Read Novel Full Chapter 597: Great Love Knows No Boundaries
Chapter 597: Great Love Knows No Boundaries
Goodbyes are always bittersweet. Jiang Ning forced a smile, “Professor Ma, I’m sure both Huacheng and Fengcheng will develop quickly. Maybe next time it’ll be our turn to visit Huacheng.”
In fact, she had wanted to ask him to stay a few days ago.
But Ma Guangnian firmly refused, “With you in Fengcheng, I have no worries. Huacheng needs me more.”
His words, full of deep affection, left Jiang Ning speechless.
Ma Guangnian patted her shoulder, “Anning, people come and go. If there’s a chance, we’ll meet again.”
The time had come and the delegation gradually boarded speedboats heading toward the deep-sea dock.
Master and disciple embraced, and Ma Guangnian waved goodbye, holding the bag she gave him.
Jiang Ning watched as he disappeared from sight, feeling a sense of loss in her heart.
Not long after, several military vehicles slowly approached.
Gu Tinglin, Chief Staff Officer Si, and others got out of the cars. Yu Changzheng, Commander Xiao, and others also came to see them off. They exchanged words, laughing and chatting with sincere affection.
Jiang Ning walked up with gifts, “Father, godfather.”
The gifts were just as plentiful, including cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and the heart-saving pills she made herself.
Their relationship wasn’t public, and almost no one in Fengcheng knew, so when Jiang Ning called Chief Staff Officer Si “godfather,” everyone was shocked.
Before Chief Si could react, Commander Xiao’s lips twitched.
He suddenly felt like a clown, thinking he had been clever and discreet, only to find out they were family.
It made him look foolish.
His blood rushed to his head, his expression changing quickly.
But being a seasoned veteran, Commander Xiao regained his composure almost immediately, restoring his usual stern demeanor as if nothing had happened.
Chief Si, happy to receive the gifts, smiled at Gu Tinglin, “Old Gu, this is farewell for now. You’d better take good care of my goddaughter. Don’t let anyone bully her.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
“Don’t just say that! If you’re too busy with work and she loses a single hair, I’ll hold you accountable.”
Though the godparent relationship seemed to reflect their good bond, those who understood knew it was really meant for the others to hear.
After their brief chat, the others exchanged their goodbyes.
Jiang Ning scanned the crowd for Doudou and found her talking to Qin Mu in a corner.
Qin Mu was holding hotpot ingredients, gazing deeply at Doudou, as if trying to engrave her image into his bones.
In the end, he didn’t say much, “Doudou, take care.”
Doudou nodded and smiled, “Brother Xiao Mu, you too. Stay safe on the road.”
The Huacheng military team boarded the ship one by one, with Qin Mu, as Chief Staff Officer Si’s bodyguard, staying close by his side.
Even through the crowd, Jiang Ning could hear the sound of his heart breaking.
Doudou stood on the dock, waving at him from afar, forcing a smile.
Ten days later, the Huacheng delegation departed.
They didn’t come empty-handed, and Fengcheng didn’t let them leave empty-handed either.
It was too far to bring live poultry, but fertilized eggs were plentiful, along with herbs, crops, and silkworms that were not available in Huacheng.
This was known to regular survivors, but the rest was discussed behind closed doors.
For now, even Jiang Ning didn’t know.
As the Huacheng submarine disappeared, Jiang Ning drove Doudou home. Huo Yishen, due to his military rank, had to attend a meeting.
Throughout the drive, the usually lively Doudou was silent, seemingly still affected by the parting.
When they left the new city villa district, she was still a naive young girl. Having lived next door to Qin Mu for years, she was always a bit different from others.
Jiang Ning didn’t disturb her thoughts.
It was late when the two men returned, and Jiang Ning was almost asleep.
The results of the military talks were out.
As expected, Chief Si hadn’t come for nothing. Both sides reached an agreement on cooperating to salvage the Fire Seed Containers.
The military in Huacheng has already pinpointed the locations where hundreds of Fire Seed Containers were dropped. They will send people out to search and verify if they meet the conditions for retrieval.
Fengcheng is responsible for the recovery, and the resources inside will be split equally.
This was a deal Fengcheng couldn’t refuse.
First, Huacheng is the continuation and successor of Chinese civilization. In simple terms, Huacheng is the legitimate heir, while Fengcheng is a secondary branch.
Second, Fengcheng is just getting started, both in terms of scale and strength, and in the face of natural disasters and the apocalypse, survival is more important than infighting.
Third, who would turn down more resources? For Fengcheng to rapidly develop and resist the disaster, they need more resources. This is about cooperation and mutual benefit, no one will lose out.
Jiang Ning had anticipated this outcome and accepted it calmly, though she couldn’t help but ask, “Has anyone opposed this proposal?”
Chief Si and Gu Tinglin were old friends with a strong bond forged in battle. Both shared the ultimate goal of continuing Chinese civilization, so the negotiations representing both cities went smoothly.
But power represents interests, and things never go as smoothly as hoped. There will always be some troublemakers.
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow. “Commander Xiao?”
“Yes, his close subordinates were trying to stir things up, but father and Chief Si managed to handle it with ease.”
To become a major figure in the military, one must be intelligent.
Commander Xiao had been causing trouble, and it would have been one thing if it were just internal conflict, after all, fighting for personal interests is understandable. But now, he was trying to ruin the relationship between the two cities for his own gain.
He took advantage of the moth infestation to try to get close to the hospital, likely scheming behind the scenes to create trouble for Gu Tinglin, intending to apply pressure.
It was obvious he was targeting the hierarchical relationship between Huacheng and Fengcheng.
Unfortunately for Commander Xiao, he underestimated Chief Si’s broad vision.
If Chief Si were focused on military power, he wouldn’t have sought out and accepted the armies of the five major military bases.
For the sake of the base’s development, Chief Si was willing to make concessions beyond what most people could imagine.
In other words, even if Fengcheng held its ground, Chief Si would not engage in a petty conflict.
The disaster was already severe enough, there was no need to add human-made calamities.
His mission was to lead Huacheng’s development and continue the civilization of China for five thousand years.
He was doing it, and he hoped that more people would join, even more than anyone else, he wanted to see the flames of progress spread far and wide.
This kind of vision was not something that Commander Xiao, who was obsessed with power, could ever understand.
There were things Chief Si didn’t bring to the table but discussed privately with Gu Tinglin behind closed doors.
The arrival of the Huacheng delegation, despite Commander Xiao’s attempts to cause trouble, did not achieve his goal in the end.
Jiang Ning was curious how Gu Tinglin would handle his subordinate who constantly tried to sabotage her.
The person who poisoned the hospital is already dead, with no evidence left behind. Even if the military investigates, there is no concrete proof.
But everyone knew who was behind it, and everyone had their own understanding of it.
Thankfully, Rong Sanshao had a sharp mind, or else this trouble would have fallen squarely on Jiang Ning’s shoulders.
Fighting among themselves didn’t matter, but involving innocent lives in it… well, that was something else!
With the moth infestation dealt with and the Huacheng delegation gone, Fengcheng returned to its usual calm.
But the atmosphere subtly changed.
Jiang Ning’s influence in the base was at its peak. Not only was she highly regarded by the lower-level survivors, but even the higher-ups were now viewing her with new respect.
Her skills were one thing, but Chief Si, the military big shot from Huacheng, also recognized her as his goddaughter.
Now that the two cities had reached a cooperation agreement, they would be interacting more in the future.
With two towering figures backing her, it would be hard for her not to stand out.
The greater the influence, the more people would follow.
But Jiang Ning remained low-key, maintaining her godlike persona.
While she was keeping her head low, many had their sights set on Rong Sanshao instead.