Chapter 286: Prove It
Chapter 286: Prove It
The young soldier nodded, and the two of them cautiously moved toward the source of the sound. Before Wu Lian could see who or what was making the sound, he felt the cold touch of metal against the back of his head.
A second later, a cold voice came, "Don't move, or I will blast your head off."
Wu Lian froze at the threat and slowly raised his hands in surrender. Glancing over, he saw that the young soldier also had a gun pressed against the back of his head. Frustration boiled inside Wu Lian as he silently cursed his own carelessness.
Holding the gun, Yao Ran observed the two men in military uniforms and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Hearing the questions, Wu Lian frowned. This cold voice sounded vaguely familiar. After a moment of silence, he hesitantly asked, "Miss Yao?"
When Yao Ran heard one of them call her name, her eyes flickered with a murderous intent. Wu Lian, unlike the young soldier, had been on the battlefield for years and clearly sensed the cold, deadly aura emanating from behind him.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Out of survival instinct, he quickly introduces himself, "Miss Yao, I am Wu Lian."
The moment Yao Ran heard his name, she paused briefly before her murderous aura dissipated. However, she didn't lower her guns and calmly replied, "Prove it."
Wu Lian was left speechless by her demand.
"..." Prove it? Shouldn't you let me turn around so you can look at my face? No wonder she is Long Yu's girlfriend. Both of them have the same personality!
Though grumbling internally, Wu Lian didn't dare show his frustration as he racked his brain for a way to prove his identity. After a moment, his eyes lit up.
Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Miss Yao, you are the one who gave us the liquid fertilizer and medicine."
Upon hearing this, Yao Ran lowered her guns and said, "Captain Wu, please forgive my rudeness."
Wu Lian breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the cold muzzle on the back of his head disappear. If the young soldier hadn't been present, he might have patted his chest to calm himself down.
Turning around, Wu Lian smiled at Yao Ran and said, "Don't worry about it. It's is right to be cautious when going out."
After that, he glanced behind her but didn't see Long Yu. Raising his eyebrows slightly, Wu Lian asked, "Miss Yao, are you alone? Where is Captain Long?"
"He went back to bring our friends." Yao Ran replied calmly.
Noticing that she didn't want to elaborate further, Wu Lian tactfully changed the subject. "Miss Yao, what are you doing here?"
Yao Ran pointed at the snow-white tubes nearby and said, "I'm gathering mutant plants." Wu Lian turned his gaze to the spot she indicated and saw a pile of long, snow-white tubes. Each one had numerous thin roots on one end and a few red leaves on the other.
Feeling curious, Wu Lian asked, "Miss Yao, why are you gathering mutant plants?"
Putting away her guns, Yao Ran returned to her gathering spot and picked up her small hoe from the ground.
As she resumed digging, she replied, "This is a type of mutant plant that can be eaten like vegetables. Its taste is similar to bamboo shoots, and its leaves can be used for medicinal purposes. However, its roots are highly toxic, so they must be handled with care."
Wu Lian's eyes brightened as he listened to Yao Ran's explanation of the snow-white tubes. He walked up to Yao Ran, squatted beside her, and observed as she carefully dug out the snow-white tubes.
After watching her extract two more from the soil, Wu Lian asked, "Miss Yao, can you teach me how to gather and prepare this mutant plant?"
Yao Ran placed the snow-white tube with the others and nodded, "Sure."
Yao Ran then explained to Wu Lian how to collect the snow-white tubes, and she showed him how to do it.
Meanwhile, the young soldier stood behind them with a confused look on his face. Scratching his head, he thought, 'Aren't we here to scout the area? How did this trip turn into a farming activity?'
Just as he was lost in thought, Wu Lian glanced at him and said, "What are you doing standing there? Come over here and learn from Miss Yao. Mutant plants may become our food in the future, and we need to learn how to collect them."
Snapping out of his thoughts when he heard Wu Lian's words, the young soldier quickly walked over. He squatted beside Wu Lian and listened attentively as Yao Ran taught them.
Fifteen minutes later, Yao Ran said, "That's all for gathering the snow-white tubes and handling the poison. To prepare them, just peel off the tough outer skin-like peeling bamboo—and then wash them. They taste great stir-fried, or you can use them in dumplings and soups."
Wu Lian, eager to remember everything, nodded like a chicken pecking on the rice.
He thought to himself that if he survived this mission, he could report this information to the base. Discovering new edible plants could help alleviate the food shortage and reduce starvation-related deaths. They may need to rely on mutant plants as a food source in the
future.
When Yao Ran finished harvesting the last of the mature snow-white tubes, she noticed that Wu Lian was covered in dirt and blood. It reminded her that she hadn't yet asked why he was in the mountain.
Taking a bundle of rope from her backpack, Yao Ran tied up the snow-white tubes and asked, "Captain Wu, why are you here?"
As Wu Lian helped her tie them up, he replied, "The base received intel about a mutant rat king in Juncheng City, and I was tasked with eliminating it."
Feeling curious, Yao Ran asked again, "Have you completed your mission?"
Wu Lian shook his head and replied, "Not yet. The number of mutant rats in Juncheng City was far greater than we anticipated."