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

Chapter 596: The Intentions of Huacheng

Qin Mu had imagined countless times how he would confess to Doudou when they met again. 

Children with autism are sensitive, and he had actually liked Doudou for a long time. 

He liked her the moment he saw her, inexplicably wanting to get closer. 

She was so clean, fair, and cute, like a doll, with a pair of bright eyes that sparkled as if they could speak. 

Especially when she smiled, she resembled both the purest beauty and the warmth of spring. 

It made him gather the courage to overcome his fear and slowly get closer to her. 

But the closer he got, the more he wanted. 

He wanted to be with her, forever. 

But Qin Mu knew in his heart that the distance between them was too great, so he worked hard. 

He hoped that after their reunion, there would be a new beginning. 

He had also thought about her rejecting him, but he subconsciously ignored it. 

But reality was so cruel; the thing he feared happened. 

She really rejected him. 

Doudou was a little flustered when facing his confession, but she tried to stay calm. 

“Because… you’ve always been like a big brother to me.” 

Doudou firmly rejected him, “Brother Xiao Mu, I like Fengcheng. This is my home, the place where I’ll achieve my dreams and work hard for them. I can’t leave, and I hope you live well in Huacheng.” 

She had never experienced love, but she had seen countless couples break apart, some even fighting over food. 

Under the pressure of natural disasters, most people’s feelings were worthless, even laughable. 

She sometimes envied the relationship between her brother and sister-in-law, but she knew it wasn’t possible— not everyone could find that kind of love. 

She was happy with her life now and didn’t want to risk changing it. 

As long as he was doing well, that was enough. 

But parting still brought sadness. She sincerely said, “You’re leaving tomorrow. Can I send you off?” 

Qin Mu’s heart was full of bitterness, like a flower about to bloom but crushed before it could open. 

But he didn’t force it. “Okay.” 

Doudou sighed in relief, but something in her felt like it was missing. 

The two walked in silence, stepping in the moonlight until they reached a secluded road. 

Qin Mu walked slowly, but they soon reached her doorstep. 

Doudou forced a smile, “Brother Xiao Mu, I’m home. You should head back.” 

Qin Mu nodded, “Mm, I’ll wait until you go inside.” 

Doudou waved and closed the gate. 

Qin Mu stood there, staring at the closed gate, his heart overflowing with sorrow. 

The distance between him and her was too great, it had been from the start, no matter how hard he tried, he could never reach her. 

On the other side of the door, Doudou stood still, lost in thought until a sudden sound broke her out of her daze. 

“Woo woo woo.” 

“Arf arf.” 

Doudou snapped back to reality, forcing a smile as she entered the house. 

Her brother and sister-in-law hadn’t gone to bed yet and had prepared delicious wontons for her. 

She cleared her mind of the lingering sadness and happily walked back, “I’m home!” 

Jiang Ning asked with concern, “You’ve got work piling up. Don’t take it all on yourself—delegate what you can. Don’t burn yourself out.” 

After washing her hands, Doudou sat down and ate wontons while chatting, “Sister-in-law, Brother Xiao Mu is leaving tomorrow. What kind of gift should I give him?” 

Jiang Ning didn’t have any good suggestions. “What does he need?” 

Doudou thought for a moment, “Uncle Qin is so capable, Brother Xiao Mu probably doesn’t need anything.” 

“Then just give him something random,” Jiang Ning said, knowing that no matter what, Qin Mu would appreciate it. 

Doudou was still thoughtful, “I’ll give him something from the farm, something that’s not available in Huacheng.” 

It was getting late, so Jiang Ning urged her to finish up and get some rest. 

Back in her room, Jiang Ning told Huo Yishen about having a new godfather. 

Huo Yishen thought for a moment, “What does Chief Si trying to achieve with this?” 

If it was just about exchanging goods—livestock, herbs, or crops—there was no need for such a roundabout approach. 

After all, Huacheng didn’t come empty-handed. They brought a lot of supplies, thinking they could help Fengcheng rise. 

Some of it was indeed for urgent needs, like in the medical field, where the base urgently needed to provide reproductive opportunities for older women who were infertile. 

The arrival of Ma Guangnian also thrilled the hospital. 

He wasn’t an expert in infertility, but in traditional Chinese medicine, many diseases are interconnected through the four diagnostic methods of observation, hearing, questioning, and palpation. Besides, his lifetime of study was vast and broad. 

Good doctors are hard to find, so the hospital director treated him like a treasure, mobilizing all medical staff for training. 

In areas like seawater purification, agriculture, and industry, both sides had friendly exchanges, especially in rice cultivation, where they were both moved to tears upon meeting. 

The expert Huacheng brought with them was actually He Xinchi’s junior. The two had studied together under their teacher when they were young. Later, the junior joined the National Agriculture Bureau, while He Xinchi stayed on with their teacher for research. 

Decades later, they reunited. From youthful vigor to silver hair, the two older men hugged and cried for a long time. 

After their tears, they dove into deep academic exchanges. 

The junior had traveled all the way to share his experiences, but in the end, he ended up seeking advice from his senior. 

It couldn’t be helped; even though he worked in a research institution, his expertise was still no match for someone who had always worked closely with their teacher. 

However, he did bring several types of rice. 

There wasn’t much of it, and the varieties weren’t as complete as what Jiang Ning had given, but He Xinchi understood. 

The two agreed that whoever first succeeded in hybrid rice research would share the technology. 

They wanted to carry on their teacher’s dream of ending hunger and bringing shade under the rice fields again. 

As for seawater purification, Huacheng definitely had more experience and generously shared all their solutions, including potential problems they might encounter. 

In the end, both sides got along well and harmoniously. 

But there’s an old saying that shouldn’t be ignored: even brothers need to make clear accounts. 

Huo Yishen quickly figured out what Chief Staff Officer Si was after. “He wants the Fire Seed Containers?” 

Jiang Ning guessed the same. “Most likely.” 

The Fire Seed Plan was carried out by the southern military, but it belonged to the national plan of China. Huacheng, of course, had the right to inherit it, but they lacked the conditions for retrieval. 

In the end, they were eyeing the special salvage team. Since they couldn’t dig around the corner, sharing a piece of the pie would be fine. 

Chief Staff Officer Si’s intentions were understandable, but it still depended on whether the Fengcheng military would agree. 

With someone to take the weight off her shoulders, Jiang Ning slept soundly through the night. 

In the morning, both sides held a military meeting, and in the afternoon, the visiting group set off to leave. 

Major Huo Yishen was selected by Yu Changzheng to attend the meeting. 

Before work, Gu Tinglin reminded Jiang Ning, “Anning, I’ll take you to send Uncle Si off this afternoon.” 

Jiang Ning had no objections and readily agreed. 

Since they had become close, it was only right to see him off and even prepare gifts. 

Exhausted from the moth infestation, Jiang Ning had breakfast and then took a nap before getting ready with a few presents. 

The meeting wrapped up by 2 p.m., and Fengcheng hosted a farewell banquet before sending the delegation off to the dock. 

Doudou had been thinking for a while. The crops from the farm weren’t easy to preserve, and by the time the submarine reached Huacheng, they’d likely spoil. 

She remembered that he and Uncle Qin loved hotpot, so she gathered ingredients to make hotpot base, packed several large glass jars, and tied them up in cloth bags. 

She said all she needed to say. This meeting would likely be the last. 

Doudou felt a pang of sadness. He was her only friend. 

But in this world of disasters and the apocalypse, she had already considered herself lucky. Most survivors had lost even their families, let alone friends. 

Jiang Ning drove her to the dock. 

Aside from the military, everyone else from the delegation was already there. 

Jiang Ning found Ma Guangnian in the crowd. “Professor Ma.” 

She had prepared a large bag containing summer t-shirts, winter coats, tea leaves, candy, Korean ginseng, and a few dried chickens and ducks. 

Ma Guangnian didn’t know what to say.