Chapter 339: Chapter 334: Apocalypse Sisters
The guide, seeing Li Lewei and the rest looking doubtful yet astonished, smiled proudly: "You all don’t know, do you? Our base has already conquered the issue of mutated soil being unsuitable for planting. Not only common vegetables like cabbages and radishes but also pineapples, apples, watermelons, and so on have all been successfully grown. As long as we have Crystal Cores, there’s nothing we can’t eat. All of this is thanks to Doctor Ye’s efforts."
"You’re not lying to us?" Ying Yiming took a deep breath and asked, though he maintained a calm and insightful expression on his face.
The guide snorted with laughter: "Why would I lie to you? Whether it’s true or not, won’t you find out once you go out and have a meal later?"
In his heart, Ying Yiming thought it made sense, but this confirmed that what the man said was true. Was the Hu Province Base really more formidable than the Jiang Province Base?
But Li Lewei’s focus was clearly not on this. The books previously didn’t specify whether the base managed to grow vegetables or not, and she was unaware that the current plot had already diverged from the development. She was more concerned about who this Doctor Ye was. She had just heard that the person in charge of this base also had the surname Ye. Were they the same person? And did this person have any relation to Ye Dong?
They probably weren’t related! Back when she read the book, there was no mention of Ye Dong having any powerful connections. She only knew that Ye Dong had an older sister who died during a Zombie outbreak at the base. It was after her sister’s death that Ye Dong’s heart toughened, and she slowly embarked on the path to becoming stronger.
"Who is this Doctor Ye? Is she very capable? But if she researched how to grow fruits and vegetables, why do you refer to her as a doctor?" Li Lewei asked, puzzled.
Proudly bringing up Ye Qiu, the guide said: "Doctor Ye’s name is Ye Qiu, and she is the older sister of Miss Ye Dong, the commander of our base. Before the apocalypse, she was a postgraduate student at the medical school, so we all call her Doctor Ye. Doctor Ye is quite remarkable; she has invented many practical items for us! Not only did she develop Medicine that allows us to plant in mutated soil, but she also created a solution that neutralizes the irritable factor within Crystal Cores..."
"You’re saying the commander of your base is named Ye Dong?"
"You’re saying there is an irritable factor within Crystal Cores?"
Li Lewei and Ying Yiming questioned simultaneously, staring at the guide, hardly able to believe this revelation.
Li Lewei’s expression became extremely unnatural. How could Ye Dong be the commander of the Hu Province Base? But since this man said that her sister is named Ye Qiu, it couldn’t be a case of coincidence in names. What exactly happened? Was it her arrival that altered the scenarios in the book? And how did Ye Qiu, currently only a twenty-year-old woman, manage to gain everyone’s reverence?
However, Ying Yiming and the others were focused on something different; they wanted to know exactly what this irritable factor in the Crystal Cores was.
"What irritable factor? Is there a problem with Crystal Cores?" Ying Yiming quickly inquired.
"Huh, you don’t know?" The guide looked surprised, his face saying, weren’t this group supposed to be delegates from the leadership? They came in with such an air of superiority, as if they were better than this place! To think that they didn’t even understand the most basic knowledge?
"You know that the Crystal Cores contain energy, right?" the guide asked. Seeing Ying Yiming and the others nod, he continued, "Crystal Cores can be used for generating electricity and for cultivating powers among other things, but they can’t be used directly for cultivation. That’s because they contain harmful molecules that can make people restless and agitated, which we call the irritable factor."
"What happens if you use them directly for cultivation?" Luo Yong hastily asked.
"At the beginning, if the absorption isn’t frequent, it’s fine. But once you develop a dependence on the Crystal Cores, you’ll find it becomes very difficult to naturally improve. The more energy from the Crystal Cores you absorb, initially you may feel overexcited and unable to sleep. Gradually you’ll not only feel overexcited but also restless and jittery. In severe cases, you might find yourself losing control, prone to rage and confusion. These are all verified by our base. Doctor Ye even predicted that in the late stage, one could possibly be controlled by the irritable factor and turn into a heartless Zombie."
As the guide explained, the expressions on Ying Yiming and the others’ faces grew darker, especially Luo Yong, who could clearly feel his recent mental state was abnormal; he’d become more irritable and often too revved up to sleep at night. Could it really be because he absorbed too much of the Crystal Cores?
At this thought, he couldn’t help but glance at Li Lewei. But if he didn’t become stronger, how would she ever notice him?
"So, what if someone has already absorbed Crystal Cores?" Ying Yiming asked with patience.
"If you stop in time, you can gradually bring it under control, but your advancement in superpowers would be slower than others’," the guide replied, pleased with their grim faces, and then added proudly, "However, you don’t have to worry about these issues now. Doctor Ye has already developed a Medicine to deal with the irritable factor. As long as you go through the treatment, you can remove the unsettling factors within you. Just make sure not to directly use the Crystal Cores for cultivation in the future."
Luo Yong, holding back his anger, asked: "Why didn’t you make such important information public?"
The guide looked bewildered, clearly displeased with Luo Yong. Humph! This person must have directly used the Crystal Cores to cultivate superpowers, seeking quick success. He rolled his eyes and said, "Who said we didn’t make it public? Now that the communication networks are down, we can only send messengers to the major bases. With such a long journey, there’s no guarantee they can arrive safely! How can you blame us?"
He led them to their accommodations and said brusquely: "This is where you’ll stay. Once you’re inside, someone will arrange everything for you. If you don’t want to stay, you can go to the next street. There’s a hostel and a restaurant there. See that building? That’s where they announce the news and Tasks. If you have any questions, you can ask there. I have other things to do now, but when the base commander has time, I’ll come and notify you."
"How can this person be so rude?" Li Lewei was holding a breath of frustration, she still had so many questions! This is typical for a small place, with no sense of propriety at all.
"Let it be, he doesn’t owe us anything," Ying Yiming frowned and said to the group, "Let’s go in and take a look at the living conditions first, then we can go out and learn more about this base."
Despite not wanting to admit it, Ying Yiming still felt that the Hu Province Base might indeed be stronger than their Jiang Province Base, which was established using a massive amount of national resources. At the very least, their Jiang Province Base wouldn’t let strangers stay for free for two days without exchanging Crystal Cores and food.
Ying Yiming inspected the dormitory conditions and found that although it was free and the rooms were shared by four or six people, they were very tidy and clean, with no disorderly people causing trouble.
Nevertheless, they ultimately chose not to stay. On one hand, they had a sufficient supply of Crystal Cores, and on the other, they weren’t just there for two days. After two days they would have to find another place anyway, so they preferred to look for a hostel now, ideally renting a small courtyard or villa.