Return (Chapter 32)
The team wasn't surprised about returning to the base.
After all, based on the time, they had been at the seaside for quite a while. Coupled with the travel time, it was nearly over a month... If they didn't go back soon, the base might think they had all perished.
Therefore, even though exploring the ocean could yield precious materials, the team leader Liu Li, after careful consideration, decided to return and revisit the idea next time.
With the experience from this exploration, even if she wasn't leading the team on the second expedition, she would still be part of it.
There was no need to worry about this being a one-off deal.
However...
Whether they could continue exploring the ocean next time would depend on whether the great Gu Luoyu could join them. Otherwise, without a powerful protector, the travel alone might result in heavy losses.
Anyone with common sense wouldn't believe their smooth journey there was due to luck.
It was more likely the deterrence of a powerful individual that kept the polluted creatures at bay.
Liu Li didn't dwell on this too much. These were concerns for the higher-ups at the base, not something she needed to worry about. It was best to bring this exploration mission to a perfect close!
After all, returning to the base would lead to her being highly regarded!
The others certainly wouldn't refuse the decision to return to the base. Among them, besides Dr. Na Nali, who was excited to return and conduct more comprehensive research on the new materials, the three survivors of the previous diving operation were even more thrilled.
Seeing their companions die so tragically in front of them had instilled a significant fear of the ocean in them.
Therefore, even when many people later went diving for 'treasure', the three of them didn't join. Instead, they anxiously stayed in their tents every day, counting the days until their return!
Finally, the day arrived, and they happily left the seaside with the team. The group, in high spirits, heads back the way they came. The blue-purple sea churned up huge waves that crashed against the shore, gradually fading behind them.
Along with a complex gaze, it finally dove back into the deep sea with a flick of its giant fish tail, embarking on a new journey.
...
It's unclear if it was because Gu Luoyu had fought too many powerful polluted creatures in the deep sea, but her aura had become even more formidable. On the way back, they didn't encounter a single polluted creature.
This made everyone in the team find it peculiar, as they had at least encountered polluted creatures that fled at the sight of them on the way there!
However, there was a silver lining: it allowed the team to return much faster than originally anticipated.
When they finally saw the base gates, some members of the team were already in tears. Forgetting everything else, they cheered loudly and accelerated towards the base, finally heading home!
Although they had only been away for a month, it felt like ten years!
“Dr. Na Nali, you're finally back!”
The guards at the city gate, upon seeing Dr. Na Nali, spoke with excitement as if they had seen a relative. Before team leader Liu Li could say anything, the guards had already dispatched someone to escort Dr. Na Nali away first.
The remaining team members exchanged glances, surprised by Dr. Na Nali's popularity.
This scene did not escape Gu Luoyu's notice. Her eyebrows rose slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in her red eyes. She turned to Ye Sheng, who was holding her child, and said, “Something big must have happened at the base. If I'm not mistaken, the polluted creatures from the depths of the wilderness have emerged.”
Having dealt with Dr. Na Nali for many years, Gu Luoyu knew he was not only a researcher of espers but also an outstanding contributor in the field of weaponry.
The fact that the results of the ocean exploration were now set aside indicates that the base was facing a significant crisis.
Liu Li, who was beside them, also seemed to sense something. She lost the mood to say anything else. She simply composed the (deputy leader) to lead the others to collect their mission rewards and then hurried into the base to gather information.
Gu Luoyu and Ye Sheng were not in a hurry to collect their mission rewards. After a brief word, the two drove back to their new home in the inner city.
During the journey, due to the crowded and noisy environment, Ye Sheng, who was full of questions, didn't ask anything. Once they finally returned home, she immediately asked with urgency, “Have the polluted creatures attacked the city so soon? Should we make some preparations in advance? If the base falls, it would be better to leave early!”
Gu Luoyu had long suspected that the powerful, constantly evolving polluted creatures from the depths of the wilderness would attack human bases, but it had only been a conjecture. She never expected it to come true so soon!
Based on her estimates, it will take at least a few more years before a city-assaulting crisis will occur!
“It's not that bad yet. If the base could be easily overrun, centuries of construction would be a joke... Besides, even if they attack the base, it's just the vanguard. The real threat is yet to come.”
Gu Luoyu first calmed Ye Sheng down. Once Ye Sheng's emotions stabilized, she left to inquire about the specific situation, lest they were worried unnecessarily.
Ye Sheng, who stayed home to look after the child, thought for a moment. She tapped on her super-powered smart network wristband and quickly found the information broker, Mo Lin, in her contact list, preparing to inquire about the situation from him.
[Duo Duo is a little cutie]: Mo Lin, has anything happened at the base recently?
[Wilderness Know-it-all]: Oh my, Sister Ye, where have you been hiding in the deep mountains and old forests? You don't even know about something this big!
[Duo Duo is a little cutie]: Just finished a mission and came back. Stop beating around the bush and tell me quickly.
[Wilderness Know-it-all]: Two days ago, polluted creatures attacked the base. Unlike before, this time several S-class polluted creatures and a large group of A-class polluted creatures appeared. The base officially dispatched three esper teams to eliminate them, but the casualties were heavy!
[Wilderness Know-it-all]: [Image]/[Image]/[Image]...
Ye Sheng clicked on the images Mo Lin sent. The first few were blurry, but they showed massive polluted creatures destroying the city walls. The ground was covered in blood and dismembered bodies, making one's scalp tingle.
The later ones were taken after the battle. The mitigation zone near the city wall was severely damaged. Looking at the familiar collapsed shacks, Ye Sheng suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
When she first arrived in this wasteland world, she had lived in the mitigation zone. Although she didn't dare to interact too much with others, there were always some familiar faces.
[Wilderness Know-it-all]: The mitigation zone suffered severe damage this time, with many casualties. The base authorities are considering allowing survivors from the mitigation zone to move into the base, but there are many who oppose this. It's still under discussion.
[Wilderness Know-it-all]: I'm a bit worried about this. I have a feeling that this S-class polluted creature attack on the base won't be the first, and there might be more to come...
It had to be said that Mo Lin, as an information broker, had a strong intuition. Ye Sheng believed Gu Luoyu's prediction wouldn't be wrong. Now it was starting to come true, and it was likely that the base would be in a precarious state, making the survival environment for humans even more dangerous.
After chatting with Mo Lin for a while and understanding the situation, Ye Sheng did not continue to chat.
As someone who knew more inside information, Ye Sheng was not as panicked as before. Perhaps it was the confidence brought by strength. Not only had she become stronger, but she also had Gu Luoyu, a powerful esper, protecting her.
Of course...
Ye Sheng looked down at Ye Duoduo, who was sleeping soundly in her arms. As a new mother, she had to protect her baby and would absolutely not let her get hurt!
However, it was not her turn to worry about that yet. Compared to the pollution creatures attacking the city, Ye Sheng felt that she should be more concerned about making a small hat for little Ye Duoduo. She hoped it wouldn't be too ugly.
If it weren't for the reminder from team leader Liu Li, Ye Sheng wouldn't have known about such a custom in the wasteland world. As a mother, she had to personally sew a hat for her child to bless her future with smooth sailing and peace.
Ahhh, my clumsy hands are crying. I hope Duoduo won't be depressed when she wears an ugly hat out in the future.
...
After Gu Luoyu left home, she went directly to the research institute with a clear goal and successfully found Dr. Na Nali, who had just finished a meeting... Although there were other options, dealing with the base's high-level officials was troublesome and irritating.
It was easier to find Dr. Na Nali, after all, Gu Luoyu had a lot of new materials in her hands.
Dr. Na Nali would have no resistance.
In fact, it was true. Just as Dr. Na Nali was about to put on airs in his office, Gu Luoyu took out a new material with a (emerald green) conch pattern. It was emitting a dazzling light, as if even the light was distorted and deformed by it, immediately causing Dr. Na Nali's eyes to light up and him to stand up.
With his keen eye for researching numerous materials, Dr. Na Nali knew very well that this was another good thing!
Even if there was no base, he probably wouldn't have seen this new material!
Thinking of this, Dr. Na Nali couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He secretly cursed the base for being so useless, having nothing, and still shamelessly asking him for new weapons.
Could he, Na Nali, conjure them out of thin air?
No, he must report the situation to the base's upper management later and demand that they set up a dedicated negotiation department. Then, let others worry about bargaining with Gu Luoyu!
“S-class pollution creatures attacking the base?”
After successfully finding out what had happened at the base recently, although it was a question, Gu Luoyu's calm expression confirmed her previous guess.
Where there's one, there will be another. Since the pollution creatures in the depths of the wilderness had started to act, there would surely be more to come.
Dr. Na Nali, sitting in the office chair opposite her, also sighed and said somewhat dejectedly, “Yes, I didn't expect to hear this bad news right after we returned. I was called to a meeting just now, and they asked me to lead the team to research new weapons to help the base overcome this difficulty.”
Once he started talking, Dr. Na Nali couldn't stop. He continued to chatter, “But even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice. Pollution creatures have been a threat for more than a day or two. Now, the base's weapons can only deal with A-class pollution creatures. They are of little use against S-class pollution creatures.”
“We can only rely on espers. I say, instead of researching new weapons, we should focus more on espers...”
As she listened, Gu Luoyu raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on her lips. “Doctor, everyone has their specialty. I think you are excellent at researching weapons. At least compared to researching espers, you are more likely to achieve results.”
Dr. Na Nali's research ability was not bad, but over the years, he had no practical results in terms of espers. At most, he could research some minor methods to control espers.
These methods were used by the base's upper management to show off their power and threaten others.
However, against the current danger of pollution creatures attacking the city, it was obviously of no use. It might even become a burden.
Gu Luoyu also knew that the reason Dr. Na Nali said this in front of her was not just a casual complaint. The doctor probably still wanted to continue researching her, an esper whose strength had suddenly surged.
But times were different now. After fighting with the pollution creatures in the deep sea area, Gu Luoyu knew her strength.
Even if all the espers in the base attacked her together, they would not win.
It could be said that, so far, Gu Luoyu was the strongest in the entire human base, and she could even casually kill S-class pollution creatures. Only pollution creatures of S+ level or above could match her.
If Gu Luoyu remained single and a lone wolf, she wouldn't care if the base was destroyed or if humanity survived. Anyway, as long as she was alive, she could keep fighting pollution creatures until she died.
However, this was just a hypothetical situation. Now that she had a happy and fulfilling family, Gu Luoyu did not want the base to be destroyed too quickly.
This would lead to Ye Sheng living a life of hardship.
Therefore, Gu Luoyu had already made a plan in her heart. She intended to find an opportunity to leave the base later and kill all the S-class or higher pollution creatures nearby, giving the base a chance to breathe.
As for why she didn't go directly to the depths of the wilderness to solve the source of the problem?
First, Gu Luoyu's abilities were not yet so heaven-defying that she could wipe out all the pollution creatures in the depths of the wilderness. Second, leaving some powerful pollution creatures to cause trouble would keep the base officials busy and preoccupied, preventing them from thinking too much and starting infighting.
Gu Luoyu did not intend to help the base too much before Ye Duoduo reached the age of ten.
“Sigh, I was just saying. Even if I wanted to continue researching espers, the base wouldn't allow it... But, regarding the issue of human survival, Gu Luoyu, I hope you can inform the base of the methods to enhance the strength of espers, as only espers can deal with high-level pollution creatures now.”
Knowing that her little thoughts had been seen through, Dr. Na Nali was not embarrassed. His expression was serious now. If he could get Gu Luoyu to agree, he wouldn't mind kneeling and begging.
Everything was for humanity to continue to live!
Gu Luoyu's expression remained unchanged. She tapped the armrest of the chair rhythmically with her left index finger, her red eyes flashing with a hint of brilliance. Under Dr. Na Nali's anxious gaze, she finally gave her answer: “It's not impossible, but I need to consider it.”
Before Dr. Na Nali could show a look of ecstasy, Gu Luoyu said unceremoniously, “But Doctor, you also know that I'm not a generous person. If I can come up with a method to make espers stronger, what can the base give me in return?”
Saying this, Gu Luoyu smiled at Dr. Na Nali. Although she was incredibly beautiful, her smile made Dr. Na Nali feel heartbroken, yet he couldn't refuse such a huge opportunity falling into his lap!
He had a bad premonition that the base would have to pay a heavy price.
Despite a premonition that the base would suffer heavy losses this time, Dr. Na Nali did not refuse. Let the higher-ups in the base worry about it; he only needed to report truthfully.
After all, who would refuse a method to become stronger provided by Gu Luoyu, the base's strongest individual?
After completing the deep-sea exploration mission together, Dr. Na Nali could guarantee that even if Gu Luoyu was previously only ranked in the top hundred, or even not in the top ten, things were different now.
Her strength had surged too rapidly!
Why was he so certain?
It was naturally because of the rare materials Gu Luoyu brought back from the ocean; these were not things that could be easily obtained. Even if other Espers from the base dived to search, there was a high probability they would fail to acquire them and instead lose their lives in the sea.
This was also why Dr. Na Nali, who had been full of confidence before the exploration mission and wanted to use the opportunity to win over Gu Luoyu, had now completely given up.
“Your proposal involves too many factors, and I cannot make the decision alone. I will report it to the base later, and someone will handle the transaction with you then.”
“Alright.”
After the serious discussion, both Dr. Na Nali and Gu Luoyu were satisfied. Then, Dr. Na Nali's expression changed. He relaxed his features and said with a smile, “According to research on Espers, it's difficult for powerful Espers like you to have offspring. It's truly fortunate that you have a lovely daughter now.”
As for Esper children inheriting madness and committing suicide, it was too early and too heavy to discuss now.
Dr. Na Nali feared that if he said half a sentence, the head on his neck would be ripped off...
“It is indeed fortunate, but my partner worked the hardest, so I plan to spend more time with my family from now on.”
“...”
Upon hearing this, Dr. Na Nali's mouth twitched. Gu Luoyu's words were blunt; she was telling him to inform the base's higher-ups that she would not follow orders and clean up their mess.
Dr. Na Nali had expected this. After all, no one could command Gu Luoyu anymore.
Except for her partner.
Thinking of this, Dr. Na Nali felt a headache coming on and had no more energy to chat with Gu Luoyu. He quickly waved his hand, signaling Gu Luoyu to leave quickly and leave this troublesome matter for others at the base to worry about!
Having achieved her goal, Gu Luoyu smiled good-naturedly and then left the Esper Research Institute with light steps. She didn't rush home but bought some food and snacks that Ye Sheng liked along the way.
She strolled all the way, and by the time she returned home, Gu Luoyu was carrying countless items in both hands. Ye Sheng, who opened the door, saw this, her dark eyes sparkling, and a look of pleasant surprise immediately appeared on her face. She hadn't eaten the delicious snacks produced by the base in a long time!
The snacks from the inner city were especially tastier, all made with high-quality, low-radiation ingredients and with an excellent texture!
“Ah Yu, you're truly my thoughtful darling. How did you know I was craving these!”
Ye Sheng happily took the snacks, then pulled Gu Luoyu to sit down together. Food shared with others is even more delicious, and Gu Luoyu also enjoyed Ye Sheng feeding her, her beautiful face beaming with a smile, as radiant as an angel descending to earth.
This completely captivated the appearance-conscious Ye Sheng. While eating, she took the opportunity to lean closer, nestling into Gu Luoyu's embrace.
Her round, almond-shaped eyes seemed to ignite with a fierce flame, making Ye Sheng forget about the snacks. At this moment, she only wanted to 'devour' this beautiful woman, Gu Luoyu.
Just thinking about it made her incredibly excited.
Even though they were an old married couple, their passion was still as strong as ever. In her excitement, Ye Sheng raised her hand, grasped Gu Luoyu's wrist, and lifted it. She then narrowed her eyes slightly, speaking in a domineering tone, “Oh, who is this great beauty? So beautiful, it makes my heart itch. I really can't stand it.”
As she spoke, Ye Sheng smugly lowered her head and kissed her lips, then continued downward, kissing Gu Luoyu's fair and slender neck until she stopped at her collarbone, leaving a red mark.
It was stunningly beautiful, complementing her pink hair.
Although they had previously agreed with Gu Luoyu not to initiate intimacy, now that they had a child, there was no need to abide by that rule. She could be as wild as she wanted, hahaha!
However, the foreplay shouldn't be skipped; role-playing could also be fun.
Unexpectedly, Gu Luoyu didn't play along. Her face remained smiling, and her words were as sweet and sticky as if she had spilled honey: “Of course, she's yours.”
“...”
Ye Sheng instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she glared at Gu Luoyu 'fiercely,' her dark eyes shining brightly, “Gu Luoyu, don't just try to seduce me! Don't cry later; I'm going to bully you fiercely!”
“Really? I can't wait!”
Gu Luoyu chuckled. She was well aware of her partner's boastful nature, so she didn't take it to heart. Instead, she flipped over and pinned Ye Sheng down, instantly reversing the roles. She lowered her head and kissed her fiercely.
Since Ye Sheng became pregnant, Gu Luoyu had been careful not to overdo it. Even when Ye Sheng couldn't help but want to 'take the lead' during that time, she had generally been gentle, satisfying Ye Sheng's needs was enough.
But her own desires had been accumulating again and again. Now that she had finally 'given birth,' even if Ye Sheng didn't initiate, Gu Luoyu wouldn't let her off easily.
The pent-up desires needed to be expressed properly!
...
Sigh!
Lying on the bed like a salted fish, Ye Sheng couldn't help but sigh for the 108th time. They say women are monsters that devour vital energy, and it's so true... Gu Luoyu was the culprit who made her lie there for three days and three nights!
She had expected a hearty 'battle,' but in reality, only she, the unlucky one, suffered.
Ahhh, Espers have too much stamina; they're practically monsters!
Even with the healing abilities of her pet, Little White, and the special ring on her hand, she couldn't recover from the mental fatigue, giving Ye Sheng the illusion that she was about to die from excessive indulgence.
Thinking of this, Ye Sheng turned over, her resentment filling the air as she stared to her left. A certain satisfied woman was gently coaxing their child. Her beautiful appearance gave no hint of the wildness on the bed; she was truly a two-faced person!
Meanwhile, Gu Luoyu, after teasing Ye Duoduo in her arms, looked up at Ye Sheng, her red eyes smiling, “I've discussed cooperation with the base officials regarding the enhancement of Espers' strength. The base should give a response in the next couple of days.”
“???”
Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng's resentment vanished. She sat up in confusion, somewhat bewildered.
“How will the strength of Espers be enhanced? Will it use the items I drew?”
“No, but it will require Xiao Sheng's help.”