Chapter 134: Something’s Off—Development Is Too Fast

At this point, no one wanted to leave. Even Chai Zhong, who was still badly injured, was helped out by Wu Xia. Chen Guanqing didn’t bother washing the pots anymore and instead brought out two benches from the house for Bian Changxi and the others to sit on. He sat down himself and asked, “Miss Bian, where are you staying now?”

“I’m temporarily staying in the villa district to the east.”

“Oh.” Everyone looked both envious and full of longing. Yesterday, they’d already asked around about the general layout and ranking of the base. Naturally, they knew the villa district was second-tier. Their own area, whether it was apartment buildings or courtyards, was generally third-tier—Zone C. Don’t underestimate the difference of just one tier; for ordinary people like them, Zone B was something they could only look up to.

Chen Guanqing continued, “The person who brought us here yesterday said that today we have to go to the base entrance ourselves to pick up our ID cards. The paperwork’s done, but we have to go in person for the final step. I heard these ID cards are really hard to get. We really don’t know how to thank your friend.”

Bian Changxi replied, “No need for all the thanks.”

“Yes, yes. I just wanted to ask—when we go out later, what should we do?” He glanced at Bian Changxi’s intimidating gear.

Bian Changxi smiled. “Don’t try to imitate me. Since you’re new here, it’s better to keep a low profile and not provoke anyone. The base isn’t short of tough people, but what you really need to watch out for are the ruthless types who keep quiet. Be polite to others, but don’t make yourself look too humble, or people will look down on you. You and Chu Hao should be able to handle that balance well.”

Everyone nodded. Bian Changxi didn’t share more advice. She knew that while giving them more tips would make things easier, some things were better learned through experience. She didn’t want to come across as a nag.

After chatting for a bit, Bian Changxi went to check on Cheng Haijun.

She wasn’t sure what to do with Cheng Haijun, but thankfully, Chu Hao and the others were willing to take care of him for her sake.

As soon as he saw her, he asked weakly, “Miss Bian, what about the people in the tunnel…?”

“We still don’t know,” Bian Changxi replied. “Captain Gu from Jiangcheng went to a meeting about it this morning. The base will probably organize a team to clear out that monster.”

Cheng Haijun fell silent. Bian Changxi said, “I owed you a favor from before. As for your illness, it’s actually pretty common in the base now, and the fatality rate isn’t high. I’ll try to find a cure, and Chu Hao’s group will take you in. Don’t overthink it.” As for anything else, she couldn’t help, nor would she try.

Cheng Haijun had originally been with the main group, but after some infighting, he got separated and ended up at Jiandai Tunnel after much hardship. Then Zhou De betrayed them—the men were taken for research on the mysterious illness, and the women suffered even worse fates. Back when he formed his team, he’d recruited some unreliable people, which had always bothered her. She hadn’t expected things to go so wrong, but it was a lesson learned.

She went out to bring everyone’s supplies and a few vehicles that had been left with her, and insisted on giving Cheng Haijun’s share of food and necessities to Chu Hao. Once she’d done everything she could, Bian Changxi said her goodbyes. Chen Guanqing walked her to the door. “I haven’t found my footing yet, and I’ve got some trouble on me. It’s not good for you to be seen getting close to me. If anyone asks about me, just tell them what you know—no need to embellish or hide anything.”

Chen Guanqing said, “I understand.” Suddenly, Chai Zhong hobbled over and quietly asked, “Miss Bian, if I want to find someone in the base, is there any shortcut?”

Bian Changxi was taken aback. “Who are you looking for? Someone well-known or not? Do you want them to know you’re looking or keep it secret?”

Chai Zhong hesitated. “They’re definitely not well-known, and I don’t want them to know I’m looking.”

“Then you’ll have to take it slow. Unless you can get your hands on the base’s resident list, there’s really no easy way.”

She watched him limp away. Chen Guanqing said, “Guangtou Qiang went out early this morning. He and Chai Zhong got all worked up as soon as they entered the base. Chu Hao said they’re out for revenge. If we stick with them, we’ll get dragged into trouble sooner or later.”

Bian Changxi was silent. That was their own business. She had no obligation to worry about it.

Leaving Dianzi Alley, she returned to the entrance of the villa district. She hadn’t waited long when a dark gray, well-modified four-wheel-drive pulled up. Bian Kuang stuck his head out the window. “Waited long? Get in.”

Bian Changxi opened the door. There were already two people in the back seat—one was Tao Fa with his red hair, the other a scholarly young man with glasses who smiled at her. “Changxi, long time no see.”

This was Xu Qingyang, Bian Kuang’s other close friend. Bian Changxi nodded and got in. “All three of you are here to waste time with me?”

Bian Kuang started the car—parking wasn’t allowed here, and the security team up ahead looked ready to come over. He turned the wheel and said, “Qingyang needs to go to the Mercenary Hall for some business. I was thinking of taking you there anyway, so we’re all going together.”

Tao Fa snorted, “Yeah, right. Kuangzi’s little princess wanted to come too, but since you wouldn’t let her, you kept going on about how there was still a seat in the car, and if it’s empty, it’s a waste. I got annoyed and dragged Yangzi along.” Seeing Bian Kuang’s glare, he quickly added, “Of course, Yangzi really does have business to take care of.”

Bian Kuang’s little sister, of course, referred to Bian Wei.

Tao Fa, the playboy, was always gentle and attentive to pretty girls, but for some reason, he kept his distance from the charming little princess Bian Wei, even showing some dislike. He’d even argued with Bian Kuang about it.

Bian Changxi also disliked Bian Wei, but after her rebirth, she’d learned not to be so prickly. After all, Bian Wei was still Bian Kuang’s beloved sister, and as a cousin, it wasn’t her place to comment.

Seeing Bian Changxi say nothing, Bian Kuang breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Where to first?”

“Since Qingyang has business, let’s go to the Mercenary Hall first.”

The Mercenary Hall was located on the ground floor of a skyscraper in the central area of the base. The entire first floor was the hall, with VIP rooms and offices on the second floor. Standing outside, Bian Changxi looked up at the grand entrance bustling with people. Bian Kuang leaned in to explain, “There are three main sources of income in the base. For Awakened, the biggest is taking missions at the Mercenary Hall. Doesn’t it sound like something from a video game?”

He continued, “A lot of the base’s systems are inspired by novels and games. The Mercenary Hall is just a platform for posting and taking missions—it’s not really about mercenaries. To post or accept missions, you have to register first. Whether you succeed or fail, you pay a commission. If you complete the mission, you get the reward promised by the poster. Don’t worry about not getting paid—the Mercenary Hall is backed by the base’s core management and a million-strong army. No one dares challenge their authority.”

Bian Changxi already knew all this, but she still listened intently, looking interested. The four of them chatted as they walked inside. The hall was huge and packed with people. Scrolling screens displayed all kinds of missions and rewards. Missions not yet taken were in green, those already accepted were yellow, completed ones weren’t shown, and failed ones were in red with the number of failures in the corner. If you were interested in a mission, you could check the details at a self-service terminal.

Missions of different difficulty and reward levels were listed on different screens, sorted by staff, so people could easily find what suited them.

Bian Kuang went on, “Yangzi’s family used to be in fashion and jewelry. After coming to the base, they found out that clothes made from special materials can protect or enhance Awakened abilities. A month ago, they got a business license to make these new clothes. He’s here to post a mission for collecting materials. Since it’s a big order, the commission is high and he has to sign the contract in person.”

Bian Changxi nodded. “New clothes like that have been around for a month already?” She felt more and more like the world was evolving while she was being left behind.

Something was off. In a normal progression, things should appear when the time is right—either discovered naturally or forced by necessity. Survival in harsh conditions should be a process of struggle and adaptation. But now, human development was being artificially accelerated.

If people armed themselves with advanced tech from the start, never focusing on improving themselves, always thinking there’s a fallback, always hiding in temporary safety, they’d become dependent. In the long run, there’d be no progress in intelligence, strength, or willpower.

It’s like someone who should be weathering storms, but before they even start training, they’re wrapped in layer after layer of protection. It’s very humane and comforting, but in the long run, it’s not a good thing.

Such drastic changes couldn’t be the work of just a few people. She suddenly felt a wave of irritation.

Suddenly, she noticed several missions requesting “Five-Colored Grass.” Seeing Tao Fa accompany Xu Qingyang upstairs, she pulled Bian Kuang over to a terminal to check the details.

These missions were posted by different people and factions, mostly anonymously, and dated from the last day or two. She wondered if Gu Xu was among them.

Could so many people have been poisoned by snakes?

Bian Kuang didn’t know, either.

She saw someone at the service desk registering a mission for collecting Five-Colored Grass and walked over to ask, “Excuse me, can I ask why everyone is looking for Five-Colored Grass? Is it something special?”"