From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 189 - 180: Because of Me

The thought of leaving Central Base tomorrow made Qi Xiang so excited she tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep.

It wasn’t until she heard the soft sound of a door opening in the hallway that Qi Xiang suddenly flipped out of bed and went next door. "Gu Xi, you’re back? Is everything taken care of? Is it time for us to leave?"

Gu Xi glanced at the time. 4:45 AM. "We still have two hours and fifteen minutes until we depart."

After speaking, she looked at Qi Xiang again. The young lady was visibly excited, but she was still in her pajamas. Gu Xi raised an eyebrow knowingly. "You didn’t sleep at all, did you?"

"Couldn’t sleep." Qi Xiang ran a hand through her slightly messy long hair, leaning against the doorframe with a lazy, charming air. Her face was so full of excitement, she all but had the words ’I have some gossip, ask me about it’ written on her forehead.

Gu Xi was at a loss for words.

She pushed open her own door and walked in first. "Come in and talk."

Qi Xiang followed languidly behind her. Once inside, she dove directly onto Gu Xi’s bed and performed a practiced, graceful roll.

"Last night, I heard from Mr. Xv at the planting base that the base’s Third Commander will personally see us off." Qi Xiang snuggled into the bed, her eyes slightly narrowed. The base’s Third Commander, Qee Ran, was once a god among men in the apocalypse, a hero in the hearts of countless young women.

Now, he was also the Family Head of the Qee Family, the most powerful family of the apocalypse, holding half of Central Base’s armed forces in his hands.

His family background was impeccable, his position was one of immense power, and he was devastatingly handsome, cold, and decisive. On top of all that, he was a peak level-nine ability user. Yet, such a powerful man kept to himself and abstained from romantic entanglements. In all these years, he didn’t even have a female secretary!

What young woman wouldn’t have her heart flutter for a man like that?

’Qi Xiang herself had once set her sights on him. Unfortunately, a man of his high standing and ruthless methods was not someone she could get close to, so she eventually settled for her second choice and targeted Ye Junhan...’

"This Commander has always been low-key, and he’s rarely appeared before the public in recent years..." Qi Xiang was a little puzzled. She looked up and asked Gu Xi, "Why do you think such a big shot would personally come to see us off?"

Gu Xi lowered her eyes without a word, her left thumb pressing lightly against the knuckle of her index finger.

’Qee Ran...’

’Ever since returning to Central Base, she had been waiting, but Qee Ran... had remained silent.’

’Now that she was about to leave, Qee Ran was suddenly making all these small moves. What exactly was he trying to do?’

’Li Ming’s analysis was that he was using her situation to test the military’s attitude and bottom line.’

’Ye Xin had sent a small note, hinting that... Qee Ran had always loved her but could never have her, which was why he eventually went mad, paranoidly wanting to keep her under house arrest in Central Base...’

But Gu Xi always felt that something wasn’t right. People’s hearts can change, it was true, but the Qee Ran she knew, the Qee Ran who had grown up with her, wasn’t like this.

"Gu Xi, I can’t help but feel this whole thing is a bit strange."

Qi Xiang lay on the bed, propping her chin on her hands. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Ever since the base authorities sidelined the military a few years ago and independently established Commanders to recruit armed forces, the relationship between the military and the base has become very delicate..."

She muttered to herself, "Take this Mr. Qee, for example. Although he and Mr. Xiao both came from the old Doomsday Squad and seem to be on good terms with the military..."

"...I once heard my adoptive father analyze that the great families, led by the Qee Family, have long since usurped the Base Chief’s authority. Now, they’re eyeing the military’s power covetously, wanting to swallow it whole..."

Qi Xiang paused, frowning slightly. "In a situation like this, Mr. Qee is caught between his family and his former comrades-in-arms... Tsk." ’If it were me, I probably would have turned to the dark side long ago.’

’So it’s true that it’s lonely at the top. Some positions look glamorous, but they aren’t so easy to hold.’

Thinking of this, Qi Xiang suddenly looked up and asked Gu Xi, "So why do you think he, a base Commander, would come to see us off?" ’If I remember correctly, this mission we’ve taken is from the military.’

’What’s a base Commander getting involved for?’

’Is he trying to drive a wedge between our squad and the military?’

Qi Xiang instantly jumped to a conspiracy theory.

Just then,

"Because of me," Gu Xi said calmly, her eyes lowered.

Qi Xiang: "?"

Qi Xiang froze for a second, looking at Gu Xi in astonishment.

’Wait, this isn’t how I imagined it would go. When did the Gu Xiaoxi I know become so narcissistic?’

...

At six in the morning, the members of Gu Xi’s team had already assembled. Several helicopters were parked not far away.

Besides Gu Xi and Qi Xiang, there were also more than twenty ability users and over ten research personnel on the team.

A massive crowd had gathered here early in the morning.

Time ticked by. Someone in the crowd, seemingly growing impatient, shifted their feet and muttered to their companion, "Miss Gu sure has a lot of pull. Even Mr. Qee is personally coming to see her off."

The companion pursed their lips but didn’t say anything.

’What pull?’ they thought. ’It’s just a tactic by the base’s higher-ups to win people over. Didn’t you see how ugly the expressions on those military leaders nearby are? There’s probably going to be drama in a bit...’

At the very front of the crowd, Qi Xiang kept sneaking glances at Gu Xi, looking like she was bursting to say something but couldn’t.

Just then,

"They’re here," Gu Xi suddenly said.

Qi Xiang subconsciously stood on her tiptoes to look into the distance. Soon, she saw a long convoy of vehicles appear on the open field ahead. Leading the procession was a fleet of heavy-duty armored off-road vehicles, and the advanced equipment on them immediately captured everyone’s attention.

A few minutes later, an unremarkable black off-road vehicle, escorted by a host of heavy armored vehicles, slowly drove past Gu Xi.

Through the gap in the car window, Qee Ran’s gaze met a pair of calm, deep eyes.

Just like all those years ago.

A single glance, an eternity.

The car was moving slowly, and Qee Ran never looked away.

Not until the person in charge from the military walked up to him.

Everything that followed was standard official procedure: peaceful, friendly, and inspiring...

Qi Xiang, however, felt drowsy listening to it all. She hadn’t slept at all last night, so her energy was flagging, and she was getting sleepy.

The young lady glanced left and right before raising a hand to cover a yawn. She stealthily leaned against Gu Xi’s side and said in a low, lazy voice, "Gu Xiaoxi, didn’t you say..."

She lifted her eyes to the majestic, cold, and handsome Commander on the high platform. "...that he came for you?" ’But why do I feel like His Excellency the Commander hasn’t glanced in our direction even once this whole time?’

’So, did I misunderstand, or is Gu Xi just too narcissistic?’

Gu Xi lowered her eyes, nonchalantly fiddling with the small green sprout at her fingertip, and said nothing.

It was Wei Heng, standing to the side, who, with a complicated expression, peeled Qi Xiang off of Gu Xi and signaled for her to be quiet.

Ever since suddenly receiving the notice last night that this Commander would be coming to see them off today, Wei Heng hadn’t felt at ease for a moment.

There were many things Qi Xiang didn’t know. But he and Shen Yue had a vague inkling...

Suddenly pulled away, Qi Xiang turned and shot Wei Heng a fierce glare. Just as she was about to lean on Gu Xi again, a subtle gaze fell upon her.

That gaze came from the high platform, from that... His Excellency the Commander.

Qi Xiang felt a chill run down the back of her neck. Although the man had only cast a light glance before looking away, her intuition for danger made her subconsciously stand up straight and subtly shuffle to the side.

At the same time, Gu Xi’s fingers, which had been fiddling with the small green sprout, paused for a moment.

After that, Qee Ran’s gaze never returned to their direction, but Gu Xi knew. His spiritual power was wrapped around her the entire time.

It was exactly like that obscure, unclear aura that had silently wrapped around her in front of that dilapidated little courtyard the day she returned to Central Base, when she had gone looking for Li Ming...