44: Funds in

The moment she lowered her head slightly, Jiang Xin seemed to catch an extremely tiny, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her mouth, like a ripple caused by a pebble thrown into a calm lake—fleeting, yet carrying some indescribable meaning.

She followed quietly half a step behind Jiang Xin, her gait light. Jiang Xin strode forward, feeling unprecedentedly relaxed, as if the air was filled with a faint, elusive scent—a mixture of the mild disinfectant and the delicate fragrance of a young girl that belonged to Jiang Feifei.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the command room, the setting sun dyed the steel base a warm golden hue. Inside, Jiang Xin leaned comfortably in the high-backed Commander chair, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the smooth tabletop, his gaze falling with a hint of appreciation on the beautiful figure working at the desk nearby.

Jiang Feifei had already changed out of her pure white Medical Soldier uniform, replacing it with a well-fitting casual outfit for female soldiers in military green. This attire had a little less of that angelic holiness, but added a touch of military sharpness and capability. The well-tailored top outlined her slender yet powerful waist, and her long legs were wrapped in military trousers, making them appear even straighter. She kept her head slightly lowered, focusing on flipping through the mountain of documents in front of her. A few strands of black hair fell onto her smooth forehead, and the lines of her profile were soft yet focused. Sunlight streamed through the window, gilding her with a golden edge; her focused expression and efficient movements created a pleasing picture.

"Jiang Feifei," Jiang Xin said, his voice carrying a hint of laziness and a sense of control. He pointed to the pile of complex documents in front of him regarding residential area resettlement, production quotas, and dispute mediation. "From now on, you will handle the daily affairs of the residential area. For departments that need coordination, go directly to Adjutant Zhang."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feifei immediately raised her head. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes blinked, her clear pupils filled with a hint of being pleasantly surprised, which then turned into firm seriousness: "Yes! Commander! I will strive to complete the mission and will not let you down!" Her voice was crisp and melodious, like a clear spring in a mountain stream. After speaking, she buried herself in the documents again, her slender fingers holding a pen, quickly recording the key points, her expression focused and devoted. Sunlight outlined her focused silhouette; even after changing her attire, that pure beauty was still heart-stirring.

Jiang Xin watched her silhouette, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile unconsciously. He thought to himself: I was really stupid before, doing everything myself and working myself to death. Delegating power, letting the people below do the work, while I control the overall situation and devise strategies—this is the true way of a Commander. What's more, with such an eye-pleasing assistant by my side, work efficiency seems to have improved quite a bit.

Just then, the heavy alloy door of the command room slid open to both sides with a "hum." Zhang Lei strode in, bringing with him the scent of smoke and dust, followed by several elite officers who were equally travel-worn. His special combat suit, colored in red and black, was still stained with some dark smudges, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, and he was full of energy.

He spotted the eye-catching military green figure in the command room at a glance. His gaze lingered on Jiang Feifei for a moment, then turned to Jiang Xin, his mouth curling into a mischievous smile, his eyes full of teasing that said "I understand": "Yo! Brother Jiang, it's only been a few days, and your command room has taken on a whole new look? You certainly know how to enjoy yourself!" He deliberately dragged out the word "enjoy," and even raised his eyebrows at Jiang Xin.

Jiang Xin's old face flushed red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He hurriedly sat up straight, explaining with a somewhat guilty conscience: "Ahem! What nonsense are you talking about! This is second lieutenant Jiang Feifei, I brought her here temporarily to handle documents! She has very strong work capabilities!" He pointed to Jiang Feifei, "Jiang Feifei, this is Captain Zhang Lei."

Jiang Feifei immediately stood up and offered a standard military salute to Zhang Lei and the several officers, poised and graceful: "Hello, Captain Zhang Lei! Hello, officers!" Her voice was clear and bright, and her demeanor was impeccable.

Zhang Lei put away his joking expression and returned the salute to Jiang Feifei, his gaze sweeping over her with a hint of appreciation and understanding: "Hello, second lieutenant Jiang." He did not ask any more questions; a smart person knows when to stop.

"Bring the stuff in!" Zhang Lei ordered the soldiers behind him.

Several soldiers immediately walked in carrying heavy boxes covered with canvas. As the canvas was lifted, inside were gold bracelets, gold necklaces, gold rings, silver bracelets, gold bars, and all kinds of gorgeous jewelry embedded with gemstones! Under the bright lights of the command room, they reflected an alluring and cold luster.

"Brother Jiang, the bottom line of several gold shops and banks in Tai'an County is all here. I did not fail the mission." Zhang Lei clapped the dust off his hands, his tone carrying a hint of relief after completing the mission.

"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Lei! And thank you all, brothers!" Jiang Xin looked at this pile of "hard currency," his eyes shining with brilliance, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement. He immediately communicated with the system: "Number 1, convert!"

Silently, the gold and silver jewelry in the boxes seemed to be swallowed by an invisible black hole and disappeared in an instant.

"Ding! Successfully converted gold and silver ornaments, obtained 28,200 Gold. Current total funds: 34,400 Gold." Number 1's cold voice sounded in Jiang Xin's mind.

At the same time, Jiang Xin noticed that the number representing "hero badge" on the system interface had also quietly jumped to 25! A surge of heroism surged in his chest. He did not hesitate; he had already made up his mind: Although Tanya was strong, what the base needed more at this moment was core strength! It was a large number of First-Tier Evolver personnel! Only in this way could he firmly grasp the core military power in the upcoming era wave that would be open to survivor Evolvers.