Chapter 524: Chapter 524

"But there’s still good news," Yang Yang added.

Jing Shu merely grunted, her mood low. Her seeds were not only at risk of being lost but also of being eaten. What did she have to be happy about?

However, Jing Shu wasn’t unwilling to save people, especially the heroes protecting her seeds. She just prayed they wouldn’t consume her most cherished ones, like the black rice from the United States or the fragrant rice from Thailand.

But with hundreds of thousands of varieties, encompassing every category in the world, surely they wouldn’t stumble upon *those specific ones*, right? Jing Shu cheered herself up. It’s not that I’m stingy. I wouldn’t mind if they ate them; it’s just that it would... Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵

As she was thinking this, Yang Yang’s voice came through: "Given that some of these seeds were intended for sale to the Wu City Government, even though the transaction isn’t finalized, they are considered partially the property of the Wu City Government. Therefore, the ruler, Jin Tianci, has decided to dispatch a special team for the rescue."

Jing Shu rolled her eyes. "No need. They’re still my private property. The authorities don’t need to trouble themselves."

Although a special team would be faster and have a higher chance of success, her situation was awkward. She couldn’t use her space freely or fully utilize her abilities, and eating, in particular, would be very inconvenient.

The last time she went to the United States with Tank Town Nan Tian and the others, she had learned to eat heartily in front of them without batting an eye. However, making people drool beside her still wasn’t ideal.

If she ate, others would drool; if she didn’t, her own stomach would growl. Wasn’t that just putting her in a bind?

"The higher-ups have already decided," Yang Yang said, as if he saw through everything, giving Jing Shu no chance to object. "The operation is codenamed ’Rescue Hamster.’ A team of five of us will go. You’re not officially included; you’re a Free Person. After all, their main goal is to retrieve the seeds, not to inconvenience you."

"Fine." For Jing Shu, this really wasn’t good news. "Who will be there? Do I know them? Who’s leading the team?"

Since the higher-ups were insisting on intervening, she decided to go along with it. Besides, those seeds were extremely important.

Yang Yang paused for a moment before saying, "Hao Yunlai will be there. The higher-ups decided to utilize his... peculiar abilities. The team leader... is one of Jin Tianci’s nephews. The other two are with him; I don’t have their details."

Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. "So, it’s a connections hire? Won’t he mess things up?"

Jing Shu was slightly worried. Although she had saved the life of the ruler, Jin Tianci, and appeared to have considerable influence and backing in Wu City, these kinds of situations involving the younger relatives of powerful people were often the trickiest to handle. One misstep could ruin everything and turn previous goodwill into animosity.

"I haven’t met him," Yang Yang said, his voice tinged with a hint of doubt. "I only heard he recently arrived from the Imperial Capital. He’s from Mrs. Jin Tianci’s maternal family, and they have deep roots in the Imperial Capital."

Jing Shu steeled herself, already bracing for the possibility of dealing with a pampered young master who might jeopardize her crucial mission.

Jing Shu covered her face. "Oh, wonderful. You know what Jin Tianci’s brother-in-law, Jun Jia, is like, don’t you? I bet this one’s cut from the same cloth. If he’s arrogant, I’m not putting up with it. Worst comes to worst, we’ll go our separate ways and each search on our own." Although both Jun Jia and Jin Tianci had suffered at Jing Shu’s hands before, she was known for holding grudges.

Anyone who even considered touching her food supplies was marked down in her little black book, to be remembered for a lifetime.

"Don’t worry too much," Yang Yang reassured her. "They wouldn’t be reckless with something as vital as the seeds. That fellow is clear-headed."

"True." Jing Shu felt slightly more at ease. Jin Tianci himself wasn’t too bad, and the seeds were crucial for Wu City. Even though the price hadn’t been settled, she was willing to make a small concession for the sake of future protection.

Besides, even the Imperial Capital was perfectly courteous when they bought her seeds. Despite some unpleasantness, the outcome was good. The authorities wouldn’t mistreat someone willing to make contributions, especially not now.

The higher-ups even wanted to give her an award, nominating her for the "Huaxia Top Ten Contributions," but she declined. "Keep it low-profile, stay low-key," Jing Shu had said at the time, appearing genuinely indifferent to fame and fortune.

Of course, she truly was indifferent. If they weren’t offering her extra Virtual Coin, why would she care about such things? Could fame be eaten?

All things considered, Jin Tianci probably wouldn’t send someone completely unreliable... would he?

"Alright then, meet at South Mountain in Wu City in two hours," Yang Yang instructed. "The operation is expected to last five days. Bring your own bedding and food. The authorities will provide transportation, weapons, and water."

After ending the call, Jing Shu wasted no time and began packing immediately. She also called her father, asking him to drive her when he got home, as South Mountain was over ten kilometers away.

Hearing Jing Shu explain the situation on the phone, Grandma Jing rushed over, a shovel in one hand and a rolling pin in the other. "Why are you going out again? Where to this time? How long will you be gone? You’ve only just settled down, and now you want to leave again?" she demanded, brandishing her tools. The implication was clear: if Jing Shu’s answer wasn’t satisfactory, that rolling pin might see some action.

"Grandma, my dear Grandma, I’m just going around Wu City," Jing Shu explained patiently. "I’m going to retrieve the seeds. It’ll only be for a week or two. Don’t you remember all those supplies we got from the United States last year? They’ve arrived, and Yang Yang and Hao Yunlai are going with me."

Grandma Jing had been truly frightened by Jing Shu’s six-month absence the previous year. Hearing that Yang Yang was also going, her expression softened somewhat; she considered him a sensible young man.

"Grandma, that batch of seeds has hundreds of thousands of varieties, basically every plant imaginable in the world!" Jing Shu said. "Just think, once we get them back, we can plant whatever you want to eat. We’ll have everything!"

Grandma Jing’s eyes lit up. "Really? Everything?"

"Alright, you can go then," Grandma Jing relented. "But you must video call home every day! Now, I’ll go prepare some food for your journey. I’ll bake some large flatbreads for the road, and make sure you take the powdered milk and roasted flour paste..." Grandma Jing began to list, her words tumbling out.

Jing Shu didn’t need her grandmother to tell her. Since she would be operating with others this time, she knew she had to bring only items that could be openly shown. Furthermore, because the team leader was Jin Tianci’s nephew, the provisions she carried had to logically correspond in type and quantity to what she could ostensibly bring. If anyone with ill intentions noticed any discrepancies, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Jing Shu was quite experienced with these preparations. The two large, custom-made boxes from last year were still available. Fortunately, the authorities were providing weapons this time, so she wouldn’t need to bring her specialized arsenal, which would save a lot of space.

Moreover, the operation was within the country’s borders and not too far away. The trip wouldn’t be as long as the one last year, so she wouldn’t need to pack an overwhelming amount of supplies—not like she was moving a mountain.

While others might pack daily necessities, emergency supplies, food, and changes of clothes neatly into suitcases...