Chapter 438 - 317: A Deal
After Sean Raines confirmed that she was more than forty days pregnant, that her body was fine, and that the baby was healthy, Paige Summers finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
"I wrote down some precautions. You and Marcus Monroe should both take a look. It’s better than being completely in the dark, which will only make you more anxious." As he spoke, Sean Raines handed over a few sheets of paper.
Paige Summers took them and immediately started to read.
Whoa!
’It’s so detailed!’
What she should eat more of, what she couldn’t eat, what to expect at each week of the pregnancy, and the corresponding symptoms...
She couldn’t help but look up and ask, "Were you an obstetrician before this?"
Sean Raines rolled his eyes. "No way! This is just a sign of my vast knowledge, okay?"
Seeing Paige Summers chuckle as her gaze returned to the paper, he hesitated for a moment before speaking. "It’s not a big deal since you’re still in your early months, but things will definitely get inconvenient in a few more. It would be best to find a woman who has given birth before to take care of you. That way, I can also teach her a few things about delivering a baby. We don’t have any medical equipment here. If the birth doesn’t go smoothly, it will be a huge problem."
Paige Summers’s smile vanished. She mulled it over for a moment. "You’re right. That’s definitely something we need to plan for in advance."
’People in ancient times used to say that for a woman, giving birth was like stepping one foot into the gates of hell. Wasn’t that just because of the lack of medicine and doctors? To think I’m now facing the same situation...’
Central City and Southreach had hospitals, but one was too far away, and the other was too dangerous.
She would have to think long and hard about what to do.
Suddenly, she thought of something. "By the way, what about Maisie Joyce? Did she tell you guys about that monster?"
Sean Raines was surprised. "She told you?"
Paige Summers nodded.
Sean Raines said thoughtfully, "When Marcus Monroe went to find you, you had just fainted. He thought Maisie Joyce was behind it and nearly split her in two. Lucian stopped him and locked her up. Later, when I checked your pulse, I discovered you were pregnant. Your fainting was mainly due to exhaustion; it didn’t have much to do with her. However, your emotional turmoil was also a factor... So what’s the deal with that monster?"
Paige Summers was silent for a moment before saying, "You should call them both back here."
"Okay."
The four of them gathered in the room, and Paige Summers recounted everything Maisie Joyce had told her.
"...I suspect the people Leo Joyce has been in contact with are that same group of men in black we saw up north. Since those Eldorians were able to turn Nora Lowell into a Zombie, they must be conducting research in that area. The only thing is, Maisie Joyce claims that monster is May Joyce, and I don’t believe her. May Joyce is dead; I’m certain of it. How could someone who died without being infected by the Zombie Virus turn into a Zombie? There has to be something fishy going on!"
Claire Chapman thought for a long moment before suddenly asking, "Could it be a *jiangshi*?"
Sean Raines shot him a look. "Impossible! Not only does the timing not add up, but a newly created *jiangshi* wouldn’t be that powerful. To seriously injure Leo Joyce and still escape from so many Superpower Users, it would need at least a decade of Power!"
Unable to make heads or tails of it, the group fell silent.
After a long silence, Marcus Monroe spoke. "We’ll know for sure once we see it with our own eyes. The monster is a secondary issue. The real priorities are the Eldorians’ schemes and the connection between them and Leo Joyce."
As he spoke, he squeezed Paige Summers’s hand. "Lucian and I have already discussed it. This matter can’t wait; we have to leave immediately. You’ll stay at the base, and you have to be extra careful. Ben and Sean Raines are staying behind as well. With them here, I can be... somewhat at ease."
’Somewhat at ease...’ Sean Raines crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling. ’Making me look after a pregnant woman is complete overkill, like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! And he’s only *somewhat* at ease!’
Paige Summers nodded. "Go. I’ll take good care of myself and the base."
Marcus Monroe opened his mouth, wanting to say they would have the wedding when he returned, but he glumly swallowed the words. A wedding would be too much of an ordeal, especially now that she was pregnant... ’Sigh. If only I’d known, I would have moved the date up!’
Paige Summers patted his hand.
To be honest, she wasn’t in a great mood either.
Deep down, she really wanted him to stay with her. She had never been pregnant before in either of her two lives, and it was impossible to say she wasn’t the least bit scared or worried.
But that was obviously unrealistic, so she could only endure.
Because the matter was indeed urgent, Marcus Monroe and Claire Chapman gathered their men and left the base that very evening. They took more than thirty people with them, leaving the rest behind to ensure the base’s safety.
They also took Maisie Joyce with them.
Apparently, she had requested to go with Claire Chapman herself.
Paige Summers wasn’t surprised. Maisie surely wanted to see Leo Joyce, whether out of lingering sibling affection or a desire to witness his miserable state.
She didn’t see Maisie again, but she reminded Marcus Monroe to keep an eye on the woman.
Marcus Monroe understood perfectly.
The only reason he had agreed to take her along was that he didn’t trust her to stay behind.
Maisie Joyce was too much of a schemer.
If she stayed at the base and developed any malicious plans against Paige Summers, that would be even worse. It was better to take her with them, keep her under surveillance, and also see if she was genuinely sincere about wanting to stay at Bloodfall.
In the blink of an eye, the base felt much emptier.
Paige Summers had rarely been the one left behind. Looking at the empty room, she felt a bit out of sorts. But when she thought about the child in her belly, a complex mix of emotions surfaced.
It wasn’t the fabled maternal instinct. While there was a bit of excitement, it was mostly a subtle feeling of incredulity.
’Pregnant...’
She flopped listlessly back onto the bed. ’How should I arrange things from now on? Who can I find to take care of me? And how can I ensure a safe delivery...?’
Her thoughts trailed off as she drifted to sleep.
Paige Summers’s drowsiness became more and more pronounced.
For the next few days, she spent most of her time in bed.
Her work was handed over to others. For the tasks that couldn’t be delegated, such as teaching her Artifact Making disciples, she had them compile their questions and would answer them all at once during her less sleepy moments.
Ben kept a constant vigil outside her window, as if he understood something, and almost never left her side.
Sean Raines also came to check on her once every day.
She didn’t really think it was necessary, but he insisted, so she let him be.
Levi Young, on the other hand, rarely came by. According to Sean Raines, he was holed up in his lab all day, and no one knew what he was tinkering with.
Paige Summers knew he was probably unhappy about her pregnancy. ’But this time,’ she thought, ’he should finally be able to let go of those feelings he has for me, right?’
Overall, the atmosphere at the base remained peaceful. Even with Claire Chapman and his men gone, everyone was able to carry out their duties.
However, ten days passed with no word from Marcus Monroe and his team, and Paige Summers began to worry.
Just then, Franklin Forrest, the Base Chief of Stoneridge Base, paid a visit.
"Did he say what he’s here for?"
Sean Raines shrugged. "Of course not. He asked to see either Claire Chapman or you. I doubt he has any ill intent. He looks more like he’s here to ask for a favor. Do you want to see him?"
"I’ll see him!"
Paige Summers guessed that this Fatty Forrest must have come for weapons.
’Perfect!’
The base was in desperate need of Crystal Cores right now.
She had originally planned to do business with Leo Joyce once the grain was harvested, but then all sorts of incidents occurred, and the plan was shelved. Now that someone was delivering himself to her doorstep, there was no reason not to meet him.
Taking Ben with her, Paige Summers tidied herself up, gathered her energy, and went to the reception hall.
When Franklin Forrest saw her, his face blossomed into a wide smile, just like the last time they met.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all sat down.
Franklin Forrest began, "Deputy Base Commander Summers, you are truly young and brilliant! To think The Foundry could be rebuilt and the blast furnaces put back into operation is truly admirable!"
Paige Summers smiled. "You’re too kind. It’s just a small-scale trial. After all, very few people understand smelting these days. We’re just feeling our way through it."
"No, no, I’m not just being polite. The fact that you can smelt again makes us genuinely happy too."
"You have a point. It is indeed a good thing."
Franklin Forrest scratched his head, let out a sigh, and suddenly dropped the formal act. He leaned in closer. "Look, little sister, I’m not a man of many words, so I won’t beat around the bush. Let’s just speak frankly. Stoneridge Base and your Bloodfall Base, we’re neighbors who should look out for each other. Since you’ve succeeded with your smelting, and you’re a master at making weapons, how about you whip up a batch for us?"
Paige Summers leaned forward slightly, her expression just as earnest. "Since you’re being so direct, I’ll lay my cards on the table, too. It’s not that I don’t want to do you this favor, but as you can see, our base was just established. We’re short on everything. Weapons are consumable; we might lose several on a single hunt. I’m afraid even a clever housewife can’t cook a meal without rice!"
Franklin Forrest blinked. "Then what if you have the ’rice’? As for the price..."
Paige Summers’s heart leaped. She immediately replied, "If there’s ’rice,’ then that goes without saying! I’ll at most charge you the cost of the ’firewood’! Like you said, aren’t we neighbors who should look out for each other? Wouldn’t you agree?"
Franklin Forrest grinned.
"That’s what I was waiting to hear! Come on, let’s find a spot for you to inspect the quality of my ’rice.’"
"Excellent!"
Franklin Forrest called over one of his subordinates who was waiting outside, and followed Paige Summers to a small, open clearing.
"Myles, take the stuff out," Franklin Forrest said with a wave of his hand.
The man named Myles, a Space Ability User, immediately pulled a small, knee-high pile of ore from his spatial storage and dumped it in front of them.
Paige Summers picked up two pieces and examined them closely. After confirming that it was indeed high-quality iron ore, she looked up with a smile. "Big Brother Forrest, you’re really full of surprises!"
Hearing this, Franklin Forrest naturally understood her meaning and burst out laughing. "I just got lucky and stumbled upon a good deal, heh heh. Little sister, I won’t lie, I need at least a hundred weapons. How much of this ore do you reckon that will require?"
Paige Summers did a quick mental calculation and gave him a figure based on a medium yield rate for iron.
Franklin Forrest was clearly not clueless on the subject, because he immediately replied with satisfaction, "Little sister, you’re an honest woman. It’s a deal, then. I’ll have my people send the rest over when I get back. We’ll figure out the production fee separately. As for the specifics, we can hash them out."
Paige Summers nodded.
On second thought, she invited him to stay. "It’s almost time for lunch. Why don’t we discuss it over a meal?"