Ch 128: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

On the other side, after hearing his subordinates’ report—especially upon learning that Shao Nan had already sent people back to Red City—Hou Weimin’s face darkened. “Fools! He sent people back, and none of you thought to send two of our own along?”

His subordinates looked troubled. “Commander Shao never asked us, nor did he inform us in advance. By the time we realized, the vehicle had already left. When we approached him about it, he just brushed us off.”

“Then you should have sent a vehicle back as well!”

But without Hou Weimin’s approval, who among them would dare make such a decision? His subordinates felt bitter but kept their heads down, not daring to argue. Hou Weimin paced anxiously in place, but he knew he couldn’t fully blame them for this.

He had assumed that Shen Qing and his team were merely trying to build good relationships with both the government and military, hoping to secure some benefits within the base—perhaps a shop or a few vendor stalls. While Red City Base had been expanding continuously, its size was still insignificant compared to the number of refugees. The government had always refused to open it up unconditionally, partly due to a lack of space for proper resettlement.

Even in the trading zone, renting a spot wasn’t something just anyone could do. If you didn’t have the right connections, you’d have to pay your way in.

Hou Weimin had originally thought that Shen Qing was simply trying to save some money. Given their valuable metal cage tactic, he was more than willing to exchange mutual benefits with them—though, of course, he intended for his side to take the bigger share…

But he hadn’t expected the issue of seeds to come up! Shen Qing and his team played it off as if they had stumbled upon the seeds by chance, pretending to know nothing. But Hou Weimin wasn’t that gullible. It was obvious that they were revealing this information while feigning ignorance just to keep their hands clean.

Hou Weimin had no direct dealings with the research institute and wasn’t entirely sure what the real situation was. But based on what he knew about those people, there was a high chance that Song Kaiji was telling the truth. After all, wasn’t he himself trying to claim more credit than he actually deserved? It wasn’t surprising at all that the research institute would do the same.

But taking credit only worked if you could clean up the mess afterward. No wonder the research institute had only managed to develop three stable vegetable crops—no new varieties had been introduced for so long. In theory, once the technical challenges were solved, developing similar crops like lettuce and cabbage should have been straightforward. Even if they hadn’t cracked grain production yet, other leafy greens should have been easier to cultivate.

So the real problem was the lack of original seed samples…

Hou Weimin let out a bitter laugh, cursing the research institute in his mind while realizing that he himself had also miscalculated.

Looking at Shen Qing and his team, who were now deep in conversation with Shao Nan, it was clear that they had already reached some kind of agreement. Even knowing this, Hou Weimin had no choice but to swallow his pride and approach them.

“I heard you all went to Lan Province in search of seeds? Looks like you had quite the harvest.”

Shen Qing glanced at him and pulled out a packet of seeds from his storage space. Unlike the batch given to Shao Nan—which was a new type of canola seed that had never appeared in Red City—he handed Hou Weimin a packet of cabbage seeds, something the research institute already possessed.

“We did all right,” Shen Qing said casually. “Commander Shao mentioned that these seeds might be very important to Red City. After discussing it, we’ve decided to hand over all of them to the base—we won’t be keeping any for ourselves.”

Hou Weimin was caught off guard by Shen Qing’s willingness to hand over the seeds so easily. A trace of joy flashed across his face, but at the same time, he felt a bit ashamed of his previous scheming.

Shen Qing’s team had not only given up the seeds but had also shared the metal cage tactic without reservation. Both of these contributions were, without exaggeration, of immense value to the country and the people. Even if they hoped to gain some benefits in return, it was more than justified.

If they didn’t ask for anything, the government should still reward them accordingly.

“But we do have one condition,” Song Kaiji interjected. “The Red City research institute has never publicly acknowledged that the vegetable seeds they developed were crossbred with those given by that woman who left the base. We would like an official answer—can the research institute cultivate new crops on its own without outside help? If they can, then we don’t actually need to hand over these seeds. We can simply wait for them to develop their own. After all, our wood-type ability users can already grow enough to sustain our team for several years. Everyone knows how precious food is in the apocalypse—we have a large group to feed too.”

Hou Weimin’s smile froze, his expression turning slightly awkward.

He fully understood what Song Kaiji was implying. There was a vast difference between being aiding the research effort and being essential to it.

If the research institute could develop new seeds independently, then Shen Qing’s team was merely making things a little easier—just adding to an already progressing effort. But if the institute couldn’t create new varieties without external sources, then Shen Qing’s seeds were not just a bonus—they were indispensable.

The level of reward they should receive from the government would differ drastically depending on this answer.

Hou Weimin looked into Shen Qing’s resolute eyes and couldn’t help but wonder—did they have some personal grudge against the research institute?

But… Hou Weimin let out another bitter laugh.

He didn’t know about other people, but based on his own experience and everything he had witnessed, what Song Kaiji and Shen Qing were asking for sounded simple yet was actually incredibly difficult to achieve.

A world that is too clean has no fish.

Throughout history, literature and cinema had often depicted protagonists fighting through hardships to uncover a truth or justice. But why was it always a struggle? Shouldn’t truth and justice be the most basic, most universally present things in the world?

The reality was that truth and justice often conflicted with power.

Lower-ranked individuals exposing the secrets of those in power, or seeking justice that would disrupt the established order, was never easy—because it required those in power to willingly relinquish some of their authority and admit their mistakes. And how often did that happen?

Even in historical fiction, the legendary justice of figures like Judge Bao had limits. Why did the famous Cat Exchange for the Crown Prince case only surface after Empress Liu’s death? Even if these were just literary fabrications, why did the authors dare not set the revelation during her lifetime?

(T/N: Judge Bao, also known as Bao Zheng (包拯, 999–1062), was a famous Chinese official and magistrate during the Song Dynasty. He is widely revered in Chinese history and folklore for his incorruptibility, fairness, and strict application of the law, often standing up against corrupt officials and even members of the imperial family.

The “Cat Exchange for the Crown Prince” case (狸猫换太子, Lí Māo Huàn Tàizǐ) is a famous legend from Chinese folklore, often associated with Judge Bao. It tells the story of a royal intrigue involving a switched princeand wrongful accusations, which Judge Bao later resolves with his signature sense of justice.)

Because power was never that easily challenged.

Because only when Empress Liu passed away, and her power dissipated with her life, could the truth finally surface. As long as she was alive, no one could demand justice—even the famously impartial Judge Bao would have found it impossible.

Hou Weimin had no direct ties to the research institute, nor did he have any friends working there. However, relationships within the base were deeply interconnected. While he himself had no involvement, others with higher positions certainly did.

To a small ability-user team like Shen Qing’s, the research institute represented an untouchable authority, even if only by a small margin.

For Hou Weimin, the best course of action was to avoid mentioning the research institute’s past deception altogether. The most practical solution was to quietly hand over the seeds Shen Qing’s team had obtained, accelerate the development of new crops, and ensure the people of Red City Base had enough food to eat. In private, he could compensate Shen Qing’s team generously with material goods—if he couldn’t give them face, he could at least give them benefits.

If they really pressed the issue, too many people would be implicated. Were they supposed to punish or dismiss the entire research institute staff? Then who would continue the work? Who would conduct the research?

Hou Weimin didn’t know what others would think, but from his perspective, this was the way politics worked. It was how he had navigated his own career thus far. He was about to persuade Shen Qing and the others not to push too hard when Shao Nan, ever straightforward, blurted out, “Isn’t this just common sense? The people who actually deserve credit should get the recognition. How can someone else take credit for it? I’ve already sent people back to investigate the truth. It’s a pity that woman already left Red City Base, or else she should be rewarded too!”

The “beautiful woman” Qu Weiwei was quite pleased to hear this and gave Shao Nan an approving glance.

Hou Weimin’s headache worsened. The problem was that this mission had been a joint effort between him and the military. Now that Shao Nan had learned about the situation and had already reported it to the higher-ups, if the military decided to use this as leverage to strengthen their position within the base, the research institute might actually have to pay the price.

This was precisely what Shen Qing and his team wanted. If truth and fairness were being suppressed by power, they would simply pit power against power and reap the benefits from the sidelines.

Shao Nan gave Shen Qing and Song Kaiji a push. “We’re short one vehicle, so there’s no room left. I’ll squeeze in with you guys… Captain Hou, you better get back to your vehicle too. We’re leaving in ten minutes—the sooner we get back, the sooner we can report the mission.”

Hou Weimin stood there for a moment, lost in thought, before sighing in resignation. At the same time, he also felt somewhat relieved. Since things had already reached this point, it was better to let the military handle it and keep himself out of it. He would just miss out on taking credit, that’s all.

He had successfully completed the hospital mission and would receive a commendation upon returning. Adding the metal cage tactic into the mix, it was actually better for him not to be involved in the seed issue. If Shen Qing’s team had tried to use him as the channel to submit the seeds, he would have been stuck between them and the research institute, possibly even forced to oppose the latter on their behalf. After all, that was part of their demand when offering the seeds.

He had no interest in making enemies. If Shao Nan wanted to take up that fight, he was welcome to it. The military had always been at odds with the government, and it wouldn’t be surprising for them to use this as ammunition against the research institute.

As for the larger struggle between the government and the military… As a government official, Hou Weimin naturally didn’t want the government to lose influence. But at this point, if the sky were to fall, there were people higher up than him to handle it. He was just a mid-level officer—if he could contribute, great; if not, he wasn’t going to burden himself with it.

With that thought in mind, Hou Weimin decided not to mess with Shen Qing’s team anymore. People who insisted on seeking truth and fairness were always the hardest to deal with. And now that they had aligned themselves with Shao Nan, the military would likely back them in the future.

Rather than risk being held accountable later like the research institute, it was better to offer them some concessions now and avoid unnecessary conflicts. With this realization, Hou Weimin relaxed and smiled at Shen Qing and Song Kaiji. “Alright, let’s discuss the details once we return to the base. We truly appreciate your help this time. When I report back, I’ll make sure your contributions are properly recorded. Also, if Mr. Tang and Miss Qu are willing to train our metal- and wood-type ability users, we will certainly make it worth their while.”

With that, the vehicles started up, and the group set off for Red City Base.

Qu Weiwei clicked her tongue. “Captain Hou sure knows how to change his stance fast. Slick and slippery.” At least he was changing for the better.

Shen Qing chuckled. If Hou Weimin didn’t have the ability to adapt and make strategic decisions, how could he have risen to his current position? Smart people had their own ways of surviving. This whole situation had been a valuable lesson for Shen Qing—this was his first real experience dealing with government officials. While he had bought land and houses before, those dealings had been handled through brokers, and he had never interacted directly with officials.

When they decided to align with either the military or government higher-ups by offering the seeds, Shen Qing had also considered forming connections with officials in Anping County for protection. But now, he realized that politics was far more complex than he had initially thought. Government officials were all shrewd, and this mission had only gone smoothly because of collective effort and a bit of luck. If he had tried to handle it alone, he wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.

The journey back to Red City Base would take another two days and one night. That evening, they stopped to rest in an abandoned apartment building. Now that Hou Weimin had come to terms with everything, he was much friendlier toward Shen Qing’s team and didn’t bring up the seed issue again.

As usual, the earth-type ability users built a stove, and they cooked a communal meal in a large pot. This time, the space-type ability users were back, and Shao Nan contributed more canned food to the mix.

Not wanting to freeload, Hou Weimin also pitched in.

Shen Qing’s storage space contained ready-made dishes prepared by Mother Tang. Looking through the food Shao Nan and Hou Weimin provided, Song Kaiji pulled out three portions of chicken pot stew—each made with a whole young rooster weighing five to six pounds, along with potatoes, crab sticks, and rice cakes. Qu Weiwei then used her ability to instantly grow a few ears of corn and some onions, which they added to the pot. With the canned food thrown in, there was enough to feed the thirty or so people.

By the end of the meal, some soldiers even cooked instant noodles in the remaining broth, adding water to stretch it further. Not a single drop was wasted.

It wasn’t that they usually went hungry, but even before the apocalypse, such a flavorful meal would have been worth eating two extra bowls.

Shen Qing sat next to Song Kaiji, sharing food from their meal boxes. After living well for so long, he had become somewhat picky about his food and had developed preferences. He found that he didn’t like eating things with small bones—large bones were fine, but dealing with tiny ones was too much of a hassle.

Instead, he had taken a liking to canned luncheon meat. This was his first time trying the kind Shao Nan had brought, and he enjoyed the taste. It reminded him of starch sausages but had a slightly different texture. Since he already liked starch sausages, he found himself enjoying luncheon meat even more. The wide crab sticks in the chicken stew were also delicious.

Seeing this, Song Kaiji picked out the luncheon meat and crab sticks from his bowl and gave them to Shen Qing, while Shen Qing passed him the bone-in chicken pieces from his own bowl. Shao Nan and Hou Weimin sat nearby, watching them trade food back and forth without interrupting. It wasn’t until they were halfway through their meal that they finally brought up the main topic.

Shao Nan wanted to know what Shen Qing’s team expected in return for handing over the seeds. That way, he could include it in his report to the higher-ups. Hou Weimin, though no longer directly involved in the seed issue, saw great potential in Shen Qing’s team. Since he still needed Tang Wenjie to train their ability users on the metal cage tactic, he also wanted to build a good relationship with them.

Shen Qing had already thought it through. “We want to open a shop in the city to sell food—things like starch sausages, which everyone just ate. They’re homemade by our team members’ families. In the future, we might also sell gluten snacks and various soy products. We’re not asking for special help—we have the money. We just want some protection so no one bullies us.”

This was a simple request. They didn’t even need government assistance. As long as Shao Nan occasionally visited the shop to show that he was friendly with them, anyone with half a brain would recognize that the store had military backing and wouldn’t dare cause trouble—unless they had a personal grudge against Shao Nan.

Shao Nan nodded. “Anything else?”

He didn’t believe that Shen Qing would ask for so little.

But that was truly all Shen Qing wanted. Originally, he had considered requesting some of the research institute’s developed seeds. After all, just as the institute coveted the seeds in his hands, he was equally envious of their agricultural techniques. Say what you will about their ethics, their research was undeniably valuable!

Take sweet potatoes as an example—back in Lantang Village, where Shen Qing was from, the land was already considered fertile, with access to both mountains and water. Yet, even under the best conditions, a single season would yield only 200 to 400 jin per mu, with the richest soil barely producing 500 jin at most. Meanwhile, modern sweet potatoes in high-yield plots could produce 8,000 to 10,000 jin per mu!

As a seasoned farmer, Shen Qing wouldn’t even dare to dream of such a yield.

Even on average land, modern varieties could still yield 3,000 to 5,000 jin per mu. Of course, modern farming required fertilization and other auxiliary methods, and crossbreeding with ancient seeds would likely reduce the yield somewhat.

But as long as they could reach over 1,000 jin per mu, it would be a huge leap forward for Lantang Village, and Shen Qing would be more than satisfied!

This seed incident had made Shen Qing realize that his ability to travel between two worlds wasn’t just a means to amass wealth by exploiting price differences—he could also use it to make both worlds better.

He had already decided to donate his seeds to Red City Base to help the people in the apocalypse. In the future, he hoped to gain the ability to give back to Lantang Village as well.

However, since the newly developed seeds were stable for replanting, he could simply buy some and let Qu Weiwei save them herself. They had already secured new varieties of radish, cabbage, and celery. Soon enough, the base’s wood-type ability users would realize that food production would no longer be monopolized by the base’s farms, leading to a significant rise in their status. The military would also be able to establish its own agricultural sector.

Since he could obtain the seeds himself, there was no need to ask the government for them and waste a favor on something so minor.

Shao Nan was stunned. Even if Shen Qing had made an outrageous demand—such as full ownership of two shop spaces—he would have gritted his teeth and fought for it. But Shen Qing didn’t want anything?

Shao Nan could only stare at him, feeling as if a holy light radiated from the man before him. After a long silence, he finally said, “This doesn’t feel right… I’ll apply for something on your behalf. We’ll at least have the government and military issue you an honorary medal or a banner—you can hang it up at your store.” If they couldn’t give tangible rewards, they could at least give recognition. A bit of prestige could go a long way—who would dare mess with them after that?

Shen Qing thought about it and didn’t refuse. So this was an option too? He had learned something new.

That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Song Kaiji used teleportation to quietly leave their temporary shelter. He had promised Chen Jiaxi to inform her of the latest developments before they returned to the base, helping her solidify her position in the research institute.

Teleportation had its advantages—he didn’t need to follow roads. He could take the shortest path, landing on tree branches, rock formations in the middle of lakes, or any other tricky spots. He didn’t have to worry about zombies blocking the way or road obstructions—he simply chose the safest and most obscure places to teleport to, making his way toward Red City Base.

By dawn, Song Kaiji finally arrived at the base. He didn’t even need to go through the security checkpoint—he simply teleported straight into Chen Jiaxi’s home.

Handing her a hand-drawn map and a set of photos taken in Dong Niu Yi Village, he said, “This is the place. We left some seeds in the cellar of this house. There are also some in the kitchen cabinet. Just have them go there and take them.”

Chen Jiaxi carefully examined the materials. She had always strictly adhered to her oath—never prying into Shen Qing’s or his team’s memories.

“I wonder if they’ll send people there… The atmosphere at the research institute has been strange since last night.” She looked at Song Kaiji. “Did you run into military personnel and say something?”

“They’re moving that fast? Almost as fast as my teleportation.” Song Kaiji did some quick calculations. Those people had only left six or seven hours ahead of them—they must have been pushing hard.

He gave Chen Jiaxi a brief rundown of their encounters with Shao Nan and Hou Weimin. “What’s the research institute planning now?”

Chen Jiaxi had no intention of being polite when it came to the institute. Entertainment was scarce these days, so she amused herself by snooping through people’s memories as if watching a drama. And she had to admit, the lives of those working in the research institute were very eventful.

“They haven’t made a decision yet. Some of them want to give up and come clean, but others are still determined to resist.”

Yawning, she started gathering her things for work. “Whatever they decide, I’m just here to report my findings and collect my reward. Whether or not they act on it is their business—it’s not my fault if they don’t.”

What she didn’t expect was that her report actually made the holdouts even more determined to resist.

“If that village has seeds, why should they be the only ones who can find them? Didn’t she say there are still some left in the cellar? As long as we go there too… We don’t need much for research. Even a tiny amount will be enough! Once we get them, we can fast-track the process and release new crops quickly. The technical hurdles were solved ages ago—this will be easy. Then we’ll just claim that we developed the seeds ourselves, and no one will ever know the difference!”

Chen Jiaxi listened in with a cold expression before returning to offer advice to Song Kaiji.

“I don’t think you should rush to hand over the seeds just yet. The political landscape inside the base is complicated, and even the military isn’t an impenetrable fortress. If they manage to steal just a few seeds, that’ll be enough for them. Then they might start playing tricks to muddy the waters.”

Fortunately, she still received her promised reward. Perhaps because she had consistently acted docile and trustworthy, the researchers had grown addicted to using her abilities, gradually letting down their guard around her.

Toying with her newly acquired bag of crystal cores, she smirked, already thinking of ways to help Shen Qing.

“You guys should just drag things out. Stall until they return from Lan Province and have no other options left. Let them run out of excuses and see what they try then.”

When the research institute finally faced internal turmoil, she could use the opportunity to climb the ranks herself.

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