208: Longxing City

The story shifts back to more than ten days ago.

Dozens of top biological experts sent from Kyoto, escorted by Third-Tier Master Colonel Ye Qingwen and his elite guard team, saw their special plane land smoothly on the runway of the Longxing City Air Command Center.

Among the entourage was a special member, Lieutenant Colonel Ye Anhe, Officer Zhang Lei's little fan girl, who had already been promoted to a Second-Tier Evolver.

Today's Longxing City, as the undisputed core of the Red Alert Legion, had an atmosphere far different from the past. Zhang Long, who was stationed here as the Legion's No. 3 figure, general manager, Longxing City defense officer, and a key architect of Xijiang Province's strategic planning, had also long since broken through to the Third-Tier!

Zhang Long's aura boost range had expanded to a five-kilometer radius, with a 30% increase. His physical fitness had been fully enhanced, with strength and speed no less than any physical-type Evolver of the same tier. Even more powerful was his hero-grade weapon—Thor's Wrath—which had received an epic-level enhancement, allowing him to manifest a set of full-body energy armor called "Thor." Although this armor was not as massive as a mech, it was extremely flexible and versatile. After transforming, Zhang Long looked like an armored warrior from a movie, majestic and imposing, and was often jokingly called the "Thunder 'Dragon' Armored Warrior" by Zhang Lei.

Regarding the arrival of the Kyoto expert group, Zhang Long did not personally come out to receive them, but instead delegated Li Wei, one of the core high-level officials. As a veteran of the Legion, Li Wei was once the base's second-highest combat power during the Yongjiang County period. Although his strength was now slightly inferior to top beings like Tanya and Bear Big, he could still firmly hold a seat in the Legion's top ten. If mechs were not used, even Chen Hao, Blaze Ash, and Yang Yi were no match for him.

As soon as the members of the expert group got off the plane, the leader, Ye Qingwen, stepped forward quickly and shook hands with Li Wei, who had come to meet them. Ye Qingwen had a cold face, a steady temperament, and clean, decisive movements.

"Colonel Ye, it's been a hard journey. I am Li Wei, the Brigade Commander of the Third Brigade of the Red Alert Legion," Li Wei spoke first, his voice loud and carrying the frankness of a soldier.

"Colonel Li is too polite; it is my duty. I am Ye Qingwen, primarily responsible for the security of the expert group this time," Ye Qingwen said succinctly, without too much pleasantry, only nodding slightly, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.

(Since the protagonist's system military rank is one level higher than the National Government's commission, please don't overthink it. Just consider that the male lead and second male lead received a second commission from the National Government as Senior Colonels at the division commander level, while Li Wei is a Colonel and Brigade Commander. Additionally, the protagonist's forces are expanding rapidly now, and if the positions of high-ranking officers were adjusted too frequently, it would be a bit redundant to write about, so I won't for now.)

"Officer Li!"

A clear and slightly urgent female voice broke the brief silence. In the team, a handsome female officer with neat short hair and a well-fitting field-grade officer's uniform walked quickly to Ye Qingwen's side; it was Ye Anhe. She looked at Li Wei with burning eyes. "Excuse me, is Officer Zhang Lei in Longxing City now?"

"Nonsense! What kind of occasion is this? Mind your discipline!" Ye Qingwen frowned and scolded his sister in a low voice, a flash of helplessness and embarrassment crossing his face. This younger sister's feelings for Officer Zhang Lei were simply undisguised.

"Haha!" Seeing this, Li Wei couldn't help but laugh heartily. As Zhang Lei's close friend, he naturally knew about this Lieutenant Colonel Ye's well-known little crush. Her look of admiration when she was commissioned in Lujiang last time had left a deep impression on many officers. "Miss Ye, unfortunately, Officer Zhang Lei is not in the city at the moment. He is personally leading the army in combat in the Raozhou and Cidu areas. He is busy with military affairs and likely won't be able to return to the city in the short term."

Li Wei felt a trace of pity in his heart for this brave girl. Officer Zhang Lei was a cultivation maniac, single-mindedly pursuing the peak of power and always indifferent to romance. He feared that Ye Anhe's feelings would ultimately be a case of 'falling flowers have feelings, but the flowing water has none.'

"Oh... I see..." Ye Anhe's bright eyes dimmed instantly, and she responded dejectedly. Under Ye Qingwen's stern gaze, she retreated sullenly back into the expert group, but her eyes still involuntarily glanced into the distance, as if expecting that familiar figure to suddenly appear.

"Colonel Li, let me introduce," Ye Qingwen adjusted his emotions and pointed to a refined man of about fifty, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, beside him. "This is the chief expert of the expert group, Professor Li Zhiyuan." Subsequently, he introduced several other professors with high status in the biological field one by one.

Li Wei smiled and nodded to the experts. "Experts, you have come a long way and must be tired from the journey. Please follow me to the Longxing City Foreign Guest Reception Center to take a short rest. Tonight, the base has specially prepared a welcome banquet for everyone..."

"Officer Li," Professor Li Zhiyuan pushed up his glasses and directly interrupted Li Wei, his tone urgent and sincere. "There's no need to trouble yourselves with a welcome banquet. We researchers have no pursuit of culinary pleasures. Could you... take us to your legion's Biological Research Institute now? We bear a heavy responsibility and hope to start learning as soon as possible, so we can return to Kyoto early to oversee the production of the Anti-virus Serum. The soldiers on the front line cannot afford to wait!"

"Yes, Officer Li, time is tight. Please just take us to the institute!"

"The banquet really isn't necessary; work is more important!" The other experts also chimed in, their faces filled with a thirst for knowledge and a sense of urgency for the mission.

Li Wei looked at this group of anxious scholars, a flash of admiration in his eyes. He laughed and said, "Everyone is truly dedicated to the country and the front-line soldiers; it's admirable! However, one must always eat; the body is the capital of the revolution! How about this: I'll take you to the Biological Research Institute first to meet our person in charge. But for tonight's banquet, please do us the honor of attending. Consider it a small token of our Red Alert Legion's appreciation, alright?"

Seeing Li Wei's firm attitude and reasonable arrangement, the experts could no longer refuse and quickly boarded the bus that had been prepared.

As the convoy drove into the Longxing urban area, the sights outside the window amazed the experts from Kyoto. The streets were clean and orderly. Some surviving elderly people had peaceful and satisfied smiles on their faces, leisurely playing chess or walking in the roadside parks, showing none of the hunger and panic common in the post-apocalyptic world. This was a world apart from the interior of the Kyoto Base. In Kyoto, food was prioritized for front-line troops and Evolvers; even high-level professors before the apocalypse lived very frugally, often going more than ten days without seeing meat.

Longxing City was vast, and the bus drove for about half an hour. It was now 11:30 AM, and a crisp school bell rang. Along the way, the gates of an elementary school opened, and groups of elementary school students in clean uniforms poured out cheerfully, then waited for the school bus in an orderly line under the guidance of their teachers.

"This... your base... has actually resumed normal teaching?" Professor Li Zhiyuan adjusted his glasses, his face full of disbelief, his voice even trembling slightly. In Kyoto, maintaining survival was already difficult, and the systematic education system had been almost completely interrupted.

"Yes," Li Wei nodded, a proud curve forming at the corner of his mouth. "Our Commander-in-Chief Jiang attaches great importance to people's livelihood and education. He believes that the continuation of civilization is inseparable from the next generation. Therefore, after the base initially stabilized, he ordered all major bases to prioritize the resumption of schooling." He knew very well what kind of impact the prosperous scene under the Red Alert Legion's rule would have on people from other bases still struggling to survive.

"May I ask, Colonel Li, has your base's food problem... been completely solved?" Even the usually steady Ye Qingwen couldn't help but ask; this concerned the most basic survival.