I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 692: Just Change Your Identity

It was unexpected that such people would also appear all over the country, and they were even named New Humans. Well, it made sense. This is the apocalypse; whether monster or ordinary person, as long as they can produce food, they have value and will be respected.

Even Fat Chicken has become so perverse, yet isn’t Grandma Jing still cherishing it like a treasure?

Even though Jun Bao had guaranteed this, Jing Shu wouldn’t expose the rotten mermaid or leak information about Xiao Wei unless absolutely necessary. It’s useful now, but what if it becomes useless later? Wouldn’t that be dangerous?

Putting herself in that position, if Fat Chicken ate a lot in the future but didn’t lay eggs, Grandma Jing would probably start to resent it.

Fat Chicken: Boss, don’t worry, I’ll lay eggs every day!!

Jing Shu didn’t refuse, nor did she agree, but merely responded with reserve, "Will you give me an answer tomorrow? I need to think it over."

Jun Bao smiled and nodded. He knew Jing Shu was going back to confirm the news and would surely ask Zhen Nantian to clarify. Once that was clear, the matter would be all but confirmed.

This was a big favor to him. With insects as the vanguard, the speed would surely be several times faster. Time is money, after all. As for saving some lives... that was just an incidental benefit.

Jing Shu was a person with abilities and intelligence who didn’t crave the spotlight. Otherwise, with her capabilities, becoming a second Qian Duoduo wouldn’t have been difficult. Her caution was evident when one considered those who clung tightly to their control over oil, natural gas, and various resources without letting go. In contrast, Jing Shu had earnestly operated the most common red worm cake business over the past few years, avoiding entanglement with other resources, which highlighted her prudence.

This person is extremely insecure,

Jun Bao thought.

But that’s alright. In the upcoming interplay of interests, I can bring her along, as long as Jing Shu remains useful and doesn’t covet what she shouldn’t.

"Building the Underground City will also require recruiting a group of people," Jun Bao continued. "We’ll work on both simultaneously. If the Underground City is successfully built, we can continue with road construction, treating it as an investment in a trade route."

"If you agree, you’ll need to prepare as soon as possible. The insects will start by just digging tunnels. My men will follow behind to patch, reinforce, and finish up the work. We’ll keep the two groups separate to avoid the insects drawing attention and causing a sensation."

Jing Shu nodded. The tunnel she had dug already extended quite far, though a part of it had collapsed. For concealment at the time, she had started digging from the second station. Now, if they were to dig, they would just need to repair the first station.

Therefore, she still had some time to make thorough preparations and to arrange matters for the insect woman Xiao Wei and her kin.

"I will only manage your work and the reward for this task," Jun Bao stated. "Similarly, I will only care about the progress you make; I just want results. As for what you promise others or how many insects you assign, I won’t concern myself with that. The final reward will be calculated per completed tunnel. Have you thought about what you want?"

Jing Shu was somewhat conflicted. She wanted everything, yet dared not ask for anything. She only said, "I know the Township Government is struggling. Everyone is starving, natural disasters are constant, and no food is being produced. Everyone is suffering... Besides, Wu City is my home. It helped me when I was in trouble and protected me. In such difficult times, I really can’t bear to ask the government for more..."

"No, you can bear it," Jun Bao ruthlessly interrupted Jing Shu, then smiled faintly. "Don’t worry, I really won’t take back the reward I give you. In the future, even if everyone else starves to death, I can still give you preferential treatment and not ’harvest’ you like a leek. After all, the Insect Cake Factory is counting on your precious blood."

In his past life, he ’harvested’ everyone else like leeks, Jing Shu mumbled to herself. Then she took out her phone, opened a contract, quickly drafted a property agreement, and said with a smile, "Then let’s sign a contract, a proof of property agreement."

Jun Bao: "..."

What to ask for as a reward wasn’t clear yet. That could be discussed later, depending on what was most needed afterward.

Having nearly settled on the plan, Jing Shu hurried back home.

Jing Shu felt like she had spent her money only to buy herself a sense of loneliness. She couldn’t fly the helicopter herself, so for now, it could only be stored in the large warehouse. She was itching to use it but couldn’t. She eagerly awaited the arrangements for the road construction and tunnel digging, after which she could properly learn to fly it, or at the very least, hire someone trustworthy to pilot it.

After mentally reviewing potential candidates, Jing Shu set her sights on Wang Dazhao. She planned to take him along to learn how to fly the helicopter once she returned from this current matter.

Upon returning home, Jing Shu’s first action was to try and video chat with Zhen Nantian. However, she didn’t know what he was busy with, as he wasn’t picking up. Jing Shu called repeatedly every few minutes until, finally, the video call connected after half an hour.

Zhen Nantian didn’t waste words. He knew Jing Shu must need something to initiate a video chat directly...

"Speak."

Zhen Nantian was as cold and ruthless as ever, but he looked seriously into the camera.

The network connection wasn’t great; it took four or five seconds before Zhen Nantian heard Jing Shu’s rapid-fire questions regarding the details of the New Humans.

"How many New Humans have been found now? What are they like? What’s the higher-ups’ attitude towards and arrangements for the New Humans?"

After waiting a moment to ensure the connection was stable, Zhen Nantian began to explain, addressing each point.

For example, over a dozen New Humans had been identified nationwide so far, encompassing various types of creatures, though not many could currently be bred for food. New Humans were now classified as top-secret and considered highly important; they had been assigned to elite special units within various cities for protection.

Zhen Nantian spoke succinctly, as if his words were gold, and then called over Zhang Lang.

Jing Shu then saw Zhang Lang, who looked ordinary under the light, except for two finger-thick feelers protruding from his hair.

Zhen Nantian said, "Transform."

Are you kidding me? Wasn’t this supposed to be top-secret? Why ask me to transform right off the bat? Don’t I have any dignity? Zhang Lang thought.

"A spoonful of honey," Zhen Nantian said, a little regretfully.

Thus, without another word, Zhang Lang transformed. Jing Shu saw his mouth stretch wide, and from it emerged a complete, massive cockroach head—identical to a normal cockroach but magnified many times over. It even emitted a bizarre scream.

This meant the person was still the same individual. It seemed that the large cockroach, much like the small white worms from the skyscraper incident previously, had fused with a human. Under normal circumstances, the human would have died. However, with energy acting as a nexus, they had merged and now shared a single body.

Zhen Nantian also mentioned that he had received the gift brought by Jing Shu’s cousin, who was at the Biological Research Institute. He had already sent two colleagues to ensure her safety, telling Jing Shu not to worry.

Speaking of the Biological Research Institute, Jing Shu felt a wave of nausea. That highly secretive place held several prisoners—the very individuals who had tormented Jun Bao back then, and they were still alive! Jing Shu couldn’t imagine what kind of treatment they were enduring; they probably couldn’t die even if they wished to.

It was rumored that one person had been completely transformed through research into a living bacterium.

Recalling her visit to a house filled with bacteria, accompanied by someone from the Biological Research Institute, she remembered seeing moving bacteria enlarged tens of thousands of times. It turned out they were man-made!

Jing Shu made a firm resolution: from now on, she would never touch any food developed by Jun Bao.