Chapter 275: Obedience Water
"I watched you grow up, you know. In my heart, you’ll always come first."
Huang Shi Yao suppressed a smile and wheedled, shaking her arm. "Then after we bring Song Kexin back, Aunt Meng, you have to treat Kexin well. You can’t scare her off again, okay?"
Meng Lanfang patted the back of her hand. "Alright, I promise."
A triumphant glint flashed in Huang Shi Yao’s eyes. Lowering her gaze slightly, she walked over to a table and picked up a thumb-sized vial. "Aunt Meng, this is a compliance potion. I know you’re desperate to have your daughter back, but Kexin keeps trusting the wrong people and won’t listen to you."
"I’m genuinely worried for you."
"Find a way to add this potion to her food or drink, and everything will go just as you wish."
Meng Lanfang froze. She took the small vial of red liquid, her eyes flickering with hesitation.
"Don’t worry, Aunt Meng. It won’t cause Kexin any physical harm. It’s just a potion that suppresses one’s willpower. After she takes it, she’ll be completely obedient to you for the next six months."
"Think about it. As long as Kexin stays by your side, the Starfire Team will have to tread carefully around you. Who knows, maybe they’ll even end up following your lead."
"I heard that Starfire Team is very powerful. Almost half of them are Superpower Users, and they even have a Third Rank Spiritual Ability user."
A fire ignited in Meng Lanfang’s heart. She could already picture her glorious future.
’That’s right. As long as I have that girl Song Kexin in my grasp, Song Youzhi and the others will have no choice but to submit!’
...
BANG BANG BANG, BANG BANG!
Zhu Nanxing zipped to the entrance on his hoverboard, yanked the iron gate open, glanced at the visitors, and yelled inside, "Auntie, Auntie! The beggars are here!"
Li Dawei fought the urge to slap the little hellion.
’Beggars my ass!’
’We’re here for a legitimate water pickup!’
Song You’ai hurried over, exasperated. She shooed Zhu Nanxing off to play, then turned with a smile to a sullen-looking Li Dawei. "Kids say the darndest things. You’re here! Are your tanks and containers ready?"
"Yep, all ready," Ge Yan said with a smile, stepping forward and taking out several water containers.
Song You’ai, fully recovered after a night’s sleep, generously filled two hundred liters of water for them. She smiled and patted Li Dawei’s shoulder. "Dawei, I heard from Grandma Song that you’re getting married?"
Li Dawei chuckled sheepishly. "That’s right, Aunt Song. It’s set for October fifteenth. Come have a drink if you’re free."
"It’s to your old girlfriend, Zhao Yingying, right?" Song You’ai asked with a smile.
Scratching his head, Li Dawei gave a goofy grin. "More than just her."
"Huh?" Song You’ai looked at him, completely baffled. "What do you mean?"
As Ge Yan put away the containers, she rolled her eyes, scoffed, and shrugged. "Our captain’s a lucky man. He’s marrying two at once. Besides Zhao Yingying, he’s also marrying the famous socialite from Yang City, Miss Zhong Yaying."
The benevolent motherly smile on Song You’ai’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a thunderous scowl. She kicked Li Dawei toward the door. "Get out!"
"Hey, Aunt Song! Aunt Song, don’t close the door! Aunt Song, I still need to talk to Xie Ning!"
"Get out, out, out, out, out!" Song You’ai yelled, trying to slam the gate shut. "What do you want with my Ningning? Stay away from her! Don’t you even think about looking at her!"
Xie Ning came out to see Li Dawei’s foot stuck in the gap of the gate, howling in pain as her mother tried to force it shut.
"Xie Ning! Xie Ning! This is for you!" Li Dawei yelled, grabbing a package from a smirking Ge Yan and tossing it through the gap.
"What is this?" Xie Ning asked, running forward to catch the package.
"It’s the payment for rescuing Captain Zhuang of the Swift Leopard Team’s sister and brother-in-law yesterday! Li Xiang told me to give you half. Now we’re all square!"
"That cheapskate Zhuang Lei would only pay for half. He said Ah Liang and Da Xiong aren’t on his team anymore, so he refused to pay their rescue fees."
"Ow! Aunt Song, stop pushing! I’m going, I’m going!" Li Dawei quickly yanked his foot out from the gate.
The heavy iron gate of Xie Ning’s house slammed shut with a CLANG, nearly hitting him in the face.
"Hmph! Scumbag!" Song You’ai spat, then turned and pulled her daughter away.
"Boss, the back wall has been raised and reinforced. Please let me know if any other improvements are needed." As mother and daughter reached the covered walkway, a dust-covered Tu Hou walked up and gave them a deep bow.
Song You’ai was exasperated. "Ningning, isn’t this one of Xiao Gu’s teammates?"
’He looks so pitiful, like he’s being worked to the bone.’
"Go rest," Xie Ning said, glancing at him. "Your captain should be arriving at the base today. When he gets here, he can take you with him."
Tu Hou was so overcome with emotion he could have burst into tears.
’Living on two compressed biscuits and half a bottle of water a day is torture!’
’And all this manual labor... You wouldn’t even work an ox this hard!’
’One wrong move led to all this. Why did my stupid hands have to go and film the boss?’
’Not only did I film her, I live-streamed the footage back to headquarters.’
’The only reason the Boss hasn’t killed me is out of respect for Captain Gu...’
"Xiao Ning!" Zuo Li’s voice called from outside the courtyard.
Xie Ning hurried to open the gate.
Zuo Li rushed in excitedly, handing Xie Ning two plastic bags she was carrying. "I just got back. Ugh, my dad kept me at the Survivor Center all night for meetings. I’m dead tired—it’s more exhausting than fighting zombies."
"Captain Zuo, come in, come in," Song You’ai said with a smile, welcoming her inside.
The two of them sat down at the stone table under the covered walkway, and Song You’ai busied herself making them tea.
"Auntie, please don’t trouble yourself. Come sit with us," Zuo Li said with a smile. "Xiao Ning, I heard from Chen Xiao and the others that you sent two people our way yesterday. They’re great."
"Thank you so much. Our team was in desperate need of Earth and Wood Element users. You really did us a huge favor."
"I just recommended a couple of people, that’s all." Xie Ning waved her hand. "It’s nothing."
"You were in meetings all night? Was it about something important?"
"Ugh, what else? The Capital is sending people over for an inspection. It’s driving my dad crazy." Zuo Li sighed. "We’ve been busy planning the rescue of survivors from the residential districts. Who has time to entertain some VIPs from the Jingji Faction?"
Song You’ai and Xie Ning exchanged a look.
’She couldn’t be talking about Gu Chen and Lu Wei, could she?’
"This rescue mission is divided into three zones. Xiao Ning, you should join us." Zuo Li pulled a crumpled map from her pocket and spread it out in front of Xie Ning.
"Teams that participate in the mission will be awarded a base of one thousand Contribution Points. Half of all supplies gathered must be turned over to the base, but the teams can keep the rest."
"The rewards are pretty generous. You should consider it, Xiao Ning."
Xie Ning ignored everything else and pointed to a circled location on the map. "This Wohua Private Hospital—are we going there?"