan used his foot to flip over the two bodies, who had died with their eyes open.

He then turned around. Seeing everyone bustling about at the distant gas station, and Lin Fan’s group being led by Ye Qingzhou on a tour of the vehicles and supplies, he gave Ye Qingniao a thumbs-up.

"Nicely done... If you thought their plan had a flaw, why didn’t you say anything back then? You made Hu Chen so nervous he broke out in a sweat..."

"Brilliant, wasn’t it... I made it up on the spot."

Although Ye Qingniao looked like a seasoned veteran, she had never personally killed anyone before. This time, Zhang Wenyuan and Jiang Jing had done the deed while she only watched from the side, but her face was still pale and her stomach was churning.

Hearing Zhang Wenyuan bring up what just happened, she bent over and gave a wry smile.

"I only realized where their discussion from last night went wrong when I saw that ice ball. It was too late to warn them, so I had no choice but to grab my gun and run back myself..."

"Huh? The fact that you managed to get a word in already makes you better than your Uncle Hu. He was getting ready to kneel again..."

Zhang Wenyuan was surprised to hear this and gave her another thumbs-up.

Planning and strategizing had always been the work of Ye Qingzhou and Hu Chen; the rest of them were just responsible for execution. As for Ye Qingniao, aside from scouting, stealing cars, and taking cheap shots from the shadows, her main role was to be studied. He never expected her to be so quick-witted.

After the three of them dealt with the bodies, they walked back toward the gas station, chatting as they went.

"So, Qingzhou told you to go and handle him?"

"No, my sister told me to go handle Tan Wei..."

"The way you kept calling him ’Uncle’ was more affectionate than how you address us. How were you so sure he’d fall for that..."

"Didn’t you see those two women standing behind him the whole time?"

"They were both quite pretty. And judging by their attire, they’re both Awakened Ones with considerable strength... He likes pretty Awakened Ones?"

"That’s not what I meant. Look, isn’t one the mature, dignified type, and the other the young, innocent type..."

"Now that you mention it, you’re right..."

"Right? Uncle Hu and the others had a whole theory, but they missed this part... My sister always treats me like a kid, but I’m not an idiot!"

...

"She’s faking it!"

Chu Zhaozhao hugged Su Qing’s arm, wrinkled her nose, and said to Lin Fan,

"That little girl—don’t mind how affectionately she keeps calling you ’Uncle Lin.’ It’s obviously an act!"

Ye Qingzhou had led Lin Fan on a tour. The supplies hadn’t been fully inventoried, and Ye Qingzhou’s group hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. Seeing the exhaustion on her face, Lin Fan told them to go eat first.

Even Chu Zhaotian and Xu Qian were assigned to Captain Liu by Lin Fan, so they could also familiarize themselves with logistics and armaments.

Chu Zhaotian was sharp enough, and Xu Qian’s abilities weren’t suited for direct combat, so Lin Fan planned to put the two of them with Ye Qingzhou’s group to learn a few things from the veterans.

Lin Fan finally got some free time and pulled Chu Zhaozhao and Su Qing aside for a little meeting.

"Then what about when you first met me, calling me ’Big Brother’ so affectionately? Was that also an act?"

He asked in return, hearing how certain she was.

"That was an instant connection! It’s different!"

Chu Zhaozhao said indignantly.

"Actually, I think Zhaozhao has a point. That young lady doesn’t seem like the type to be so brazenly familiar..."

Even Su Qing spoke up after a moment of silent recollection.

"See, Sister Qing! You think so too!"

Chu Zhaozhao shook Su Qing’s arm, grateful for her support.

Lin Fan silently glanced at the very person Su Qing had just described as "brazenly familiar." Seeing that she was still reveling in the moment, he decided not to burst her bubble.

Su Qing naturally met his gaze, her gentle eyes filled with a suppressed smile, as if to say, ’See? Now *that’s* a genius at playing dumb...’

"Yes, yes, I’m not an idiot."

Lin Fan simply pulled the two of them back up onto the roof of the bus. The bus had now been driven inside the gas station compound, and sitting on its roof provided a clear view of most of the people below.

"Do you think I actually believe I just exude some kind of conqueror’s aura wherever I go, making underlings drop to their knees and swear fealty?"

He watched as the tent was brought out from the main hall. Four or five veterans moved it to a nearby open space themselves, without anyone’s help. And among them were the two "treasures" who had knelt and sworn fealty.

"Ploys. It’s all just a series of ploys..."

Lin Fan had told the two of them they were having a meeting, but in reality, he was just finding a place to rest and review how he had lost the initiative...

After reviewing the events, he realized it was from the very first step: when those two "treasures" suddenly shot out and slammed their heads on the ground, they’d kowtowed the initiative right over to their side.

"What a show-stopping icebreaker,"

Lin Fan couldn’t help but remark with a sigh.

"Truly impressive..."

...

"Colonel Lin..."

A veteran standing below the bus called up to Lin Fan on the roof. It was none other than Zhang Wenyuan, with whom Lin Fan had a brief encounter earlier.

"The tent is set up. You can head over whenever you’re ready."

"Alright,"

Lin Fan replied to Zhang Wenyuan below, then turned to Chu Zhaozhao and Su Qing, asking,

"My two staff officers, why don’t you come along..."

The two women followed Lin Fan, jumping down from the roof of the bus. They trailed Zhang Wenyuan toward the newly pitched military tent.

"Ploys, it’s all just ploys... Can’t we have a little more sincerity and a few less games?"

Lin Fan said this with a smile, joking with Zhang Wenyuan, who was walking in front. After all, he had used a ploy himself back when he claimed to be an old friend of Ye Qingzhou’s.

Moreover, they had not yet entered but had already reached the tent flap. Lin Fan’s words, of course, were not meant for him, but for the people inside to hear.

"Everything else can wait. For now, just introduce me to whoever it was that sent you to call me?"

Lin Fan asked, looking at Zhang Wenyuan with a smile.

"Colonel Lin, you don’t need to ask him. It was me..."

Just as Zhang Wenyuan lifted the tent flap, a man’s voice came from inside. Lin Fan looked and saw it was one of the "underlings" who had kowtowed to him earlier.

The man snapped a crisp military salute toward the entrance, all traces of his previous goofy demeanor gone. He spoke with a solemn expression:

"Chief Staff Officer of the Jishan Research Institute Guard Platoon, Hu Chen!"

Lin Fan had a moment of realization. ’So he’s a real staff officer,’ he thought. ’A professional.’

He nodded and then surveyed the tent. Ye Qingzhou, Ye Qingniao, and the four veterans—everyone except the two who had gone with Captain Liu to inventory supplies—were present.

The tent was spacious and didn’t feel crowded despite the number of people. It was completely bare inside, without so much as a stool.

"Allow me to make the introductions,"

Seeing Lin Fan looking around, Ye Qingzhou stepped forward from the group and addressed him.

"The person you first asked about is Major Hu Chen, this squad’s staff officer.

Major Wang Zhong, whom you’ve met, is the squad’s combat leader.

Captain Zhang Wenyuan and Captain Jiang Jing are special forces operators from the Jishan garrison and members of the squad.

The two who went with your Captain Liu to take inventory are Lieutenant Yu Wentao and Lieutenant Cheng Qi. They were also originally from the Jishan garrison special forces."

After introducing each of the veterans in the tent, she began her own introduction.

"My name is Ye Qingzhou. I was formerly a department head at the Jishan Biotechnology Research Institute with the rank of Colonel. I was later integrated into the Jishan Quarantine Area Research Institute, where I was responsible for research projects related to the Awakened."

She then gestured to Ye Qingniao beside her.

"This is Ye Qingniao, the first Awakened One we discovered. Formerly known as ’Humanity’s Hope,’ she is my sister. Her main role used to be as a research subject, but now she’s responsible for the squad’s reconnaissance missions... As for our squad’s mission..."

"I heard the radio broadcast..."

Lin Fan said, cutting her off.

"And I said I knew you because someone asked me to give these to you..."

As he spoke, he held out his hand to Chu Zhaozhao, took the backpack from her, and pulled out a colonel’s insignia and an unloaded handgun, handing them over.

"This is... Chaoxian’s?"

"Uncle Zhou!"

"Colonel Zhou?"

It wasn’t just Ye Qingzhou; Ye Qingniao and the veterans all crowded around, passing the insignia around to look.

A flicker of hope ignited in Ye Qingniao’s eyes as she looked at Lin Fan anxiously.

"Uncle Lin, Uncle Zhou... he..."

Her voice trembled slightly, and a childlike plea flickered in her bright eyes.