PSW - Chapter 80
Chapter 80
After adding up the final data, the total was indeed 4846, just as Zheng Yi had said.
"Extract the list of those with one Saint Point, and also the two people with nine," Feng Shuxian said. "Keep a close eye on their movements. Don't let them get near Zheng Yi, and don't spread any news about Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan."
"Yes, we should definitely be careful. We'll make arrangements later." One of the managers nodded. "Do we not need to pay special attention to those with two points?"
"Not for now," Feng Shuxian said. "Just keep a casual eye on them; no need for any special restrictions. The Saint Point values must not be leaked. If they are accidentally leaked… we're all veterans who built this base together. You know what kind of person I am."
"Base Leader, you discussed this with us from the very beginning, which naturally means you trust us. We're all old comrades who know each other inside and out; no one would be foolish enough to do something they shouldn't," another manager spoke up. "It's just that this ability user is too special. If we could get her to stay at the base, we could even make her the vice-base leader."
"Right, we can have a good talk with her. Or maybe we could approach her through her jiejie? This heatwave… it will definitely come again in the future. Even when it's not a heatwave, controllable rainfall would be a huge benefit to the base's development."
"Exactly, Base Leader. Doesn't she need Saint Points? This round… although it wasn't ideal, we can still provide her with a stable supply of at least ten thousand Saint Points a month! If she's willing to stay, even once a day would be fine. We can let her earn the rest, whether she uses them to improve herself or for whatever else, it's all fine," another person said. "This is a win-win! Once the heatwave is over, as long as she's willing to stay, we can negotiate any kind of treatment."
"…" Feng Shuxian looked at them. Although some hadn't spoken, they clearly shared the same thought. And she… wasn't she the same? But when she thought of the "Zheng Yi" she had seen that day, she had a strong intuition: you couldn't force someone like that to stay in one place. Nothing could bind her.
She sighed and finally spoke. "I have the same idea, but if she's unwilling, we must not force her. We have a cooperative relationship right now. We can try to win her over, even promise greater benefits, but we absolutely must not threaten her or use force."
"If they are willing to stay at the base, the position of vice-base leader can be offered to them. I would even be willing to give my position as base leader to Zheng Yi." Feng Shuxian looked at them. "We can provide them with three free meals a day and an ample supply of water. As for housing, there's still plenty of open space in the base. We can build a separate house for them, even a three-story villa would be fine. The base won't restrict their freedom. As long as they make it rain daily, they can do whatever they want with the rest of their time. We'll give them complete freedom. Furthermore, if threats like zombie hordes or mutated beasts appear, they can be designated as top-priority protection targets among the ability users. They won't be required to participate in combat unless absolutely necessary."
"…Base Leader? Those terms… aren't they a bit too generous?"
"Even I'm tempted. They probably wouldn't refuse, right?"
The managers were clearly surprised by Feng Shuxian's offer. What surprised them even more was that despite offering such conditions, Feng Shuxian still seemed to think the chances of persuading them to stay were low.
"You're thinking too simply." One manager glanced at them and said helplessly, "The Saint's descent doesn't just bring sweet rain; it also brings punishment for the wicked. That young lady doesn't only have the ability to make it rain."
"…Then… then… is there really no other way?"
"What other way could there be? The terms the Base Leader offered are the best we can manage within our means. Look at the state our base is in right now—what other generous conditions can we possibly offer? Our crops have all withered and died, and we ate all the poultry we were raising during the heatwave. Even if we plant seeds after the heatwave passes, we can't guarantee her fresh green vegetables every day, can we?" One person threw up his hands in resignation. "Forget it. The end of the heatwave is still a long way off. We'll talk about it then."
"It's enough to show her our sincerity and goodwill," Feng Shuxian said lightly. "Even if she doesn't agree to stay in the end, we must not make an enemy of her. Alright, let's go. Time to eat."
"Sigh, it's only the second day. Why think so much? Let's go eat, let's go eat! Come on, thanks to these two rainfalls, our water supply is a little less tight. We can even have a couple extra sips of water with our meal."
They didn't continue the discussion. Each of them gathered their lists and documents and walked out with Feng Shuxian. Each person was responsible for a portion of the list, and by familiarizing themselves with the names in their hands, they would be more efficient when recording the Saint Points tomorrow. The lists were kept separately so that if any information leaked, they would have a lead.
"Zheng Yi, did anyone give ten Saint Points?" Yu Yinan asked, looking at Zheng Yi with eager eyes as she ate a cookie.
"No," Zheng Yi replied. "But there were two nines."
Yu Yinan visibly brightened. She gulped down her cookie in big bites, took a few swigs of water, and seeing Zheng Yi sitting on the edge of the bed, she went over and crouched in front of her. Looking up at Zheng Yi, she said, "That's good~ Was the lowest one point? Or did some people not give any points at all?"
"It was one point. Do you want to hear the data?"
"No, I was just asking." Yu Yinan thought for a moment. "We're at someone else's base, after all. If those one-point people cause trouble…"
Yu Yinan paused, looking at Zheng Yi. "I'm just saying, if it happens… if it's inconvenient for you, can you let me handle it?"
"You have it in you?" Zheng Yi smiled playfully. "Or will you just kill them?"
"You have such power, yet you present yourself to the world as so pure and innocent… so, it has to be me. That's the only thing that makes sense," Yu Yinan said seriously. "I'm willing, and I can do it. Torture, intimidation, making an example of them."
Zheng Yi just chuckled and raised a hand to feed Yu Yinan an ice cube.
"Really, I can do it well. Just give me a chance…" Yu Yinan was a little desperate. She wanted Zheng Yi to believe her, to know that she truly had value and could handle it.
"But you can't have any hesitation, pity, or struggle." Zheng Yi raised a hand and tapped Yu Yinan over the heart. "What if you end up crying…"
"I won't! I'm only…" Yu Yinan paused, her tone weakening. She looked at Zheng Yi, her voice soft and low. "I'm only… like this… in front of you."
She had to face it eventually.
When Zheng Yi had brought back Yu Yaozu and she had killed him with her own hands, Yu Yinan knew she had completely broken away from her past. She had to face all of this eventually.
If she wanted to stay by Zheng Yi's side, she couldn't be… too weak.
"Is that so?" Zheng Yi's eyes curved into a smile, looking innocent and sweet. She looked at Yu Yinan and lifted her chin. Yu Yinan met her gaze resolutely, hoping for her affirmation and a reply. But Zheng Yi said nothing more.
"Hiss-" In that instant, Yu Yinan cried out. She shot up instinctively, clutching her collar in shock and embarrassment, staring in disbelief at the smiling Zheng Yi. She… she… Zheng Yi had actually dropped an ice cube down her collar…
The cold, wet sensation of the ice cube slid down from her collar in an instant. The hair on Yu Yinan's arms stood on end, and for a moment, she was speechless. The tips of her ears burned red. As she stood up, the ice cube fell to the floor, and soon, only a small puddle of water remained.
"I'm serious," Yu Yinan said, a little aggrieved. She pressed her lips together and crouched in front of Zheng Yi again. "I want… to do something for you. Don't… don't always tease me."
"What if you can't beat them?"
"…" Yu Yinan was stumped. She lowered her head slightly. She didn't know what level her current strength was among ability users. But… she figured there probably weren't many ability users who had been drenched by the entire second rainfall like she had, right?
No, maybe that wasn't enough, but… "They're afraid of death. I'm not. I can kill them."
That was Yu Yinan's answer. She stared at Zheng Yi stubbornly, just as obstinate, persistent, and prolonged as before, waiting for that one answer.
"My dear jiejie, you're getting more and more willful." Zheng Yi raised her hand, her curled fingertips gently brushing across Yu Yinan's cheek. She sat up straight, looking down at her as if from a great height. "Are you not afraid of me getting angry anymore?"
"…I," Struggle and hesitation flickered in Yu Yinan's eyes. She bit her lip but still said stubbornly, "I can do it. I want… I want… I want to help you."
"…Have I disappointed you?" Just a second ago, she had stated her thoughts so stubbornly, but in the next, Yu Yinan lowered her eyes. The rims of her eyes reddened, and she couldn't stop tears from welling up. She turned her head slightly, not wanting Zheng Yi to see her so weak, even wanting to use her ability to evaporate the tears from her eyes.
But before she could do anything, Zheng Yi's hand guided her head back. She leaned forward slightly, the hand holding Yu Yinan's cheek sliding back to cup her ear as she lowered her head and kissed her.
"If someone comes looking for trouble, then I'll be counting on you." Zheng Yi's voice was gentle. She chuckled softly and placed another light kiss on the corner of her lips. "My dear jiejie~"
"Okay." Yu Yinan's mouth was dry. She tilted her head up slightly, gazing dazedly into Zheng Yi's dark eyes, a thousand emotions melting into that single word. She watched Zheng Yi pull away and swallowed uselessly, gulping down those emotions along with her saliva, trying hard to keep her body from heating up. Her eyes were wet; she still hadn't been able to hold back her tears. She raised a hand to hastily wipe the tear stains from her face, then grabbed Zheng Yi's retreating hand with a mix of apprehension and anticipation. "Zheng Yi, I… I'll do a good job. I won't disappoint you."
"Can you… I… you…" Yu Yinan nearly bit her tongue. She tried to compose herself, then rested her chin on Zheng Yi's lap and mumbled, "Can you… kiss me some more?"
She wanted more kisses, more contact, more intimacy. It was as if only then was Zheng Yi not unapproachable. As if only then could she get a little closer to Zheng Yi, could she…
…feel a bit of Zheng Yi's indulgence and favoritism toward her.
She wanted to be the special one.
The most special one.
Those dark eyes watched her calmly, the clear pupils like a mirror. In that instant, all of Yu Yinan's little thoughts had nowhere to hide. But she didn't look away, only meeting Zheng Yi's gaze apprehensively, awaiting the final verdict.
Zheng Yi condensed an ice cube and stuffed it into her mouth.
"…" Yu Yinan lowered her eyes in disappointment. She placed a hand on the bed to push herself up, but just as she stood, Zheng Yi grabbed her by the collar, pulled her down forcefully, and kissed her mouth, which was still holding the ice cube.
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