Chu Ling took a sharp step back, the events from just a moment ago flashing before her eyes like a fleeting illusion. What was that?
[What's wrong?]
Gu Xiyan could no longer hear the cries for help. It was as if they had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination. Watching Chu Ling's strange reaction, she assumed that Chu Ling, like herself, had heard some strange noise. However, Chu Ling merely shook her head and replied, "It's nothing."
She tried touching the glass jar again, but this time, nothing happened. Could it really have been just a hallucination?
Gu Xiyan, too, couldn't confirm if what she had heard earlier was real or just her imagination. With that, the topic was dropped. Coincidentally, Gu Jingbo arrived, seeking out Chu Ling regarding the next steps in their plans.
The sight of Chu Ling and Gu Xiyan together irritated Gu Jingbo. When he brought up the itinerary, his tone was laced with mockery. "Weren't you the one who claimed to know this route the best? Judging by today's progress, you haven't even managed to drive for eight hours."
"Mr. Gu, this is a natural disaster. There's nothing I can do about it," Chu Ling replied calmly. Natural disasters were always unpredictable, after all.
"That's not my concern. If this delays our plans, you know what the consequences will be." His words carried an unmistakable threat, but Chu Ling merely shrugged indifferently. "Don't worry. Even if the sandstorm hasn't cleared by tomorrow, I'll set off as planned and make sure your business isn't delayed."
Her response left Gu Jingbo without further warnings to give. He then added, "This may be my Gu family's temporary base, but there are still personal records and sensitive information here. I hope, Miss Chu, that unless necessary, you'll refrain from wandering around. If any information were to leak, it would be... problematic."
It was an implicit order to leave. Chu Ling naturally understood the meaning behind his words, and Gu Xiyan could also tell what he was implying. After all, she was the one who had brought Chu Ling here. She wanted to explain that there wasn't really anything top-secret about this place, but Chu Ling didn't want to put Gu Xiyan in an awkward position.
Before Gu Xiyan could say anything, Chu Ling had already agreed to Gu Jingbo's unspoken demand. "Yes, yes, Mr. Gu, you're absolutely right. I won't disturb you any further."
With that, she left on her own accord.
Watching her retreating figure, Gu Xiyan felt a pang of guilt. Gu Jingbo's hostility toward Chu Ling was, in part, because of her. It seemed she really shouldn't associate with Chu Ling anymore. Every time, all she managed to do was bring trouble to others.
Noticing the look in Gu Xiyan's eyes, Gu Jingbo's expression darkened briefly before he suppressed it. "Xiyan, I've told you before not to interact too much with people from the lower city. What is it? Are you ignoring my words now?"
Gu Xiyan was well aware of her identity. Whether as the second daughter of the Gu family or as Gu Jingbo's fiancée, she couldn't escape those roles so easily. With trembling hands, she typed out words on her tablet, betraying her true feelings.
[I understand.]
Seeing Gu Xiyan's docile response, Gu Jingbo's expression softened back into its usual warm and sunny demeanor, as if the earlier threats had never been spoken.
"Xiyan, it's all for your own good," he said with a smile.
These words—she had heard them countless times since she was young. But the so-called 'for her own good' had never once involved asking her what she truly wanted. Instead, it was about forcing their will upon her, compelling her to do things she was unwilling to do.
Was this really what they called 'for her own good'?
Meanwhile, Chu Ling stood outside, watching the swirling sandstorm that showed no signs of dying down. It seemed she would have to wait until tomorrow.
When she finally returned to the dilapidated base that she called home, she stood at the front of its makeshift entrance. The base had been constructed by Qian Li and the others, cobbled together with salvaged scrap materials and some new synthetic minerals found in the ruins.
The door looked ramshackle at best, and unlike Gu Jingbo's automated entrance, this one required effort to open. It took Chu Ling considerable strength to pull it open, and when she finally managed to close it tightly, the noise from the sandstorm outside was greatly reduced.
Inside, Qian Li was resting in her tiny room. The base wasn't as spacious as one might imagine; each person's room was about the size of a train compartment. Still, it was something that could be called home.
Unbeknownst to her, Qian Li had fallen asleep on her bed. In her dreams, she saw an endless expanse of flying sand and monstrous creatures surging toward her. Standing before her was someone, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make out their face.
And yet, Qian Li knew exactly who that person was and what they meant to her.
"Qian Li! Retreat immediately!"
She watched helplessly as that person stood in the way of the approaching creatures. The monsters tore her apart. All Qian Li could do was let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"Captain!"
Bit by bit, the scene froze in place like a still frame. The distance between her and the desert grew wider and wider.
Qian Li jolted awake from her nightmare, a single tear trailing down her cheek and soaking into the pillow. She sat up slowly, still shaken from her dream. How had she fallen asleep? She knew all too well that the moment she closed her eyes, she would dream of that hellish scene. And yet, despite her best efforts, she had succumbed to exhaustion.
"Qian Li, are you getting too comfortable here?" she muttered to herself. Frustrated, she clenched her fist and gave the edge of the bed a small, resigned punch.
At that moment, a knock echoed on her metal door, pulling her out of her thoughts. The door creaked open with a groaning sound, breaking the silence. Chu Ling stepped inside.
Qian Li quickly wiped away her lingering emotions, her expression returning to its usual cool detachment.
"Boss," she greeted calmly.
Chu Ling's sharp eyes caught the faint tear stains at the corner of Qian Li's eyes, but she didn't press the matter. She had no intention of poking at someone else's wounds.
"I didn't disturb your rest, did I?" Chu Ling asked. She knew well how taxing the use of Qian Li's abilities could be, both physically and mentally. Rest was crucial for her.
Qian Li had only planned to take a short nap and hadn't meant to fall deeply asleep, but things hadn't gone as planned. "No, not at all. Did you need something, Boss?"
"Oh, nothing urgent. I just wanted to ask you about something related to the Empire." Chu Ling hesitated briefly, still preoccupied with the illusion she'd seen earlier. Since Qian Li had once been an upper-city resident, she might know more about the Empire's affairs.
"What is it?" Qian Li asked, puzzled. It was unlike Chu Ling to show any interest in the Empire.
"The Empire uses artificial water sources, doesn't it? What does the device for generating artificial water look like? And how is it made? Do you know?"
Qian Li didn't expect this question. Though she had served in the military, this particular area wasn't her specialty. Matters like that were the domain of scientific research, far removed from her field.
"I know of such a device. It's said to be located beneath the central lake of the Empire, but only researchers are allowed access to it. I've never been there myself. If you really want to know more, you'd be better off asking Miss Gu. The Gu family has always been at the forefront of research and development. I've heard that, ten years ago, they were involved in the development of the artificial water device."
"The Gu family?" Chu Ling mused. Based on Gu Xiyan's earlier reaction, she didn't seem to know much about the artificial water device. But it made sense—ten years ago, Gu Xiyan would have been just a teenager. Even if she had been involved in research, she wouldn't have had the clearance to participate in major projects. It was only natural for her to be unaware of the details.
Seeing Chu Ling lost in thought, Qian Li shifted the conversation back to tomorrow's plans. "Boss, are we taking them into the Yellow Sand Ruins this time?"
The ruins in the desert were mostly buried underground. Chu Ling blinked a few times, her tone playful as she replied, "Gu Jingbo paid us to guide them, not to take them into the ruins.
All I need to do is get him to the entrance and then bring him back. That counts as completing the job, doesn't it?"
Her words carried a hint of mischief, clearly suggesting she was planning to make Gu Jingbo pay extra. Sure enough, she added with a smirk, "If he wants us to take him down into the ruins, it's not impossible—but the price will be up to me."
"What if the Gu family makes things difficult for us?" Qian Li asked.
"They won't. The Gu family wants the new minerals buried beneath the ruins more than anyone else."
If Gu Jingbo realized that his 200,000 credits would only get him to the entrance of the Yellow Sand Ruins, Chu Ling could only imagine how furious he'd be. Still, she had no intention of risking too much for him. Though she had explored the ruins several times before, she had never ventured into the deepest parts. The further in one went, the more dangerous it became. Chu Ling had only ever scavenged from the surface layers, selling whatever scraps she could find.
However, Chu Ling knew that somewhere within the Yellow Sand Ruins lay a special crystal—a fragment from one of the four meteorites that had shattered upon impact years ago. According to the novel's plotline, the female protagonist, Liang Liang, was the first to obtain one of these crystals. It provided an endless supply of electricity and heat energy, serving as the foundation for building sustainable energy facilities at future bases.
Chu Ling had always wanted to find that crystal, but despite multiple attempts to delve deeper into the ruins, she had never succeeded. Knowing the novel's plot was one thing, but lacking the protagonist's golden halo and finger made it difficult for Chu Ling to achieve the same results. Each venture had ended in failure.
In the novel, it was recorded that Liang Liang had ventured into the ruins with Gu Xiyan. During their exploration, a dangerous situation arose, and Liang Liang saved Gu Xiyan. By chance, Liang Liang had also stumbled upon the crystal.
Perhaps this time, Chu Ling thought, if she followed Gu Xiyan into the ruins, she might have a chance to find the crystal as well. After all, Gu Xiyan had always been her lucky charm.
If she could secure the crystal before Liang Liang, she could prevent her from meeting Gu Xiyan in the first place.