From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 24 - 22: I Really Don’t Know Them

Carrying a pot of freshly steamed sweet potatoes, Wei Heng walked over to find everyone staring at Gu Xi, as if she had asked something she shouldn’t have.

There was a faint tension in the air.

"The sweet potatoes are ready." Wei Heng smiled, sauntered over as if nothing was wrong, and plunked the large pot down right in front of Shen Yue.

’Eat up, you glutton.’

Shen Yue: "..."

His little stunt did much to dispel the faint tension, and the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

Gu Xi also casually took a sweet potato from the pot. She tossed it between her hands a couple of times until it wasn’t so hot, then handed it to Xv Yiyisan beside her. "Mr. Xv?"

Xv Yiyisan’s expression was rather grim.

Ever since Gu Xi had asked about the mutant plant malignancy, his brow had been furrowed. He looked as though he wanted to speak but was holding himself back.

Looking at the sweet potato the young woman was offering, Xv Yiyisan suddenly countered with a question of his own. "Xiaoxi, how do you know about the mutant plant malignancy? Is it because..."

Something seemed to occur to him, and he trailed off.

’Is it because of what?’

Shen Yue instinctively glanced again at Mr. Xv.

’I can’t shake the feeling that his attitude toward Gu Xi is a little off.’

’Even if Gu Xi was the child of an old acquaintance, isn’t Mr. Xv’s attitude overly anxious and guarded?’

When Xv Yiyisan didn’t take the sweet potato, Gu Xi paused to think. Then, she peeled its skin, just as she had torn the wrapper off a piece of expired chocolate to hand to that little crybaby all those years ago. She placed the peeled sweet potato in Xv Yiyisan’s hand and looked up, meeting his stunned gaze.

"I encountered a case of mutant plant malignancy on my very first day at the camp. It was terrifying."

The young woman’s gaze was earnest and calm.

Xv Yiyisan instinctively looked away. He lowered his eyes to the sweet potato in his hand, his thoughts unreadable.

After a long moment, Mr. Xv slowly raised his eyes again, his gaze fixed on the young woman who had handed him the sweet potato.

’The mutant plant malignancy started suddenly six months ago. To date, nine cases have been discovered.’

’It’s still classified as top secret.’

’Even if Xiaoxi was unlucky enough to have encountered it once, the camp should have already had her sign an NDA...’

’So why would she ask about it?’

’From what I’ve observed, Xiaoxi might be young, but she doesn’t strike me as a particularly curious child.’

’So, could her question have something to do with my sister?’

’Six months ago, after the first reported injury caused by the mutant plant malignancy, the matter was deemed so critical that Li Ming personally led a team to investigate. He’d been acting a bit strange ever since he returned.’

’Later, I accidentally overheard Ye Xin and Dr. Qi mention that Li Ming had apparently found a sign left by my sister nearby...’

Xv Yiyisan stared at Gu Xi for a long time before finally speaking. "Xiaoxi, the matter of the mutant plant malignancy is still classified as top secret. But since you asked, I..."

"Mr. Xv." Shen Yue suddenly cut him off, then gave Wei Heng a strange look.

Wei Heng was squatting next to Gu Xi, his head slightly lowered as he fiddled with the sweet potatoes in the pot, seemingly unaware of Shen Yue’s gaze.

"Sorry," Gu Xi said, quickly recalling the terms of the confidentiality agreement. "If it’s not convenient..."

"It’s no inconvenience." Xv Yiyisan’s gaze fell on Gu Xi, finally sweeping over Wei Heng, who was squatting beside her. "Xiaoxi and the others have already encountered the mutant plant malignancy, so they’re already insiders, to an extent..."

"But I don’t know much about it myself, Xiaoxi." The matter was being kept within a small circle, and specimens of the malignant mutant plants were held by only a select few.

Xv Yiyisan had limited clearance, and it wasn’t his primary field of study, so his knowledge was sparse.

"Currently, the first known case of mutant plant malignancy occurred six months ago in the West Gorge area, about thirty li from the East Suburb of City A..." Xv Yiyisan recited the address precisely, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at Gu Xi.

But Gu Xi showed no reaction.

Even though the address Xv Yiyisan had stated was the very place where she had finally killed the Zombie Emperor all those years ago.

’Maybe I’m overthinking this...’ Xv Yiyisan sighed to himself and continued, "Before that, there were no warning signs..."

"There were," Wei Heng cut in from the side. "Before the first case of mutant plant malignancy, there was a small earthquake in City A..."

"But that might just be a coincidence." With the typical caution of a researcher, Mr. Xv frowned slightly. "Other than City A, where the first case occurred, none of the locations of the subsequent cases experienced any earthquakes."

"And the most recent case of mutant plant malignancy occurred near South City’s Camp 9527," Xv Yiyisan finished, looking at Gu Xi with an ambiguous tone.

Gu Xi’s expression remained unchanged.

Just then, Mr. Zhao and Mr. Zhang, who had been busy in the fields for most of the day, walked over, their faces alight with excitement.

"This place of yours is great, Gu. Zhang and I were just discussing it, and we’ve decided to build our experimental field right here," Mr. Zhao said with a broad smile.

"Experimental field?" Gu Xi raised an eyebrow.

Mr. Zhao laughed and explained, "This trip of ours wasn’t just for sightseeing or for show..."

In truth, the agricultural experts had been dispatched across the country not just to guide local production. They were also hoping their field investigations would help them find environments better suited for growing mutated crops—environments that could also improve the stability of the crops’ mutation coefficient.

Therefore, finding a suitable location to set up an experimental field had been part of their plan all along.

Of course, the two professors’ decision to build the experimental field here wasn’t just because Gu Xi’s special talent for cultivation might help them stabilize the crops’ mutation coefficient. It was also because the external conditions, such as the soil and climate, were ideal for growing mutated crops.

After discussing the experimental field, the two professors chatted amiably with Gu Xi for a while longer, even asking for her opinion on a few things. They spoke to her with a fond familiarity, as if she were a close younger relative.

Gu Xi had no objections to the experimental field—not that it was her place to object. All the surrounding wasteland belonged to the state; she was only leasing a hundred-mu plot.

Meanwhile, the Qin Family sisters and Shen Yue exchanged a quick glance. ’Leave it to the scholars to win someone over so effortlessly and methodically. It’s a skill that we gruff soldiers, who’ve done nothing but fight since we were young, could never match.’

...

After Mr. Zhao and Mr. Zhang decided to set up the experimental field there, they quickly contacted the camp and the main base to arrange for the necessary materials and equipment to be delivered.

The two professors stayed behind that day to continue their sampling and analysis work. But to Gu Xi’s surprise, after lunch, Shen Yue left with Xv Yiyisan.

’Three experts: two regular people and one ability user. And now the only security guard is escorting the ability user away, leaving the two ordinary professors out here in the middle of nowhere?’

’Does that really make sense?’

’Or... is Shen Yue confident that it’s perfectly safe to leave them here?’

Just then, Wei Heng suddenly leaned over. "I saw that," he said, his face alight with gossip. "Just before Mr. Xv left, he secretly slipped you something..."

"He doesn’t really take you for his niece, does he?" Wei Heng stroked his chin. His gaze followed the large SUV driving into the distance before settling on Gu Xi, his tone full of insinuation.

Gu Xi froze. She hadn’t expected Wei Heng to be so perceptive.

She discreetly tucked the item the "little crybaby" had pressed into her hand into her pocket and said casually, "Who knows? Maybe I really am his relative."

’Just not his niece...’

"Tsk..." Wei Heng clicked his tongue. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the Qin Family sisters, who were bustling about helping the two professors. "Gu Xi," he said suddenly, "why do I get the feeling that Shen Yue knows the Qin Family sisters?"

Gu Xi turned to look at him. "?"

’And you don’t?’

Wei Heng: "...?"

It took him a moment to catch her meaning. "...Wait, no, I really don’t know them."

Gu Xi shot him a look, then turned and started walking away. ’Fine. If you say so.’

Wei Heng: The injustice!

’He really hadn’t known them before this.’

In that moment, Wei Heng had the dazed feeling that he had... somehow... accidentally dug himself into a massive hole.