Smack!
“Huh?”
The car door opened, and Gadelia quickly walked over to Zhou Ming.
“Zhou Ming… are you okay? I have…” Gadelia seemed a bit flustered, rummaging through the small pouch inside her dress, “Nothing left…”
“Um… I’ll take you to the hospital. I’ve just recently checked out the doctors in Yu City,” Gadelia said.
“Thanks…”
Zhou Ming lay on the ground, wanting to look up at the sun, but because Gadelia was standing in front of him, he could only look at her.
Backlit, he couldn’t make out her face clearly. As she searched her things, Zhou Ming accidentally glanced upward—he didn’t see anything clearly, only the outline of her slender legs and the inside of her skirt.
Gadelia seemed to notice his gaze and glanced at him lightly.
‘Am I dying?!’
Zhou Ming’s mind was a mess.
On the other side, Zhang Chuanlei was squatting by the wall with two squad leaders, smoking and chatting, occasionally pointing at Zhou Ming. Seeing Gadelia approach, the three men gave a slight shudder, as if startled.
“Old Zhang, I told you, don’t set your standards too high when looking for a partner. Good enough is fine.”
“Zhang Chuanlei, you’re over twenty. Stop being so picky. Just settle down.”
The two squad leaders teased Zhang Chuanlei with the tone of experienced men.
“What’s wrong with my conditions?!” Zhang Chuanlei retorted unhappily. “I’m not short on money. Is it really that hard to find a wife I can live with?!”
He waved his hand, clearly not wanting to continue the topic.
“I think it’s better to go to the hospital and get treated first,” one squad leader said.
“Captain Zhang Chuanlei, are you all still waiting here?” Gadelia walked over and asked.
“We’ll leave once the city construction department arrives to handle things,” Zhang Chuanlei said, handing his cigarette to the man beside him.
Gadelia nodded. She really wasn’t familiar with this kind of thing. Her identity and status meant she rarely dealt with such grassroots cleanup work.
Before long, the city construction personnel arrived, and the Lantern Bearers quickly got into the vehicles and left.
Relying on their Lantern Bearer status, they were given priority passage all the way and soon delivered Zhou Ming and the others to the hospital.
At the hospital, they also received priority treatment.
“The injuries aren’t too serious. Just a few stitches,” a middle-aged doctor said after an examination. “But you, I recommend a full-body checkup.”
The doctor made notes while arranging treatment.
Zhang Chuanlei’s injuries were the most severe, caused by his direct confrontation with the Dust-rank energy beast.
“You guys are fine. Just rest and don’t lose any more blood,” the doctor said, his tone softening as he looked at Zhou Ming’s wounds.
“I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave,” Gadelia said.
She knew Zhou Ming and the others would have to continue their patrols later, and it wasn’t convenient for her to stay here.
“Remember to contact me~” she said to Zhou Ming before leaving.
After returning to her residence, Gadelia sat on the sofa and activated a holographic communicator used internally by the Jingquan Union, sending a message to the Jingquan Union’s supervisor in Yu City.
The internal positions of the Jingquan Union were divided into five levels: President, Realm Master, Supervisor, Deacon, and Pivot. Among them, the President held the highest status, but actual operations were mostly coordinated by the Realm Masters or the President; Supervisors were responsible for projects, funds, and recruitment within their regions; Deacons and Pivots were responsible for specific execution.
Gadelia was one of the Realm Masters. However, she was currently operating outside in a personal capacity, secretly advancing a certain plan.
Soon, the hologram lit up, and a tall, thin man wearing gold-rimmed glasses appeared before her.
“Lady Gadelia, greetings.” The Supervisor bowed slightly, his tone respectful.
Gadelia paid little attention to his etiquette and asked lightly:
“How is the progress of the Jingquan Union’s project in Yu City?”
“There has been a breakthrough, my lady. The survival rate of ordinary people after injecting specific energy beast factors has stabilized, but we cannot guarantee the awakening of abilities.”
“Hmm, not enough yet,” Gadelia nodded. “What about recruitment?”
The Supervisor lowered his head, his tone serious:
“Not going smoothly. The local forces in Yu City have already detected our presence. They are unwilling to cooperate and are constantly hindering our operations. We can only absorb some small gangs and underground personnel.”
“Leave the major families alone for now,” Gadelia thought for a moment. “I will make arrangements later.”
After briefly assigning some tasks, she ended the communication.
“It’s already past ten…”
Gadelia glanced at her phone, preparing to take a shower and change clothes, while waiting for Zhou Ming to contact her.
After her bath, she stood barefoot on the carpet, looking at the wardrobe full of clothes, momentarily hesitant.
Evening gown? Too formal, no.
Lolita? Rarely wear it, not suitable.
This one? Wore it today.
That one? Haven’t really worn it much…
She finally settled on a simple outfit. After putting on her underwear, she began selecting clothes.
Beep beep beep—
The phone rang.
She answered while still searching for clothes.
“Gadelia, where are you? Should I come to you, or can we talk over the phone?” Zhou Ming skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
“Come to my place. I’ll send you the address.”
Gadelia wanted to spend a bit more time with Zhou Ming, enjoying a moment of quiet.
She didn’t really like discussing matters in crowded places unless necessary.
Finally, just before the doorbell rang, she finished changing.
“Excuse the intrusion.”
After the door opened, Zhou Ming said softly.
He sat on the sofa, took the water Gadelia handed him, drank a sip, and looked up to ask:
“Can we talk now?”
Gadelia didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she asked first:
“I want to confirm something first—after you killed that wolf-type energy beast earlier, did you use your own ability?”
“Yes,” Zhou Ming nodded. “After killing a wolf-type energy beast, I found that my ability had grown stronger.”
The grind-to-level-up concept is interesting. It’s cool how every moment can shape the big day in unexpected ways. What was the biggest challenge for you?