The man before her was strikingly handsome—so handsome that Mo Xiaobai’s limited vocabulary failed her. Words like bright-eyed, sharp-browed, commanding aura flashed through her head one after another.
Before she could come up with more adjectives, the newcomer’s deep, magnetic voice sounded.
“Comrade Mo Xiaobai, correct? I’m Luo Yifan. The leader has ordered me to protect you.”
“Oh? Oh! Hello, hello!” Mo Xiaobai quickly came back to her senses. Wait—Luo Yifan? Elder Luo’s grandson? The legendary Major General Luo?
“Um, could you please step aside? I have something urgent to discuss with the leader.” Thankfully, Mo Xiaobai wasn’t the kind to lose her head over good looks—she immediately tried to move past him.
“The leader has been in continuous meetings for the past few days and just went to rest. If it’s not something that requires his direct approval, you can tell me instead,” Luo Yifan replied, stretching out his long arm to block her path.
Mo Xiaobai thought about it and realized he was right. She quickly told him about the trapped children and asked that a rescue be arranged as soon as possible.
Luo Yifan listened carefully, his gaze deep as he looked at her. “Understood. Don’t worry—I’ll handle it immediately. You look exhausted. Go get some rest first.”
“I’m fine for now,” Mo Xiaobai shook her head. “I still have something important to deliver. If I can’t see the leader, who should I report to?”
She wanted to finish handling the Safe Zone blueprint matter before taking a break—every second counted now.
After a brief pause, Luo Yifan signaled to a baby-faced subordinate to take charge of the children’s rescue operation, then personally escorted Mo Xiaobai to Central Command.
On the way, Luo Yifan glanced at her through the rearview mirror, curious about how this girl managed to persevere.
According to the files, she had never undergone formal training. It was said she had gained “abilities” after drinking some kind of serum—supernatural powers, apparently. Yet after three sleepless days of intense research, she still insisted on personally delivering reports instead of resting or delegating the task. That kind of endurance and sense of responsibility was rare.
Mo Xiaobai, eyes closed and resting, completely missed his quiet observation. And even if she had noticed, she would probably just ask, “What? Is there something on my face?”
When they arrived back at Central Command, Mo Xiaobai felt slightly dazed. Though it had only been three days, the place looked completely different—more people, heavier atmosphere, tension everywhere.
Soon, Luo Yifan led her to the office adjacent to the leader’s room—the same place where she had met Elder Long before.
Inside sat a calm, composed middle-aged man. Mo Xiaobai recognized him from TV—Lin Yushan, the man said to be the leader’s chosen successor.
“Uncle Lin, Comrade Mo Xiaobai has something to discuss with you,” Luo Yifan said casually as they entered.
“Ah, Xiaofan, you’re here!” Lin Yushan smiled first at Luo Yifan, then turned to Mo Xiaobai. “So you’re Comrade Xiaobai. We’re meeting for the first time—I’m Lin Yushan. You can call me Uncle Lin, just like Xiaofan does. Come, sit down. You look exhausted—why aren’t you resting instead of rushing here?”
Then he glanced accusingly at Luo Yifan. “Xiaofan, are you bullying this young lady who doesn’t know how things work yet?”
“No, sir, of course not—it was my idea to come,” Mo Xiaobai quickly clarified. “There are a few matters I wanted to report in person.”
She then began explaining, “The basic gene serum has been successfully synthesized. The experts who assisted me haven’t taken the serum like I have, so their bodies aren’t strengthened—they all passed out from exhaustion. I didn’t want progress to stall, so I brought the material list here myself for procurement.”
“And I also received a reward—six Safe Zone construction blueprints, all different. I don’t really understand their applications, so I wanted to submit them directly.”
Mo Xiaobai handed over both the formula material list and the Safe Zone blueprints, adding a few detailed notes—one of the reasons she had insisted on coming in person.
“Understood. I’ll arrange everything immediately. Comrade Mo Xiaobai, on behalf of the nation and the people, thank you for your contribution,” Lin Yushan said solemnly. He rose to his feet and gave her a military salute.
“It’s what I should do. I’m part of Huaguo too,” Mo Xiaobai said earnestly. “Also, I’ve just received two new missions. One is the Safe Zone construction, which upon completion will reward me with a Super Base Protective Shield Blueprint—according to the Merit System description, it can withstand even starship-grade weaponry.”
“The other mission is to rescue trapped children—Comrade Luo Yifan has already arranged that. The rewards will be the Basic Nutrient Solution and Basic Repair Solution formulas.”
At that, Lin Yushan immediately stood up, excitement flashing in his eyes. “Comrade Xiaobai, thank you! These are exactly what we’ve been desperately needing!”
As the newly appointed Chief of the National Defense Preparations Team, he had been overwhelmed with pressure—there were too many urgent needs to address. The information and materials Mo Xiaobai brought were invaluable.
Not only were the Safe Zone blueprints crucial, but according to the Merit System’s description, they were geologically adaptive designs—each tailored to different terrains and environments, turning even dangerous landscapes into natural fortresses. Some even included construction material formulas. Once built, these zones would remain secure even in the face of zombie sieges.
And with six designs to choose from, there would certainly be suitable options—and possibly enough to construct multiple zones.
Moreover, the promised Super Base Protective Shield could resist starship-level attacks, making any completed safe zone effectively impenetrable.
And the Nutrient Solution and Repair Solution, though labeled as “basic,” would be lifesaving in the current state of the world.
Lin Yushan’s eyes grew moist. “Heaven truly hasn’t abandoned Huaguo!”
“Xiaofan,” he said firmly, “Comrade Xiaobai is under your protection. You are to guard her with your life and cooperate with her fully—understood?”
“Yes, sir. You can count on me,” Luo Yifan replied seriously. His grandfather had already told him how important this girl was—he would protect her with his life if needed.
Then, Lin Yushan waved his hand. “Now go—get some rest, both of you. Our nation’s hero can’t be left this worn out!”
And so, Luo Yifan escorted Mo Xiaobai to her assigned quarters.
By the time they arrived, she had already fallen fast asleep in the car.
Luo Yifan looked helplessly at the peacefully sleeping girl, rubbing his temples. He tried calling her name a few times but failed to wake her. Sighing, he rolled up his sleeves and gently lifted her into his arms.
Completely unaware, Mo Xiaobai shifted slightly to a more comfortable position in his embrace and continued sleeping soundly.
Luo Yifan’s brow furrowed tighter. If she weren’t such an important figure to Huaguo, the famously cold and disciplined Major General Luo might’ve just dumped her onto the nearest couch.
He muttered under his breath, “Alright, I’ll let it go just this once—after all, you’ve worked hard for the country. But seriously, a girl sleeping with zero awareness like this? What if someone with bad intentions took advantage? You really need to be more careful.”
The straight-laced soldier grumbled inwardly, unaware that if Mo Xiaobai had heard him, she would have exploded—Excuse me? Who are you calling careless? I didn’t even complain about you carrying me without asking!
After tucking her into bed, Luo Yifan quietly closed the door and went to his own room next door. After washing up and changing clothes, he headed down to the underground training room to unwind.
Meanwhile, Mo Xiaobai slept soundly, blissfully unaware of everything that had just happened. If she’d known, she would have stormed over to argue—Who are you calling defenseless? I’m the one being taken advantage of here!
But she slept on, completely oblivious.
As for Luo Yifan, who rarely interacted with women—and even then, only for official or strategic reasons—he truly didn’t understand how ordinary women behaved. He had never spared a thought for such things, which was how this little misunderstanding occurred.
He thought she would sleep for a long time—after all, she hadn’t rested for three full days and had even dozed off in the car.
Yet, less than an hour later, just as he finished his warm-up in the training room, Luo Yifan suddenly heard a woman’s urgent cry for help.