Chapter 99: Lord Chief

Chapter 99 -98: Lord Chief

Sun Fei’s shrewd little eyes darted around. He suddenly flashed Chen Momo a grin. “Boss Chen, your sour cabbage fish window is booming. You must have made a fortune lately, haven’t you?”

Chen Momo looked at him impassively and said nothing.

Feigning difficulty, Sun Fei continued, “Boss Chen, I’ll be honest with you. I do know a few people at the munitions factory, so getting you a couple of bulletproof vests is no problem. But the price won’t be cheap…”

Chen Momo instantly caught his underlying meaning—seeing how well her business was doing, he wanted to fleece her. If she showed any desperation to buy the vests from him, she would fall right into his trap.

She wasn’t that stupid.

So, she deliberately put on an air of indifference and chuckled. “No worries. Since it’s hard to get bulletproof vests here, I’ll go look elsewhere. I know quite a few people who can get their hands on them anyway.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Believing she truly had other channels, Sun Fei saw his easy mark about to slip away. He hurriedly stepped forward to block her path. “Hey, hey, hey! Boss Chen, don’t be so hasty. Let me finish. What I meant was, although bulletproof vests are hard to come by, as long as you buy them from me, I’ll give you a sincere price. Just buy from me; there’s no need to seek out anyone else.”

“What’s your price?” Chen Momo asked.

Sun Fei had initially intended to rip her off, but seeing that her desire to purchase the vests wasn’t very firm, he didn’t dare push his luck. “One vest is one hundred thousand base credits, so three would total three hundred thousand. You can’t let me work for nothing, right? You have to let me make a little profit. Three hundred and fifty thousand base credits for three. How does that sound?”

“Too expensive,” she replied, shaking her head.

She turned to leave again.

Sun Fei quickly stepped forward to stop her once more, a cheeky smile on his face. “Don’t be in such a hurry to leave, Boss Chen! The price is always negotiable. Why don’t you tell me how much you’re willing to pay?”

“At most, one hundred thousand base credits. Not a single credit more,” she stated flatly.

Sun Fei looked pained. “That’s way too ruthless! You’re cutting it to the bone. Boss Chen, go ask around through any of your channels. Three vests for a hundred thousand base credits? If anyone sells them to you for that, I’ll change my name from Sun Fei to Sun Dog.”

Chen Momo wasn’t in a rush. She went back and forth with him, quietly probing for his bottom line. In the end, they settled on one hundred and twenty thousand base credits for all three bulletproof vests.

“I’ll deliver the vests to you tomorrow,” Sun Fei promised. “Cash on delivery.”

After Chen Momo left, Sun Fei shook his head incessantly. He had assumed that since she had money, he could make a killing off her. To his surprise, she turned out to be even shrewder than he was, and he barely made any profit on these three vests. But on second thought, earning a little was better than earning nothing at all. He would still take the deal!

***

The Capital, Headquarters.

A massive, modern building hovered in the air. Below it lay a vast expanse of white snow, while its upper section comprised a three-thousand-square-meter circular office space. Inside one of the offices, floating LCD screens lined all four walls, continuously broadcasting the events unfolding across the major bases.

A tall man in a white uniform stood facing the window. His long, straight back and upright posture undeniably radiated a noble aura. He seemed to be enveloped in a faint white halo, appearing both divine and elegant.

“Chief, according to the itinerary, we will be heading to the Han City Base—one of the Ten Great Bases—for an inspection next week.”

The gray-haired Secretary Shen Zhongchen stopped two meters away from Beiming Qianye and respectfully bowed behind him.

Beiming Qianye withdrew his gaze from the endless snow outside the window and set down his coffee. His face looked as if it had been carved by a master sculptor, featuring deep, tranquil eyes. It was a face that never seemed to betray any emotion.

“Secretary Shen, you can just arrange everything,” Beiming Qianye said calmly, his elegant voice resonating as beautifully as a cello.

Shen Zhongchen nodded with a solemn expression. “Yes, sir.”

As the Chief of the Ten Great Bases, Beiming Qianye’s safety was of utmost importance, especially in this chaotic apocalypse. The fact that the Chief would risk his life to inspect the bases and comfort the refugees seeking shelter there filled him with genuine admiration for such daring spirit.

Beiming Qianye reached out his hand, and a Lark that had been resting on the window sill fluttered its wings, landing on his silver suit.

“Xiao Jiu will be coming with us too—right?” Beiming Qianye said to the Lark perched on his arm.

The Lark immediately let out a CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP, seemingly giving an affirmative response.

It was a bionic Lark. Although its exterior looked no different from a real bird, its interior was packed with sophisticated, high-tech components. This robotic bird could not only relay detected information to Beiming Qianye in real time, but it could also evade surveillance from various instruments.

Beiming Qianye lowered his arm, and Xiao Jiu automatically flew back to rest on the nearby window sill.

Shen Zhongchen walked over and presented an exquisite booklet to Beiming Qianye with both hands. “Chief, this contains the personnel the Han City Base has arranged to receive you, as well as the itinerary for the day. Please look it over in advance.”

Beiming Qianye opened the booklet sent by the Han City Base. Inside, it listed Gu Rongjin along with the heads of the base’s various departments. When his gaze landed on one of the photos, Beiming Qianye froze, his heart suddenly pounding violently.

In the picture was a woman with her hair tied into a bun; she was designated as the head chef who would be handling his meals that day. But it was that smiling face that made it impossible for him to look away!

“Is it her?” he thought. “Why do they look exactly the same!”

Beiming Qianye’s eyes immediately darted below the photo to find her name. When he saw the words “Chen Momo,” his surging emotions gradually calmed down, like ocean waves settling after a hurricane.

“It really isn’t her,” he realized. “They just look alike.”

“I understand,” Beiming Qianye said, closing the booklet and gently placing it on the desk in front of him. He turned back to Shen Zhongchen. “Secretary Shen, you may leave first. I still have some matters to attend to.”

Shen Zhongchen nodded. “Yes, sir.”

After Secretary Shen left, Beiming Qianye gently picked up the booklet from the desk and slowly opened it again. His gentle gaze fell softly on the woman in the picture. Unable to help himself, he reached out a thumb and lightly stroked that familiar face.

“How wonderful it would be if it were her…” he thought.

Without him realizing it, a single tear slipped down Beiming Qianye’s exquisitely carved cheek…