Chapter 73 - 68: Biological Safety Bureau

Chapter 73: Chapter 68: Biological Safety Bureau

Ning He hadn’t had time to check her system’s rewards after getting back yesterday. She took the opportunity to take a closer look on her way to Black Stone Lane.

First, she scrolled all the way to the bottom to check the progress of her two main quests:

"Biological Codex: 51/3000"

"Reputation Value: 213/1,000,000"

At this rate, it would probably take at least eight or ten years to finish.

Ning He sighed inwardly and opened the information on the newly collected species. What she saw was a pleasant surprise.

"...Mutated fern. Extremely resilient, widely distributed. Has a special fragrance and can be used as a food spice."

"...Mutated herbaceous plant. Possesses a massive root system rich in starch. Secretes a toxic liquid on its surface to prevent bites from snakes and insects. Edible after processing. Recommended cooking methods: soups, steaming, pastries."

Like the mutated animals, most of these plants had nutritional value. Some could be used for medicine, while others were highly toxic.

But what truly made Ning He almost jump out of her seat was finding that the seeds for these mutated plants had actually appeared in the system’s store!

They hadn’t been there when her collection progress was low. Apparently, they only appeared in the store after she had collected the complete information on a plant.

The system was very clear. These plants were extremely resilient, with a high chance of surviving even extreme weather. If she planted these crops, Ning He wouldn’t have to constantly interrupt her grand planting enterprise and waste the miraculous effects of the black mud.

This was all stuff that could be exchanged for real money.

Ning He repeatedly scrolled through the information on these plants, only closing the system when it was time to get out of the vehicle.

Arriving at the trading post in Black Stone Lane, Ning He knocked on the door, stated her purpose, and mentioned Macken’s name. The person on the other side immediately gave her a careful look-over before leading her to a room much larger than the last one.

It was still a single table, and a person in a cloak received her, only this time they were much more enthusiastic.

Upon learning Ning He’s purpose, the person readily agreed and produced a price list.

"The prices listed here are market value. You can take thirty percent off."

"Thank you!"

’Thirty percent cheaper? What a steal!’

Ning He looked it over carefully. There were several lines of vegetables, but more importantly, there were many rare varieties not commonly seen on the market. There were also sauces she had never seen at the Fourth Ring Food Market.

Besides ketchup, chili sauce, mushroom sauce, and peanut-sesame paste, there were also several kinds of vinegar and soy sauce, and even wine. The prices looked intimidating, but this was all stuff you couldn’t find on the market. It was a miracle you could buy them at all, so who would complain about the cost?

Ning He decisively wrote down the quantities for several types of mushroom ketchup, sauces, and vinegars. The other party had a sample brought over. After Ning He inspected it and was satisfied, she paid the deposit.

"Leave an address. It’ll be delivered to you on time this Wednesday."

"Alright."

After leaving the shelter’s address and confirming the details, Ning He was about to leave with her things when the door was suddenly pushed open and someone rushed in.

"Boss, people from the Safety Bureau are headed this way! They’ll be here in about three minutes, what do we do? This is their third raid this month."

"What’s the panic? The big boss said this was likely to happen. Just do what you’re supposed to do, don’t lose your cool."

The man under the cloak wasn’t nearly as flustered and quickly gave out orders.

"Have the guest wait in the secret room for a bit. We’ll continue the transaction after they’ve left. Handle the goods according to the old rules. Don’t panic. We’re law-abiding citizens, what’s there to be afraid of?"

After speaking, the man turned to face Ning He.

"I must ask you to hide away for a moment, my guest. My assistant will take you."

Ning He had a good idea of what was happening. It was normal for this kind of grey-market business to get raided. She nodded and compliantly followed the assistant out.

After walking down the corridor for a bit, the person in front of her suddenly pressed a spot on the wall. A narrow, secret door opened, with light spilling out from within. Ning He hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the wall before; the mechanism was extremely well-hidden.

"Please go inside and wait for a while. We will open this door for you when it’s time."

Ning He nodded, and the door closed behind her after she stepped inside. The secret passage was narrow, but thankfully it was well-lit, so it didn’t feel too eerie. After walking a hundred or two hundred meters down the passage, Ning He entered a fairly spacious, circular, sealed room. There were many narrow doors around the perimeter, which clearly meant there was more than one passage.

There were already quite a few people in the room. Ning He found an inconspicuous corner and sat down. No one here knew her, and since she was wearing a mask, she drew even less attention. She decided to just rest her chin on her hand and close her eyes.

The others were gathered in twos and threes, chatting in low voices.

"Huh? It’s Director Carolyn! Why is she here in person?" someone suddenly exclaimed.

Ning He followed the sound and saw a small monitor screen hanging on the wall, showing the scene in the entrance hall.

At that moment, a tall woman with short brown hair, dressed in a sharp uniform, stood in the center of the frame with her back to the camera. She was surrounded by a team of personnel from the Biological Safety Bureau. There was no audio, but their body language clearly showed the Bureau’s aggressive stance. They quickly took control of the situation, and one team dispersed into the corridors on either side.

Knowing the trading post had already taken care of the goods, the people in the secret room weren’t alarmed and just watched the monitor quietly. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a group of searchers returned, seemingly without any significant findings. Everyone breathed a small sigh of relief.

But then, a commotion broke out on the screen.

A staff member from the Safety Bureau came to the center of the crowd holding a flower vase. Even on the low-resolution screen, it was clear that the trading post staff’s faces had changed drastically.

"What is that?" someone asked.

"Let me see."

An old woman got up from her seat and moved closer to get a better look at the plant in the vase on the screen. She suddenly raised a trembling hand, her voice tinged with fear:

"How can that be tobacco wood?!"

Everyone’s heart, including Ning He’s, skipped a beat.

No mutated species were allowed within Beiluo City, and tobacco wood was at the top of that list. Even Ning He had heard of it.

It was said that this plant released a special scent that was addictive to animals. When processed into tobacco, its effects were comparable to narcotics and had a huge impact on human health.

When it first appeared after the Cataclysm, people didn’t understand its dangers. It was once mass-cultivated as a substitute for tobacco, leading to a major disaster. Afterward, it was blacklisted, and its cultivation was strictly forbidden. The consequences of being discovered were extremely severe.

In the hall.

The leader of the trading post stared at the pot of tobacco wood, his expression grim.

"This isn’t ours."

"We found it in your establishment. Could it belong to someone else? Don’t even think of denying it!" the man to Carolyn’s left said sharply.

The leader gritted his teeth, saying resentfully, "If we had really grown it, we would never have let anyone find it. You should know we’re capable of that."

Carolyn, standing opposite him, gently raised a hand, stopping her assistant from retorting.

"True, you are very vigilant. The previous director conducted so many raids, and you evaded them all. But since I’ve come in person today, I won’t be leaving empty-handed," Carolyn said, taking a step forward.

She was tall, with sharp, angular features. Her gaze was profound and her eyes fierce, inspiring an involuntary sense of awe.

"My people went in empty-handed. Everyone here, including your cameras, can testify to that."

On the monitor screen in the secret room, the Director of the Safety Bureau suddenly turned and glanced at the camera.

Everyone flinched, their hearts leaping into their throats.

Fortunately, the big shot made no other moves.

"Since this pot of tobacco wood was found on your turf, it can only be pinned on you. The biological safety of Beiluo City is the foundation for ensuring the stable lives of its residents. The Safety Bureau’s principle has always been ’better to arrest the wrong person than to let one slip by.’ Smith, take them away."

Not expecting her to order an arrest just like that, the trading post leader hurriedly shouted, "Wait!"

"You should be well aware, we’re not so easy to arrest." His eyes were fixed on Carolyn, not missing the slightest change in her expression.

Carolyn didn’t even raise an eyelid, her voice deep. "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

Seeing the Safety Bureau officers pull out handcuffs and approach, the leader finally realized the gravity of the situation.

"Director Carolyn," the leader stepped forward, gritting his teeth and lowering his voice, "could you let me make a call to my boss? I will advise him to reconsider his cooperation with the Safety Bureau."

Carolyn signaled her subordinates to stop. She lifted her chin at the leader, her tone cold. "You have three minutes."

Not daring to delay, the leader immediately stepped aside, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

In the secret room, everyone held their breath, staring at the screen and praying that things wouldn’t take a turn for the worse.

Fortunately, three minutes later, the leader hung up the phone and said something to Carolyn. The two groups, previously at daggers drawn, immediately backed away from each other. Clearly, there had been a breakthrough.

Sure enough, a moment later, Director Carolyn turned and left the trading post with her subordinates.

Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

"That Director Carolyn is just as merciless as the rumors say. She may be young, but she’s got quite a temper."

A rustle of discussion rose from the crowd, but Ning He wasn’t in the mood to pay attention. She just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Thankfully, people from the trading post soon came to retrieve them and led them all out.

"We apologize for the scare today. As a token of our apology, we’ll offer an additional ten percent discount on all current transactions."

As soon as he said that, any lingering resentment in the crowd vanished. These were willing transactions, and everyone knew the risks before they came. But with an attitude like this, who could still have any complaints?

Ning He just wanted to get back quickly, so she gave a quick farewell and left.

The journey back was smooth. However, no one noticed that at the end of the lane by the trading post, several people in Safety Bureau uniforms were holding cameras and filming every single person as they left.

"Get a clear shot. The Director said these people are connected to the trading post, so they’re all dangerous elements. Make sure they’re all documented in the system. Don’t let any slip through the cracks."

"Roger that!"