Retired for A Hundred Years: Re-Employment for the Apocalypse Bigshot!-Chapter 369 - 364: Aren’t You Curious?

The middle-aged man gave them a mysterious look.

Lin Yuanyang felt a tightness in his heart.

At this moment, the voice of the train attendant suddenly sounded in the carriage.

"Attention passengers, the train is about to enter a semi-polluted zone. The ventilation system in the carriage will be shut down soon. Please wear your protective clothing and gas masks to prevent any discomfort..."

The middle-aged man across from them immediately sat back, picked up his gas mask, and skillfully put it on his face, tightening the zipper on his protective suit.

"Xiao Yang, put on your gas mask quickly."

Bai Xiaotang, who was already dressed in her protective gear, saw that Lin Yuanyang had not moved and quickly reached over to put the gas mask on his face, also putting the hood of his protective suit over his head and pulling up the zipper.

After everything was done, the train entered the semi-polluted zone.

The light outside the window seemed to change as if a new filter was added, suddenly dimming. The conversations in the carriage quieted significantly, with only the system voice continuously updating the passengers on the external monitoring data.

"Attention passengers, the current temperature outside the carriage is 18 degrees Celsius, southeast wind at level 3, radiation concentration at 12.8%..."

Outside the train windows, there was a city still under construction.

Cranes and construction sites were everywhere.

Many construction workers were not even wearing gas masks or protective clothing.

But as the train moved, the radiation concentration in the air gradually increased, and the scenery outside transformed from urban to increasingly desolate.

After passing through two large mountains, it entered a vast purification forest area.

Each tree was arranged in an orderly manner according to the plan, and the Forest Guards could be seen shuttling through the woods.

"Ding——"

"Attention passengers, the planting area is approaching. Passengers who need to get off, please move to the train doors in advance..."

Bai Xiaotang and her group immediately stood up, orderly following the other Forest Guards in the carriage, taking their saplings and waiting to get off.

At this time, the pollution concentration outside had reached 25%, and this was after the purification forest had done its work.

It is said that it will take another 30 years to reduce the pollution concentration here to safe levels for the human body, reaching livable standards.

Bai Xiaotang and her group got off the train and, following the directional signs, headed towards the west district exit.

However, Lin Yuanyang noticed that the middle-aged man who had been sitting opposite them headed towards the south district exit.

He wanted to follow and take a look but suddenly heard a familiar male voice in his ear.

It was Xiao Shun, a member of Sister Ning’s investigation team.

"I’ll go check out the south side. You guys head to the planting area first."

Lin Yuanyang glanced at the man following close behind, nodding slightly.

***

This time, Huang Ying assigned them a training task of planting 50 purification trees each.

Carrying the weight of 50 saplings while walking in the semi-polluted zone was already quite difficult.

They also had to walk two kilometers to the designated spot in the western planting area, which was an extreme test of their physical strength and endurance.

For Lin Yuanyang, who had the worst physical level, he felt the air outside becoming increasingly thin, his legs felt as heavy as lead, and his pace slowed significantly.

He could no longer see the figures of You Le and Bai Xiaotang ahead of him.

Xiao Kong, who was following behind Lin Yuanyang, asked, "Need me to carry some for you?"

Lin Yuanyang gasped for breath, shaking his head.

Xiao Kong didn’t say anything more and synced the training data on the Smart Brain’s screen with Huang Ying and others in the city area.

On the other side.

Huang Ying listened to the information in her earpiece while cautiously watching the men not far away.

The four new external team members recruited by Ji Ning were gathered around Ye Xingyan, watching him extract toxins from a certain plant.

The makeshift laboratory was filled with the pungent smell of herbs.

Superpower user Ah San asked in confusion, "Professor Ye, can this stuff really enhance superpower levels?"

He was somewhat skeptical.

Ye Xingyan carefully sealed the extracted toxin in a clean glass bottle and said calmly, "Not with this alone; it requires several other herbs and minerals as well."

"What herbs and minerals?"

Ye Xingyan gave him a look and smiled, "Are you going to get them for me?"

Ah San chuckled awkwardly.

He currently had nothing to his name and still needed Ji Ning to pay him a salary.

Ye Xingyan didn’t halt the conversation and directly listed some herbs and minerals, giving Huang Ying a purposeful look, "I also need Dragon Rock Grass, Mutated Wild Orchid..."

Ah Da’s gaze flickered slightly, turning to Huang Ying.

These things could only be found deep within the Pollution Zone, and those areas were difficult for ordinary superpower users to access, let alone collect from.

Huang Ying’s face turned sullen, coldly asking, "So the herbs smuggled from Nanling ended up in your laboratory?"

Ye Xingyan did not deny it, "I am a researcher. I study whatever is given to me. As for how these things came to be, I don’t care."

But Huang Ying didn’t believe his words.

Over the years, Huang Laosan had been helping smuggle herbs from Nanling, mostly shipped to the West Continent and Beizhou.

And Ye Xingyan was in the West Continent back then; he must know something.

"By the way, when is Ji Ning arriving?" Ye Xingyan asked.

"What for?"

"The blood analysis of Joe Lane is almost done," Ye Xingyan said, raising the brown glass bottle in his hand with a smile.

Huang Ying pursed her lips, "Afternoon flight."

Ye Xingyan’s eyes brightened, a fleeting fervor that Huang Ying found displeasing.

She greatly disliked researchers like Ye Xingyan who conducted experiments on humans.

It was the existence of such people that caused countless ordinary people to become lab sacrifices.

Sister Ning had just mentioned Pan Min’s matter to her, making her even more resentful of these researchers.

"Ye Xingyan, Sister Ning is bringing a special patient in the afternoon and needs your help to examine."

Ye Xingyan’s eyes lit up even more, "No problem. As long as she gives me some blood for research..."

"That’s not negotiable! Do you think this is a joke?" Huang Ying retorted angrily.

Ye Xingyan’s expression remained unchanged, still smiling, "Young lady, you’re quite fiery. Who knows, maybe Ji Ning is willing to let me have some blood for research?"

Ye Xingyan placed the reagent bottle into the freezer, took off his gloves, and went to wash his hands at the sink, "There are no absolutes in this world. As long as the benefits are sufficient, anything is possible. Just like how you all are willing to work for Ji Ning."

Huang Ying was momentarily stunned and then retorted in a cold voice, "Do you think everyone is as profit-driven as you?"

"Don’t you want to possess superpowers as strong as Ji Ning’s?"

"Spreading baseless rumors!" Huang Ying clenched her fists.

Ye Xingyan glanced at the others in the room and continued, "We are all superpower users. Why can Ji Ning possess such strong superpowers? Aren’t you curious?"

Huang Ying glanced at the others, her heart tightened, and she strode towards Ye Xingyan.

"Ye Xingyan, you should be heading back!"

Ye Xingyan did not resist, obediently extending his hands for Huang Ying to cuff, his face still bearing a light smile.

"Remember to call me when Ji Ning arrives!"

Huang Ying glared at him fiercely.

After the two left, Ah San spoke up quietly, "I’m quite curious too."

"Lao San!" Lao Er glanced at the camera in the room and cautiously called out to him.

Ah San muttered under his breath, "Can’t even speak the truth."

"However, Professor Ye wasn’t wrong; Leader Ji’s abilities are indeed extraordinary!"