35: Chapter 35 Firefly Project

The roads in the urban area were impassable, so everyone returned to the suburbs and found a parking lot.

By the time they parked their cars and walked back to the base, it was already afternoon.

“Cuiqin!” Niu Xingwang choked out.

Niu Xingwang’s wife, Liu Cuiqin, was in the kitchen with a few other older sisters, busy preparing dinner.

Hearing the familiar voice, Liu Cuiqin’s hand paused, and she hurriedly looked towards the source of the sound.

What met her eyes was a dirty, ragged, and disheveled middle-aged man.

Half a minute later, Liu Cuiqin finally recognized him; it was her husband, whom she had longed for day and night.

She put down the spoon and slowly, step by step, walked up to Niu Xingwang. Seeing his current appearance, tears couldn't help but stream down her face.

“Cuiqin… I’m back!” Niu Xingwang said excitedly, tears welling in his eyes.

“Woo woo…” Liu Cuiqin finally confirmed it; it was real! Unable to control herself, she cried choked with sobs.

Niu Xingwang hurriedly stepped forward, patting his wife’s back, comforting her:

“There, there, I’m back now, why are you crying!”

Oriental Chen and Brother Zhang, who were standing by, joked:

“Hahahaha. Big sister, the brothers haven’t eaten all day. If you keep crying, we’ll starve to death.”

The big sister broke into a smile, not speaking. She glanced sideways at Boss Niu and quickly turned to continue cooking.

“Brother Niu, don’t just stand there. Go take a shower and change your clothes. You reek so much, we were almost suffocated by you on the way!” Oriental Chen said with a smile.

Niu Xingwang nodded, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and hurriedly walked out of the kitchen.

Dinner was quickly prepared, and Boss Niu had also showered and changed his clothes.

To welcome Boss Niu home, today’s meal was very rich, with a large pot of stewed cabbage and pork with vermicelli, a plate of braised beef, a plate of sausages, a plate of peanuts, bowls of glistening rice, and, as an exception, several bottles of 30-year-old Fenjiu.

Everyone sat down at several tables, but no one picked up their chopsticks.

Niu Xingwang looked at the table full of dishes, filled with emotion.

This kind of meal, half a year ago, he wouldn't even have given it a second glance. Nothing else, it just wasn't good enough for a banquet.

But now it was different.

In the half-year since the virus outbreak, he had mostly stayed on construction sites.

Later, when Binjiang City was under martial law, he was conscripted to various counties to build temporary Settlements.

Supplies gradually became scarcer, and the workers often went hungry, losing the motivation to work. No one wanted their wages anymore; they all wanted food. How could Niu Xingwang have food to give them? He exchanged his machinery, equipment, vehicles… for supplies.

Later, the construction sites also shut down, and Niu Xingwang’s resources were basically plundered by people from various departments. In the end, he couldn't even get a full meal.

Perhaps everyone has an innate hatred for capitalists. When he was at his wit's end, everyone wanted to step on him and take a bite. Niu Xingwang’s situation was even more dire.

Today, from the waste materials at the construction site, he dug out two car batteries that he had hidden for a long time, and barely managed to exchange them for one minute of phone time from a middleman.

This kind of phone was a satellite phone. The base stations were all scrapped, and ordinary mobile phones had long since lost signal.

He had originally only intended to call Oriental Chen to entrust his final wishes, holding no hope of leaving Qinghe Settlement. He also did not believe that Oriental Chen had the ability to bring him out of Qinghe Ridge.

As long as Oriental Chen could show a little consideration for their past relationship and treat his wife well, he would already be grateful.

What kind of world was it now? A world where people ate people.

Such things as favors had long become worthless.

But unexpectedly, Oriental Chen actually came to rescue him!

Only when a person truly reaches a dead end does he know who is real and who is fake!

“Brother Niu, our conditions are limited now, there’s nothing particularly good. Just make do and eat.” Oriental Chen sat beside him, smiling.

Niu Xingwang wiped away his tears and said emotionally:

“Mr. Dongfang, what are you saying? In this world, I could sell all my family’s assets and still not be able to get this table full of dishes!”

“Hey! Look at you, what’s this worth? Alright, let’s not be polite anymore. Brothers, raise your glasses, let’s welcome Boss Niu home!” Oriental Chen stood up, raising his glass.

Everyone stood up with a “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh,” facing Niu Xingwang and raising their glasses, shouting in unison:

“Welcome home, Boss Niu!”

Niu Xingwang also stood up, raising his glass, repeatedly saying “Thank you.”

“Big sister, today is a good day, you should also have a drink.” Oriental Chen said to Liu Cuiqin, who was on Niu Xingwang’s other side.

Liu Cuiqin wiped her tears, nodded, and also raised the wine glass in her hand.

“Come on, bottoms up!” Oriental Chen shouted loudly to everyone.

Everyone drank it all and sat down.

The meal lasted until evening.

For several months, members of the guard team had been forbidden from drinking, so today they all drank a bit much. After dinner, everyone was sent back to rest.

Boss Niu and his wife were reunited after a long time and surely had much to say, so Oriental Chen didn't disturb them further.

The next day dawned.

Oriental Chen woke up early and went to the office.

“Xiao Lin, is the plan ready?” Oriental Chen asked.

“Commander, it has been sent to your computer panel, please check it.” Xiao Lin replied.

Oriental Chen nodded and opened his computer.

Two hours later…

“Xiao Lin, is the plan that complicated?” Oriental Chen frowned.

“Commander, this is the method with the highest success rate.” Xiao Lin replied.

“Alright!” Oriental Chen said no more.

After a long period of thought, Oriental Chen continued:

“Xiao Lin, break down the plan into a task progress schedule and track it at all times.”

“Understood, Commander.”

Oriental Chen repeatedly pondered the plan, thinking about the difficult journey ahead, and sat for half an hour…

“Hoo…”

After much contemplation, Oriental Chen took a deep breath and walked out of the office.

…

Underground Base Training Area.

Except for the injured and a few people who were specifically told not to come, everyone else had assembled.

“Comrades, the night before last, everyone watched the video and understood how terrifying the crisis we are about to face is. This is an unprecedented ecological crisis. In this crisis, no one is an outsider, and no one has the right to be an outsider! I won’t hide it from you, I already have a very complete and feasible plan. However, this plan requires all of you to complete it with me.” Oriental Chen said.

“Boss, just tell us! We will execute it unconditionally.” Several old soldiers said firmly.

“That’s right, Boss. We all listen to you!” Zhang Yuankui said.

“Good! I name this plan: Firefly Project. It means that even if we only have the light of a firefly, we must contend with the sun and moon!” Oriental Chen continued, and after saying this, he commanded loudly:

“All present, attention!”

Upon hearing the command, everyone stood at attention, their voices uniform.

“First task: From today onwards, the guard team is disbanded!”

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

What? Disbanded?

Why?

Everyone became restless, looking at each other.

“What? Didn’t you just say you’d all listen to me? Now you won’t?” Oriental Chen deliberately paused here to implant this contrast in everyone’s minds.

He was implying to everyone: You may not understand, you may not comprehend. But you must learn to resolutely execute orders even when you don’t understand.

Everyone fell silent.

“After the guard team is disbanded, the original members will be reorganized to form a new task sequence. From now on, you will have a brand new identity: Infiltrators!”

“As Infiltrators, you will leave the base and go to various parts of the country. If you wish, you can even go to various parts of the world. Your main tasks are three:”

“Firstly: You can freely join any organization. Remember what I said, any organization! Whether legal or illegal. Join and go undercover.”

“Secondly: You need to periodically send talent to the base. Anyone you trust can be secretly sent to the base. Here, they will receive antigen for free and undergo training for free. After qualifying, they will become new Infiltrators.”

“Thirdly: And your most important task, is to gather intelligence.”

“As an identity marker, each of you will receive a black metal dog tag before you leave.”

Saying this, Oriental Chen took out a dog tag from his pocket and held it high.

The shape of the dog tag was very similar to the one Oriental Chen threw into the car to start it yesterday, but the color was different.