novelTele Chapter 144 Dandelion Project
Chapter 144 Dandelion Project
Chapter 144 Dandelion Project (4600 words)
The next day, when Xu Mo and Zhang Yun returned to the meeting point square outside the East Gate after their patrol, they both sensed that something was amiss.
The meeting point is always bustling with people and dusty, but the noise is mostly masking exhaustion.
But today, the few military off-road vehicles parked at the edge of the square instantly changed the "atmosphere" of the area.
Several heavily armed and disciplined soldiers stood beside the vehicle, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, a stark contrast to the lax patrol officers and staff on the square.
Xu Mo felt as if the air around him had become somewhat stagnant, and the originally noisy voices had subconsciously been lowered.
Xu Mo and Zhang Yun exchanged a glance, both seeing the same wariness and question in each other's eyes: Has something happened? Or is there an important person here?
As usual, the two went to the registration desk to return their equipment. The officer on duty seemed unusually serious today, barely looking up while checking the information, and moving quickly.
Just as they were about to complete the formalities, the curtain of the temporary command tent next to them was lifted, and a familiar figure walked out.
It was Major Li, whom I had met once before. He was still wearing his crisp uniform and had a stern expression. When his gaze swept over the registration desk and landed on Xu Mo and Zhang Yun, he paused noticeably for a moment, then his eyes lit up slightly, as if he had confirmed some target.
Xu Mo felt a chill run down his spine, but remained outwardly calm. Zhang Yun also kept a straight face, though his grip on the walkie-talkie tightened unconsciously.
The two men had just finished returning their armbands and walkie-talkies when Major Li strode over. Without a word, he stopped about 1.5 meters in front of them and gave them a solemn military salute. This gesture drew the attention of several officers on duty and other patrol members who were preparing to return their equipment, their eyes filled with surprise and curiosity.
Xu Mo and Zhang Yun were both taken aback for a moment, but then they quickly responded with a nod, which was not quite standard but was solemn enough.
"Comrade Xu Mo, Comrade Zhang Yun," Major Li put down his hand, his voice not loud but clear, "Let's talk in private." After saying that, he led the two to a relatively quiet corner next to the assembly point.
"Time is limited, so I'll get straight to the point." Major Li got straight to the point, his gaze sweeping over the two men, giving Xu Mo a particularly long look. "There's a mission that requires the participation of some reliable personnel from the periphery. I can't reveal the details of the mission at this time, but I can tell you that it requires us to leave the Jiangcheng Shelter Control Area and go out to carry it out. The timeframe is uncertain, ranging from a few weeks to several months, and there are considerable unknown risks and uncertainties involved."
He paused, observing their reactions: "This mission is directly led by command and is of a very high level. Your performance in the previous G-2 incident, especially your calm, keen observation and handling abilities, has left a deep impression on the relevant parties. Therefore, I am now formally asking you: are you willing to participate in this mission?"
Leaving Jiangcheng for a while?
Xu Mo's heart skipped a beat. He had indeed considered leaving Jiangcheng temporarily to avoid the potential chaos, but he didn't have a concrete idea yet. Major Li's invitation was like a pillow delivered to someone who was sleepy.
He barely hesitated; his eyes already revealed a clear intention to act.
Going out meant temporarily escaping the undercurrents within Jiangcheng; the unknown mission, though risky, could also bring new opportunities, and he was not entirely without curiosity about the post-apocalyptic landscape outside Jiangcheng.
However, Zhang Yun's expression suddenly became somewhat complicated.
Having finally found a relatively stable place to settle down in Jiangcheng, he had just emerged from the shadow of losing his team and was rebuilding a sense of control over his life.
Should she leave the relatively safe city of Jiangcheng and step into the perilous and uncertain wilderness once again? Zhang Yun's instinct was to resist, especially when she heard words like "uncertain time" and "several months," which made her even more hesitant.
But out of the corner of her eye, she clearly caught a glimpse of the fleeting light in Xu Mo's eyes.
Zhang Yun's heart sank slightly, a sense of indescribable loss and sigh welling up within her. She understood that Xu Mo was different from her.
He never seemed truly content with the stability of Jiangcheng; his strength and temperament both pointed towards a wider and more dangerous world.
Should she force him to stay? Or demand that he stay for her sake? Zhang Yun couldn't do it. She simply suppressed her disappointment and tried her best to maintain a calm expression.
Major Li, with his keen eyesight, noticed the subtle changes in their expressions and made his own judgment.
"No need for an immediate reply." Major Li glanced at his watch. "If you're interested, or want to know more before making a decision, come to the Information Command Building in the Inner City Central District at 10:00 AM tomorrow and give my name to the guard. More detailed instructions will be provided then. If you decide not to participate, just come on patrol as usual tomorrow, as if we never met today."
His tone was calm, but the words "pretend you've never met me" implied the confidential nature of the conversation.
"Understood, Major Li," Xu Mo replied first, his tone steady.
"Understood," Zhang Yun replied in a low voice.
"Okay." Major Li nodded, said no more, turned around and walked quickly back to the command tent, his figure disappearing in no time.
On the way back, the two fell silent.
Finally, as they approached the fork in the road where they would part ways, Zhang Yun stopped, turned around, and looked directly at Xu Mo, her voice a little dry: "You—do you want to go?"
Xu Mo also stopped the car, met her gaze, and nodded: "Yes." He didn't make up any complicated excuses, he just said: "I want to go out and see. I'm a little curious about what Jiangcheng is like now." This reason was half true and half false. He was curious, and he also wanted to temporarily avoid the possible chaos.
Zhang Yun looked at Xu Mo quietly for a while, her eyes filled with worry, confusion, and a hint of melancholy that she herself hadn't fully sorted out.
Finally, Zhang Yun forced a smile, a smile that still carried warmth in the twilight: "I knew I couldn't escape that meal. Since you're leaving, I'll treat you tonight as a farewell dinner..."
'
Looking at her forced smile, Xu Mo felt a pang of guilt and tenderness in his heart. He nodded: "Okay."
The farewell meal was held at a small restaurant that also didn't serve much meat, but the owner's cooking was quite good. The atmosphere was somewhat somber; neither of them ate much and spoke much. Zhang Yun asked Xu Mo if there was anything he needed to prepare, and Xu Mo said he had all the necessary equipment. Zhang Yun then gave him a few more reminders to be careful in the wild, and Xu Mo agreed to them.
When we parted, night had completely fallen.
Standing under the dim streetlights at the alley entrance, Xu Mo looked at Zhang Yun and suddenly said solemnly, "Zhang Yun, after I leave, Jiangcheng may not always remain as peaceful as it is now. Be careful and stay vigilant."
Zhang Yun was taken aback, not understanding why Xu Mo suddenly brought this up. But she saw a rare seriousness and worry in Xu Mo's eyes.
Although she didn't know exactly what Xu Mo meant, she nodded heavily: "I will. You must come back safely too." She spoke the last few words softly, but very clearly.
"Mm," Xu Mo replied, turning and walking into the night.
At 9:50 a.m. the next day, Xu Mo arrived on time at the "Information Command Center" building located in the core area of the inner city.
It was an inconspicuous five-story gray building, but strict document checks and registration were required for entry and exit. After giving Major Li's name, an expressionless guard led him to an annex building on the side of the main building and into a room that looked like a spare classroom.
The room was already quite full of people. Xu Mo glanced around and immediately got a sense of the number: about seventy or eighty. More than two-thirds of them were soldiers dressed in neat field camouflage uniforms, sitting upright with sharp eyes. Judging from their demeanor, they were definitely not ordinary combatants; they were likely reconnaissance soldiers, special forces members, or elite infantry.
The remaining dozen or so people, like Xu Mo, were dressed in different casual or tactical outfits, each with a distinct temperament, and were likely recruited as "reliable peripheral personnel."
Xu Mo found a seat towards the back and sat down, observing discreetly. The atmosphere in the room was solemn and oppressive. The soldiers hardly spoke, while the survivors mostly looked around nervously or curiously. Xu Mo saw several faces that seemed somewhat familiar; he might have seen them in the Hunter's Guild or on missions, but he didn't know any of them well.
After waiting for about ten more minutes, the classroom door was pushed open again, and a group of people filed in. Leading the group was a middle-aged man of about fifty years old, with a stocky build and a resolute face. He was wearing a field uniform without any rank insignia, and his steps were steady. When his gaze swept across the classroom, he exuded a sense of authority and decisiveness that came from someone who had long held a high position.
Behind him were several men in well-tailored suits who appeared to be technicians or officials. Major Li was among them, positioned towards the back.
The moment the middle-aged soldier walked into the classroom, all the soldiers who were sitting stood up in perfect unison with a "whoosh," stood at attention, raised their hands in salute, and their movements were clean, crisp, and without a single sound.
This sudden action startled the dozen or so survivors, including Xu Mo, who instinctively stood up as well.
The middle-aged soldier stopped, calmly returned the salute, and said in a loud voice, "Please sit down."
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers answered in unison before sitting down again, their backs still ramrod straight.
At that moment, everyone understood that this person was definitely a high-ranking official in Jiangcheng, and one who held real power and was deeply respected by his subordinates.
The middle-aged soldier walked to the front of the stage, placed his hands on the edge of the stage, and slowly scanned everyone in the audience with his self-sight. He slowly began to speak: "Let me introduce myself. My surname is Zhang, and I am in charge of this operation. You can call me Commander Zhang."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to carry weight, clearly reaching every corner of the classroom.
"The reason I've gathered everyone here is to carry out a mission codenamed 'Dandelion.'" He paused, not directly stating the mission details, but instead changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, "Before formally introducing the mission, I must emphasize a few points."
"First, this mission is classified as top secret. This means that from now on, everything you hear, see, or come into contact with is absolutely confidential. Unless authorized, you must not disclose it to anyone, including your family, comrades, and most trusted friends. This is an ironclad rule!"
"Secondly, the mission is extremely risky. The place we are going to is outside the Jiangcheng controlled area, where the situation is unknown and the environment is complex. We may encounter any known or unknown threats. Casualties are a possible, even highly probable, event."
"Third," Commander Zhang's gaze sharpened, "Due to the nature of the mission and the confidentiality requirements, you now have one last chance to withdraw before the mission details are announced. Once I begin to explain the mission details, it will mean you have officially joined Project Dandelion. At that time, if you wish to withdraw, you will no longer be allowed free movement and must undergo isolation and confidentiality supervision at a designated location until the mission ends or the confidentiality period expires. This is not a joke."
He paused for a full ten seconds, allowing the weight of his words to sink into everyone's hearts.
"Now, you have three minutes to consider. Those who wish to withdraw may stand up and leave this classroom now. Someone outside will escort you to make arrangements. Those who remain after three minutes will be considered to have voluntarily joined and accepted all terms."
The classroom was deathly silent. The only sounds were heavy breathing and the occasional soft rustling of clothes.
Xu Mo's eyes narrowed slightly. Top secret level? Confidential? Exit means isolation? This is a bigger deal than he expected.
This was by no means an ordinary reconnaissance or mopping-up mission. The sense of relief that Xu Mo had felt from wanting to leave Jiangcheng temporarily vanished instantly, replaced by a high level of vigilance and an even stronger curiosity.
Xu Mo knew that he was about to uncover the true secrets of Jiangcheng's core leadership.
He sat steadily in his seat without making any movement.
Among the survivors, some began to show changing expressions and struggling emotions in their eyes.
Finally, a man who looked to be in his thirties raised his hand. After receiving a nod from Commander Zhang, he stood up somewhat awkwardly, lowered his head, and quickly walked out of the classroom.
Once the first one appeared, a second, a third—and one after another, seven or eight more survivors chose to withdraw. Perhaps they were deterred by the risks, perhaps they didn't want to be bound by lifelong confidentiality clauses, or perhaps they simply instinctively resisted this extremely restrictive form of work.
Xu Mo noticed that the soldiers remained motionless, not a single one of them getting up. Their eyes were resolute, as if they had already made their choice, or perhaps their duty as soldiers left them with no other option.
Three minutes are up.
Commander Zhang scanned the classroom. The original group of over eighty people had dwindled to about sixty. Of the survivors, only two remained: Xu Mo and a thin, gloomy man sitting in the corner of the front row, his head bowed and his face obscured.
Commander Zhang's gaze lingered briefly on Xu Mo and the thin man, but he didn't say anything more, only nodding.
"Alright," he said in a deep voice, "Since you have all chosen to stay, from this moment on, you are all members of the 'Dandelion' project. Next, the project's chief scientist, Director Wang Hongzhen, will introduce the mission background and objectives."
He stepped aside to make way for the podium.
Director Wang, who had previously followed Commander Zhang, was a bespectacled man in his forties with a refined yet weary demeanor. He took a deep breath and walked onto the podium.
He opened a heavy folder, glanced at the audience, adjusted his glasses, and his first words exploded like a bomb dropped into deep water, reverberating throughout Xu Mo's mind and the entire classroom—
"Comrades, first I need to inform you of some previously undisclosed research information: our Jiangcheng-1 experimental communications satellite, launched recently, lost contact with the ground after operating stably for less than an hour after entering its designated orbit. Based on the monitoring data we later gathered and analyzed, it should have crashed."
"boom!"
Despite their strict discipline, the soldiers couldn't help but let out suppressed gasps and gasps of surprise. Of the two survivors, the thin man suddenly raised his head. Xu Mo, on the other hand, felt a chill run from his tailbone to the top of his head.
The satellite—crashed? Less than a minute after the successful launch and the city's celebrations? Did the authorities conceal this news?
Why? How did it crash? Was it due to a malfunction? Or was it hit by something?
Countless questions instantly filled Xu Mo's mind. He finally understood why this mission was of such a high standard and why the postgraduate recommendation process was so rigorous.
The noise in the classroom was quickly quelled by Zhang's sharp gaze, but the atmosphere of shock and solemnity remained thick and unyielding.
Director Wang seemed to have anticipated everyone's reaction. He adjusted his glasses, his voice carrying the characteristic calmness of a Ke family member, and continued speaking about Shi Qu. But the words about bringing Shi back deepened the chill in Xu Mo's heart—