The Max-Level Sacred Mountain Begs Me to Save the Interstellar [Apocalypse] - Chapter 14

The night before, while Zhou Zheng was working at the Agricultural Union, he suddenly received a message from his younger brother, Zhou Xiaofu, asking him to help care for several hundred bitter melon vines. His first reaction was that his brother had suffered a head injury; otherwise, why would he be talking in his sleep during broad daylight?

However, blood is thicker than water. Zhou Zheng decisively abandoned his perfect attendance bonus for the month and, under the disapproving gaze of his balding supervisor, hailed a taxi to Zhou Xiaofu’s school.

The gate of Central Agricultural University was restricted. Zhou Zheng argued his case, but the security guard refused to let him enter without authorization. As Zhou Zheng was locked in a heated verbal battle with the guard, his Star-Ring lit up.

[Brother, look behind you!]

Zhou Zheng looked at the message, puzzled, and turned around. In the pitch-black night, he saw a sneaky figure dancing and jumping around, making an unbelievable sound: “Bro… Brother, come here quickly!”

Zhou Zheng turned back to the innocent security guard and roared, “Is this how you teach my brother? You turned him into an idiot!”

With that, Zhou Zheng ran toward Zhou Xiaofu, leaving behind only the faint whisper of the helpless guard: “Nutcase.”

Zhou Zheng immediately began rummaging through his brother’s hair, shouting, “Fufu, let me see where you are hurt!”

Zhou Xiaofu pushed him away, his flushed ears hidden by the darkness. “Oh, Brother, I called you here for serious business.”

Then, two voices spoke simultaneously.

“I know. To the hospital.” “You have to help me grow one hundred plants!”

Zhou Zheng: “What plants?” Zhou Xiaofu: “Who is going to the hospital?”

After Zhou Xiaofu explained the situation, Zhou Zheng finally understood the whole story. After selling all the bitter melon pulp to Nova Food, Zhou Xiaofu had stored the remaining one hundred vines in a warehouse near the school. However, he had been busy from morning to night and couldn’t care for them all. Seeing the leaves beginning to wither, Zhou Xiaofu felt a pang of guilt and requested Zhou Zheng’s assistance.

Standing at the entrance of the warehouse and looking at the massive collection of vines, Zhou Zheng sighed, feeling that his life had finally borne fruit—even if it was all bitter. But as a talent handpicked by the Agricultural Union, his voice trembled as he asked, “Are the nutrient soil, fertilizer, and water ready?”

“Everything is ready, Brother,” Zhou Xiaofu replied.

“Then let us begin.”

Zhou Zheng mixed the dark brown soil with the grayish-white fertilizer to the ideal fluffiness before carefully layering this specialized “swaddle” around the roots of the vines. Subsequently, Zhou Xiaofu lifted a watering can. As he tilted it, droplets scattered in the air like countless points of light, falling gently into the soil. The roots drank greedily, and the withered leaves seemed to ignite like flames, glowing brightly on the vines.

The two brothers fought through the night to give the hundred bitter melons a new lease on life. When finished, Zhou Zheng straightened his aching back and looked at their masterpiece. “Xiaofu, do you think I can retire now?”

Zhou Xiaofu bolted upright. “Brother, if you keep working this hard, no one else will have a way to make a living! I beg of you, wash your hands of this and retire!”

Zhou Zheng laughed. “You little rascal, are you insulting me? I am going to go buy some compressed biscuits for breakfast and, while I am at it, print a resignation letter.”

Zhou Zheng had already made his calculations. These bitter melons were enough to ensure their family never wanted for anything. He would sell a few vines to get his sister a VIP hospital room, buy Xiaofu the mecha he always wanted, and keep the rest for seeds. He was confident he could make money flow into his wallet like a river.

“Wait for me here while I get food,” he said.

Zhou Xiaofu waved lazily. “Okay.”

The interstellar wind carried unspoken words toward their respective futures. After Zhou Zheng left, Zhou Xiaofu hummed a song while crouching on the warehouse floor to browse the Star-Net. He had arrived in a hurry and hadn’t bought new furniture yet.

Knock, knock, knock.

Zhou Xiaofu looked toward the door in confusion. “Brother? Did you forget your keys?”

Knock, knock, knock.

Zhou Xiaofu realized with a jolt that this might not be his brother. He summoned his courage and asked, “Is that the landlord?”

He gripped his laser pistol tightly in his left hand and slowly approached the door, leaning his ear against it to listen. Besides the knocking, he heard a strange rustling sound. Suddenly, the knocking stopped.

“Xiaofu, are you there?” A familiar male voice reached his ears. It was his roommate.

“Zhang Zhuangzhuang? What are you doing here?” Zhou Xiaofu asked suspiciously.

The roommate replied calmly, “The hospital called. They said your sister’s condition has worsened, and they need you to sign for surgery.”

“What!”

Zhou Xiaofu’s hand froze on the lock. In the hospital records, the emergency contact was always Zhou Zheng’s number. Zhang Zhuangzhuang was acting suspicious.

“Xiaofu? Xiaofu! Open the door quickly, your sister is really dying!” The person outside became increasingly agitated.

Zhou Xiaofu replied, “Zhuangzhuang, who told you I had a sister?”

The voice outside vanished instantly.

Keeping his voice steady, Zhou Xiaofu continued, “You probably got a scam call. I don’t even have a sister. Actually, I only rented this warehouse to study in secret so I could beat you all in the final exams. You should go back and study, or I might actually take your scholarship this semester.”

He was trying to buy time while opening his Star-Ring for help. His finger hovered over Zhou Zheng’s icon but took a sharp turn. Instead, he clicked on Shen Ye’s profile. Amidst the sounds of the landlord’s rambling and the jingling of keys outside, he hit send.

[Meiba: BOSS, SAVE ME!!!] Attached location.

Back to the present, in the Principal’s office at Central Agricultural University.

Xie Songnian sat steadily opposite the Principal, acting like a paperweight that suppressed the restlessness in the room. Shen Ye had pulled up a small stool to sit on Xie Songnian’s right, acting with borrowed authority.

“Zhou Xiaofu went missing at your school! How could you possibly not know?” Shen Ye demanded.

The Principal looked at Xie Songnian and stuttered, “The security guard said someone came looking for him last night, but they didn’t enter the school. His roommates don’t know where he went either. A kid this age might have just skipped class to go play.”

Seeing that the Principal would not talk until he saw the evidence, Shen Ye stood up and slammed the desk. “You are still lying!”

Xie Songnian suddenly interrupted. “Shen Ye, show Principal Zheng some respect.” He then turned to the Principal. “My brother-in-law is never restrained at home. If his words have offended you, I hope you can be magnanimous.”

The Principal had been watching Xie Songnian’s expression closely. Hearing this, he quickly forced a smile. “Your brother is clearly a straightforward person. How could I—”

“Principal Zheng, you misunderstand,” Xie Songnian interrupted again. “What I mean is: his temper? I indulge it.”

He didn’t care that the Principal’s face turned pale and then green. Like a parent spoiling a naughty child, he asked, “Shen Ye, what should we do if one of our people is kidnapped?”

Shen Ye, surprised by the extra lines, let the gears in his head spin rapidly. He stammered, “Give them a taste of their own medicine?”

Xie Songnian nodded. “Then why haven’t you started?”

Just as the words landed, Xiao Liu pushed the door open, carrying a coil of rope. The Principal realized things were wrong and tried to call security, but the internal line went unanswered. He shouted angrily, “Captain Xie! Do not think your Cleanup Squad can hide the sky with one hand! Our school has a deep partnership with the Agricultural Union! I will report this entire matter to the Union leadership!”

Shen Ye couldn’t listen anymore. “Report what? Report that you are detaining students? Or that you are so blinded by greed that you want to embezzle a student’s plants? Principal, how did you even get this position? Did you stop to think who in all of Mars could produce so many high-quality plants?”

Shen Ye gestured with his eyes toward the man beside him. Principal Zheng finally focused on Shen Ye’s pretty, snarling face, and then followed his gaze to the composed Xie Songnian. The Principal realized he had made a terrible mistake.

“Since you don’t plan to show me any respect today,” Xie Songnian said calmly, “then please, Principal, move your steps. Come to our place for a cup of tea to clear your head.”

The Principal shuddered. He knew exactly what Xie Songnian’s “invitation” meant. He blurted out, “I’ll talk! Zhou Xiaofu is at—”

Riiip!

Xiao Liu quickly and professionally slapped an “X” of tape over the Principal’s mouth. He sighed with exaggerated disappointment. “Oh, Principal, why are you so stubborn about not opening your mouth?”

The Principal: “Mmph! Mmph-mmph!” (You bastard, let me speak!)

Everyone in the room ignored the Principal’s pleas. Only Shen Ye followed Xie Songnian closely. “Brother-in-law, the Principal wants to talk.”

Xie Songnian’s gaze was heavy. “Shen Ye, remember this: the Principal is suffering this grievance on your behalf.”

Shen Ye pondered this all the way back but couldn’t understand what the Principal’s grievance had to do with him. That said, Xie Songnian did not treat the Principal as the Principal had treated Zhou Xiaofu. Even when the Agricultural Union requested a communication link, Xie Songnian showed them the reality: the Principal was “invited” to the office, safely within the range of heavy weaponry, with no threat to his life.

Meanwhile, Shen Ye looked guiltily at Zhou Xiaofu, who was lying on a stretcher. He was covered in blood, and his breathing was as faint as a thread in the wind.

Shen Ye’s tears began to fall. “Brother-in-law, are we not sending him to the hospital?”

Xie Songnian looked at the genuine sadness and confusion on Shen Ye’s face and spoke in disbelief. “You think we should send him to the hospital?”

“Yes,” Shen Ye sobbed. “He looks like he is a bit… dead.”

Xie Songnian sighed. “Lean over.”

Shen Ye leaned in close, pressing his ear near Xie Songnian’s lips. Before hearing any words, he felt the man’s warm breath. Shen Ye thought to himself that his ears felt very itchy.

“Have you… ever eaten those bitter melons?” Xie Songnian whispered.

“Why would I eat them? Why look for bitterness when life is already hard enough?” Shen Ye replied.

Xie Songnian looked at him as if he were looking at the eighth wonder of the world.

Shen Ye asked, “What is it?”

“Shen Ye, it is truly a miracle that you are still alive.”

Shen Ye was offended. He lived in an era that wasn’t full of such deception! He began rolling up his sleeves, prepared to argue with Xie Songnian.

Knock, knock, knock.

Xiao Liu stood at the door with his hand still raised. “Captain, Dr. Gu has arrived.”

Support The Max-Level Sacred Mountain Begs Me to Save the Interstellar [Apocalypse]