884 I Want To Protect You

Knowing that she was trying to change the topic, Wu Chengyue responded with the same expression, "You're welcome. We've asked for payback anyway."

Lin Qiao nodded. Yuan Tianxing had signed the contract with Wu Chengyue, according to which, All Being Base would pay Sea City Base thirty-five percent of the yearly harvests.

The two of them fell into a short silence, looking at each other in the eyes. As Wu Chengyue seemed to have something else to say, Lin Qiao waited quietly.

"Is… something wrong with your space?" A short while later, Wu Chengyue finally asked that question with hesitation. He looked at her, his eyes containing a trace of concern.

Lin Qiao blinked and threw a question back to him, "Why?"

Because she came back from the outside? Everybody else thought she sneaked out before.

Wu Chengyue looked at her and said, "Before, you always showed up in exactly where you entered the space from. But this time, you were outside…"

He didn't finish his words, but Lin Qiao could guess out his meaning.

Wu Chengyue paused briefly and then continued with, "I waited here for you every single day."

She never showed up in that room, and he didn't think that she had turned herself invisible.

Wu Chengyue didn't think that she would turn herself invisible once she got out of her space, because she never tried to avoid him. When he followed her everywhere, she only responded to him with a cold attitude, but never tried to avoid him.

So this time, the zombie lady abruptly came back from the outside without a sign. He didn't feel right about that. If it weren't her space's problem, it might be something wrong with her body.

Lin Qiao didn't want him to know about her current condition. She was weakened, and she was not stupid enough to let anyone know about that.

"If you want to know, I'm fine now," Lin Qiao looked at him and said.

She couldn't tell exactly what Wu Chengyue was thinking, and couldn't say for sure that he wouldn't try to do anything to hurt her after learning about her current condition. So, she still needed to keep a distance from him.

Wu Chengyue could feel the distance between her and him, but also felt that she no longer tried to push him away as hard as she used to. Perhaps, not even she herself had realized that yet.

"I want to protect you," Wu Chengyue said a few words, then stood up and turned to leave.

'I want to protect you. I won't hurt you. That's why I want to know about your condition, so I can protect you,' he said in his head.

He was aware that the zombie lady might feel being underestimated to hear the full sentence. She was a strong woman, after all. So, he only said a few words.

The zombie lady might no longer feel a strong repulsion toward him, but the relationship between him and her was still not so close. All that connected the two of them was the cooperation between their bases.

He wanted very much for her to take a step back and tell him about her current condition, but based on what he knew about her, she would never do that. So, with no other choice, all he could do was keep a close eye on her.

Lin Qiao was stunned a little. She looked at the back of the tall and strong man and had a trace of confusion flash across her eyes. But soon, that confusion was gone, replaced by a composed look.

…

The next day, Lin Qiao dove to her work. She first made a trip to the farm, then returned to work on the files. It was getting warm. Currently, the people in her base formed groups and went out of the base to collect supplies.

They could either keep their harvests, sell them to the base for credits, or trade for something they needed with other people.

All Being Base had a small population, and was lacking skilled people. Currently, the base had been recruiting skilled people, and had also started to produce some basic daily supplies, weapons, and communication tools.

Unlike All Being Base, the other bases had all been trying their best to try to solve the soil problem under a tense and depressing atmosphere. They tried every possible way to grow crops, but nothing ever worked. The crops they planted either died, mutated, or never bore fruits.

Except for All Beings Base, all the other bases had been shrouded by a despairing atmosphere, because their food was running out. Only the leaders of Sea City Base knew about All Beings Base's farm, but the survivors in their base didn't know about it yet.

To keep the secret of All Beings Base and to comfort their people, Sea City Base leaders made up a lie.

That lie was actually half true. They told their people that Sea City Base had already solved the soil problem, and that Sea City Base would never run out of food.

Due to that lie they made up, All Beings Base people had a much better attitude toward Sea City Base people.

Before long, the other bases had all received the news, saying that Sea City Base had solved the soil problem.

Huaxia Base…

"I've asked around. They don't plan to share that technology," Hou Guozhong handed Si Kongchen the report with a sullen look.

"No? Are they gonna watch us die of starvation?" Si Kongchen wore a deep frown, his face as black as thunder and eyes showing anger. The scientists in his base had been trying their best for months, but no progress was made. They had wasted a lot of seeds for the experiments, but failed to grow any food.

The soil problem wasn't solved, because of which, a tense atmosphere had been spreading among Si Kongchen and the other base leaders. Sometimes, they didn't even think carefully before talking.

After the apocalypse, people had abandoned the baseline of morality. No one wanted to become a saint. The ones who did have that spirit would soon collapse under the greed in human nature, as no one would appreciate their kindness. They only wanted to survive. They would consider themselves deserving of all the kindness from the others! They believed that the stronger a person was, the more responsibilities he or she should take.

Si Kongchen took a deep breath and thought about the lives of over a million people in his base, then closed his eyes. He only managed to calm himself down when he re-opened those eyes.

"Send people to talk to Sea City Base, Mongols Base, Heilong Base, and Green Mountain Base. Since Sea City Base doesn't want to share the technology, we have no other choice but to buy food from them," he said while a fierce look was detected from his eyes.

He wanted to make contact with the other bases because those bases were all in the same situation as Huaxia Base. They had all failed to solve the soil problem. So, in order to get food, their only way was to work with Sea City Base.

Most importantly, he also wanted to join hands with the other bases to force Sea City Base to share the technology.

"I'm making some arrangements now," Hou Guozhong nodded.

They had no idea that Sea City Base didn't have that technology. That was just something that the leaders of that base made up to make their people feel better.

As Huaxia Base was preparing to ally with the other bases to get the soil remedy from Sea City Base, Zuo Chen and his people heard that the Chief was back. So, they immediately jumped into action.

Looking at Lin Qiao's pale but beautiful face from the distance, Zuo Chen had greediness and confidence in his eyes.