147 Part 2
Cong Xia hugged his shoulder and gently swayed him. He said in a soft voice, "It's alright, you have us now. My parents also died early, but I have you all, and I have my Uncle. I feel content now."
Cheng Tianbi replied with a quiet "Mm, I'm fine, don't worry."
Cong Xia said, "No matter what happened before, at least now, Commander Cao's identity is very beneficial to us. It's a good thing." He wasn't going to urge Cheng Tianbi to reconcile with his father and shake hands. That would be too forced. Cheng Tianbi seemed like someone not easily moved, and he doubted Cheng Tianbi still needed what Commander Cao called "fatherly love." As long as Cheng Tianbi understood the importance and knew how to use this relationship to their advantage, that would be enough.
Cheng Tianbi said, "I understand."
The two chatted for a while and then fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, they washed up and had breakfast in their rooms before meeting with the others as agreed.
This morning, they would first visit the Fenglan Society and meet with Zhou Fenglan. If things went smoothly, they might even get to see Liu Ge's parents. After completing this task, Cheng Tianbi would go alone to meet Commander Cao.
As they sat in the car, driving towards Fenglan Society, it was evident that Liu Fengyu was restless, his anxiety and expectations intertwined.
They quickly arrived at the territory of the "Fenglan Society," a large villa area adorned with Fenglan Society's flags and photos of Zhou Fenglan himself, showcasing his flamboyant style.
As they got out of the car at the entrance, the guards there already knew they were coming and asked them to wait briefly while they went inside to make a call.
But this "brief wait" turned into half an hour.
Zhou Fenglan was intentionally trying to show his dominance.
As time passed, the look on Liu Fengyu's face became more and more uncomfortable. Deng Xiao was the first to lose patience, swearing, "What the hell is going on? They deliberately won't let us in."
Finally, a short and chubby middle-aged man walked out from inside. They had seen this man before at Yao Qianjiang's banquet; he was one of Zhou Fenglan's entourage.
The man forced a smile, "You all have waited a long time. You arrived too early, the Chairman just woke up. Please come inside."
The group gave him a cold glance and followed him in.
They walked towards an impressive and grand villa inside the compound.
In a low voice, Cong Xia sighed, "Zhuang Yao, I don't quite understand. Why would Zhuang Yu want to associate with someone like him? He's so ostentatious, which could easily lead to trouble."
Zhuang Yao didn't care about his volume, "This type of person is easier to control."
Cong Xia nodded in agreement, "Makes sense."
They were led inside the villa where Zhou Fenglan was having breakfast. Behind him stood four beautiful maids, looking like celestial beings. The table was filled with fresh and delicate porridge, steamed buns, soy milk, rice noodles, and a few hot dishes. Looking at the luxurious design of the villa and the spread on the table, they felt like they had momentarily returned to a civilized era.
Zhou Fenglan lazily glanced at them, "Oh, you're here quite early."
With a stern expression, Liu Fengyu asked, "Zhou Fenglan, where are my parents?"
Zhou Fenglan snorted, "They are here with me. What's the matter, Liu Fengyu the celebrity? You want to snatch them away?"
Cong Xia grabbed Liu Fengyu's arm, signaling him to stay calm. He said, "Chairman Zhou, could you let us see the elderly first? Just in case we made a mistake, and they are not Liu Fengyu's parents. It would be quite embarrassing."
Zhou Fenglan sneered, "What? Afraid that I'll mistreat them? Fine, I'll let you see them." He motioned to one of the maids behind him.
They were approached by the woman who came forward with a small camcorder, pointing the LCD screen towards them and playing a recording. On the screen appeared two slightly thin elderly people, around sixty years old, having a meal.
Liu Fengyu widened his eyes and snatched the camcorder from her, staring intently at the screen.
Without needing to say anything, the group could confirm that they were indeed Liu Fengyu's parents. Despite looking a bit haggard, their clothes were obviously new, and their living conditions and food were decent. It was evident that Zhou Fenglan had not mistreated the elderly couple.
Liu Fengyu closed his eyes for a moment and then returned the camcorder to the woman.
Zhou Fenglan said, "So, they are your parents."
Liu Fengyu didn't speak but just looked coldly at Zhou Fenglan. "What exactly are you after?"
Zhuang Yao said, "Chairman Zhou, let's cut to the chase. What do you want to let them go? Just tell us."
Zhou Fenglan wiped his mouth with a silk napkin, leaned back in his chair, and looked smugly at them, his gaze slightly sinister. "You killed the captain and five outstanding fighters from one of my squads in Luoyang, and you took away the Puppet Jades that rightfully belonged to us. We finally have the chance to settle this debt."
Zhuang Yao said, "We can't give you lives, and even if we give you the Puppet Jades, they will have to be handed over. Let's talk about something practical."
Zhou Fenglan wasn't short of people; he had large numbers of mutants eager to join the Fenglan Society every day. He could easily find formidable mutants to replace those he lost. What he cared about most was getting back the Puppet Jades and the substantial reward that the Academy owed him after their retrieval, as well as the embarrassment he suffered at Yao Qianjiang's banquet.
Zhou Fenglan sneered, "Then let me be direct. First, I've heard about your capabilities in Xi'an. That Cong Xia, indeed, has some skills. From now on, whenever a senior fighter in the Fenglan Society is injured, you must come immediately to provide healing for us."
Cong Xia said, "I promise you."
"Secondly, I want energy."
In this world, nothing was more valuable than energy. They also guessed that Zhou Fenglan would want energy. Fortunately, news of the battle in Xi'an had been completely sealed off. Although they didn't explicitly mention it, if Major Wan was smart enough, he might have figured out that Cong Xia was replenishing energy for others. If Zhou Fenglan discovered this secret, they didn't know how he would exploit Cong Xia. If Zhou Fenglan merely wanted energy, they could afford it.
Zhuang Yao asked, "How much do you want?"
Zhou Fenglan said, "60 grams of golden energy and 10 grams of each other type of energy."
The group's faces turned grim, and Cheng Tianbi squinted, "You dare to ask for so much."
A standard dose of energy liquid is 10 milligrams, and it costs 1000 yuan. 1000 milligrams equal 1 gram, so Zhou Fenglan wants a total of 100 grams of energy liquid, which means 10,000 standard doses of energy injections. This is at least 20 times more than the energy injections that the government provides to mutant organizations for retrieving one Puppet Jade. They had anticipated that Zhou Fenglan would make exorbitant demands, but they didn't expect him to be so greedy and audacious in his demands.
Perhaps all the mutant organizations in the capital city combined wouldn't have more than 100 grams of energy liquid.
Zhou Fenglan smiled, "You are related to Cong Zhenzhong and Commander Cao. Obtaining these things should be simple for you. Besides, what I'm asking for is not much. After all, it's only the cost of two lives."
When he said this, there was no trace of mercy for human lives, only a greedy desire in his eyes.
Zhuang Yao said, "Even if we can get it, it will take at least three to five years. Have you even thought about that?"
Zhou Fenglan sneered, "I don't think so. The Academy has a large stock of energy liquid. They can definitely provide 100 grams. It depends on whether you have enough sincerity."
"Since it belongs to the Academy, it's not ours, so we can't obtain so much energy liquid."
Zhou Fenglan showed an arrogant smile, "Then it's up to your abilities. Taking care of two old folks isn't much trouble for me, but if I have to wait too long, I might lose patience... and that wouldn't be good."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Give us some time to prepare."
Zhou Fenglan shrugged, "Take your time to discuss among yourselves. Once you've come up with a plan and are ready with the energy liquid, give me a definite answer. Lao Yu, see our guests off."
Liu Fengyu glared fiercely at him, then turned and walked toward the door. The others followed suit and left.
After they left the villa area and got into the car, Xiao Wang asked, "What's the situation?"
Zhuang Yao's expression was not very good. He shook his head and remained silent. The others also didn't speak.
In fact, they could provide 100 grams of energy liquid; the energy in the Puppet Jade was almost inexhaustible. As long as Cong Xia absorbed it and converted it, one week would be enough to produce a substantial amount of energy.
However, the key issue was not the energy liquid itself but the hidden conspiracy behind it.
It was obvious that the Academy would never provide them with 100 grams of energy liquid to redeem Liu Fengyu's parents. If they truly handed over so much energy liquid, where would it come from?
This was undoubtedly Zhuang Yu's scheme. He must have received some information that made him doubt Cong Xia's abilities, and he used this opportunity to test them and force them to reveal their true intentions. If Zhuang Yao discovered the existence of the ancient jade, it would undoubtedly lead to significant problems.
After returning to the Academy, they gathered in a meeting room to discuss the matter.
Liu Fengyu slammed the table, "We can't give him the energy liquid. With Zhuang Yu's intelligence, he will definitely suspect Xia's abilities."
Zhuang Yao said, "He won't just suspect, once he has solid evidence, he will mobilize the Academy's Brain Domain Evolvers to unite and demand research on Cong Xia. Those people have already had their eyes on him. If they find out that he can not only heal injuries but also absorb, convert, and output energy, they won't let Cong Xia go. If the clamor for research gets too loud, even Professor Cong might not be able to protect him. Back then, Zhuang Yu incited the Academy to send a scientific expedition to Qinghai by playing with the majority's voice. He is skilled in such tactics."
Cong Xia's heart trembled after hearing this. Zhuang Yu was too cunning. If they really handed over the energy liquid, wouldn't he be in great danger? But even if they saw through Zhuang Yu's scheme, they couldn't just leave Liu Fengyu's parents alone. No matter what method they used, it could potentially escalate conflicts between them and the Fenglan Society.
Zhuang Yu's plan had put them in a deeply passive position.
147 Part 2
Cong Xia hugged his shoulder and gently swayed him. He said in a soft voice, "It's alright, you have us now. My parents also died early, but I have you all, and I have my Uncle. I feel content now."
Cheng Tianbi replied with a quiet "Mm, I'm fine, don't worry."
Cong Xia said, "No matter what happened before, at least now, Commander Cao's identity is very beneficial to us. It's a good thing." He wasn't going to urge Cheng Tianbi to reconcile with his father and shake hands. That would be too forced. Cheng Tianbi seemed like someone not easily moved, and he doubted Cheng Tianbi still needed what Commander Cao called "fatherly love." As long as Cheng Tianbi understood the importance and knew how to use this relationship to their advantage, that would be enough.
Cheng Tianbi said, "I understand."
The two chatted for a while and then fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, they washed up and had breakfast in their rooms before meeting with the others as agreed.
This morning, they would first visit the Fenglan Society and meet with Zhou Fenglan. If things went smoothly, they might even get to see Liu Ge's parents. After completing this task, Cheng Tianbi would go alone to meet Commander Cao.
As they sat in the car, driving towards Fenglan Society, it was evident that Liu Fengyu was restless, his anxiety and expectations intertwined.
They quickly arrived at the territory of the "Fenglan Society," a large villa area adorned with Fenglan Society's flags and photos of Zhou Fenglan himself, showcasing his flamboyant style.
As they got out of the car at the entrance, the guards there already knew they were coming and asked them to wait briefly while they went inside to make a call.
But this "brief wait" turned into half an hour.
Zhou Fenglan was intentionally trying to show his dominance.
As time passed, the look on Liu Fengyu's face became more and more uncomfortable. Deng Xiao was the first to lose patience, swearing, "What the hell is going on? They deliberately won't let us in."
Finally, a short and chubby middle-aged man walked out from inside. They had seen this man before at Yao Qianjiang's banquet; he was one of Zhou Fenglan's entourage.
The man forced a smile, "You all have waited a long time. You arrived too early, the Chairman just woke up. Please come inside."
The group gave him a cold glance and followed him in.
They walked towards an impressive and grand villa inside the compound.
In a low voice, Cong Xia sighed, "Zhuang Yao, I don't quite understand. Why would Zhuang Yu want to associate with someone like him? He's so ostentatious, which could easily lead to trouble."
Zhuang Yao didn't care about his volume, "This type of person is easier to control."
Cong Xia nodded in agreement, "Makes sense."
They were led inside the villa where Zhou Fenglan was having breakfast. Behind him stood four beautiful maids, looking like celestial beings. The table was filled with fresh and delicate porridge, steamed buns, soy milk, rice noodles, and a few hot dishes. Looking at the luxurious design of the villa and the spread on the table, they felt like they had momentarily returned to a civilized era.
Zhou Fenglan lazily glanced at them, "Oh, you're here quite early."
With a stern expression, Liu Fengyu asked, "Zhou Fenglan, where are my parents?"
Zhou Fenglan snorted, "They are here with me. What's the matter, Liu Fengyu the celebrity? You want to snatch them away?"
Cong Xia grabbed Liu Fengyu's arm, signaling him to stay calm. He said, "Chairman Zhou, could you let us see the elderly first? Just in case we made a mistake, and they are not Liu Fengyu's parents. It would be quite embarrassing."
Zhou Fenglan sneered, "What? Afraid that I'll mistreat them? Fine, I'll let you see them." He motioned to one of the maids behind him.
They were approached by the woman who came forward with a small camcorder, pointing the LCD screen towards them and playing a recording. On the screen appeared two slightly thin elderly people, around sixty years old, having a meal.
Liu Fengyu widened his eyes and snatched the camcorder from her, staring intently at the screen.
Without needing to say anything, the group could confirm that they were indeed Liu Fengyu's parents. Despite looking a bit haggard, their clothes were obviously new, and their living conditions and food were decent. It was evident that Zhou Fenglan had not mistreated the elderly couple.
Liu Fengyu closed his eyes for a moment and then returned the camcorder to the woman.
Zhou Fenglan said, "So, they are your parents."
Liu Fengyu didn't speak but just looked coldly at Zhou Fenglan. "What exactly are you after?"
Zhuang Yao said, "Chairman Zhou, let's cut to the chase. What do you want to let them go? Just tell us."
Zhou Fenglan wiped his mouth with a silk napkin, leaned back in his chair, and looked smugly at them, his gaze slightly sinister. "You killed the captain and five outstanding fighters from one of my squads in Luoyang, and you took away the Puppet Jades that rightfully belonged to us. We finally have the chance to settle this debt."
Zhuang Yao said, "We can't give you lives, and even if we give you the Puppet Jades, they will have to be handed over. Let's talk about something practical."
Zhou Fenglan wasn't short of people; he had large numbers of mutants eager to join the Fenglan Society every day. He could easily find formidable mutants to replace those he lost. What he cared about most was getting back the Puppet Jades and the substantial reward that the Academy owed him after their retrieval, as well as the embarrassment he suffered at Yao Qianjiang's banquet.
Zhou Fenglan sneered, "Then let me be direct. First, I've heard about your capabilities in Xi'an. That Cong Xia, indeed, has some skills. From now on, whenever a senior fighter in the Fenglan Society is injured, you must come immediately to provide healing for us."
Cong Xia said, "I promise you."
"Secondly, I want energy."
In this world, nothing was more valuable than energy. They also guessed that Zhou Fenglan would want energy. Fortunately, news of the battle in Xi'an had been completely sealed off. Although they didn't explicitly mention it, if Major Wan was smart enough, he might have figured out that Cong Xia was replenishing energy for others. If Zhou Fenglan discovered this secret, they didn't know how he would exploit Cong Xia. If Zhou Fenglan merely wanted energy, they could afford it.
Zhuang Yao asked, "How much do you want?"
Zhou Fenglan said, "60 grams of golden energy and 10 grams of each other type of energy."
The group's faces turned grim, and Cheng Tianbi squinted, "You dare to ask for so much."
A standard dose of energy liquid is 10 milligrams, and it costs 1000 yuan. 1000 milligrams equal 1 gram, so Zhou Fenglan wants a total of 100 grams of energy liquid, which means 10,000 standard doses of energy injections. This is at least 20 times more than the energy injections that the government provides to mutant organizations for retrieving one Puppet Jade. They had anticipated that Zhou Fenglan would make exorbitant demands, but they didn't expect him to be so greedy and audacious in his demands.
Perhaps all the mutant organizations in the capital city combined wouldn't have more than 100 grams of energy liquid.
Zhou Fenglan smiled, "You are related to Cong Zhenzhong and Commander Cao. Obtaining these things should be simple for you. Besides, what I'm asking for is not much. After all, it's only the cost of two lives."
When he said this, there was no trace of mercy for human lives, only a greedy desire in his eyes.
Zhuang Yao said, "Even if we can get it, it will take at least three to five years. Have you even thought about that?"
Zhou Fenglan sneered, "I don't think so. The Academy has a large stock of energy liquid. They can definitely provide 100 grams. It depends on whether you have enough sincerity."
"Since it belongs to the Academy, it's not ours, so we can't obtain so much energy liquid."
Zhou Fenglan showed an arrogant smile, "Then it's up to your abilities. Taking care of two old folks isn't much trouble for me, but if I have to wait too long, I might lose patience... and that wouldn't be good."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Give us some time to prepare."
Zhou Fenglan shrugged, "Take your time to discuss among yourselves. Once you've come up with a plan and are ready with the energy liquid, give me a definite answer. Lao Yu, see our guests off."
Liu Fengyu glared fiercely at him, then turned and walked toward the door. The others followed suit and left.
After they left the villa area and got into the car, Xiao Wang asked, "What's the situation?"
Zhuang Yao's expression was not very good. He shook his head and remained silent. The others also didn't speak.
In fact, they could provide 100 grams of energy liquid; the energy in the Puppet Jade was almost inexhaustible. As long as Cong Xia absorbed it and converted it, one week would be enough to produce a substantial amount of energy.
However, the key issue was not the energy liquid itself but the hidden conspiracy behind it.
It was obvious that the Academy would never provide them with 100 grams of energy liquid to redeem Liu Fengyu's parents. If they truly handed over so much energy liquid, where would it come from?
This was undoubtedly Zhuang Yu's scheme. He must have received some information that made him doubt Cong Xia's abilities, and he used this opportunity to test them and force them to reveal their true intentions. If Zhuang Yao discovered the existence of the ancient jade, it would undoubtedly lead to significant problems.
After returning to the Academy, they gathered in a meeting room to discuss the matter.
Liu Fengyu slammed the table, "We can't give him the energy liquid. With Zhuang Yu's intelligence, he will definitely suspect Xia's abilities."
Zhuang Yao said, "He won't just suspect, once he has solid evidence, he will mobilize the Academy's Brain Domain Evolvers to unite and demand research on Cong Xia. Those people have already had their eyes on him. If they find out that he can not only heal injuries but also absorb, convert, and output energy, they won't let Cong Xia go. If the clamor for research gets too loud, even Professor Cong might not be able to protect him. Back then, Zhuang Yu incited the Academy to send a scientific expedition to Qinghai by playing with the majority's voice. He is skilled in such tactics."
Cong Xia's heart trembled after hearing this. Zhuang Yu was too cunning. If they really handed over the energy liquid, wouldn't he be in great danger? But even if they saw through Zhuang Yu's scheme, they couldn't just leave Liu Fengyu's parents alone. No matter what method they used, it could potentially escalate conflicts between them and the Fenglan Society.
Zhuang Yu's plan had put them in a deeply passive position.
