The Beginning of Natural Disaster, I Won by Hoarding Tens of Billions of Supplies

Chapter 555: The Password Is Your Birthday

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the two of them reported in on time. 

This recruitment drive only managed to enlist a little over a hundred people. Aside from Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen, who performed exceptionally well in the assessment, the rest were barely recruited after lowering the standards. 

On-site, the recruits were divided into groups, and different departments came to take their assigned members. 

Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen had already been preselected, so today was just a formality. However, they didn’t expect the one coming to pick them up to be an old acquaintance—Xu Kaitai. 

When their eyes met, no words were needed. 

Xu Kaitai extended a hand to them with a smile. “Welcome aboard.” 

The newly established special unit didn’t even have a proper office space yet. For now, they had set up a temporary military tent. 

By the time the three of them arrived, eleven soldiers were already waiting—two women and nine men, all around the same age as Huo Yishen. 

Xu Kaitai took the initiative to greet everyone. “Hello, everyone. I’m the vice-captain of the special unit…” 

After the introductions, they waited for about five more minutes before a senior officer, about the same age as Gu Tinglin, arrived. 

He had a stern, square face, and everyone immediately stood at attention to salute him. 

“Greetings. I’m Yu Changzheng, temporarily assigned to oversee your department.” 

After introducing himself, Yu Changzheng gave a brief but passionate speech about serving Fengcheng and its people. Then, he turned to the group and said, “Now, your captain, Comrade Huo Yishen, will address you. From now on, he will lead you in retrieving the lost Fire Seed containers and helping to build a better Fengcheng.” 

After a round of applause, Huo Yishen stepped forward. 

Jiang Ning was surprised, but at the same time, not really. 

Once the formalities were done, Yu Changzheng handed Huo Yishen a classified document before leaving. “Work out a detailed plan first. Once it’s ready, report back to me.” 

Huo Yishen and Xu Kaitai opened the document, which contained the exact coordinates of the lost Fire Seed containers. 

There were over a hundred locations marked, but so far, only a dozen had been recovered. The rest were still waiting to be found. 

Looking at the densely packed coordinates, it was clear that they were scattered all over the place. 

With the land having shifted over time, who knew if they were now atop mountains or buried deep in the ocean? 

Everyone understood their real mission—follow the plan and execute it accordingly. 

Huo Yishen didn’t make any independent decisions. Instead, he sat down with the team to draft a strategy together. 

With over eighty Fire Seed containers left, even with Jiang Ning’s space, retrieving them all at once was impossible. 

Not to mention, thousands of eyes at the base were watching their every move. 

Xu Kaitai thought for a moment. “These Fire Seed containers are huge. We’ll need cargo ships, cranes, and other equipment.” 

Huo Yishen nodded. “The coordinates are all over the place. We should start with the closest ones and plan a route. If the sea conditions are complicated, we may need to adjust our plans on the spot.” 

Since they were all seasoned sailors, each team member shared their knowledge of the waters they had traveled through. 

Jiang Ning listened carefully, then sketched a map by hand, marking the locations of the lost Fire Seed containers. Using the principle of retrieving the nearest ones first, she divided the search into twenty routes. 

Once the plan was finalized, they also compiled a list of necessary supplies for the long journey. 

After double-checking everything, Huo Yishen and Xu Kaitai went to report to their superiors. 

The discussion alone took an entire day. When Jiang Ning got home, she collapsed onto the sofa and ate watermelon. 

Huo Yishen returned late at night. “They approved the plan, but they’re only giving us minimal supplies. We’ll have to figure out the rest ourselves.” 

They were assigned a large cargo ship. Xu Kaitai would pilot a nuclear-power submarine, while Jiang Ning’s 2688 served as a backup in case anything happened to the cargo ship or the submarine. 

Yu Changzheng had personally endorsed their mission, and considering how smoothly the approval went, it was clear he followed Gu Tinglin’s arrangements without question. 

As long as the official provisions were in place, they would have to handle everything else on their own. 

Jiang Ning pondered aloud, “Do you think they’re really reliable?” 

Huo Yishen thought for a moment. “Father wouldn’t make a rash decision. If he arranged this, then they should be trustworthy. We’ll take things as they come. And if they turn out not to be… well, dying on a mission wouldn’t be all that unusual.” 

Jiang Ning was amused and gave him a thumbs-up. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.” 

There were only two days to prepare supplies, so Huo Yishen left early and returned late, staying busy with his team. 

As the daughter of a high-ranking officer, Jiang Ning seemed to be lazing around at home, but in reality, she was constantly rearranging her space. 

After all, it was a large cargo ship—it wasn’t as simple as just throwing things in. 

Fortunately, she had previously cleared out a lot of bulky items like glass and fuel, but it was still a tough task. 

Jiang Ning became a master of compression, stacking things like building blocks, and barely managed to make room. 

The first trip could take anywhere from a month to six months. Hopefully, everything would go smoothly, both at home and out there. 

“Sister.” 

Rong Sanshao appeared right on time. 

Jiang Ning had long since gotten used to his sudden appearances. 

As usual, she let the “starving ghost” have a proper meal first. 

With their departure coming up, she couldn’t stop worrying about Gu Tinglin and Doudou. 

She spoke up, “There are still a lot of clothes on the ship. Most of them are old, but they’re still wearable after a wash. If you don’t mind, you can take them and use them as you see fit. 

“Also, there are plenty of useful things in the ship’s cabins. Ask your big brother and Captain He if they’d like to take some to improve your living conditions.” 

Especially He Tianming—he might be able to endure it mentally, but his body might not hold up as well. 

Rong Sanshao was indeed in need and didn’t hold back in the slightest. “Thanks, Sister! I knew you cared about me the most.” 

Jiang Ning was about to say a few more things, but he cut in first, “Sister, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Father and little Doudou.” 

Since he had already said everything that needed to be said, what else could she add? 

Rong Sanshao kept rambling, reminding them to be careful when heading into the mountains or the sea. Then he suddenly suggested, “Sister, why don’t I just go with you?” 

Jiang Ning felt a headache coming on. “Sure, as long as the military approves.” 

Rong Sanshao pouted. The special unit was formed by top military officials, and every member had been carefully selected—they were skilled beyond belief. 

Feeling a bit discouraged, he quickly regained his spirits, thanks to his naturally optimistic personality. “Sister, one day, I’ll be able to join too.” 

Jiang Ning was happy to hear that. “Keep working hard.” 

As she walked him out, she stood at the door and reminded him, “Keep an eye on the farm.” 

For once, the carefree second-generation rich kid was serious. “Don’t worry, Sister. Doudou may be young and inexperienced, but she’s really smart. With my brother and niece helping out, nothing will go wrong. If anything comes up that they can’t handle, I’ll be the first to step in.” 

Then, he looked at her intently. “No matter what happens out there, your lives are the most important. You and Brother-in-law must come back safely. Don’t try to be heroes.” 

Jiang Ning didn’t show much expression, but deep down, she was touched. “Got it. Thanks.” 

The supplies were ready, and the decision was made—the team would depart tomorrow. 

That evening, Jiang Ning cooked a meal and invited Gu Tinglin and Shu Xueqing over. 

As both a father and someone who had experienced it all, Gu Tinglin understood the risks of venturing out. But if an eagle wished to soar, it had to withstand countless storms. 

Otherwise, even if food were placed right in its mouth, it would either be too tough to chew or cause it to choke. 

Fengcheng was a military-run base, with combat strength and willpower far exceeding that of ordinary survivors. 

Conquering this city wasn’t something that could be done with firepower alone. 

So, no matter how much he wanted to keep her close, he had to let go. 

After dinner, Gu Tinglin pulled Jiang Ning aside and handed her a palm-sized package. “The password is your birthday.”