บท 85: Chapter 85、In the Iron Forest, I Stand Tall—Even as a Ghost, I Am Unyielding!
"Look! That strange thing is gone! The wall's clean now!"
"Hey, hey, it really is! Where did it go?"
"What strange thing? That's the man-eating fungus. Didn't we get an announcement from the system earlier? But... where did the fungus actually go?"
"Do you think it's the Commander showing his power? I've always suspected the Commander's pretty impressive. He could very well be one of the top leaders on the rankings."
"Stop kidding! If the Commander was that powerful, why didn't he show up earlier? I'm not disrespecting the Commander, I'm just saying it as it is."
In the downstairs hall, the buzz of excited voices filled the air. Everyone had gathered due to the threat of the man-eating fungus, which had already been proven to be a severe threat to human life. With the protection of the soldiers and the building's security system, they all felt a little safer.
Before the discussion could continue, the building's PA system crackled to life with Jiang Xiaoci's calm voice.
"I've just received word from the Commander. Our elite soldier, Wang Shi, has used his abilities to eliminate the man-eating fungus threat in the settlement."
"Of course, this doesn't mean the fungus is gone for good, but it does mean the settlement is temporarily safe."
"Now, the alert level has been lowered. All personnel, return to your dorms. Today is a collective rest day, no work will be scheduled. No one is to leave the settlement! The settlement will be temporarily locked down!"
Jiang Xiaoci's voice echoed through the surrounding buildings, and the crowd quickly understood.
"Wang Shi? Is he the big guy who just walked out? Damn, how many capable people does the Commander have under him?"
"I told you, the Commander is definitely the top leader! The number one talent on the list has to be the Commander!"
"The Commander is definitely impressive, showing his true strength. I admit, I underestimated him. I'm completely convinced now."
"I thought the second round of the apocalypse would be more dangerous, but this? This is nothing. Honestly, it's not even as bad as the heatwave apocalypse. At least that made me sweat more."
"Dude, you're not even mentioning the people who died? Fortunately, the fungus doesn't have secondary infection abilities, otherwise, those guys who were scratched would have transformed by now!"
"Even without secondary infection, they still look pretty weak after getting scratched. They're not going to work for the next few days... I envy them."
The mood in the crowd was one of relief and joy, with people visibly less anxious. While there were still some cynics, their comments were overshadowed by the overwhelming sense of security in the settlement.
Yi Bai smiled, hearing the chatter around him. It was a good sign; it meant the people were beginning to unite and trust the settlement more.
Just then, Wang Shi pushed open the door and entered. He scanned the crowd, noticing the soldiers around him giving him salutes, their eyes filled with respect.
Instinctively, Wang Shi returned the salute before silently heading upstairs.
"He's also a soldier?" A woman whispered among the crowd. "He's so strong, I wonder if he's like some kind of bull... He's so big, he'd probably crush me!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Didn't Miss Jiang say we can't harass soldiers? Remember what happened when you tried to sneak into Dr. Chen's room the other night? You got a reprimand for that."
"Steel trees stand tall, even as ghosts, I remain charming! I'm not afraid!"
"Steel? Miss, can my steel enter your forest?"
"No way! Today, I only like Wang Shi! I'm going to win him over!"
The crowd whispered, both men and women, gossiping about Wang Shi as he ascended the stairs. The women's eyes practically sparkled, all mentally ranking him as the second most eligible man in the settlement.
As for Chen Qiuren? He'd been relegated to third place.
"Oh?" You ask who's number one?
That honor went to the mysterious man who never left his room upstairs.
Who wouldn't want to be the Commander's wife?
"Alright, everyone, disperse!"
Under Jiang Xiaoci's instructions, Li Jie stepped forward, guiding the women to leave in an orderly manner.
"Go back to your rooms and rest! Don't waste time! Miss Jiang said today's rest counts toward your work points! It's a way of comforting everyone and encouraging unity as we survive the second round of the apocalypse!"
"Long live Miss Jiang!"
A man shouted excitedly, but was quickly corrected by someone next to him.
"You shouted the wrong one, Miss Jiang isn't the leader."
"Oh, right! Long live the Commander!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd as they exited the hall, with Wang Shi's name quickly becoming the new topic of conversation.
Meanwhile, as the crowd filtered out, Wang Shi had already returned to Yi Bai's room. Jiang Xiaoci, who had been sitting next to Yi Bai, stood and silently positioned herself behind him as soon as Wang Shi entered.
Wang Shi gave her a brief glance, then turned to Yi Bai, offering a sharp salute.
"Sir, the mission is complete."
"I saw it. Well done." Yi Bai nodded with a smile, then asked, "Wang Shi, what method did you use? I couldn't quite understand. Can you explain it briefly?"
"It's a magnetic field control module," Wang Shi replied. "I slightly adjusted the magnetic field of the earth's crust in the settlement's area, specifically tuning it to the repulsive magnetic field of ancient creatures like the man-eating fungus. This caused them to disperse."
Wang Shi paused for a moment, then continued, "Since my energy is so advanced for this era, theoretically, as long as I'm here, the magnetic field effect won't fade. The fungus won't be able to approach the settlement."
"A lasting effect like that? Very good!" Yi Bai nodded in satisfaction. Though Wang Shi couldn't completely eliminate the fungus, Yi Bai was more than happy with the results.
The second round of the apocalypse had just begun, and they had already solved the survival crisis. For the next month, Yi Bai could focus on development, putting him far ahead of the other survivors.
"Sir, should we continue researching the man-eating fungus?" Jiang Xiaoci asked softly from the side.
Yi Bai nodded. "Yes, Wang Shi's method is just a temporary fix. The real solution still lies with those two."
"Speaking of which, where did Zhao Siqi go?"
"She's out with Chen Qiuren on a mission, escorted by Lin Yue, to find usable medical equipment for the upcoming analysis of the fungus."
"Ah, looking for equipment, huh." Yi Bai nodded, then suddenly froze. His eyes widened as he looked at Jiang Xiaoci.
"What did you just say? You sent Zhao Siqi with Chen Qiuren?"
Jiang Xiaoci nodded. "Yes, Sir."
"Damn it! They're going to fight! Someone's going to die!" Yi Bai exclaimed in alarm.
"Sir, it shouldn't be that bad." Jiang Xiaoci tilted her head, frowning slightly. "They're meeting for the first time. They have no grudges. Why would they fight? And cause someone to die?"
No grudges? That woman wants to kill Chen Qiuren a thousand times over!
"This... this is a long story."
Yi Bai sighed deeply. He didn't want to explain everything but decided to connect to Lin Yue's perspective to check on the situation, also reminding her to keep an eye on the two of them.
As long as they didn't openly fight, Yi Bai wasn't worried. But if they got into a serious confrontation, it could affect the innocent, and he wasn't about to let Lin Yue get caught up in that mess—she was his future general!
Just as Yi Bai prepared to link to Lin Yue's viewpoint, a mysterious voice echoed in his ear.
[Attention all survivors!]
[The second round of the apocalypse war scenario is about to begin!]
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