Chapter 240: Hello, Can I Take You There?
"I can speed up."
Qiao Moyan thought he was slowing them down, so he indicated that he would pick up the pace.
If they were in a rush, he could let them go ahead while he walked on his own.
Meng Ci shook his head. "No need."
"Let Qiezi carry you; it might help him calm down," Meng Ci added.
Qiao Moyan also looked at Qiezi, who had not fallen into the ditch earlier but had tripped over a large tree while running too fast.
"Aoou!"
Qiezi got up from the ground, looking bewildered at how it had tripped over the tree.
"Alright!" Qiao Moyan, seeing the silly look in Qiezi's eyes, nodded in agreement.
Meng Ci called Qiezi over and patted its back for Qiao Moyan to ride on.
Qiezi, though a wolf, was intelligent and strong. Meng Ci often rode on its back when he was tired of walking, so Qiezi didn't object.
As for Qiao Moyan, Qiezi could sense that he meant no harm, which was why it agreed to carry him.
And so, the three humans and the wolf continued their journey back to the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
Since they were bringing along an injured person, they walked and rested intermittently, taking almost half a month before they finally returned to the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
"Meng Comrade!"
As they arrived at the base entrance, Meng Ci and Shen Que were surprised to see Lu Chen.
Lu Chen was wearing a military green short-sleeve shirt, straw sandals, and had dark skin, looking rugged and tough.
"Lieutenant Lu," Meng Ci stepped forward to greet him.
"Where have you all been?" Lu Chen asked curiously, looking at the large backpacks on Meng Ci and Shen Que's backs and their dusty appearances.
Meng Ci smiled and briefly explained their trip to the M City Base, introducing Qiao Moyan to Lu Chen.
Upon learning that Qiao Moyan had come from the M City Base to settle at the West Mountain Wilderness Base, Lu Chen extended his hand in welcome. "Welcome to the West Mountain Wilderness Base."
Qiao Moyan, seeing the hand extended in front of him and feeling uneasy with so many people around, especially the men, wanted to escape.
But thinking of his purpose, he could only endure the discomfort and shake hands with Lu Chen.
Lu Chen naturally sensed Qiao Moyan's tension and wondered to himself, *Is this guy hiding something? Why is he so uncomfortable around strangers?*
"By the way, I'm heading to the points redemption center to take care of some business soon. I can take you there if you need a hand," Lu Chen said.
His hands were surprisingly soft, not what you'd expect from someone who's survived the apocalypse.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but size up the man in front of him.
"No, thanks. I'll go on my own," Qiao Moyan quickly replied, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.
Then Qiao Moyan turned to Meng Ci, his eyes pleading for help.
Meng Ci said, "No need to trouble Captain Lu. Qiao Moyan needs to exchange some items, and Shen Que and I will take him there."
"Alright!" Lu Chen nodded, no longer insisting on taking Qiao Moyan with him.
As long as the information is recorded in the system, they would be able to find out everything this person has done before. There's no need to rush.
As Lu Chen's sharp gaze shifted away from him, Qiao Moyan let out a sigh of relief and took a few deep breaths.
However, Lu Chen didn't rush to leave. His eyes kept drifting toward Shen Que, and he wore a hesitant expression.
"Captain Lu, is there anything else?" Meng Ci could roughly guess what Lu Chen was wondering about.
"Is... that Eagle?" Lu Chen asked uncertainly.
After all, when Eagle left the military base, its leg was still lame, and it had many scars on its body. The German Shepherd in front of him was now a third larger, and its limp was gone.
Ever since he first saw Meng Ci and the others, Lu Chen had been searching for signs of Eagle.
When he saw the muscular black German Shepherd, he could hardly believe his eyes.
In his heart, he even suspected that perhaps Meng Ci and the others had abandoned Eagle because of its disability and had gotten a new dog.
However, Lu Chen quickly pushed this thought away. From their previous encounters, he knew that the two weren't the type of people to do such a thing.
While talking to Meng Ci and the others, Lu Chen had been observing the German Shepherd closely.
After a long hesitation, Lu Chen finally asked.
Meng Ci nodded and said, "That's right, it is indeed Eagle."
"How... how has it changed so much!"
Lu Chen remembered that when Eagle was given to Meng Ci and the other, it was already over seven years old, equivalent to a human in their forties and had entered middle age.
Even before the apocalypse, Eagle would have been past its retirement age.
But after just a few months with Meng Ci and the others, Eagle had transformed so dramatically.
"Eagle!"
When Eagle first saw Lu Chen, it wanted to approach him, but being a trained dog, it understood that its current owner was Meng Ci, so it didn't approach.
However, upon hearing Lu Chen call its name, its emotions finally overcame its rationality. Eagle barked twice and quickly ran to Lu Chen's side.
Lu Chen crouched down and gently stroked Eagle's head and back, feeling its soft and warm fur.
As he examined Eagle closely, he found it to be plumper and more spirited than before.
This reassured Lu Chen, knowing that Meng Ci and the others had clearly taken excellent care of Eagle.
After a moment of silence, Lu Chen suddenly said to Meng Ci and the others, "Thank you!"
His tone was sincere, filled with gratitude.
"You're welcome."
"Since Eagle has been given to us, we naturally treat it as our own child and wouldn't let it suffer."
Meng Ci deliberately emphasized that it was for the child, fearing that if Lu Chen saw the Eagle had recovered, he might want to take it back.
Lu Chen naturally understood Meng Ci's intention and stood up to comfort him.
"Don't worry, since Eagle has been given to you, I will not take it back."
Before the apocalypse, Eagle was old enough to retire. Now, in this post-apocalyptic world, where many people struggle to find food, Meng Ci and his team have taken such good care of Eagle that it hasn't been neglected.
This time, Lu Chen came to the base entrance to bring a team to handle a fight between two families outside the base.
When a soldier reported that the situation had been handled, Lu Chen didn't stick around and left with his team.
Meng Ci then took Qiao Moyan to the points redemption center to help him set up a points card.
Meng Ci still had tens of thousands of points in his card, which he rarely used, so he transferred 2,000 points to Qiao Moyan.
Qiao Moyan refused, but Meng Ci insisted, saying that since he brought them here, he felt responsible.
As for the points, consider it a loan—you can pay me back when you're able to.
Given Meng Ci's insistence, Qiao Moyan reluctantly agreed.
Meng Ci wasn't doing this out of charity. He had his eye on Qiao Moyan's healing ability and hoped that when the zombie outbreak hit, Qiao Moyan would remember their kindness and lend a hand.