Chapter 101: Doubts
Ni Mengxue stared at the empty air in front of her.
A blue holographic screen appeared, followed by three criteria.
The first were offensive and defensive artefacts.
She would have to make them herself, purchase them, or otherwise provide them to the people in her base. As long as she fulfilled the requirement, she would receive a reward.
The second was medicine.
Ni Mengxue knew the first two requirements would be easy to fulfill. She could manufacture laser guns specifically designed to kill zombies in her industrial space, while the required medicine could be produced in one of Burning Star Base’s laboratories.
The third requirement, however, was troublesome. Cleaning supplies.
It seemed she would have to ask Lu Yucai’s subordinates to collect cleaning supplies from Burning Star Base.
She had some cleaning products and clothes stored in her space, but those supplies were meant for her team, not an entire base.
As she thought about it, Meng Xiaoni suddenly spoke in his usual calm voice.
"Even if what you’re saying is true, I will still respect you for helping me this time without expecting anything in return."
With that, he stood up, bowed slightly, and calmly walked away. His footsteps were as quiet and steady as ever.
Ni Mengxue chuckled and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. She genuinely wondered whether he had meant what he said.
’If he really meant it, why is he walking away so quickly... or, more accurately, running away?’
Once Meng Xiaoni left, he encountered Lu Yucai outside. He paused, gave him a faint nod, and continued walking.
Lu Yucai watched his retreating figure. "Do you still plan to divorce her?"
Meng Xiaoni didn’t stop. "I’ve already made myself clear. I have always been clear about what I want."
With that, he walked away.
Lu Yucai finally felt the tension leaving his body. His clenched fist slowly relaxed.
"I hope you remain true to your word."
Ni Mengxue entered her mechanical space and immediately began purchasing the materials required to manufacture the laser guns.
She quickly set up the equipment and began assembling the components.
The process required precise calibration of the energy core and focusing mechanism so that the laser could penetrate the mutated tissue of zombies without wasting too much power.
After several adjustments, she finally completed the weapon.
Ni Mengxue wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I just need to test it once."
She glanced at the completed laser gun. "Looks like I’ll have to leave Burning Star Base soon."
Thinking about the approaching zombie tide, Ni Mengxue felt speechless. ’Can this system be any more unreliable?’
It had only given her the warning five days before the expected zombie tide. ’It would have been better if it hadn’t reminded me at all.’
After complaining for a while, she left her mechanical space.
The moment she stepped outside, she saw Lu Yucai practising walking.
His movements had become much smoother and more natural, but there were still limitations.
He couldn’t stand for too long, nor could he run quickly. Otherwise, the spine that had finally healed could become strained and potentially fracture again.
Ni Mengxue looked at him. Sensing her presence, Lu Yucai turned around and gave her a faint smile. Relief immediately filled his expression.
Ni Mengxue paused before walking over and hugging him. "What happened?"
Lu Yucai blinked in confusion. ’How does she always know what I’m thinking?’
Every time he tried to hide his emotions, she somehow noticed. He tugged at his clothes awkwardly before coughing.
"Nothing. I just wanted to give you a smile. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Ni Mengxue pouted. "If you only wanted to smile, that would be the end of the matter. But it’s obvious something is bothering you."
She looked at him.
"Is it about Aunt Rou? Don’t worry. I’ll compensate her husband, find the truth about her death, take revenge on whoever was responsible, and personally apologize to her once I reach the afterlife."
Lu Yucai hugged her. "Then I’ll compensate him alongside you."
Ni Mengxue nodded, and then she lowered her voice.
"Yucai, earlier, you and the others were shaken, so I didn’t ask for details. Can you tell me more about what happened?"
Lu Yucai didn’t hide anything. His expression hardened slightly as he lowered his gaze.
"When we arrived at that location, the illusion of you was too convincing. Even I, who thought I could remain rational, couldn’t tell whether you were real or fake."
He paused. "So Aunt Rou and I attacked the monster."
Ni Mengxue frowned.
"What about her husband? Why didn’t they join the battle? To be precise, they should have been the ones leading. So why was Aunt Rou the one who took the lead and tried to deal with the plant?"
Lu Yucai narrowed his eyes as the memories flashed through his mind. He pulled away from her.
"That’s the strange part. Her husband did accompany her. Valer was around her the entire time. Yet even under his watch, she died."
He didn’t continue. But Ni Mengxue understood. "You suspect Valer killed Aunt Rou for some ulterior motive?"
Lu Yucai shook his head. "Even if I have such thoughts, I can’t say them aloud. I’d only end up looking more ungrateful."
He clenched his fist before slowly relaxing it. Ni Mengxue understood his conflict.
If he raised doubts about Aunt Rou’s death now, it might seem as though he was trying to shift the blame away from himself.
She patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry about it. Just focus on practicing."
She smiled. "Also, I’ll spend the rest of my time in the laboratory. Once Su Yao returns, we’ll confront her and then leave this place."
Lu Yucai frowned. "Why? Doing that will put us even further behind schedule."
"Just do as I say."
Ni Mengxue smiled. "Have I ever made a decision that wasn’t in your favor?"
Lu Yucai sighed.
"All right. I understand. But if my subordinates stay here for too long, they might become tempted by the luxurious conditions of this base. They could even decide to switch sides."