In the morning, they had clearly noticed some reservations in Wang Zishao's words. How could she have changed her mind in the afternoon? Or rather, how did her superior have her approval without even a meeting with her?
Recalling how Hao Jian had visited the office of the head of the security department, they had a vague suspicion in their hearts.
"Hao Jian, although we won't be walking the same path anymore, I still see you as the leader of our team, so I don't want to cause you any trouble..." Peng Mao said.
Hao Jian was busy wiping her gun. This handgun hadn't been confiscated, as the control over weapons was no longer effective. Upon hearing Peng Mao's words, she glanced at him with a look that seemed to say, "What are you talking about?"
Peng Mao continued, "We're not taking the boat anymore, so don't agree to do anything dangerous."
Hao Jian finally responded, "I think you're overthinking things. You're not that important to me, not even worth risking anything dangerous for."
Peng Mao paused, a bit helpless, "We're about to part ways, and you're still being harsh on me. I'm genuinely sad." But he understood, "Thank you."
Perhaps he and Xin Ting were not as important to Hao Jian as Lian Ru Ning was, but he knew that if Hao Jian hadn't agreed to something, Wang Zishao wouldn't have changed her mind so quickly.
As for Peng Mao and Xin Ting, who had been granted permission to board, they were assigned to the maritime guard responsible for this operation. The maritime guard wasn't under the security department's jurisdiction, so they needed to confirm Peng Mao and Xin Ting's identities before allowing them on board.
Meanwhile, Hao Jian was called to a meeting. After all, she had decided to join the "Special Response Unit" and needed to learn more about the relevant information.
Lian Ru Ning was worried that the higher-ups would take advantage of Hao Jian's acting skills and send her undercover. But there was nothing she could do but worry. To calm herself down, she took out her book to read.
Wang Zishao walked in and saw the geological survey report on the coffee table. Since Lian Ru Ning hadn't noticed her entrance, Wang Zishao casually picked it up for a look. After a moment, she put it down, unable to understand much of it.
Lian Ru Ning, having snapped back to reality, was startled to see Wang Zishao in front of her. "Secretary Wang, when did you get here?"
"Just now." Wang Zishao smiled and glanced at the book in Lian Ru Ning's hand. "Is that what you're reading? Is it interesting?"
Lian Running blushed. The cheesy romance novel she had brought with her to pass the time had been forgotten in a corner. It had only reappeared when she went through her backpack earlier. She wondered if she looked childish in Wang Zishao's eyes.
She was less interested in domineering male protagonists since she liked Hao Jian. She couldn't understand why she had been attracted to them before.
"It's okay..." she replied.
Wang Zishao then turned her attention to the survey report again. "I remember you're a geology student who was originally out on a geology field trip?"
This information had been recorded when they entered, as their identities had to be checked.
Lian Ru Ning nodded. "Yes."
"Do you have any expertise in geology or environmental studies?" Wang Zishao asked again.
"Geology is a vast and complex field that includes hydrogeology, engineering geology, and environmental geology. I'm not an environmental geologist, but there are some overlapping courses. I'm only about to enter my third year, so I haven't taken many specialized courses yet. I wouldn't say I have expertise," Lian Ru Ning replied modestly.
Wang Zishao said, "You won the national scholarship for two years, so your grades must be good. There's no need to be so modest. In fact, the country needs talent in this field right now. Would you be interested in helping out at the research institute?"
Lian Ru Ning was taken aback. "But I'm still a novice. How can I contribute without causing more trouble?"
Wang Zishao interrupted her, "Don't underestimate yourself. Ever since the discovery of the Q virus, the one you call the zombie virus, the country has been working hard to block external sources and do research on the pathogen and vaccines. However, the environmental impact of the virus has been neglected. It wasn't until the end of July that the country realized this oversight, by which time we had lost many experts in geology and environmental resources.
Lian Ru Ning was confused. "But didn't the research show that the virus can't survive in the air for long, and that harmful substances from zombie corpses can be neutralized through disinfection?"
"Research so far has focused on immediate survival, based on experiments with water contaminated by zombies. But the effects of the virus on the geological and environmental aspects can't be understood so quickly. It will take time. In the meantime, the country's resources are sufficient to support the survivors. But if production doesn't resume, humanity will eventually face extinction. It is therefore urgent to study the effects of the virus on the environment.
Wang Zishao continued, "Xiang City, despite being a major city, only has one university, the University of Science and Technology, with relevant talent. During the summer vacation, most experts have either gone out of town for conferences or been affected by the virus. Only those in the research labs have stayed behind."
Every city with relevant research capabilities is forming its own research institute to prevent miscommunication and allow for self-rescue measures. The sooner useful information is discovered, the greater their contribution to the world.
To Wang Zishao, although Lian Ru Ning was still a student, she at least had basic knowledge. Joining the research team as an assistant would be better than letting her roam around, risking her life.
Lian Ru Ning didn't really want to stay, especially since she hadn't received any news about her family, which made her uneasy.
Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and said, "My dad is a professor at the South Sea University’s School of Geographical Sciences. He specializes in environmental quality, pollution, and natural resource protection. Maybe he could help you."
Wang Zishao asked, "Do you know where your father is now?"
"I don't know, but I do know that he returned to the university on July 27."
Wang Zishao smiled knowingly. "You're hoping I can help find out if he's still alive, aren't you?"
Caught, Lian Ru Ning blushed but was determined to try. Even if it was selfish, she wanted to know her father's whereabouts.
Wang Zishao smiled and said, "If it's confirmed that he returned to school on July 27th, there's a high probability that the government from the southern city has already found him. His chances of survival are very high. Also, the southern city is the main research hub in the southern region, so there's no way they would let Xiang City take him away."
Lian Ru Ning froze for a moment, feeling so relieved that she almost wanted to cry. At the very least, this was good news - it was confirmation that her father was important enough to be of interest to the authorities, and that he might still be safe.
"No matter what, you should think about it first. I'll go talk to the director and arrange for someone to help investigate your father's whereabouts."
"Thank you, Secretary Wang!"
As Wang Zishao left, Hao Jian returned and noticed Lian Ru Ning's slightly wet eyes. She quickly asked, "Did you get any news from your family?"
Lian Ru Ning shared Wang Zishao's speculations with Hao Jian, who smiled and patted her head. "They're all highly capable people—they'll turn misfortune into fortune."
"Aren't you going to ask if I want to stay and join the research lab?"
"Selfishly, I hope you can find your family and live peacefully every day. Doing research is better than fighting zombies outside, but I'm worried you might be exposed to the zombie virus. I'm even more concerned that 'Wujie' might target you. After all, every research report could become a tool for them to profit, putting researchers like you at risk."
Lian Ru Ning had thought about both the pros and cons of joining, but she hadn't considered the "Wujie" angle.
She playfully punched Hao Jian's arm and said, "With everything you said, it sounds like you really don’t want me to join."
Hao Jian laughed. "No worries, I can protect my little junior."
Lian Ru Ning found herself a little tempted. After all, if she could help the country by researching the effects of the zombie virus on the land and whether it could impact crops, humanity would have more hope for survival.
Hao Jian suddenly thought of something and said to her, "By the way, I ran into someone in a meeting just now. Guess who?"
This puzzle was based on the premise that it was someone they both knew, but they had met quite a few people along the way. Lian Ru Ning mentally ruled out Shi Gongdui, Peng Mao, and Xin Ting.
"You're making this hard for me—just tell me already!"
Hao Jian realized Lian Ru Ning rarely acted spoiled because she was always gentle and polite, never asking for anything unreasonable. Interacting with her was always easy, and combined with her pleasant appearance, her demeanor and looks were like dual layers of honey, attracting one bee after another to come and try their luck.
So when the usually refined Lian Ru Ning leaned in close, tugged on Hao Jian's sleeve, and acted cute, it was like a blooming flower emitting a fresh fragrance, tempting her to pick it.
"Kiss me, and I'll tell you," Hao Jian teased mischievously.
Lian Ru Ning shot her a glance. "You're acting like a creepy old man."
"...This is just a normal expression of affection between lovers."
"So... a plea for sex?"
Hao Jian, known for her sharp wit, was momentarily stunned by Lian Ru Ning's comeback. Then, as if she had achieved her mischievous goal, Lian Ru Ning quickly planted a light kiss on her lips and said, "Satisfied? Now tell me."
Hao Jian licked her lips with a hint of regret and said, "An Minghui."
Lian Ru Ning was genuinely surprised. "Deputy Officer An?! He's actually in Xiang City? What happened in Jiang City?"
"Do you remember the injured escort team Huang Yueming's family encountered?"
Lian Ru Ning suddenly understood. "Was that really him?!"
"It was, but he wasn’t the one injured—it was one of his teammates. On the day we left Jiang City, the escort team had repaired the communication facilities and re-established contact with their superiors. However, they missed the warning from Xinghua City. After Commander Yu Ji's report on the conference center incident, he was ordered to send trusted individuals to Southern City on a mission, and he sent An Minghui and a teammate. But 'Wujie's' spies found out, so they ambushed them in Xinghua City."
"Are they okay now?"
"After realizing there were traitors at the top, they cut off communications. 'Wujie' couldn't find them, so they safely arrived in Xiang City and used its resources to get to Southern City's command center. Later, An Minghui came to Xiang City’s command center on another mission."
An Minghui’s tasks were naturally confidential, but since Hao Jian encountered him during a meeting, she could guess that their missions might be related.
His presence reminded Hao Jian of some hidden tasks, making her even more certain that danger and opportunity would revolve around him. Since he had already attracted 'Wujie's' attention, it was unlikely that peaceful days lay ahead for him, and his mission might even affect the larger situation.
Still...
"No hidden tasks—how odd," she pondered with the system.
"Would it still be called a hidden task if it were so easy to figure out?"
"True. Well, since there aren't any hidden tasks, it's time for some side quests."
Hao Jian's intuition told her that the flash drive Shi Gongdui left for her before he left probably contained clues about Lian Ru Ning's family. However, she needed a computer to check it out, otherwise the USB drive was useless.
After finishing dinner with Lian Ru Ning, Hao Jian borrowed a laptop from Wang Zishao.