RIACMET chapter 106

 

Eat the melon and eat yourself, too.

What was meant to happen has finally happened.

Cheng Jing calmly finished eating his melon, wiped his hands, and waited. Today seemed to be the day for everyone to lay their cards on the table.

He’d been prepared to be exposed ever since he started distributing supplies to people he knew in the base. Now that the timing was just right, he might as well come out and say it plainly.

Even though Minister Wang had tried to probe him indirectly, Cheng Jing had also deliberately set the bait.

“…”

When Minister Wang saw that he remained silent and didn’t look particularly shocked, he felt relieved and said with a smile,

“Don’t blame Xiaokai. I asked him about this a long time ago, and we almost got into an argument before he finally admitted it. That guy, Zhou Li, and Li Sheng—they’re all on your side.”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, the corners of Cheng Jing’s lips lifted slightly. This was exactly the result he’d wanted.

If you didn’t show some goodwill after taking things from him, there wouldn’t be another chance.

With this in mind, he looked straight into Minister Wang’s eyes and admitted honestly,

“Yes, I gave that to Yang Kai.”

Minister Wang raised a finger and tapped it against the table.

“I figured as much. I assume everyone got their share of fresh fruits and vegetables—everyone except me.”

“Ahem…”

Cheng Jing lowered his head slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. At the time, he hadn’t thought it was such a big deal. However, having it called out so directly was still rather awkward. After all, Minister Wang was an acquaintance.

“I thought so…”

Minister Wang let out a helpless sigh and finally patted both hands on his knees.

“Cheng Jing, I called you here today to speak frankly. Let’s stop testing and probing each other, all right?”

These days, young people were really hard to fool. He tried a few tricks and ended up getting caught in his own trap.

“Minister…”

Cheng Jing started to explain, but Minister Wang waved his hand to interrupt him.

“Don’t feel guilty. Now that everything has been said, there’s no need to hide anymore. I understand your concerns. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes. It’s only human nature.”

Cheng Jing pressed his lips together.

“Thank you.”

From another perspective, their approach was perfectly reasonable. It all came down to whether the officials were willing to cooperate. If they were, everything would be easy.

“First of all…”

After a long moment to gather his thoughts, Minister Wang continued:

“Nancheng Base is a military-run place. Its purpose is to serve and protect the people. There are many superpowered individuals on your team. It’s normal for you to have secrets that you don’t want made public. We’re not going to use moral blackmail to force you. Frankly, this country hasn’t fallen that far yet.”

“Yes.”

Cheng Jing folded his hands together in front of him. He wanted to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.

He understood the principle, but without any guarantees, caution was still the wisest policy. If he slipped up, he’d have nowhere left to go.

“…”

It was like an unspoken game. They sat in silence for nearly half a minute before Minister Wang finally spoke clearly.

“No matter what method you’re using to purify the soil and grow those vegetables and fruits, it’s a good thing. We will not forcibly confiscate your supplies or demand that you hand them over. I can guarantee that with my own character.”

Nancheng Base was currently trying to retain strong supernaturals and all sorts of talents. They absolutely wouldn’t do something barbaric at this point.

“…”

Cheng Jing’s breath caught in his throat. A surge of indescribable relief and excitement rose in his chest, and he unconsciously clenched his fists.

This was exactly the reassurance he’d wanted.

It was the outcome he’d spent so long planning for.

Nian Nian’s ability couldn’t be hidden forever, especially since they were planning to farm and purify a larger area of land.

It was better to reveal it gradually and in a controlled way than to keep it buried.

Minister Wang’s words made him feel that his efforts to cooperate with the authorities had been rewarded.

They also proved that their original decision to choose South City Base was the wisest choice.

Minister Wang knew he’d been waiting for this. He smiled, pulled up a document on his phone, and slid it over.

“This is the latest report on the land purification project. The base’s research institute has reached the mid-to-late stages of soil purification experiments. They can be implemented after the extreme heat passes.”

“Now that more people are coming to the base, other supernaturals in the planning division have started testing various land purification methods. You’re just a bit ahead of them. You’re not unique.”

These days, everyone was secretly competing. It would be foolish for Nancheng Base to clash with a strong psionic team over something that was about to be resolved anyway.

Besides, if it wasn’t handled properly, it could affect the brain-evolved mutants’ decision to choose South City Base.

Cheng Jing was well aware of the value of his position. He remained modest and firm; he just wanted a clear stance from the base.

Young people were cautious and overly prudent.

“This is wonderful!”

Cheng Jing exclaimed, clutching the phone as he flipped through the researchers’ reports. A hidden smile rose to his face, and a rush of enthusiasm filled his heart.

Now that the official formula was nearly complete, the purification abilities wouldn’t draw as much attention in the next stage.

Whether or not the purification was effective against the zombie virus would remain unknown unless it was revealed.

Seeing how happy he was, Minister Wang stood up, walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and teased,

“Cheng Jing, you could stand to be a little more confident. With your current strength, no one’s going to mess with you. Plenty of groups like yours are forming their own armies and building their own shelters out there.”

After finishing reading, Cheng Jing set the phone aside and stood up to respond.

“I’ve never thought about forming my own army. As long as this country exists, I will be a soldier.”

If the day ever came when the entire national order collapsed, he would survive however he must.

He believed that many others thought the same way he did.

“Yes, if we all fall apart, what will ordinary people do?”

Minister Wang gave a calm smile, gazed out the window for a moment, then turned back and asked,

“So, can you tell me now—what exactly is Jiang Nian’s ability? I won’t make it public without your permission, but the core staff need to know the real story to protect him properly.”

“…”

Cheng Jing was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“Jiang Nian’s ability is purification.”

Minister Wang was clearly surprised. He blinked, then sighed.

“To be honest, I was expecting something more unusual. I didn’t think it would be purification. It seems purification protects against psionic attacks and cleanses soil. That’s extremely important information.”

As he spoke, a thought flickered in his mind.

Cheng Jing had gone to such lengths to hide Jiang Nian’s purification power. Was it really just because he could clean contaminated land?

Could it also work on the zombie virus itself if he could purify land tainted by the apocalypse virus?

After all, healing abilities that powerful couldn’t counter the zombie virus. Was it possible that purification had another hidden property?

“…”

A string of guesses flashed through his mind rapidly. Minister Wang paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and shook his head.

These were just guesses. Maybe Cheng Jing just wanted to protect him and allow his lover to live a quiet life.

“One last request.”

Minister Wang gathered all his scattered thoughts and raised a finger.

Cheng Jing took a deep breath.

“Go ahead.”

Minister Wang smiled like an old fox.

“Next time you’re handing out produce, save me a share. If you ever need anything, I can help. If Jiang Nian plans to rent farmland for large-scale cultivation, I’ll send a team to protect you, so you won’t have to fend for yourself. Everything—people and supplies—will be safe.”

After that, he invited him to sit down again. It was still early, so they continued drinking tea and eating melon together.

Spending time talking with young people like this was good for the mind and spirit.

“All right.”

Cheng Jing couldn’t find any reason to refuse. As expected, the old man was the most experienced. He hadn’t forced them but had simply chosen to join them.

In the end, this round of maneuvering concluded with a result that satisfied both sides—the very best outcome.