BFET Chapter 13

About Dinner

Just as Xie Yi was lying in the treatment pod, the entire Kui City Security Defense Team was bustling with activity due to the sudden incident in the Fengjiang Enclosed Zone.

The advance support team temporarily returned to base after a day, reporting and confirming that the ecology within the Fengjiang Enclosed Zone had changed. Pollution concentration indicators in each zone were fluctuating frequently. It would take at least a week to confirm the extent of the expansion and complete the replacement of tagging anchors within the zone.

The Lantern Mushroom spores at the source of pollution had already been sprayed with growth inhibitors and would be cleared and eliminated afterward. However, with the source of pollution as the center, more than half of the plants in the Central Zone were in an evolutionary state, and a small portion had already completed evolution.

The number of animal-type Mutated Entities had sharply decreased, mainly concentrated in the Peripheral Zone. Plant-type Mutated Entities would subsequently become the main active Mutated Entities in the Fengjiang Enclosed Zone.

Two days later, Fei Yuelan met Xie Yi after obtaining a visitation permit from the Research Institute.

“Looks like you’re recovering well?” Fei Yuelan stood outside the treatment pod, looking at him.

After the treatment, the alienated color on Xie Yi’s face had faded a lot, and his eyes had returned to normal. “Captain.”

Fei Yuelan gave a hum, “Feeling better?”

Xie Yi: “Much better. I should be able to leave the treatment pod in two days.”

Fei Yuelan smiled upon hearing this, “Jiang Li told me that you must stay in the treatment pod for a full week before you can come out.”

“…” Xie Yi paused, “It doesn’t need to be that long, I…”

“Xie Yi.” Fei Yuelan interrupted him, “Jiang Li sent me the initial examination results from the night you came back. Don’t let this happen again.”

Xie Yi was silent for a moment, “Understood.”

Fei Yuelan knew from his expression that he only understood verbally, “You said you understood before entering the Fengjiang Zone, but you forgot pretty quickly after entering.”

Xie Yi tried to explain, “The situation was special at the time. I made the optimal choice.”

“Yes, I trust your judgment.” Fei Yuelan looked at him and said, “But I want you to remember at all times not to take risks with yourself.”

Xie Yi still wanted to say something, but Fei Yuelan didn’t give him the chance: “Okay, let’s get down to business.”

“You Xue’s report only covers the situation outside the source of pollution. She said you arranged for her and Shen Shu to investigate the periphery, so they are not clear about what happened inside the source of pollution.”

Xie Yi’s expression changed slightly when he heard this, and then he watched Fei Yuelan turn on the intelligent terminal’s recording mode: “Although we have made a rough estimate based on the content you sent to the support team, we still need you to make a complete report yourself.”

Xie Yi: “Okay.”

Compared to highlighting key points when talking to Jiang Li, Xie Yi spoke in more detail this time, but he concealed the final part about Shen Shu.

“This Lantern Mushroom is indeed strange.” Fei Yuelan pondered, “Normally speaking, the pollution concentration in the Fengjiang Zone is not enough to maintain the birth and growth of high-level spores, let alone rely on low-level and a small number of initial-level Mutated Entities to satisfy the appetite of the spore form before the final evolution. But this Lantern Mushroom succeeded.”

Xie Yi also had doubts about this: “How is the investigation in the Fengjiang Zone going?”

“The advance team made a preliminary report when they returned for resource replenishment. Most of the people are still there investigating and cleaning up.” Fei Yuelan: “The final result will be available in six days.”

“But no matter what the subsequent results are, the pollution expansion in the Fengjiang Zone is beyond doubt, and its danger level must be adjusted and raised.”

“You rest first, and we’ll talk about anything else when you’re better.” After saying that, Fei Yuelan got up to leave, “By the way, the main team plans to reorganize the extraction tasks for each Enclosed Zone in response to this incident. You should receive new tasks afterward.”

As Fei Yuelan said, Xie Yi received a new extraction task four days later, and the previously unfinished task was suspended.

“Is the new task a joint effort with other Safety Zones?” You Xue’s voice came from the intelligent terminal, “I see there are people from other Safety Zones on the list. This scope is so broad and the time is so long. We also need to assist several smaller Safety Zones.”

“Probably.” Xie Yi leaned back on the bed in the treatment room, a blue light screen floating in front of him.

A map floated on the light screen, and several key circled places were their new task locations: Zhou Shan, Jiangbei, Bu Kou, Tong Yi, Tong Qing, a total of six Enclosed Zones.

Xie Yi’s gaze paused for a moment on the place marked Jiangbei before moving away, “Where’s Shen Shu?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I went to see you with him a few days ago. I just wanted to pull him into the communication, but he didn’t answer.” You Xue suddenly seemed to think of something and said, “Oh, by the way, Xie Yi, when you’re almost better, let’s take Shen Shu to Grandma’s in South Street for grilled fish! Welcome Shen Shu to the team, and celebrate your recovery!”

“Just say you want to eat, don’t use me and Shen Shu as an excuse.” Xie Yi was quickly browsing the Fengjiang Zone investigation report he just received.

“You really are!” You Xue said through gritted teeth, “Your teammate, me, is contributing to the harmony and friendship of our team, okay? It’s fine if you, the captain, don’t take the lead, but can you not be so disappointing!”

“Okay, I’m fine with anything, go ask Shen Shu.” Xie Yi quickly scanned the investigation report on the light screen, but he didn’t get the information he wanted most.

After nearly a week of investigation and monitoring, the Fengjiang Zone was finally upgraded to a B-level Danger Zone. As for the Lantern Mushroom, because no actual clues were found, it was tentatively speculated that it may have been brought by external Mutated Entities. In short, it was a mystery.

Knock knock knock—

Jiang Li leaned against the door and raised her chin at Xie Yi, “It’s time, you should go back to the treatment pod and lie down. Last night, hurry up!”

You Xue heard Jiang Li’s voice in the intelligent terminal, threw me aside to ask Shen Shu, and immediately hung up the communication.

Xie Yi looked at Jiang Li. Since he had insisted on leaving the treatment pod for two hours every day two days ago, Jiang Li had never given him a good look again.

He didn’t say anything, turned off the light screen, got out of bed, and walked toward the treatment pod. When he passed Jiang Li, he suddenly stopped and looked at her.

Jiang Li frowned: “What do you want to do again?”

Pretending not to see her expression, Xie Yi: “Have you seen Shen Shu?”

“Little Shu? I just saw him leave with the professor.” Jiang Li looked at him, “Are you looking for him? I’ll say it first, you have to wait until tomorrow for anything.”

Xie Yi: “…No, I’m just concerned about my teammate’s whereabouts.”

Jiang Li looked suspicious until she watched Xie Yi lie down in the treatment pod before feeling relieved.

The next day.

After Xie Yi’s last treatment pod program ended, Jiang Li looked at the examination results, “All abnormal indicators have almost stabilized at normal levels, but some indicators in your blood test results are still jumping a bit high. You still have to come here once a day for the next week.”

Xie Yi, who was tidying up his collar, turned his head to look over when he heard this: “A week?”

“Yes, that’s right, every day, don’t think about going on a mission.” Jiang Li looked at him with a smile before continuing to explain: “Also, there are still a few places on your body where the alienation marks haven’t faded. I’ll prescribe two bottles of dissolving spray for you. Remember to use them every day.”

Xie Yi: “Got it.”

After soaking in the treatment pod for a week, the first thing Xie Yi did when he returned to the dormitory was to thoroughly clean up and take a shower.

When he finished cleaning up and came out of the bathroom, he saw his intelligent terminal was lit up.

He wiped his hair and walked over, picked it up and looked at it. Two calls, one message, all from You Xue.

Ignoring the calls, Xie Yi opened the message—

You Xue: Xie Yi, have you returned to the dormitory? About the dinner, I asked Shen Shu, and he said yes. How about setting the time for tomorrow night? If it’s okay, I’ll go book a place!

After reading it, Xie Yi replied okay, put on the intelligent terminal, and took out the dissolving spray that Jiang Li prescribed.

There were still some black linear marks on his abdomen and below his neck. When the spray was sprayed on, there was a slight tingling sensation.

Under the warm-colored light, the black linear marks quickly absorbed the fine water droplets and then seemed to shrink slightly.

……

The day of the dinner was a beautiful day.

After a day of sunshine, only a little afterglow remained after the sun went down. A gentle breeze blew, giving people a very comfortable feeling.

Xie Yi went out wearing a simple white T-shirt, arriving at the main team’s gate at the agreed time. Shen Shu and You Xue had already arrived.

You Xue, wearing a floral dress, shouted when she saw him: “Xie Yi, hurry up!”

The nearby Shen Shu also looked at him at the first moment.

Xie Yi frowned and walked over to look at Shen Shu, asking, “Are you going to eat grilled fish dressed like this?”

Shen Shu was wearing the same outfit as the last time he saw him in Fei Yuelan’s office.

However, this time it was a white shirt and gray slacks, with a gray short vest. The whole person was set off as handsome and slender. Paired with his face, the return rate on the road was definitely high.

But Xie Yi really felt that this outfit didn’t match the street stall grilled fish at all.

“Is it inappropriate?” Shen Shu asked with a smile on his lips, his eyes looking seriously at Xie Yi: “Or is the captain so strict that even eating has dress standards?”

“?” Xie Yi opened his mouth to retort when he heard this, but before he could speak, You Xue, seeing that the atmosphere was not right, immediately interjected: “No, no, it’s very appropriate. Let’s go, you two, don’t stand here as door gods. Hurry up, I’m starving!”

Saying that, she was about to pull someone.

But before her hand touched them, these two people, whether intentional or unintentional, almost simultaneously avoided her and walked away.

You Xue:?

Before long, these two people had walked several meters away.

You Xue followed behind in amazement. It was one thing for Xie Yi, but did Shen Shu know the way? Why was he walking so fast?

Oh no, that’s not right. Shen Shu was following Xie Yi, the two of them walking one in front of the other, as if in a race.

The South Street where they were eating was the Kui City night market. At this point, many stalls had been set up.

The surrounding shouts were louder than the last.

Grandma’s Grilled Fish was at the end of South Street. When Xie Yi and the other two arrived, the seats were almost full.

There were also some familiar faces from the main team among the diners.

Xie Yi knew the people, but he wasn’t familiar with them.

So he just nodded slightly and walked inside.

Shen Shu followed Xie Yi and found the reserved seat to sit down.

There was an electronic menu on the table. Xie Yi touched it, and a screen filled with dishes popped up in front of him.

As he was looking at it, Shen Shu, who was sitting next to him, suddenly asked: “Captain, why don’t you go chat with those people?”