In truth, their travel schedule was nowhere near as tight as Wen Jifei had made it out to be. Once Yaoyao-huanghuang agreed to help, she hadn't set any specific deadline.
By the time Wu Xu finished his shower, changed into clean clothes, and came downstairs, Han Qingyu and the others had already packed their things and were eating breakfast in the cafeteria.
Seeing him approach, He Tangtang stood up and tossed that autumn combat jacket from before over to him with a whoosh. "Don't return it again, got it? Do it again, and we're really falling out."
Alliance soldiers were issued two sets each of standard summer and autumn combat uniforms, and anyone who wore theirs out could simply file a request for a replacement.
He Tangtang's short trench coat fit Wu Xu just right, and since it was one of the few things he clearly seemed to like, they simply gave it to him.
Wu Xu caught it, lowered his head, and gave a soft "Mm" in response. Then he slipped the jacket on, pulled the hood over his head to hide his embarrassment, and sat down to join them for breakfast.
Most of the time, the impression he gave off was just like this standard-issue Alliance short trench coat—drab and gray, devoid of vivid brightness, yet imbued with an unyielding resilience.
Perhaps that was why he liked this garment so much.
After sitting down, he didn't say anything either. He offered no explanations, no words of thanks, and no heartfelt reflections on his ordeal. Having run off and returned, Wu Xu was as reticent as ever.
In his heart, however, he had pondered many things—far more than he ever had in the past. And the resolves he made were kept deep inside, things he would carry out in the days to come.
"Hey, that Yaoyao-huanghuang... what sort of background does she actually have? To be able to pull off something this big," Wen Jifei asked curiously, setting down his spoon and wiping his mouth after finishing his meal.
Han Qingyu shook his head, swallowed his last mouthful of porridge, and said, "I don't know the exact details either, but she's probably quite something."
In truth, Han Qingyu had only met Xin Yaoqiao once in person and spoken on the phone three or four times. He was just as unaware of the status held by her paternal and maternal families within the Azure Huaxia Front, or across the entire Azure system.
He had no idea her maternal grandfather was Qu Zhongshi—Speaker of the Huaxia Front Council and a member of the presidium of the World Azure Alliance Council—while her paternal grandfather, Xin Mingzhi, was one of the foremost scientists in the Huaxia Front.
All Han Qingyu knew was that the girl belonged to the research system, served as a liaison officer in the Sub-Sequence, carried tens of thousands of yuan and over a dozen source energy blocks when stepping out, and that when she ran away from home once, the team sent to retrieve her consisted of two helicopters and an S-grade big shot who had apparently once been her teacher.
And on top of that, when Commander Lu had mentioned her family before, he had subtly hinted that even he couldn't afford to cross them.
That was more than enough. Han Qingyu thought to himself that if she could really help settle Wu Xu's matter this time, he would be thanking the heavens.
It was probably the elders in her family who were formidable, right?
Han Qingyu reflected a bit further and realized that across the entire Azure system, perhaps only the research system could see an entire family achieving prominence. In the military hierarchy, because the degree of fusion was not hereditary, such an occurrence was impossible.
Moreover, Azure's two major branches—armed forces and scientific research—were independent of one another.
That seemed like a good thing.
Around the same time, Liu Shiheng, who had finished eating earlier and gone off to make inquiries, returned. Approaching, he said, "I checked. Since this isn't an official mission, whether we use a vehicle or a plane, we have to pay out of our own pockets. In addition to fuel, there's depreciation."
Hearing that money had to be spent, Han Qingyu felt a pang of heartache. He looked up and said, "Then..."
"We're filthy rich right now!" Liu Shiheng laughed heartily. "I've booked a plane. But to reach the airfield, we have to drive over ten hours first."
The rescue planes at the medical station could not be loaned out for other purposes. They had to drive to the airfield at another Azure base first before flying to Research Institute 2.
The travel approval documents had already been secured through Xin Yaoqiao; otherwise, no Azure airfield would dare fly anyone to a research institute.
***
Setting off after breakfast, the group drove out in a van with civilian plates and an ordinary appearance. Their first stop was the county town where Wu Xu had previously stayed.
Driving through town along a street with a general market, Liu Shiheng pulled over to the curb. He had Han Qingyu, Shen Yixiu, and Wu Xu wait in the van, while he, Wen Jifei, and He Tangtang got out.
In a small county market, things like dried mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, tea leaves, camellia oil, and dried seafood... a hodgepodge of goods, none of it expensive. Wen Jifei and Liu Shiheng walked through, buying like madmen.
Before long, He Tangtang's hands were full. He couldn't help asking in bewilderment, "What are we buying all this stuff for?"
Wen Jifei and Liu Shiheng, whose hands were also laden with bags, turned to look at him.
Liu Shiheng said, "We're going to ask someone for a favor, Tangtang. Qingzi didn't think that far ahead, so the two of us have to, don't we? You really expect us to just show up clutching a scraggly bundle of sugarcane?"
"Exactly. That sugarcane is fine between Qingzi and Yaoyao-huanghuang because they know each other. Between the two of them, being casual or teasing—it's hard to say what's right or wrong. After all, it takes all sorts to make a world, and maybe she just happens to like that kind of thing," Wen Jifei chimed in. "But the girl's family is right there! Educated folks from the research system, an elite household! We have to make sure everything is handled properly on Qingzi's behalf. First, for the sake of the matter at hand. And second, though we shouldn't get our hopes up... what if something actually happens between them down the road?!"
"Aw, come on," He Tangtang said indignantly. "I get that! What I mean is, aren't we loaded? Why are we buying this kind of stuff? It barely adds up to two thousand yuan!"
Wen Jifei and Liu Shiheng looked at each other and chuckled, offering a bit of tutelage:
"That's what you call propriety, Tangtang. Stuff like this—first off, it matches our current station as ordinary grunts. Second, it shows genuine thought. That's enough.
"If we went out of our way to hunt down something lavish to give them, it would actually be inappropriate. It'd make her parents uncomfortable, and it's easy to commit a faux pas.
"Think about it: could a family like Yaoyao-huanghuang's ever lack money or worldly goods? What we're offering is sincerity, along with the humble deference of someone terrified of falling short."
He Tangtang nodded after listening. In reality, he hadn't really grasped it, but his face wore a look of enlightened submission.
He thought to himself that as long as the squad had two people who understood this stuff, that was all that mattered.
On second thought, their squad really did have both fighters and hustlers. They wouldn't have to worry about getting shortchanged.
Once all those goods were loaded into the van, it was packed nearly to the brim, leaving Han Qingyu rather bewildered.
Wen Jifei and Liu Shiheng couldn't be bothered to explain to him. As they drove, they had Wu Xu describe what the old street had looked like yesterday, and then they asked around, describing it to passersby.
They didn't count on Wu Xu being able to point out the directions and route himself.
"It's about lunchtime now. Let's go try our luck," Wen Jifei said.
When the van arrived at the old street, fortune was on their side: the old man's wonton stall was indeed open for lunch.
They simply didn't see the little girl Wu Xu had mentioned, Ruobing. On second thought, she was probably at school.
Chapter 155