Chapter 146 – Fire Seed (16)
◎ I am just old, not dead ◎
Bai Qi was a man of few words, matching Su Cha in his level of silence. At least Su Cha became a bit more cheerful after joining the team, but on the way to Ye Zheng’s mansion, Bai Qi didn’t say a word, perfectly embodying the saying “silence is golden.”
The floating car sped along the floating sky bridge, crossing through a bustling urban area towards the city’s outskirts.
Inside the car, Fang Zhixu carefully treated Song Ke’s wounds with his abilities, and a faint white soft light lit up as the fine cracks in her joints healed as if untouched.
Xu Xing cautiously knelt on Song Ke’s lap, his eyes watery, “Sister, do you remember Xiao Xing?”
Others also looked at her with concern; Song Ke’s previous state was too frightening, as if she had fallen into madness, recognizing no one, only knowing how to kill.
Song Ke touched Xu Xing’s curly hair, feeling its softness, and comforted her softly, “It’s okay, I remember everything.”
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the quiet atmosphere, Song Ke tilted her head slightly and stole a glance at Zhuang Qingyan.
Then she noticed that Zhuang Qingyan was leaning on his chin, staring at her without turning away, his deep eyes filled with concentration.
Song Ke: “…” She awkwardly looked away, glanced back after a while, and Zhuang Qingyan was still looking at her.
A blurry image flashed in her mind, but unfortunately, besides the phrase “Be quiet,” Song Ke couldn’t recall anything else.
She wasn’t even sure whose memories those were.
Because in her life in District F177, such scenes had never appeared.
She stole glances too frequently; Zhuang Qingyan took one of her hands, smoothed her palm, and secretly wrote a “later.”
Song Ke understood that it wasn’t convenient to talk in the car, and he meant to discuss it later.
Two hours later, V587 arrived at the residence of the ruling official.
Surprisingly, Ye Zheng’s place was just an ordinary three-story villa, although it had a vast land area, the exterior was modest and inconspicuous amidst the modern skyscrapers of the Northern Base.
Moreover, the security here was lax, not even comparable to the Awakener Department where He Qiuhong was, let alone Ning Rong’s laboratory.
Zhuang Qingyan’s comment on this was: “The more people lack something, the more they want to show off.”
Because He Qiuhong was only a B-level awakener and had extreme insecurity, she turned the office building into an airtight fortress, even daring to use only holographic images for their first meeting.
What does that mean? Does Ye Zheng not lack a sense of security?
At first, everyone didn’t quite understand his words, but the answer was soon revealed. The floating car entered the villa area, and Ye Zimei, dressed in the uniform of the Awakener Department, was waiting at the door, nodding at Bai Qi.
“At this time, Miss Ye should be at work, right?” Zhuang Qingyan casually asked when getting off the car.
“Thanks to you all, the department is in chaos today, and I was forced to take a day off,” Ye Zimei sighed, seemingly genuine or fake.
“Ye Zimei… Ye Zheng…” Lin Youyou repeated the two names, tentatively asking, “So General Ye is your…?”
Ye Zimei helplessly smiled, “Yes, he’s my grandfather.”
Lin Youyou suddenly realized; no wonder Ye Zimei, just a mere administrative secretary, had such high authority in the Northern Base. She not only independently handled the recruitment of awakeners but also easily agreed to their requests. It turns out she was a well-hidden third-generation official—of course, described in an entirely positive sense.
“Please come in; my grandfather is waiting for you,” Ye Zimei said.
As they passed each other, Song Ke softly said, “Thank you.”
From what Ye Zheng said in the laboratory, if he was willing to intervene, it surely had Ye Zimei’s involvement.
Ye Zimei smiled, “I said I would give you an explanation.”
Bai Qi led them through a corridor into a quaint study, and Song Ke finally met the true master of the Northern Base.
Ye Zheng was in casual clothes, nearing ninety years old. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his sunken eye sockets, weathered face with wrinkles and spots, told tales of experience. Yet, his eyes held a serene understanding of the world, and his straight posture reflected the dignity left after enduring wars and the ravages of time.
However, that wasn’t the focus. Song Ke had seen old people before; what surprised her was that Ye Zheng was an S-level awakener!
He didn’t deliberately restrain his awakened energy but didn’t show any offensive posture either. Naturally, a portion flowed out like breath, silently circulating. However, the formidable aura and the grade suppression of an S-level, made people bow their heads submissively.
“General, the guests have arrived,” Bai Qi nodded respectfully and then quietly exited.
This “General” was not a casual title. Unlike someone like Nai Kang, who was a mere show-off without substance, “General” in the Mu Dan was a title of respect for the first rank. Ye Zheng was a genuine military man, having carried a gun, shed blood, dug trenches, and led troops in battles during the old civilization era.
Ye Zheng witnessed the decline of the old civilization, the establishment of the New Asia Alliance, and now, the arrival of the apocalypse. His life experience was like a thick ancient book, even if covered in the dust of time, still invaluable.
In recent years, due to his declining health, Ye Zheng lived a reclusive life, gradually disappearing from the public eye.
“The Northern Base values strength”, Song Ke suddenly remembered this phrase. No wonder Ye Zheng didn’t need security; he himself was the most robust shield, even in his old age.
Seeing such a legendary figure, Song Ke felt a bit awkward, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.
Ye Zheng took the initiative to open the conversation, “Is that a Tang knife in your hand?”
He pointed to the knife inserted in Song Ke’s backpack. “Can I take a look?”
Song Ke silently took it off and handed it to him. Ye Zheng’s hands were very old, with thick joints that could hardly bend. He carefully touched the blade and sighed, “I didn’t expect to see young people using artifacts from the old civilization. I thought we old folks should all be in the ground by now.”
He made a joke, and although Song Ke and the others didn’t laugh, their tense nerves relaxed a bit.
As leaders, Ye Zheng’s impression was completely different from He Qiuhong. He didn’t exude a condescending arrogance; instead, he emanated humility more befitting an elder. When speaking to others, he looked them in the eye and listened patiently.
After skillfully twirling the knife, Ye Zheng suddenly spoke, “Do you have a bad impression of the Northern Base?”
Song Ke remained silent for a moment, then nodded sincerely.
Ye Zheng smiled, “You seem to be not very talkative.”
Zhuang Qingyan stepped forward, standing side by side with Song Ke. “General Ye, forgive my boldness. Our captain may not be eloquent, but that doesn’t mean she should be mistreated. He Qiuhong kidnapped an S-level awakener and even used force. How do you intend to handle this?”
“On this matter, I’d like to discuss it with you calmly,” Ye Zheng said as he returned the Tang knife to Song Ke.
“Qiuhong did make a mistake. She tends to be stubborn, and I’m not defending her, but her original intention was to have you undergo an examination to understand your abnormal constitution.
The reason the situation deteriorated to this point is because you nearly killed two S-level individuals. Do you understand the seriousness of this matter?”
Ye Zheng pressed a switch on a desk, displaying real-time footage and several reports. It showed Zhigler in critical condition, still unconscious, and Xi Ze, although barely recovering, had dropped to A9 level due to the shattered magnetic field. This was the first occurrence of an S-level downgrade, and once the news was made public, it would undoubtedly cause a significant stir within the Alliance.
“A few months ago, the Central Court lost an S-level dual-type awakener in District C. The inspection team is still investigating the murderer. After the apocalypse, every S-level individual is a precious strategic resource. Qiuhong has always valued awakeners. In fact, you incapacitated two of them, so naturally, she wanted answers from you,” Ye Zheng explained.
Song Ke remained expressionless. District C, S-level dual-type, why did it sound a bit familiar? As if it was also someone she had taken down.
“Does General Ye also want answers from us?” Zhuang Qingyan’s face showed no hint of a smile.
Ye Zheng waved his hand and sighed, “I have always believed that appearances can be deceiving, Song Ke. I want to hear your side of the story. Why did you attack Zhigler and Xi Ze?”
Song Ke looked into the old man’s calm eyes, pondered for a moment, and recounted the situation where Xi Ze provoked her by deliberately activating the device.
Ye Zheng nodded, “If that’s the case, you have indeed suffered a lot of grievances. How would you like me to handle this?”
“General Ye, do you know that Qiuhong secretly supports illegal research?” Zhuang Qingyan suddenly changed the topic. “Forgive me for being frank, she is not a qualified leader. She acts impulsively, has deep-seated prejudices, uses awakeners on one hand, and ruthlessly discards them on the other. Have you considered the consequences of continuing to support her?”
Zhuang Qingyan implied through his words that letting Qiuhong lead would eventually lead to the downfall of the Northern Base.
However, Ye Zheng said, “Qiuhong is currently the most suitable person. She has the ability and ambition. Even if she can’t do better, she can at least maintain the status quo.”
Zhuang Qingyan’s expression changed slightly, noticing that Ye Zheng used the words “currently” and “maintain the status quo.”
“Do you know what people outside call the Northern Base?” Ye Zheng asked.
—”Humanity’s last hope,” Ye Zheng said word by word.
“In this world, things will become increasingly difficult, bringing more despair. Maybe one day, our days will come to an end,” Ye Zheng’s gaze was profound and determined. “But even if that time comes, I still hope that the Northern Base can be the last refuge for countless ordinary humans. That was my original intention in building this city.”
“I am old, and death can embrace me at any time, but I don’t want to see my lifelong efforts go to waste,” Ye Zheng sighed deeply. “Until I find a suitable successor and completely entrust the Northern Base to them, even if Qiuhong makes mistakes, she cannot temporarily leave that position.”
Ye Zheng gazed at the young girl before him. Both being S-level, he could intuitively feel Song Ke’s strength, like a drawn sword, sharp and unstoppable. More importantly, her blade would never turn against her own people. This was the rarest trait among S-level awakeners, but unfortunately, He Qiuhong couldn’t see this.
With a weathered voice, Ye Zheng spoke, “Song Ke, can you give the Northern Base another chance?”
Song Ke was momentarily stunned.
“For your future affairs, and the matters of your team, report directly to me. You no longer need to be under the jurisdiction of the Awakener Department. If there are any issues in your daily life, go to Zimei. If you ever face injustice, this old man will personally stand up for you.”
“After all…” Ye Zheng’s expression turned cold, “I am just old, not dead.”
Song Ke remembered asking Zhuang Qingyan on the V587 starship coming to the Northern Base about the founder of this place. Zhuang Qingyan had said at that time, “A person worth admiring.”
She looked at the silver-haired Ye Zheng and thought for a long time before nodding slowly.
…
After leaving the villa, Lin Youyou grumbled discontentedly, “He Qiuhong only got a two-week suspension. Isn’t that too easy for her?”
“Yeah, yeah!” Xu Xing joined in, “Old witch, I curse her!”
Song Ke, however, remained unusually calm, “It’s because of me. I’m not strong enough.”
If she were strong enough, at the apartment entrance, even if Zhigler and Xi Ze simultaneously launched an attack, she shouldn’t have been instantly controlled. In the Manzoni Street and Punk battle, if she could have directly killed him, he wouldn’t have had a chance to activate time reversal.
Song Ke lowered her head, looking at the palm of her hand. All along, she had been too confident. Awakening abilities were diverse, and the methods of attack were unpredictable. If she faced a similar situation next time, with more S-level individuals coming to hunt her down, would she let herself be slaughtered again?
—Absolutely not.
Although the intense radiation brought endless pain, she also felt a new power.
Suddenly, Song Ke remembered Dr. Ning, the silver-haired man. After the chaotic battle, she wasn’t sure if he survived.
Back in the apartment, Zhuang Qingyan followed Song Ke into the room.
With a serious expression, he took out a light screen, “Now, let’s talk about your physical condition.”
Song Ke lowered her head and glanced at it, signaling with her eyes: … I don’t understand.
Zhuang Qingyan fell silent for a moment, then changed the topic, “Your grandfather, do you have a photo or video of him?”
