Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 580 570: Sudden Anomaly (Part 1)

"Done asking?" Tang Xiaoquan abruptly ended, leaving Old Zhao a bit surprised. He felt they shouldn't leave so soon—the interrogation could still yield more valuable leads.

But Tang Xiaoquan was quite firm: "No need, Old Zhao. Dr. Ma specifically advised me not to ask too much. Moreover, Yao's health doesn't allow for more. I truly have no further questions. Let's go, let Brother Yao rest well."

Since Tang Xiaoquan put it that way, Old Zhao couldn't say much more. He stood up, went over to help tuck Yao Ruyi in, and sincerely expressed, "Thank you, Comrade Yao. Sorry to disturb you today. We're leaving now; rest well. Hope by next meeting, you are fully recovered."

Wang Qiang also offered a token gesture: "Take care!"

With that said, the three of them exited the room, stepping into a hallway filled with swirling smoke and pungent cigarette odor.

As they walked out, the guard on duty immediately discarded his cigarette, glanced at his watch, then spat, "You're out already? That was pretty quick—done in half an hour!"

"Yes, we strictly followed Mr. Huang's and Dr. Ma's orders, didn't dare delay." Old Zhao replied with a smile.

"You're on the ball," the guards nodded, satisfied. "Are you sure you asked everything? If not, speak up quickly—miss this chance, and it'll cost you more later."

These were Huang Yong's instructions before leaving. After hearing this, Zhao Yunhai instinctively glanced at Tang Xiaoquan, and seeing his affirmative nod, calmly replied, "All asked, brothers!"

"Good! That's fine then—this deal is concluded. Don't make us face Brother Yong with repentance!"

"No, no, brothers! Rest assured, passing this door completes the transaction. The rest, we know what to do. Come, come, brothers, guarding wasn't easy, a little offering here!"

Swiftly, he took out cigarettes he'd prepared from his pocket, a gesture Old Zhao wouldn't usually make.

However, circumstances shift; survival requires you to do many things.

"Ha, you're interesting; we'll keep these then."

The guard with a rogueish air patted Old Zhao's shoulder, quickly pocketing two packs of Chunghwa cigarettes.

The satisfaction was evident on his face, even his tone mellowed considerably. "Alright, transaction's over. I'll take you to settle things with Brother Yong. Come on!"

Saying so, the two guards led Tang Xiaoquan and the other two downstairs.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Xu Renjie intended to check the progress of Li Zhong and Li Guo in the garage.

Over time, the brothers Li Zhong and Li Guo had strongly proven their worth.

The restoration of the surveillance room and the solar energy system construction were strong testimonies.

Now, Old Xu was heading to the garage to inquire about the final progress of the solar power project.

Pushing open the garage door, the brothers had transformed it into a small workshop.

Inside, all sorts of electrical equipment were sorted and placed, mainly scavenged from the parcels on the last Jianghuai vehicle.

Many were dismantled and dispersed, and without knowledge, one might think the brothers were too reckless.

Old Xu's arrival went unnoticed by the brothers, not out of arrogance but due to their focus on final adjustments to the electronic components.

Old Xu silently watched for a moment, very pleased with their concentration.

They hadn't disappointed him, proving the decision to keep them was right.

"Oh, Captain Xu!" Eventually, elder brother Li Zhong noticed Old Xu at the door.

Old Xu cleared his throat slightly apologetically, then calmly said, "Sorry to disturb your work."

"Oh, it's nothing. Is there anything you need, Captain Xu?" Despite proving their value, Li Zhong remained very respectful towards Old Xu.

This was partly due to the early authority Xu Renjie intentionally displayed, leaving him a bit helpless but hoping time would ease the tension.

"No, nothing. Just wanted to ask about the progress of the solar energy project."

Upon hearing a professional matter, the brothers' demeanor immediately became solemn.

"The basic framework is completed, now just waiting on my brother's light-guiding system to finish tuning." Li Guo responded, then glanced at his brother.

With a Ph.D. in electronic engineering, Li Zhong quickly added, "The guidance system is nearly ready, but I'm optimizing program details for better cooperation with the sun. Once completed, we can proceed to final testing."

"So, when do you estimate the equipment will be ready for official use?"

Undoubtedly, this was Old Xu's primary concern.

Li Zhong was also extremely cautious, discussing briefly with Li Guo before replying, "Given the situation, it will take at least 2 days."

"Alright then!" Old Xu nodded solemnly. "You're the experts here. I don't know much, can't assist, so please do your best to get the equipment online soon—counting on you."

Due to the situation regarding Tang Xiaoquan's parents, the base faced a significant fuel shortage. With winter approaching, quick solar power setup was essential.

"Don't worry, Captain Xu. We'll work overtime." The brothers, eager to demonstrate their capability and gain favor, agreed readily.

As they discussed the solar energy issues, Old Xu's handheld radio suddenly crackled.

"Old Xu, Old Xu, respond please!"

The request came from Lin Junfu, his tone urgent, making Old Xu's heart tighten. He quickly picked up and pressed the talk button, "What happened, Old Lin?"

"You'd better come to the monitoring room quickly!" (To be continued. If you enjoy the work, please vote on Qidian for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users visit m.qidian.com to read.)