Chapter 226: Zaro Is Coming
Translator: BeetleBarker Editor: Tennesh
Fang Zhao only returned back to the base a month after the auction ended. There had been many activities going on over at the outpost. After the 30 million had been received, Bie Liao had organized an exuberant celebration and then started upgrading the outpost and obtaining better equipment for the outpost team.
Outpost 23’s region was a key development area in the base’s plans. Already, a development team had been dispatched to the outpost, and surface and subterranean constructions had been started. According to the plans, a city was to be built in the region of Outpost 23.
As a key development area, the outpost team’s strength of 200 was not enough. Bie Liao had applied for an expansion and requested the base transfer another 100 men over.
The one hundred troops during Yan Biao’s time had expanded to 300 now. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack, there had been changes to his military duty. He had also been promoted to the rank of captain. If everything went well, at the end of the year, his rank might rise by one more grade.
There were other outposts, but Outpost 23’s strength was being increased to 300, whereas other outpost teams that were not in key development areas were remaining at 100. In the near future, Outpost 23 would undergo a name change to the 23rd Battalion, and Bie Liao’s rank would naturally rise following that.
As long as Bie Liao did not court disaster or make any critical errors, he would steadily rise following the development of the outpost region.
This was the reason many people pitied Yan Biao. If nothing had happened to Yan Biao, given his background, he would surely have risen faster than Bie Liao.
Channel S5’s live broadcasts captured the everyday changes of Outpost 23’s region. This also verified Baiji’s military district’s words. It was indeed a land of dreams. Youngsters who had been unable to join the previous two immigration planet constructions were welcome to join this team and make a large contribution to the immigration cause.
Fang Zhao was here for military service and naturally did not idle. He was not someone to have different personas on-screen and offscreen; he worked industriously all the time.
This dragged on, and only after a month did Fang Zhao return to the base, since Shanta had requested for him.
Originally, Shanta had decided to let his secretary explain matters to Fang Zhao, as he was busy with official duties every day and did not even have lunch breaks. Thinking it through, though, Shanta decided to personally meet Fang Zhao face to face.
When he met Fang Zhao, Shanta asked right away, “Do you know who it was that bought your creature’s tooth?”
“No idea.” Fang Zhao surveyed Shanta and waited for what would follow. Given Shanta’s expression, he probably knew some information about the other party’s identity.
Shanta asked again, “Do you really not know?”
“I really don’t.”
Shanta peered at Fang Zhao with his incisive gaze for a few seconds before nodding. “I also found out after the auction was over. The person who bought your song-inscribed creature’s tooth is someone from the Interplanetary Fund.”
When Shanta had first found out about the other party’s identity, he had spoken to that side after the auction. The reason the other party had forked out such a high bid for the creature’s tooth was this: there were not many youngsters who were calm and not fickle in their circles like Fang Zhao was, and this was something that should be encouraged.
Shanta also did not really know whether the other party’s words were genuine or not. He had thought to himself, You can say it however you like. In any case, it is still Baiji military district receiving the benefits.
Shanta did not tell Fang Zhao which high-ranking official in the Interplanetary Fund had bought his item, but he gave Fang Zhao two important pieces of information. First, the other party’s family clan had set up the interplanetary fund. The Interplanetary Fund involved itself in three main areas: scientific research, military constructions, and nurturing talents. When Fiery Bird had first been founded, the company had received helped from the Interplanetary Fund. Therefore, forking out 300 million to win that creature’s tooth was not that strange. After all, that person had serious financial muscle. No matter how headstrong Shanta was, he also would not say anything more.
The second reason, as the other party had mentioned, was just to encourage youngsters. There was no other special significance. Therefore, Fang Zhao should not think about borrowing this connection with the Interplanetary Fund to seek even more benefits.
Shanta was frank and explained it simply so that Fang Zhao’s thoughts about this matter would not go askew.
Fang Zhao only displayed slight astonishment and, following that, nothing else. The responses that Shanta were worried about did not appear.
When he saw Fang Zhao’s reaction, Shanta praised Fang Zhao silently in his heart. This little fella is relatively upright, unlike certain little celebrities in the entertainment circles who jump at the chance to cling onto someone influential.
Since this was the case, Shanta also did not need to worry anymore. He took out a communications device and handed it over to Fang Zhao. “The other party wishes to say some words to you. But I don’t know when you will receive the call. Take this first.
“This isn’t anything major and was just one of the matters I wished to speak to you about. As for the second matter, you should have seen it on your way here. The family residential district’s construction is nearly complete. The first batch of family members of military personnel on the immigration name list will be divided into three trips. The first round has already arrived.”
Shanta’s wife and parents had already came over. His children were still working back on Earth and would transfer over in the future. When they had all really settled down in future, this would be their home. When they traveled to earth for meetings or other matters next time, it would now be considered going on a trip instead of returning home.
It was little wonder that Shanta had always had a smile on his face despite being dog-tired lately. When a person had something to strive for and had a clear-cut direction to follow, his entire state would be totally different from before.
Fang Zhao was also very satisfied with planet Baiji’s current condition. “Congratulations.”
Although it was only family members of military personnel immigrating, the immigration cause had already taken its first step. Fang Zhao was really gratified. He had not seen the dawn of the Founding Era, but he was getting to witness the process of a foreign planet’s immigration.
Shanta no longer showed the air of a commander. “Hahaha, same to you!” After all, Fang Zhao was different from other people. Although he would no longer let Fang Zhao get involved with troop deployment and personnel transfers, he would give Fang Zhao some benefits in other areas.
“In the family district, I have reserved a room for you in block 5. During your military service duration, you can stay alone there or you can let your family members join you. When you have decided, you can submit their names, and if the audit has no issues, we can bring them on the third round of transportation.”
Fang Zhao’s identity information had already been input. As long as he went over to scan his ID, he would be able to enter.
“Besides this, there is still the third matter. I spoke to you about this before. Other planets wish that you head over for a visit. You can choose when to go, and it will count as military service duties. What do you think?”
Fang Zhao had no objections. “All right.”
“Then you can make arrangements for that when you return. After all, you guys still have to do live broadcasts. Speaking of this, there is still a fourth matter that I wish to speak to you about. I just received news that Leizhou’s Zaro Renault will be coming.”
When he spoke of Zaro, the smile on Shanta’s face dimmed slightly. At the position he was at, if the person coming over was anybody else, he would not have had to fret about it and would naturally have gotten his subordinates to handle it. However, Leizhou’s governor had personally made a call asking Shanta to look after Zaro. As a form of respect for Leizhou’s governor, Shanta could not disregard it.
“You also know that, during the auction, Zaro bought Professor Fan Lin’s item. When he comes, he will surely look for Prof. Fan, and he will probably arrive within two days. When you return to the outpost, do inform the people there and make preparations.”
Fang Zhao was still thinking about what Shanta had said when he left. The four matters were all worth pondering. He did not return immediately to the outpost and instead went to the family district. There were already people that had moved into the newly constructed flats.
When he found block 5, Fang Zhao took the elevator to the 10th floor and went to the house number Shanta had told him of. Scanning his ID, he went in to take a look.
There were two rooms and two sitting areas in this nearly 100-square-meters apartment. Furniture and appliances had already been set up and installed. Concise and practical, they carried a slight military style.
As for the family members that Shanta had talked about, Fang Zhao decided to make a call to Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother Fang and ask them if they were willing to come over and stay for a period of time. They could treat it as a vacation.
While Fang Zhao was musing it over, the communications device Shanta had given him rang. When Fang Zhao answered, he could hear a tune playing in the background. Fang Zhao could tell that the tune was not generated by music software but was rather a performance by a live orchestra.
The tune being played was the one had had inscribed on the creature’s tooth.
After the call was put through, the other side did not seem in any rush to speak and waited over 10 seconds, as if letting Fang Zhao identify the tune currently being performed.
When the performance ended, a voice broke the the silence. “Fang Zhao?”
The other party had a voice that sounded gentle and delicate, probably belonging to a very young lady.
“Yes,” Fang Zhao replied.
“It was an exceptional piece; the mood was fitting. Keep it up.”
At that, the call ended.
Fang Zhao looked at the notification on the communications device and was puzzled. The other party had made a call from somewhere far away and only said one line? However, this simple sentence gave Fang Zhao a strange feeling.
Were these words meant to commend and encourage, or was there some hidden meaning?
Fang Zhao shook his head. Young ladies nowadays were getting even more difficult to understand.
Fang Zhao left his apartment and took a walk through the family district. A primary school as well as a kindergarten had already been constructed in the neighborhood. The teachers there were all family members of military personnel.
When Fang Zhao passed by, a kindergarten teacher was praising a little kid. “You did well on this test. Keep it up, continue working hard. Here, teacher will reward you with a big red flower~.”
Fang Zhao: “…”
He finally remembered. Why had the other party’s attitude during the call given him a strange feeling that felt a little familiar? It had resembled the scene that was unfolding before him.
Coming to that realization, Fang Zhao also felt rather glad.
After he left the family district, Fang Zhao returned to Outpost 23 and looked for Kevin Lin.
“I have two pieces of news,” Fang Zhao said to Kevin Lin.
Kevin Lin, who was editing videos, became alert and stopped what he was doing and asked. “One good and one bad?”
“You could say so.”
Kevin Lin prepared himself mentally. “Then let me listen to the bad news first.”
“I will be leaving Baiji for a while. I have an assignment,” Fang Zhao said.
“Leaving Baiji? Aren’t you still undergoing your military service? What will you be doing when you leave? Can I come along?” Kevin Lin was unresigned. Tagging along and filming was all right too.
“You can’t.”
Kevin Lin vehemently objected to this piece of news. “Then what will happen to channel S5? What about our daily broadcast every day? I’m just a specially dispatch reporter; I’m just in charge of interviewing, explaining, and filming. I can’t do a live broadcast alone. You need to find me a person to coordinate with! How can we not have a star for Project Starlight?”
“That is where the other piece of news comes in,” Fang Zhao replied.
“Go on.”
“Zaro is coming.”
“…WHAT?!”
