Zuo Feng secretly pondered that if Mei Xue Ji joined Firefly, with her wisdom and methods, she might be able to assist Firefly in certain aspects.
As for whether Mei Xue Ji carried the virus, Zuo Feng didn't care too much; as long as she wasn't the pathogen, even if she was infected, Firefly could easily handle an outbreak.
He mused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Chief Ji, I can consider your request, but you need to think carefully: after joining Firefly, you must obey Firefly's command and arrangements.
Can you do that?"
As for Mei Xue Ji pledging loyalty, Zuo Feng didn't even consider it; it was very difficult to get Mei Xue Ji's loyalty, as long as she was obedient, that was enough.
A flicker of determination flashed in Mei Xue Ji's eyes, and she nodded, "I understand.
As long as I can save my life, I will accept any conditions."
Zuo Feng nodded, then said, "In that case, when do you plan to come to Firefly?"
Zuo Feng had also considered taking Luo Xia Alliance's supplies, but after thinking about it, he gave up; there was no way to transport them.
Dream City was now a hotbed of viruses, and Zuo Feng didn't want Firefly's people to step into that dangerous place again.
And it was not realistic to have Mei Xue Ji arrange for personnel to transport them; if she transported Luo Xia Alliance's supplies to Firefly without reason, Luo Xia Alliance's high-level officials would certainly not agree.
Mei Xue Ji pondered for a moment and said, "I plan to first stabilize the situation in Luo Xia Alliance, trying to minimize the spread of the virus.
When there are signs of a virus outbreak, I will quickly evacuate, bringing some important supplies, and come to join Firefly."
Zuo Feng nodded in agreement, admonishing, "Be sure to be careful and protect yourself.
If you encounter an emergency, don't hesitate; come to Firefly immediately."
Mei Xue Ji nodded solemnly, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes: "I will, Chief, thank you."
After seeing Mei Xue Ji off, Zuo Feng returned to Firefly Base, and after washing up, he and the girls each returned to their bedrooms to rest.
Because of the presence of the virus, Zuo Feng did not dare to have any intimate contact with the girls now, to avoid accidental infection.
Although the probability of them carrying the virus was extremely low, Zuo Feng still chose to be cautious.
In the past few days, Zuo Feng had already arranged all the affairs in the base, and tomorrow he would go out to various bases to search for news of new species.
There was less than three months until the first batch of pathogens broke out, and Zuo Feng had to quickly strengthen himself; the fastest way was naturally to find and subdue new species.
For this exploration trip, Zuo Feng planned to go directly to a first-tier city.
Before the apocalypse, the population there was dense, and the probability of new species appearing was relatively high.
This time, he traveled alone, without any girls, because the safety of the base required them to guard it.
In addition, the girls' looks were too striking, too conspicuous in the apocalypse, and easily attracted unnecessary trouble.
He acted alone, more covert and flexible, which could reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble.
After all, the threat of the new virus was now like a sharp sword hanging over their heads; he couldn't leisurely explore with the girls as before.
The next day, Zuo Feng reluctantly bid farewell to the girls, once again rode Da Mi Tao's beloved small motorcycle, and embarked alone on the journey to a first-tier city.
On his wrist, he wore a kongling crystal bracelet, which was Da Bai Tu's bracelet.
Zuo Feng drove the motorcycle, speeding across the wilderness.
This time his target was City E, the city where Huan Jingjing had been before.
But Zuo Feng did not know that Huan Jingjing came from City E, because Huan Jingjing was too guarded and had not revealed any of her past experiences so far.
Zuo Feng chose this city because City E was the closest first-tier city to Firefly.
The strong wind swept past, the wild grass swayed, and the roar of the motorcycle echoed in the empty wilderness.
After several hours of fast driving, Zuo Feng finally arrived at an abandoned small town on the edge of City E.
The streets of the small town were overgrown with weeds, and the broken walls and ruins revealed the desolation of the apocalypse.
Zuo Feng stopped the motorcycle, looked around, and after confirming there were no anomalies, he put away the motorcycle and walked towards the town.
Zuo Feng stopped here because there were traces of survivors in this small town, and Zuo Feng knew nothing about the situation in City E, hoping to get more information through these survivors.
Standing outside the small town, Zuo Feng observed carefully; tire tracks on the dirt road were clearly visible, indicating recent human activity, and faint smoke rose from the chimneys of abandoned houses, clearly indicating someone was making a fire and cooking here.
The entire small town was quiet, with only one abandoned house emitting wisps of cooking smoke.
Zuo Feng tiptoed closer and peeked through a broken window, seeing a person dressed like a beggar inside, making a fire by the stove, with unknown food boiling in the pot.
The firelight illuminated her dirty face, making it impossible to distinguish her gender.
Zuo Feng gently tapped on the window frame, the sound slight but enough to attract the attention of the person inside.
The beggar looked up, a flicker of vigilance in her eyes, which quickly returned to calm.
She slowly got up and limped to the window, leaning on a crutch.
Zuo Feng smiled, trying his best to appear harmless: "Hello, I'm Zuo Feng.
I didn't mean to disturb you, I just want to understand the situation here."
The beggar sized up Zuo Feng, her other hand hidden behind her back, clearly concealing a weapon.
After a moment of silence, she deliberately rasped her voice and spoke: "My name is A Mao, one of the survivors in this town.
There's hardly anyone left here; everyone has gone to the city, but my legs are inconvenient, so I stayed here.
What brings you here?"
Upon hearing this, Zuo Feng couldn't help but chuckle inwardly: so it was a young girl; that deliberately raspy voice couldn't hide her true vocal tone at all.
As for the name, Zuo Feng was certain that "A Mao" was a pseudonym.
What era was this? Who still went by names like A Mao or A Gou?
Zuo Feng didn't expose her, and calmly said, "I plan to go to City E.
I saw people active here and wanted to inquire about the situation.
Is it convenient for me to come in and sit down?"
A Mao hesitated for a moment, seemingly evaluating Zuo Feng's intentions, but eventually nodded.
Actually, the moment Zuo Feng tapped on the window, A Mao's first thought was to hide, but her leg was injured, making movement difficult, and Zuo Feng had clearly seen her through the window, so hiding was meaningless.
A Mao also hadn't expected to encounter an outsider in this abandoned small town.
She slowly pushed open the dilapidated wooden door, gesturing for Zuo Feng to enter the house.
The furnishings inside were simple: a worn wooden table, a few incomplete chairs, and an iron pot still on the stove, gurgling with boiling food.
Zuo Feng glanced at it; it wasn't precious ingredients, but wild vegetables and roots.
A faint musty smell permeated the room, clearly indicating it hadn't been ventilated for a long time.
A Mao sat cautiously by the table, a hint of wariness in her eyes, her body maintaining a vigilant posture.
Zuo Feng looked around, pulled over a chair, sat down, and smiled, "Miss A Mao, is there anyone else here besides you?"