141

Li Tie and the others were also helping to collect vegetables since most of the ones in the rooms and hallway were ripe. They grew more this time and even if ate a lot they did not make much of a dent. A portion was pickled and the rest were left in the planters, to continue flowering. With today's information, people were in a hurry to even buy wilted vegetables...bidding up a storm!

Sure enough, once the weather was bad, the price of vegetables would rise!

After the baskets were filled, in addition to seeds and crops were packed away, Luo Xun was ready to leave with Yan Fei. Suddenly his mobile phone rang.

"Ah, it's the canteen." Luo Xun gave a funny look to Yan Fei.

Yan Fei shrugged his shoulder and let his lover deal with the situation.

Sure enough, Captain Li was also interested in buying food. In fact, Luo Xun still had some food in the fridge for them to eat slowly. Although it would last a while the problem was that compared to those teams coming to pick up goods, the canteen was just too far away.

Luo Xun had to say, "Have some vegetables at home, but with the road outside we cannot send them."

The team contacts had said they could come in person to pick up the goods, but Luo Xun did not tell them their location, but picked a nearby intersection to exchange cores for the food. As for the canteen...he was sorry but they could not provide delivery services at this time.

Now Luo Xun and company were on their way to the intersection, leaving footprints on the snow.

Sure enough, after hearing this, the other side was silent before indicating that they would contact them later.

Yan Fei drifted a pile of metal boxes down the stairs. Prepared a metal board for more supplies where the buyers could pick up the goods.

It was definitely power squads, no regular people came to pick up the goods.

Two of the teams sent wind users, people floated over the snow. Although they could not really fly up, hovering over the snow like that crazy sheep was no problem. The last team actually came on a sled – not one cobbled together like Luo Xun, but a real sled. Unfortunately with all the debris around it was dangerous to go at full speed, there could be careless collisions.

After the exchange, the two turned around to return home. Before they saw the gate, Luo Xun's phone rang again.

Pulling it out, sure enough it was Captain Li again.

"Where do you live? We have a car here to come and pick up food."

Definitely the military, saying they could send a car would mean it was sent.

Luo Xun pondered then set the location as the same place where they had just traded with the teams. Captain Li said they would send someone over right away.

So Luo Xun had phone the people at home, let Xu Mei know that they could not eat some fresh vegetables for a bit.

The two snorted and pulled a box of vegetables before leaving. They were stunned to find...there was a tank parked there?!

Well, they knew that tanks could freely move on all sorts of bizarre terrain, but they were just picking up food, why such a dangerous car?! Were these crops enough for the vehicle's fuel?!

Looked left and right, made sure that there no other vehicles around. The two went over and inquired...This was really the car that Captain Li had mentioned!

Looking between the cores and crops, Luo Xun could not hold back, "You drove this...car to come buy food?"

A soldier with an automatic gun twitched and whispered with an awkward smile. "Our superiors...really want to eat." He crawled back into the car.

Well then, if the bosses want to eat, then the lower ranked soldiers could not be blamed for driving a tank to buy food.

Once again, the two took out the metal board and exchanged for crystal cores according to the previously agreed ratio with the usual distribution pattern.

At this Li Tie and the others had received a message their boss, indicating that they should go back to work. But the roads were not cleared yet, so the students responded that transportation would be an issue. Until now they were still speaking with the higher ups.

Upon seeing Luo Xun, they hurried over. "Brother Luo Xun we've been told that for a short time there is now way to clear the roads near us."

"What about your work?" Luo Xun raised an eyebrow.

Several people looked gloomy. "Still waiting for news from the boss...but we think that we have to find a solution for ourselves..."

Right after they received another message, the other side did mean for them to try and find a way to report to the barracks, the base would also try to find some technical personnel for temporarily help.

Wang Duo stared nervously at the message and said, "Do they mean to find replacements if we don't report in?!"

Li Tie and friends shared glances heavy with unknown premonition. Luo Xun, Yan Fei and Xu Mei showed sympathetic eyes.

Zhang Yi smiled, "Isn't that obvious?"

It was not like there was nobody in the army. Although it would be a pity to give up skilled workers such as Li Tie. But if there were closer, more obedient subordinates, it would be normal to have them replaced.

"But...but..." Li Tie's face was a bit green.

They had been doing this job for more than a year, being fired was not comfortable. Although they had to work hard and get up early, they were familiar with what they were doing. Not to mention their work was not tiring. Finding stable work on base was a luxury, really did not want to give that up.

"Maybe you can try this." Luo Xun suddenly thought of something. "When we went to sell food, there was a military tank..."

"Ah?!"

"Driving a tank to buy food?!"

Sure enough, everyone was blown away by the news.

Luo Xun coughed, "Them driving whatever car is not what we want to discuss – tanks are heavy! It came straight from the barracks, if you follow its path, it will be easier to reach you destination compared to anywhere else."

Li Tie and the others exchanged glances before grinding their teeth and sending their boss a message that they would try to come tomorrow.

While the students were busy communicating with their boss, Xu Mei whispered to Luo Xun. "Today we heard that people were inquiring about the smell of meat in the hallway."

"Meat smell?" Luo Xun suddenly remembered that everyone had recently eaten mutton and raised his guard. "What's the situation?"

Xu Mei sneered while saying, "Apparently they are worried someone is secretly eating human flesh and encourage everyone to check door-to-door."

"Check?" Luo Xun laughed, "Just because I smell meat, I suspect someone is eating human flesh so check?" Such a far fetched conclusion.

Song Lingling also came over to add, "Right? It was only one person's rumor. No one really dares to organize a check. Some people say it seems to be mutton, but others do not believe that there is any mutton in this age. If someone is eating meat, it must be human flesh. Xu Mei and I heard but did not add anything. Who would dare to organize this sort of thing?"

Yan Fei responded seriously. "Be careful, if they could find someone to blame they might actually do so. Unfortunately all the rich people basically lived in new town. No matter what meat there is, once there are doubts, might take the chance to do something. They would not be afraid if searching other people's homes, they have no loss, may even get benefits."

"Plus the roads are impassable with the snow." Xu Mei sighed and shook her head. "Don't say this excuse could be used in peacetime to search door to door. Some cheap people might take advantage while searching other people's homes..."

"But then again again, we only had a little mutton...their noses are too good." Song Lingling complained bitterly.

Luo Xun said thoughtfully, "Should have been the day the snow stopped, there was no wind. I am afraid the smell escaped."

"So we have to watch the weather when we want to eat meat? Eat when it is really windy?" Song Lingling stared at the window in discomfort.

Luo Xun shrugged. "Occasionally having a big meal is no problem. Our floor is high, generally speaking the smell will not leak to the bottom..." He was very nervous about people who lived on the rooftops.

Luo Xun's eyes brightened as he pointed to the yawning Zhang Yi. "When we have intense food aroma, after cooking Zhang Yi can act like an exhaust fan." Just use the wind to disperse the scent, nobody would be able to notice.

Zhang Yi looked at him with unimpressed eyes.

In the evening, Luo Xun went back home and was greeted by Puppy wagging her tail while sitting on the sofa.

He suddenly remembered something and scanned the kennel. "Huh? Where's the crystal core?"

"What crystal core?" Yan Fei was focusing on the metal boxes where the other nuclei were normally stored – they were completely sealed and contained all their cores. Luo Xun was not an ability user and they did not spend much. Whenever Yan Fei needed nuclei, or Luo Xun needed to buy something, they could take from here.

"Not those, the duck's nuclei! That Puppy has been using as a pillow!" Luo Xun bent over the sofa and looked around carefully.

"Didn't you put that in the cage before?" Yan Fei also followed Luo Xun around.

Such a big thing, how could it up and disappear? They remembered that the dog had used it like a pillow under her chin...

"Wait, when was the last time you saw that thing?"

Since the core had been left at home for a while, the two people had ignored it. After thinking about Luo Xun's words, Yan Fei could not remember the last time.

"...My impression seems to have a been some time ago."

"Did it get stuck somewhere when Puppy was playing with it?" Luo xun scratched his head. Even if someone wanted to steal it...it was not easy to hide away!

The two men went down with flashlights to check any hidden gaps for lost things. It did not take long for them to sweep out dog hair from under the sofa and a slipper under a shelf...Well Puppy was polite, they had found many slippers before, now there was just this one.

The two people checked the living room to no avail and them the nursery room, kitchen, bathroom, storage. They even checked the second floor, cleaning out who knew how much hair but there was no trace of the crystal core.

"So where the hell did that thing go?" Luo Xun's waist was sore as he relaxed on the sofa pet the dog's head.

Sadly, the dog did not understand the problem and only stared back at Luo Xun with an innocent, silly face.

Yan Fei also went to pet Puppy's head. "Did you eat it?"

"So big a...how would she eat it? Licking? It's not ice cream." Luo Xun looked strangely at Yan Fei before musing. "Would a crystal core get smaller if licked?"

Yan Fei's expression shifted. "Nothing happened when we used water to clean up the core." Was he really thinking the core was like ice cream?

The crystal core had first been rinsed clean by Song Lingling in fear that it was contaminated by the zombie virus. Well even if the nuclei had no traces of the virus, could this be absorbed through licking?

"...Maybe dog's saliva...not the same as regular water?" Luo Xun's next thought was less certain.

Saliva was definitely not the same as water, must a difference in ingredient components. But the problem was that they had never heard of any who could eat nuclei and survive...But perhaps the nuclei of mutant animals was different from zombies?

The two glanced at the dog, whose ears raised to attention and instinctively wanted to retreat.

Yan Fei took a level one core, Luo Xun pried open the dog's mouth and covered it in saliva using a towel. It was fine being licked but it was not hygenic. Using it for experiments, made one feel more awkward. Afterwards, Puppy shook her head and ran behind the quail box while peeping over in fear that her owners would shove something else into her mouth.

The pair wrapped the core and placed it in a plastic bag...it was in fear of water loss. They just did not know if there would be a chemical reaction tomorrow morning.

After this, Luo Xun ran to the quail box to pick up the dog. "Was it really eaten by you? Or was it taken? If you ate it, shouldn't you have an ability too?"

The silly dog headbutted Luo Xun.

"Sometimes I really think I am raising a husky instead a chow-chow..." Luo Xun complained to Yan Fei.

Yan Fei laughed, "Even if she's clever, it would be impossible to understand her words, why ask if she cannot answer?"

"But where the hell has that big crystal core gone?" Luo Xun frowned while looking around. Where was it?! Even the quail boxes had been checked. "Are we sure it has not been stolen?"

Yan Fei frowned while looking at the window – none of the iron railings, glass windows and walls were damaged.

To tell the truth, if it really was a thief...unless they had wall walking techniques...who could steal it?

But if it was an insider...they had never given their keys to anyone either. The other team members had never asked to visit, Luo Xun would invite them if needed. Plus that thing was so big, if it was taken away, where would it be hidden?

"If you think it has been stolen...who would steal it?" It was not that Yan Fei was untrusting of his team members, but if someone actually stole this...there was no place to sell it! No one had heard of this sort of thing on base, it was pretty but very conspicuous.

Luo Xun had a bitter face and continued to pet the dog. "So we still cannot figure this out. Say, were you the one to eat it?!"

Puppy was silly, her master squished her face into a variety of shapes. She had forgotten about Luo Xun's previous action and thought he was playing with her...

After the petting session, Luo Xun happily went upstairs to bed.

The next morning, the two people were thinking about the previous matter and checked the nuclei...

"I feel like the size has not changed at all." Luo Xun took a closer look at the crystal after cleaning.

Yan Fei nodded as well. "I weighed it yesterday, let's weigh it again."

They had a small set of scales – it was durable and did not need any batteries. There was no issue with weighing small things.

The two checked and found it was the same as yesterday, no difference.

The two look in confusion at the core then looked at the dog.

"You think...if that thing was really eaten by Puppy, does she now...have an ability?" Luo Xun was hesitant."

"I can't say but the disappearance must have something to do with it."

After all, after they brought back the crystal Puppy held it all the time except to eat and going out to play. If it was taken away, she would object so it was let alone.

Luo Xun frowned and squished the dog's face again. "The mutant animals we have seen had strange shapes...but Puppy looks the same." She was in contact with such a big nuclei, did she really not mutate?

Yan Fei was also silent, he did not know much about future news but they had seen two mutant animals...had changed. If the dog became larger after mutation, he would not be surprised. However he would be if she stayed the same.

"Maybe..some mutant animals don't change shape?" Yan Fei asked.

"I don't know...wait. Do you remember a couple nights ago when we came back and her eyes were glowing like light bulbs?" Luo Xun lit up and looked at Yan Fei.

"You mean..." Yan Fei also remembered what had happened earlier.

142

Luo Xun suddenly stood up when thinking that Puppy might have mutated. "We'll test by turning off the lights this evening!"

It was currently morning, far from being completely dark best to wait until night. Anyway, who knew how long that crystal core had been 'eaten' or 'lost', checking later would not be a big problem.

In fact, other than this method, there was a way to prove if the dog had mutated, let it use a first level nuclei. If it could be absorbed, it proved that it had transformed, if not then the duck's nuclei could be somewhere, just the couple had not found it yet.

But who knew if eating a crystal core could turn an animal into a zombie? Luo Xun dared not bet – the dog was not human, if it swallowed the thing and caused problems, there would be no place to cry.

The duck nuclei was unaccounted for and the suspect needed to stay until evening for investigation. The sheep's core had been 'eaten' by Zhang Yi leaving the huge sheepskin to be dealt with.

Luo Xun sent Puppy outside to accompany Yu Xinran. Li Tie and the others had embarked on a difficult journey to work, Luo Xun had no solutions. If the road was better they could still drive but currently they could work hard to reach the barracks and test the road conditions.

"Process that sheepskin? All right!" The two women lit up and nodded.

The heating at home was really warm but there were times when cold winds blew. Sheepskin was very warm, it would perfect for coats, shoes, gloves to keep out the cold.

Song Lingling thought of Li Tie's group who went to work in this weather. "Li Tie and the others have to go to work every day, let's quickly make some clothes for them against the cold!"

So they started work, they brought in the frozen skin and warmed it up, washed off the meat with water, sterilized it with salt and then...

"The weather is so cold, the skin is so big, how do we hang it?" The two ladies looked to Luo Xun for help.

Luo Xun also frowned out the window, trying to make leather on such a cold day, it would get frozen in no time. If it was just leather, then fine, but since this also had wool, would it not get completely frozen?

Zhang Yi ambled in. "What's going on?"

Luo Xun's eyes brightened, "Come, come, come! Beauty it's time for work!"

Zhang Yi had not entered and only heard a bit of Luo Xun's words when he waved his hand and a wind blade rushed towards Luo Xun. Halfway it was blocked by a metal plate with a *Whoosh*.

Yu Xinran had covered her ears while looking at Zhang Yi who had a dark expression and then to Yan Fei who had blocked the wind blade with metal.

Half an hour later, Zhang Yi stood in the relatively empty room with a bitter expression while manipulating the wind to dry the folded sheepskin...Luo Xun thought of him as a hairdryer! This uncle could not bear this!

Zhang Yi worked more than half a day to dry the sheepskin. Although there were still a lot of steps left, but considering it was winter, Luo Xun decided to at least cut a few chunks to make cloaks against the wind, even quilts would be good.

They struggled to cut and laboriously put the lining together, the group felt like their hands were poked with needles. The skin was too hard – too little strength meant it did not pierce, too much meant they poked themselves.

Night fell, the wind picked up again and Li Tie's group had not returned. Zhang Yi was hungry, his expression became darker as he finally dialed Wang Duo's phone. Fortunately their phones were charged and on hand.

After connecting, Wang Duo said they left 40 minutes ago but were struggling on the snow-covered road...about halfway to home.

"40 minutes for halfway?!" Zhang Yi hung up and looked at the snow covered landscape...it was possible.

Zhang Yi angrily turned towards the gate.

"Where are you going?" Luo Xun asked while helping brush Puppy with Yu Xinran.