Chapter 597
Don't Worry
After thinking for a while, Jiang Nian picked up his phone again and dialed another number.
After chatting with the person on the other end of the phone for a while, Jiang Nian hung up the phone looking exhausted.
He knocked on Lan Tianyu's door.
"what's up?"
Lan Tianyu opened the door, her face cold and impatient as she asked.
“Senior, it’s confirmed that Wang Ba won’t wake up for the time being. But our previous agreement still stands. I’m going to the border town now. There’s someone there who can trigger the Golden Thread Gu in Wang Ba’s body. I hope you can come with me to the border town.”
This was the result of Jiang Nian's long deliberation. There was no need to worry about Wang Ba's safety.
After all, those behind him knew that once his Golden Thread Gu took effect, they must have known that Wang Ba would remain unconscious.
If the other party really wanted to kill Wang Ba, they wouldn't use this method. So even if Jiang Nian and Lan Tianyu aren't around, as long as Wang Ba is sent back to the military hospital, his safety will be guaranteed.
The key point is that Jiang Nian must take Lan Tianyu with him to the border town.
"Okay, just call me when you're leaving."
To Jiang Nian's surprise, Lan Tianyu didn't react much to his arrangement and simply agreed.
After saying this, Lan Tianyu ignored Jiang Nian's expression and turned around to close her door.
The thought that Lan Tianyu's attitude was a bit strange flashed through Jiang Nian's mind, but he quickly put it out of his mind.
Ultimately, whether Lan Tianyu's attitude was good or bad didn't matter much to Jiang Nian. As long as Lan Tianyu could help find the person who had given Wang Ba the Golden Thread Gu, nothing else mattered.
Time was of the essence; Zhou Zhou had only given them two days, and a day had already passed since Jiang Nian's phone call with He Chenguang. So, after handing Wang Ba over to the arriving Fan Tianlei, Jiang Nian set off with Lan Tianyu.
Early the next morning, Jiang Nian and Lan Tianyu arrived in Biancheng and went directly to the crematorium.
Right now, He Chenguang, along with Li Erniu and Wei Zixuan, are all guarding the crematorium.
When Wei Zixuan received Jiang Nian's call saying he was on his way, he truly breathed a sigh of relief.
At least for now, the situation is still under their control.
“Comrade Jiang Nian, after Zhou Zhou told me his request, he went back into the crematorium. As you know, I know nothing about the underground military factory, and the surveillance cameras in the crematorium are all malfunctioning. So we can't be sure where Zhou Zhou is now. The only thing we can be sure of is that he hasn't left the crematorium. Go in by yourself, we'll keep watch outside.”
Wei Zixuan said to Jiang Nian with a solemn expression.
Ever since Zhou Zhou came out once, Wei Zixuan discovered that the few surveillance cameras he had left were all useless.
Wei Zixuan felt particularly helpless about this.
He knew it must have been Zhou Zhou who did it.
He wanted to take action, even wishing he could arrest Zhou Zhou. But Wei Zixuan remained rational; he knew that beneath this crematorium lay a massive military factory.
No one can guarantee exactly how many weapons have been produced in the military factories.
Wei Zixuan said that He Chenguang's idea of mobilizing people to arrest people directly when forced to do so was completely unrealistic.
The weapons they possess, however numerous, cannot exceed those of a single military factory.
If the other side uses a powerful bomb, countless people will die or be injured, and they still won't be able to stop Zhou Zhou and his group—this is the problem that Wei Zixuan fears most.
"Brother Jiang, I'll go in with you."
After glaring at Wei Zixuan, He Chenguang looked at Jiang Nian with a worried expression.
He knows the situation at the military factory best.
So when he heard that Wei Zixuan had actually let Jiang Nian go in alone, he was furious.
In such a dangerous situation, he absolutely could not let Jiang Nian go alone.
"No need, you need to keep watch outside. I'll be fine. Since Zhou Zhou took the initiative to see me, it means that no matter what the reason, he will always need my help, so you don't need to worry."
Understanding He Chenguang's concerns, Jiang Nian patted him on the shoulder and analyzed the situation earnestly.
He Chenguang understood Jiang Nian's explanation, but he couldn't accept it.
After all, doing so is far too dangerous.
"Wang Ba is infected with Gu worms, but the people I brought can deal with them, so you don't need to worry."
Jiang Nian pulled He Chenguang aside and whispered an explanation in his ear.
After hearing Jiang Nian's words, He Chenguang looked at him with almost complete shock.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard—shouldn't these things be from fantasy novels? How could they actually exist?
But He Chenguang knew that Jiang Nian wouldn't joke at a time like this. Moreover, Jiang Nian did bring someone with him this time, and this person smelled particularly strongly of blood.
As a special forces soldier, He Chenguang had also been through bloodshed and was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. That's why he glanced at Lan Tianyu several times.
Since Jiang Nian didn't introduce himself, He Chenguang kept his doubts to himself.
Now he realized that this person could actually cure Gu worms.
After suppressing his shock, He Chenguang nodded emphatically to Jiang Nian: "I understand. You can go in without worry. With me here, everything outside will be fine."
He patted Jiang Nian on the shoulder heavily and said earnestly. He didn't want Jiang Nian to take any risks, even though it was their mission.
They shouldn't be afraid of death in the first place, but it's unwise of them to knowingly walk into a dead end!
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Without saying anything more, Jiang Nian, along with Lan Tianyu, slowly walked into the crematorium.
After entering the crematorium, Lan Tianyu glanced around and a mocking smile appeared on her lips.
"A perfectly good mountain range, destroyed like this. The people behind this are quite audacious," Lan Tianyu remarked.
Jiang Nian paused for a moment and looked at Lan Tianyu.
"Senior, do you mean that this mountain was turned into this way on purpose?"
Even though Jiang Nian had suspected it before, it hadn't been confirmed. And now, judging from Lan Tianyu's words, the person behind it all probably used Gu worms to cause this, which is why Lan Tianyu was able to detect it.
"It's just a trivial skill," Lan Tianyu said casually, without any intention of explaining.
Jiang Nian didn't ask any more questions. He knew that even if he asked again, Lan Tianyu wouldn't offer an explanation.
Soon, Jiang Nian led Lan Tianyu to the room leading to the military factory. Following Wang Ba's method of opening the mechanism, Jiang Nian also opened it.
After passing through that door, there's a steel door.
Jiang Nian couldn't crack this thing for the time being. He just stood there without saying a word, because Jiang Nian knew that Zhou Zhou could monitor the situation here from the military factory, and he must know that Jiang Nian was here.
Sure enough, in less than two minutes, the steel gate in front of us slowly opened upwards.
Faced with all this, Lan Tianyu showed no surprise whatsoever, simply staying quietly by Jiang Nian's side without saying another word.
Upon entering the military factory, Jiang Nian immediately spotted Zhou Zhou.
At this moment, Zhou Zhou had changed his clothes. He was no longer wearing the suit he had worn before, but a long robe that looked very similar to Lan Tianyu's. He stood there with a smile on his face, watching Jiang Nian and Lan Tianyu walk in.
"Comrade Jiang Nian, you've finally arrived."
Zhou Zhou spoke with a broad smile.
"This person smells of Gu worms."
Lan Tianyu turned her head and glanced at Jiang Nian, then whispered something in his ear.
Actually, when Jiang Nian saw Zhou Zhou suddenly change her clothes, he had a vague guess in his heart. Now that he got confirmation from Lan Tianyu, he couldn't say how he felt.
Jiang Nian may have previously thought that Zhou Zhou merely triggered the Gu worms in Wang Ba's body. But now he suspects that the Gu worms in Wang Ba's body might have been planted by Zhou Zhou himself.
But this is just speculation.
"You want to see me, but I don't know why?"
Walking up to Zhou Zhou, Jiang Nian spoke coldly.
He and Zhou Zhou never really had any connection.
After Wang Ba was captured, Zhou Zhou, as Wang Ba's subordinate, should logically be Jiang Nian's prisoner. However, Zhou Zhou's attitude was completely unlike that of a prisoner.
"Wang Ba is already unconscious. If you want to understand the secrets of this military factory, Comrade Jiang Nian can only turn to me, right?"
Seeing Jiang Nian's indifferent expression, Zhou Zhou suddenly laughed even harder.
A small golden insect appeared in his hand, and he just stared at Jiang Nian quietly.
"Could this be the so-called Golden Thread Gu?"
The moment Jiang Nian saw the golden worm, the words "Golden Thread Gu" flashed through his mind.
Zhou Zhou specifically mentioned Wang Ba's coma, and then brought out this insect at that moment. What else could it be but the Golden Thread Gu?
Lan Tianyu was about to speak, but Jiang Nian spoke first. He only glanced at Jiang Nian and didn't say anything else.
Zhou Zhou's gaze was fixed on Jiang Nian, so he didn't notice Lan Tianyu's actions. Lan Tianyu's right hand, hidden in her long sleeve, twitched slightly, and a small winged insect quietly flew away. Only then did a faint smile appear on Lan Tianyu's face.
"Comrade Jiang Nian is indeed remarkable, knowing the name of the Golden Thread Gu. However, the worm in my hand is not actually the Golden Thread Gu. Wang Ba is indeed infected with the Golden Thread Gu, but the worm has been inside him for too long and has changed after absorbing Wang Ba's blood. In short, he can only remain unconscious and will not wake up. Comrade Jiang Nian, how about we make a deal?"
Hearing Jiang Nian mention the name "Golden Thread Gu," Zhou Zhou showed no surprise whatsoever. He shook his head, pointed to the small insect in his hand, and said with a smile.
"What deal?"
Jiang Nian didn't think he could make any deal with Zhou Zhou. But as Zhou Zhou said, Wang Ba was already unconscious, and if Jiang Nian wanted to continue investigating the secrets behind the military factory, he could only do so through Zhou Zhou.
"It's always impolite to speak while standing, Comrade Jiang Nian, this way please!"
Instead of revealing the details of the transaction, Zhou Zhou changed the subject and extended his hand to invite Jiang Nian.
With a blank expression, Jiang Nian followed Zhou Zhou into another office.
This office had the exact same layout as Wang Ba's office they had visited before. Only this time, the bookshelves weren't filled with books, but rather with numerous small jars.
The decoration of Zhou Zhou's office is quite similar to that of Lan Tianyu's house.
After sitting down, Jiang Nian didn't rush to ask any questions. Anyway, he wasn't the one in a hurry right now, but Zhou Zhou seemed a little anxious.
"This military factory isn't anything particularly important to me. Comrade Jiang Nian, you can take it if you want. You can even take the complete blueprints for the weapons produced in this factory!"
Sitting in the boss's chair, Zhou Zhou placed his hands on the table and spoke decisively.
After saying this, he looked at Jiang Nian quietly, waiting for her reply.
Lan Tianyu, however, looked at Zhou Zhou with some surprise after hearing what he said.
He never expected that what lay beneath him was actually a military factory.
Lan Tianyu's relationship with Xu Ming was rather delicate. He knew Xu Ming worked at the military hospital, and anyone who would trouble Xu Ming to ask for his help must be from the military. What kind of weapon could be in a military factory with blueprints that even the military wanted?
Despite his surprise, Lan Tianyu didn't seem to care much about the weapons. After all, he wasn't part of the military, and weapons weren't of much use to him.
Jiang Nian was somewhat shocked by Zhou Zhou's generous offer, but he didn't show it on the surface.
Jiang Nian's mind raced—since Zhou Zhou could offer such favorable terms, what exactly did he want in return?
Similarly, Zhou Zhou's words also conveyed another layer of meaning:
That is, Wang Ba was indeed just a figurehead; the real person in charge of this military factory was Zhou Zhou.
Considering what Wang Ba said before, that the forces behind the military factory are very powerful, what role does Zhou Zhou play in this force?
Does Zhou Zhou really have the qualifications to represent this military factory?
Although Jiang Nian could easily acquire the military factory even if Zhou Zhou didn't give it to him, he wouldn't object if he could get it without much effort.
"With such favorable terms offered, what do you want in return?"
Jiang Nian finally spoke. He wasn't swayed by the favorable terms Zhou Zhou offered; instead, he calmly countered with a question.
Jiang Nian was quite self-aware. He didn't think he had anything that would make Zhou Zhou give up this military factory in exchange.
That's why Jiang Nian felt something was amiss.
"Jiang Nian, a Chinese scientific researcher, whose identity is classified as top secret. Comrade Jiang Nian, I have investigated a lot of your information, but apart from your name, I can't find anything else. That's why I've become very interested in you. Giving you this military factory is naturally for something I want. I'm sure you've already learned some information from Wang Ba. Our organization is very powerful. At the very least, what you see is only what I want you to see. What I want from you is three years of your time. For these three years, you must serve our organization."
Zhou Zhou smiled, looking at Jiang Nian, and spoke clearly, word by word.
Jiang Nian was utterly astonished. The other party had actually discovered his identity as a researcher. Even though Zhou Zhou only obtained an identity and a name, the implications behind it were far too great.
"Of course, after joining us, you can also use your position within the organization to obtain what you desire. China wants to become stronger, and the resources we can provide will certainly not disappoint China." (End of Chapter)