Stirring Things Up in the Wasteland 142

Chapter 142 

The daily routine on Ning Mountain was quiet and predictable.

It seemed the extreme heat and drought of the apocalypse hadn’t had much of an impact on them, and in reality, that was true.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed.

The mutated plants on Ning Mountain had been completely brought under control by Song Xun’s group. Finally having some free time, Song Ye and the others each spent two days installing soundproof panels, insulation, and wiring in their own rooms.

Thanks to their non-stop work, the first batch of houses in the base was complete: a five-story building to serve as temporary housing.

It was divided for Alphas, Betas, Omegas, and undifferentiated children. The top floor, the fifth, served as the base’s temporary meeting room.

As for Feng Wancheng and the few others who had families, they didn’t build separate houses. Ning Mountain was just getting on its feet, and further housing development required more planning, but that was a matter for later.

Besides, Song Xun had no intention of building a separate house for everyone. If someone wanted one, they could exchange contribution points for materials and land. But that, too, was a matter for the future.

Wei Ke woke up on the afternoon the new building was completed. The first person to discover him was Ji Tang, who had come to change his bandages.

Song Xun was leaning against the doorframe of the open room, waiting for Ji Tang to finish so they could leave together.

Hearing Ji Tang’s voice, Song Xun quickly turned her head and saw that Wei Ke had opened his eyes. His condition was clearly not good; his gaze was dazed and unfocused.

Ji Tang changed his bandages. Seeing the drowsy Wei Ke, she waited for a few of the older Omega women to return and handed him over to their care. Then, she and Song Xun went back to their own place.

He had just woken up, so it wasn’t a good time for a serious conversation.

It wasn’t until noon the next day, after he had rested, that Song Xun and Ji Tang went to see Wei Ke again. This time, he was clearly much more energetic, though drinking water on his own was still a struggle. He had to be fed bit by bit by one of the women.

Seeing Song Xun and Ji Tang knock and enter, the other Omegas in the room consciously stood up and left. The older woman named Wang, who had been feeding Wei Ke water, also put down the cup and quietly departed.

Neither Song Xun nor Ji Tang stopped them, and Wei Ke said nothing.

After drinking some water to moisten his throat, he seemed to relax. The room was fitted with a large electric fan, and the breeze, while not as cool as the cave, offered some relief from the oppressive heat outside. For Wei Ke, this was a profound comfort.

Once Old Madam Wang left, she closed the door, leaving the three of them alone. Song Xun pulled over a plastic stool for Ji Tang, then sat down herself on the large, built-in platform bed.

Watching Wei Ke squint and enjoy the breeze without a word, Song Xun sneered, speaking first. “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Wei Ke paused for a long time before slowly retorting, “There’s a breeze. Why shouldn’t I enjoy it?”

Song Xun nodded. That was true. She changed the subject. “In that case, why don’t you tell me your thoughts after being hung up for so long?”

Wei Ke sighed and didn’t speak.

Since he was silent, Song Xun waited. She could clearly feel Wei Ke’s gaze turn to her after a moment. His eyes held the fatigue of a man barely recovered, the pain of a body not yet healed, and a complex, gritted-teeth anger she couldn’t quite decipher.

But what was missing was his former arrogance and sinister nature. This seemed like a good sign, but Song Xun wasn’t sure if he was just pretending. Wei Ke was a master of deception, a fact she had learned the hard way.

She feigned nonchalance. “What are you looking at me for? Is there a flower on my face?”

Wei Ke rolled his eyes at her.

Song Xun didn’t mind and just smiled. “Alright. Since you know why I’m here, let’s hear your plans.”

“Plans?” Wei Ke also smiled, but his face was so dark and dry from the sun that the expression cracked his skin like old tree bark. “If I say no, you’ll definitely kill me this time, won’t you?”

He asked directly, and Song Xun answered just as crisply. “Yes.”

“Then what if… I say I agree?”

Agree? Agree to serve her and join Ning Mountain?

Song Xun and Ji Tang met each other’s eyes. Song Xun could see a flicker of hazy seriousness in Wei Ke’s gaze, but the man was such a good actor that she couldn’t be sure how much was sincere.

But as the saying goes: if you suspect someone, don’t use them; if you use them, don’t suspect them. Perhaps Ji Tang was right. Deep down, Song Xun wanted to recruit Wei Ke. She knew his future potential and how terrifying he could be, which was why she had shown him mercy again and again.

“So…”

“An idiot persuaded me for a long time,” Wei Ke said, his eyes closing. “She said she didn’t want to be my enemy…”

His tone made it impossible to tell what he was truly feeling, but both Song Xun and Ji Tang understood he was talking about Guan He.

Song Xun remained silent, but Ji Tang couldn’t hold back. “You still like Guan He, don’t you? Then why did you leave without a word back then?”

“Guan He got into a car accident looking for you. Now her leg still hurts from time to time. Did you know that? You…”

“I know,” Wei Ke interrupted.

“So I don’t want to hurt her, either.”

“If her choice is you people, then I… am willing to accept it for her sake.”

Song Xun and Ji Tang exchanged a look, both of them silent. They hadn’t expected that Wei Ke’s feelings for Guan He ran just as deep as hers did for him.

Ji Tang seemed to remember something and asked tentatively, “I remember Guan He once said the road where she had her car accident was very remote. The driver who hit her fled the scene. An anonymous stranger called 120, but no one ever found out who made that call.”

“Wei Ke, was it you?”

Wei Ke glanced at Ji Tang, then looked away, remaining silent.

Though he didn’t say a word, his silence was an answer.

“So why? Why did you…”

Wei Ke impatiently cut Ji Tang off, his voice so strained he broke into a violent, dry cough. “There aren’t so many whys!”

But the flash of sadness and helplessness in his eyes was unmistakable. Ji Tang didn’t speak again, simply sighing softly before standing up with Song Xun.

“You should get some rest.”

Ji Tang didn’t press further. Besides, the person who had the right to ask these questions was never her.

After several months, Ning Mountain Base was finally established.

Although the current state of development wasn’t perfect and many improvements were still needed, those were tasks for the future. No one could achieve perfection from the start; it was an impossible goal.

Early in the morning, Song Xun, Song Ye, and the others chose a large, relatively flat stone and erected it midway up the entrance to Ning Mountain.

On it were words they had carved in preparation: Ning Mountain Base.

To celebrate, Song Xun even butchered a pig and a sheep for a hot pot feast that night.

Vegetables and meat were served in abundance. Although the air was so hot that just standing still made one sweat, the food was too delicious to resist. It was worth the discomfort.

The meat was a welcome treat, but not a total shock, as Song Xun had brought some out occasionally. The appearance of fresh vegetables, however, truly astonished everyone. This was the third year of the apocalypse, yet here were crisp, succulent greens, looking as if they were just pulled from a garden.

They were incredibly delicious. Everyone ate until tears welled in their eyes, reminded of the peaceful days before the apocalypse. The meal filled them with hope that this newfound peace could last.

Until true, lasting peace could be achieved.

They ate hot pot joyfully, and when thirsty, they drank bowls of iced green bean soup that was exceptionally refreshing. The night of Ning Mountain Base’s founding was destined to be a lively and boisterous one.

When Shi Tou shouted that he wanted beer, Song Xun brought out two cases. Everyone who could drink opened a bottle. Song Xun had a few herself; her tolerance wasn’t terrible, but not great either. In the end, a mischievous Song Ye plied her with too much, and she had to be half-carried back to her room by a helpless Ji Tang.

Fortunately, though her tolerance was low, her drunken behavior was reliable. When she drank too much, she simply fell asleep without shouting or causing a fuss. Ji Tang laid her on the bed and wiped her face with a damp towel.

The warmth of the towel was just right. After lying there for a while, Song Xun was already mostly sober. This was one of her good points: she got drunk fast but also recovered quickly.

She groggily tilted her head to look at Ji Tang, who stood under the light, her legs straight and dazzlingly white. Her wife was washing the towel, bent low and revealing a sliver of her even fairer waist.

Song Xun’s throat suddenly felt dry, and she subconsciously swallowed. But just as a lewd thought entered her mind, she was interrupted by the frantic howling of the little ball of light.

Her consciousness was pulled into the space. Before she could even ask what was wrong, her eyes landed on the stone monument. The characters were different.

The one row of blurry text she could never make out had finally become clear tonight. They were still ancient, traditional characters. After studying them for a long time and consulting a dictionary, Song Xun confirmed the word: “Faith.”

But what did “faith” mean?

Could it mean she was supposed to become an object of faith?

Song Xun rubbed her temples, which still throbbed from her hangover. Although that explanation was plausible, she felt something wasn’t quite right.

Ji Tang hadn’t been drinking. Song Xun held her wife’s fragrant, soft body, her earlier thoughts forgotten. She told Ji Tang about the change in the space, and her wife could only offer comfort.

“Let nature take its course.”

Song Xun sighed and nodded. Her heavy head wouldn’t allow for any more deep thought, and she soon fell asleep, holding her wife.

The next day, the core team spent half the day finalizing the detailed plans for Ning Mountain. Once they reached a unanimous decision that afternoon, there was no time to waste. After dinner, Song Xun called Feng Wancheng and all the other residents to the fifth-floor meeting room.

The building wasn’t tall, but the room was spacious. Central air conditioning blew a cool breeze from above, keeping everyone alert and refreshed.

According to their census, the total population on Ning Mountain, excluding the core group, was 55 people, including all children and the elderly.

Among them were fifteen Alphas, ten Betas, and only eight Omegas. The remaining 17 were undifferentiated children.

Within this population, there were four ancient martial artists and six ability users. The rest were ordinary people.

Overall, the population of Ning Mountain was still a little small…