Chapter 80 part 2
At noon, after eating at home, Qin Jiuzhen arrived at the worksite on time, joining the others. Most of the workers were sturdy and strong, making him look out of place with his slender frame. There were only two or three others as skinny as him.
The other thin workers quickly gravitated toward Qin Jiuzhen. The three of them bonded over their shared situation, but the work soon began, leaving little time for chatter.
—
Xia Liansheng had no idea that the person he wanted to pamper and protect was enduring such grueling labor. All he knew was that he was deeply satisfied.
Especially now, with Qin Jiulin absent, he could spend as much intimate time with Qin Jiuzhen as he liked. When Qin Jiulin returned, he’d have to restrain himself.
Meanwhile, Gao Siyang asked, “What’s the situation in Modu? Do we have a relatively accurate estimate of the remaining number of half beastmen individuals?”
Wu Feiyang said, “After such a long period of effort, the results are quite good. Most of the half beastmen individuals near the northern area have now moved south.”
“The exact numbers aren’t very clear, but their population has significantly decreased. If I must give a figure, the number of half beastmen individuals still left in Modu is roughly between 8 and 10 million.”
Gao Siyang replied, “That number is still quite high. The temperature is already dropping, and in two months, winter will arrive. We must reclaim Modu before winter comes.”
Fu Haiyang reassured him, “Captain Gao, don’t worry. If we push a bit harder now, we can already reclaim one-third of Modu.”
“Of course, there are still some dangerous areas along the borders. After all, the half beastmen individuals haven’t been completely eradicated. The risks during winter will increase several times.”
Gao Siyang nodded, “We need to continue focusing on the current plan while also taking proactive measures on our side. If we work on both fronts, the time it takes to reclaim Modu shouldn’t be too long.”
“Over the past few months, I believe you’ve all noticed, haven’t you? Many of the half beastmen individuals are getting stronger. If we want to reclaim Modu, now is the time when the difficulty is the lowest.”
“Waiting until next year—or even two years from now—isn’t impossible, but by then, the half beastmen individuals will definitely be several times stronger than they are now. Relying solely on a few variant beastmen individuals to protect everyone will no longer be feasible.”
“So, from the start, we must see this through to the end.”
Wu Feiyang and Fu Haiyang exchanged glances. How could they not have noticed? It wasn’t just the half beastmen individuals—many of the surrounding animals were showing similar changes, especially those exhibiting signs of atavism.
Wu Feiyang said, “Captain Gao, there’s actually some bad news.”
Gao Siyang prompted him, “Go on.”
Wu Feiyang explained, “We’ve been using blood bags frequently, and it seems the half beastmen individuals are losing interest in them. Originally, a single blood bag could affect a wide range, but now its effective range has dropped to half or even one-third.”
Gao Siyang frowned, “That’s no small problem.”
Wu Feiyang suggested, “Captain Gao, we’re considering whether we should toss down some severely injured but still living animals. Even if they die upon landing, their fresh blood and flesh might be much more effective.”
Gao Siyang countered, “But with that approach, the number of beastmen individuals capable of executing this plan would be quite limited, wouldn’t it?”
Wu Feiyang nodded, “Indeed, the number is quite small. Based on the statistics, there are only about eleven who can do this.”
These include not just those with claws to grab prey, but also larger beastmen individuals who can carry prey on their backs and fly over. Since they’re already covered in the scent of blood, it doesn’t matter. After dropping the blood and flesh, they can return quickly and clean themselves up without any issues.
Gao Siyang considered it, “Let’s hold off on this plan for now. We’ll revisit it once Liu Zhongyuan and the others return. After all, we can’t proceed without Qi Yue. If something goes wrong, Qi Yue’s beast form is the strongest among these flying beastmen individuals. His presence would provide an additional layer of security.”
Wu Feiyang agreed, “That makes sense. For now, we’ll continue with the blood bag plan.”
Gao Siyang concluded, “We still have at least two months. No need to rush. If worst comes to worst, we’ll deploy all the beastmen individuals and soldiers. At that point…”
If it came to that, they’d have to trouble Liu Zhongyuan and the others to make more trips to the military bases. After all, the stockpile of munitions there was substantial—enough to supply the entire military base for several years. With the current reduced number of soldiers, they might as well make full use of it. Once it’s depleted, they could always produce more later.
Although the blood bag plan wasn’t as effective as before, it still yielded some results. By the time Liu Zhongyuan and his team returned, the number of half beastmen individuals had decreased by several hundred thousand. The military now controlled about one-fourth of Modu.
When Qin Jiulin and his team returned, their first priority was to report the mission details to Gao Siyang.
Liu Zhongyuan said, “That’s about it. We didn’t encounter much danger along the way. Perhaps it’s because we’ve been traveling this route so frequently that many of the surrounding animals instinctively avoid it.”
“Of course, it’s also possible that they saw us from afar and didn’t want to provoke us, so they left preemptively. In any case, the mission was completed perfectly this time.”
Gao Siyang expressed his gratitude, “Thank you all very much. Go back and rest for now. By the way, if Qi Yue doesn’t have anything urgent tomorrow morning, have him come over. We have some new plans regarding the half beastmen individuals in Modu.”
Liu Zhongyuan asked curiously, “Can we join him?”
Without hesitation, Gao Siyang replied, “Of course. We’ll likely need your help as well.”
Liu Zhongyuan teased, “Well… just don’t forget to credit us for our contributions.”
Gao Siyang laughed heartily, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget. Whatever you need, you’ll get!”
After leaving Gao Siyang, Liu Zhongyuan walked ahead, holding Qin Jiulin’s hand, chatting endlessly as if he had an infinite supply of things to say.
But suddenly, Liu Zhongyuan fell silent. It was as if the power had gone out while watching TV. He looked up with a puzzled expression, staring off into the distance. Qin Jiulin followed his gaze but was quickly turned away as Liu Zhongyuan covered his eyes, urging, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
Although curious, Qin Jiulin didn’t press further. He wasn’t particularly inquisitive by nature. However, he asked with some confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Liu Zhongyuan replied, “I saw a group of disgusting people. It’s better if you don’t look.”
Qin Jiulin countered, “But shouldn’t I take a look? If I don’t see what they look like now, how will I recognize them later if we encounter them again?”
Liu Zhongyuan thought for a moment and agreed, “You’re right. Go ahead and look, but just a quick glance. If you look too long, your eyes might get dirty.”
From Liu Zhongyuan’s tone, Qin Jiulin could tell that anyone who could make the usually cheerful Liu Zhongyuan say such things must not be good people. However, when he looked over, all he saw was a middle-aged couple with their two children—a boy and a girl. They seemed like a warm, harmonious family of four. Could it be…?
Qin Jiulin asked, “You seem upset. If that’s the case, I won’t look.”
Liu Zhongyuan, having calmed down, said, “It’s fine. Keep looking.”
Qin Jiulin hesitated, “Can I ask what’s going on?”
Liu Zhongyuan sighed, “It’s not something I can’t talk about, but this has to stay between us. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. No one else can find out, alright?”
Qin Jiulin nodded, “Alright.”
Liu Zhongyuan explained, “Actually, those two… are my biological parents. I’m their first child, but for some reason, they abandoned me. They knew I was picked up just a few streets away by my adoptive parents. They often saw me being beaten and mistreated, fully aware that I was their child, but they never even spared me a glance.”
Qin Jiulin was shocked, “What?”
Standing behind them, Qi Yue overheard the entire conversation. Did this make him the third person to know about it? Wait, based on Liu Zhongyuan’s words, the people aware of this story included him, Qin Jiulin, and… oh, right, that middle-aged couple.
Qin Jiulin thought for a moment and said, “While I don’t know their reasons, doesn’t this mean you don’t owe them anything? If they come looking for you in the future, you can justifiably tell them you don’t recognize them.”
Liu Zhongyuan stroked his chin, “You’re right. Let’s head back…”
Just then, the seemingly happy family of four suddenly turned and stared directly at them. The woman fixated on Liu Zhongyuan and called his name.
When Liu Zhongyuan didn’t respond, she seemed uncertain and quickly brought her family over, saying, “Liu Zhongyuan? It really is you! You saw us just now, didn’t you? Why didn’t you come over and say hello? We’re your biological parents, after all. As expected, growing up away from us has made you as ill-mannered as your adoptive parents!”
The middle-aged man interrupted her, “Alright, alright, this isn’t the time for that. Liu Zhongyuan, arrange a place for us to stay immediately. We just arrived, and the free housing provided by the military is just a big dormitory. It’s not fit for living. We have to wait for better housing to be assigned.”
Qin Jiulin looked at the couple with astonishment. How could they so brazenly demand help from a child they hadn’t raised?
He discreetly observed the family. The couple carried themselves with an air of arrogance, as if they were above others. Clearly, the past few months hadn’t made them realize just how dire the current situation truly was.
