New Order Plan

Old Ye was wearing blue and white camouflage, which was splattered with cement.

In the empty seat next to me was a woven bag full of things, with a box of small cakes on top.

He leaned back in Jiang Qingshan's chair, raised his rough, calloused hand, and grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, saying, "It's cheap stuff, don't look down on it."

Jiang Qingshan calmly accepted the cigarette, casually tucking it behind his ear, and said, "Uncle, smoking is prohibited here."

"Hey, you're just like my son."

Old Ye pouted and reluctantly put away his cigarette.

Jiang Qingshan smiled and asked, "Why aren't you working today?"

"It's April, and it's time for the pioneer team to recruit again. I'm planning to go home and rest for a bit, and then go into the disaster zone with the pioneer team to try my luck."

"Are you a suitable candidate?"

Jiang Qingshan was somewhat surprised.

The disaster zone is extremely dangerous, and exploration teams generally do not recruit ordinary people who have not yet awakened.

Old Ye grinned and patted his thick arms: "I am a level one power-type user."

"I see." Jiang Qingshan said knowingly. "But the disaster zone is fraught with danger. Your family must be worried."

"Sigh, there's nothing I can do. My son is useless, so I, as the father, have to work hard. If I'm lucky this year and manage to dig up some energy crystals or find some treasures, I can save enough money to buy a house in the planned area."

Old Ye stroked his stubble-covered chin, hoping for good luck this time.

Last year, I was detained for two months and ended up only collecting some scrap metal.

He carried it back with great effort, but the money he made selling it wasn't even as much as he earned in two months at the construction site. He was really unlucky.

Jiang Qingshan's heart skipped a beat, and he followed up with, "Last time I overheard you chatting with your friend at the breakfast stall, your son graduated from the Southwest Associated University."

"Hey, don't even mention it. I didn't wake up during my years of college. I studied an unpopular major, environmental ecology, and my health wasn't good either. Now I'm working as a waiter in a coffee shop."

"Are you not feeling well?"

Jiang Qingshan looked puzzled.

He couldn't see anything wrong with Ye Wan'an's health at all.

"Congenital heart disease, Tetralogy of Fallot, had surgery when I was a child."

Old Ye sighed, then suddenly fell silent, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening.

Jiang Qingshan's heart skipped a beat, his brows furrowed and then relaxed, as if he had thought of something.

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common type of cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Venous blood can enter the aorta directly through the ventricular septal defect, causing systemic hypoxia and resulting in cyanosis of the skin and lips.

Ye Wan'an's catastrophic form happens to be blue-faced and blue-skinned.

It seems that Ye Wan'an's awakening was likely caused by a heart problem, which led to an unexpected outcome and resulted in his current state.

The two were lost in thought, and after a moment, Old Ye started talking about other topics.

"I hope God will bless me and let me get something good this time."

"Last year, a guy in our town got incredibly lucky. He found an old book in the ruins of the disaster zone, put it up for auction in the development zone, and sold it for hundreds of thousands of dollars. He made a fortune."

"This year, they bought a small apartment in the planned development area and moved their whole family in from the quarantine zone. It's really enviable."

Old Ye began to chatter on and on.

The two passengers next to them listened for a while, their faces showing five parts envy, three parts jealousy, and two parts injustice.

They are all ordinary people without awakened superpowers, registered in the quarantine area.

Firstly, they don't have the ability to make a fortune in disaster zones like Lao Ye, and secondly, they don't have the opportunity to buy a house in the planned area.

They can only rent and live in the planned area, but they need to provide proof of employment or a guarantor before they can rent.

However, when it comes to proof of employment, employers often require them to first provide a stable rental contract.

So, one thing leads to another.

Ultimately, ordinary people who can work and live in the planned area either have professional skills or connections.

If there's really no other way, you can only find those shady employment agencies that take a cut of your salary over the long term.

In short, it's very difficult.

However, these problems do not exist for adaptable individuals like Lao Ye.

......

Three hours later.

The airship underwent rigorous scanning and inspection by the garrison troops on the high border wall.

Even Lao Ye's little cake couldn't escape the fate and was forced to eat two bites on the spot.

Soon after, the airship entered the restricted area and landed at its final destination—Lushan Town.

Old Ye's home was in another town, so he said goodbye to Jiang Qingshan.

Jiang Qingshan stepped off the platform and looked up at the lush and green Lushan Mountain in the distance.

That's where he grew up.

Walking into the town's main street, you see small buildings of varying heights and shops lining the streets, selling all sorts of things.

"Hiring! The Pioneer Team is recruiting!"

"Urgently seeking one Light-type and one Water-type compatible individual. Salary negotiable, excellent benefits!"

"We are recruiting an earth-elemental user. Minimum energy level 2 required. Preference will be given to those with geosensing abilities. All discovered ores will be split 50/50!"

"Do you have any fire-type characters? I don't have high requirements, just someone who can breathe fire will do."

Several off-road pickup trucks were parked downstairs at the hotel, and the pioneering team was actively recruiting.

Several girls stood at the entrance of the alley next to the bar, striking seductive poses and enticing passing men.

A few thugs were squatting by the roadside smoking when they saw someone coming out of the gun shop, so they immediately followed.

Soon, intense gunfire erupted not far away, but no one on the street paid any attention.

Jiang Qingshan ignored him.

This is what the quarantine zone looks like.

......

After half an hour.

At the top of Lushan Mountain, there is the Hope Welfare Home.

The iron gate is nowhere to be found, and the outer walls are overgrown with weeds.

The abandoned building stood there quietly, with peonies blooming in the flowerbeds in front of it.

The gatehouse was locked, and a broom and dustpan were placed in the corner.

Jiang Qingshan glanced at it and walked straight towards the back of the building.

There's a pond behind there, where Old Yang always likes to fish.

A few minutes later.

Jiang Qingshan stood a few steps away from the pond.

By the pond, under a large willow tree with thick roots, sat a thin, long-bearded old man.

Hearing footsteps, the old man was slightly startled, and when he turned around, he was stunned.

Jiang Qingshan calmly gazed at the other person, his fingers holding the old photo, patting it against his side with each step.

"Are you still asking about compensation this year?"

Old Yang's gaze swept over Jiang Qingshan's hand, then he turned back to continue fishing: "There's nothing we can do. Since we haven't seen him alive or dead, we can only call him missing."

"I won't ask anymore."

Jiang Qingshan stepped forward, his voice somewhat cold.

Yes, Lao Yang was his contact in the General Intelligence Bureau and his former superior.

And this Hope Welfare Home was never a real charity.

This is the secret training base of the General Intelligence Agency.

"So, they've come to visit this lonely old man?"

Old Yang patted his lame leg and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Gazing at the calm water, Jiang Qingshan, controlling his emotions, slowly asked, "How much is a small team of five people worth?"

Old Yang was about to strike when he heard this and froze.