LWDC Chapter 102

Chapter 102 – Picked by Him

Chapter 102 – Picked by Him

Chapter 102 – Picked by Him

Although Ning Fei didn’t sign up for the drug trial, four people from his team did, and in the end, two of them got the spots, bringing the medicine back to the team.

Generally, as long as the relationship between members of an ability user team isn’t too bad, they’ll lend each other medicine in critical situations. The research institute also didn’t require trial volunteers to only use it themselves; they just needed to submit an injury report later.

At the same time, the inter-base research exchange was about to begin.

This time, the exchange location was in Huichuan Base. According to the original world line, it was during this exchange that Chen Yikun met his adopted daughter. Now that this “mission” was gone, Yu Zhou hesitated for a while whether to send Chen Yikun to the exchange. After all, with Duan Yunhong in the director position, it would be too easy to do something to the Tianyue research exchange team. After thinking it over and chatting with Ning Fei, Yu Zhou still put him on the exchange team.

Anyway, Chen Yikun was supposed to go to the exchange in the first place, and he also wanted to go. Not letting him go would seem like they were afraid of Duan Yunhong. Besides, Chen Yikun was Wang Haiyang’s junior brother; having him promote the Tianyue Base’s conditions should be quite effective.

Of course, Yu Zhou’s protection of Chen Yikun was still very thorough. Not to mention anything else, the guard team he sent was quite substantial. This was a guard squad led by a level-three fire ability user soldier, with multiple ability users and military police. They were responsible for escorting the research team back and forth and monitoring their safety throughout their stay in Huichuan Base. Most notably, Yu Zhou said this team was specially selected for Ning Fei.

Ning Fei was puzzled: “Selected for me? Not for the scientists?”

“It’s for you,” Yu Zhou said. “Team leader Zheng Liwen: tall, strong, handsome, and most importantly, not greasy. Oh, and of course, he’s into men; I’ve confirmed that.”

Ning Fei: “…”

Ning Fei: “Why are you picking this for me? And how do you know so much? Don’t tell me he’s second-hand?”

“I’m afraid you’ll see it but can’t have it in Huichuan, and you’ll get all worked up,” Yu Zhou said with a laugh. “I haven’t touched him; who wants to be before or after you, how disgusting.”

Ning Fei raised an eyebrow slightly: “You haven’t touched him? Your phrasing is very problematic; did he used to chase you?”

“Ah, something like that, maybe. But I was busy flirting with Yue Fengping back then. Yue Fengping believes in ‘don’t betray a friend’s wife,’ so I wouldn’t dare play the two-timing game in front of him,” Yu Zhou said jokingly. “Just meet him, it’s not like you’ll lose anything. Or are you going to stay celibate for that ‘luck thief,’ not even seeing any other options?”

“Guerrilla tactics don’t work on me,” Ning Fei said blandly. “Even if I said I wouldn’t meet him, it’s impossible, right? You didn’t arrange for him to contact me at all?”

Yu Zhou replied: “You don’t have to. Anyway, you theoretically don’t have any relationship with Tianyue right now.”

Ning Fei said: “Fine, you said it. If this matter has nothing to do with me, then I might as well go on a mission when the time comes, and avoid suspicion. Remember to train Chen Yikun well in his talking points; if you undo the work I’ve laid out, I’ll have to hold you responsible.”

“…Alright, alright, I can’t argue with you. Please meet Zheng Liwen, okay? I’m begging you,” Yu Zhou said in an exaggerated tone. “Don’t spend the entire exchange outside of Huichuan; you need to be able to respond to unexpected events at any time.”

“Tsk, save that tone for Yue Fengping,” Ning Fei snorted lightly. “Give me Zheng Liwen’s contact information; I’ll contact him in advance. We’ll concoct a chance encounter, and then it’ll be easier to work together.”

“I’ve sent you the entire team, including everyone’s marital status,” Yu Zhou said. “If you don’t like Zheng Liwen, you can check out other flavors. Anyway, these guys are all energetic, their abilities in that area shouldn’t be bad. If they don’t know, you can teach them.”

“You can’t go three sentences without getting dirty; you’re the one who’s horny, like a pimp trying to make a sale,” Ning Fei complained. “Alright, I’m hanging up if there’s nothing else. When I contact Zheng Liwen, I’ll take the route of inquiring about other bases, and then switching back to Tianyue will be logical.”

“Very reasonable, it’s settled then,” Yu Zhou said with a laugh. “By the way, if there’s anything you want to bring from Tianyue, give me a list. Big items aren’t convenient, but small items are okay; I’ll have them bring them along.”

Ning Fei scoffed: “I want to eat hot pot; you’re going to have them bring it all the way here?”

Yu Zhou: “…I’ll find a chef to prepare the base, freeze it, and package it for you, okay!”

*

The research exchange team didn’t need to unload and load cargo along the way, and traveled all the way to Huichuan from Tianyue in three days.

Although they said many scientists were coming, Huichuan Base didn’t change much. Chen Yikun and Wang Haiyang and other researchers began to hold frequent meetings and exchanges, while the general public continued to live their lives as usual. Ning Fei also didn’t change his daily routine; he went on missions when he needed to and ate when he needed to. This day, he had just entered the cafeteria a few steps when a call came from behind: “Excuse me, may I ask—”

Ning Fei turned around, and a tall man was approaching. His skin was tanned dark, his hair was short and stubbly, and he was wearing camouflage combat gear. The side of his jacket, near his lower back, had an unnatural bulge, clearly with a weapon tucked there.

The man held a card in his hand, gesturing towards Ning Fei: “Is this meal card used in this cafeteria? Where do I use it?”

Ning Fei leaned over and scanned his card, pointing ahead: “Over there.”

“Are you also going to eat? How about we go together, and you can show us around? We’re a combat squad from Tianyue Base; it’s our first time at this cafeteria, and we don’t really understand how to get food,” the man turned to point to the other young people following behind him. “You have a gun on you; you’re in a combat squad too, right?”

“Yeah.” Ning Fei’s gaze swept over them one by one. “Guys, is this all your squad? Did you encounter any deadly trouble on the way?”

“No, all is peaceful; the others went off to play. After all, Huichuan Base is a large base with abundant resources; everyone wants to get something they haven’t seen before.” The man smiled, reaching out his hand to Ning Fei. “I’m the leader of this squad – Zheng Liwen.”

“I’m also an unremarkable squad leader, Ning Fei.” Ning Fei shook his hand, then tilted his head, gesturing. “Let’s go, let’s go eat.”

*

The two men connected in this extremely natural performance.

Later, two members of Ning Fei’s squad also happened to come to the cafeteria to eat, and the two groups mixed together like this. After everyone exchanged phone numbers, Ning Fei and Zheng Liwen’s communication became even less conspicuous.

After a face-to-face encounter, Ning Fei felt that Yu Zhou’s evaluation of Zheng Liwen was indeed correct; Zheng Liwen himself was more likable than he was in their phone conversations. However, Yu Zhou’s terrible idea of “male-male friendship” probably wasn’t told to Zheng Liwen; Ning Fei didn’t sense any suggestive signals from the other party in that regard at all. Just from the degree of ordinary interactions, Zheng Liwen was someone who was very suitable to be a friend. If Ning Fei was interested in him, he could try to take the initiative and signal further.

However, Ning Fei wouldn’t do that.

It had nothing to do with Duan Yunhong. It was just that this man had pursued Yu Zhou, which meant that Ning Fei could never touch him.

Ning Fei wasn’t very interested in becoming friends with Zheng Liwen either, but in order to make it easier to take action, the two still established a good relationship of communication. Zheng Liwen also used the excuse of “making a new friend with a matching temperament” to hand over the things that Yu Zhou had asked him to bring to Ning Fei. The things really included the hot pot base that Ning Fei (jokingly) asked for, as well as cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, etc. Zheng Liwen said that Yu Zhou had once wanted to stuff in a coffee machine, but later decided that Ning Fei might not be able to get coffee beans, so he gave up.

Ning Fei, holding the hot pot base, thought for a moment, and another idea came to his mind.

So on this day when Chen Yikun and Wang Haiyang were “reminiscing” over dinner, Ning Fei and Zheng Liwen’s team were also having dinner together in the same restaurant. They booked the private room opposite Chen Yikun’s, and Ning Fei contributed a package of hot pot base that he had just received, asking the kitchen to process it into a hot pot for them to eat. The young men in both teams were at the age when they were energetic and had large appetites, and the speed of serving dishes couldn’t keep up with the speed they were consuming them. Especially the meat, the whole plate was put into the hot pot, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye a few seconds later, so there was no need to worry about the meat getting old.

“Why aren’t you eating? Didn’t manage to grab any?” Zheng Liwen kindly grabbed a chopstick full for Ning Fei, but paused a second before putting it into his bowl. “Uh, do you mind my chopsticks?”

“I don’t mind.” Ning Fei was pouring wine, and poured some for him as well. “But you don’t have to help me like that; I’m wind-type, it’s easier for me to grab things than for you guys.”

Zheng Liwen tapped the table to indicate that was enough: “Are you afraid of the spiciness? It seems like the people in Huichuan aren’t used to eating spicy food. Did he… not ask for it to be made milder?”

“He” of course referred to Yu Zhou; with so many people present, Zheng Liwen didn’t want to mention it openly. And if it weren’t for the dozen or so people in the private room being noisy, one could barely hear the conversation between the two of them, Zheng Liwen wouldn’t even have mentioned Yu Zhou.

“He wouldn’t care about my tastes; it might be better if it killed me from the spiciness,” Ning Fei smiled, picking up his wine glass and clinking it against Zheng Liwen’s. “It’s okay, I won’t go hungry, and I definitely won’t let these animals go hungry. But there are a lot of people on your team; when it comes time to divide the points, I won’t split them evenly with you.”

“It’s okay, we’ll AA.” Zheng Liwen picked up his wine glass and took a sip, realizing Ning Fei’s statement, and asked in a low voice, “You’re paying for everything for your team?”

“I pay for these ‘team-building’ events. Not often, occasionally, at most once a month.” Ning Fei also drank half a glass of beer, and replied, “It’s not easy for them either; some have wives and children. It’s good to help them a little in these small ways and make them a little happier.”

Zheng Liwen sighed: “You like this… you must be very popular back home.”

Ning Fei casually replied: “What’s the use of being popular based on these things? You still have to have strength. If I didn’t have level-three abilities, no one would listen to me.”

Speaking of abilities, Zheng Liwen perked up; he was very interested in this: “Speaking of which, you’re wind and I’m fire; I heard it’s very effective when combined, want to try it out tomorrow?”

Ning Fei: “But I have a mission tomorrow.”

Zheng Liwen: “Hey, I’ll go with you, let these kids watch over the professor.”

Ning Fei: “You’re from Tianyue; I’m not paying your fees.”

Zheng Liwen: “Free.”

Ning Fei: “…Alright.”

The two clinked glasses again, and the matter was settled.