Why did you provoke me?

Xu Jie found a place to sit down. "No matter how old you are, you're still a child I've watched grow up."

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right." Yan Lei continued, following Xu Jie's lead. He really didn't dare offend this old lady. The experience of having his ear twisted when he was a child was a nightmare that he could never erase from his childhood.

Xu Jie observed their expressions and casually asked them about their experiences in the alien battlefield. "Didn't you all do alien awareness training? How come you were so careless and so many people got infected?"

Yan Lei chuckled but offered no explanation. Xu Jie, seeing his expression, didn't press further, stood up, and walked out. "As long as you're alright, that's fine. Just be careful next time. I'm going to see the commander, so I'm not going to waste my breath on you brats. I've spoiled you for nothing, and you're just playing games with me, a bunch of good-for-nothings."

Everyone looked at their captain with pity. Every time they encountered this old woman, their captain would get a few words of abuse. Their captain couldn't afford to offend this old woman, and they certainly couldn't afford to offend her either.

Xu Jie went directly to Yu Meng's office, knocked on the door, and then pushed it open to go in.

Yu Meng looked up and saw an elderly woman, dressed neatly with a fashionable updo, walk in.

Xu Jie introduced himself first, "Good morning, sir. My name is Xu Jie. I'm on duty at the Seventh Alien Battlefield. I'm back today because of Yan Lei and the others."

Yu Meng stood up. "Aunt Xu, please sit down. Secretary Wu told me about your return. How did it go? Is the matter resolved?"

Xu Jie sat down and carefully examined Yu Meng. She was a thin, small girl with bright eyes. She didn't seem flustered when Yu Meng came in; instead, she remained calm.

"Luckily, Secretary Wu passed me a note, otherwise I wouldn't have had the confidence to argue with them. After all, it really was a black spore alien."

Yu Meng nodded. "You've taken a huge risk with this decision. If our base doesn't handle it properly, it could bring about its annihilation."

Xu Jie nodded in agreement with Yu Meng's statement. "At the time, I just felt sorry for these kids and thought I'd let them go back to the base to try their luck. People that Sister Hua strongly recommends should have some special abilities. Now it seems they've had good luck."

"Is Aunt Xu trying to test me? I was lucky this time, but I won't be lucky every time."

Xu Jie hurriedly waved his hand, "I absolutely didn't have that thought, not at all. I was just worried about something happening, so I rushed back. This will definitely not happen again."

"Aunt Xu, we were lucky this time. We just happened to discover some of the characteristics of the black spores, and they really are as nice as you said. But that's not a reason for you to let them come back on your own," Yu Meng said earnestly.

Xu Jie nodded, "I definitely won't make the same mistake next time."

Then, he cautiously asked Yu Meng, "Could I bring a few more people back?"

Looking at the sensible old lady, Yu Meng couldn't help but smile. "You can come back next time too."

Xu Jie looked at Yu Meng with some hesitation. "Is it what I think it means?"

Yu Meng nodded, "I can't do so many things by myself."

Xu Jie picked up the water glass on the table. "You're very good, you really are. Sister Hua has such good taste; if only we had met you sooner."

"Aunt Xu, it's not too late now. Even if it had been earlier, I might not have been able to succeed. I made them sign a confidentiality agreement. It's not time to go public yet. After all, I'm only here, and I can't solve many problems on my own."

Xu Jie stood up abruptly. "Are you planning to make this public?"

Yu Meng looked at her. "Is there something wrong?"

Xu Jie shook his head. "Of course not. Do you know how many lives and how much energy this alien project cost? You, such a young child, casually say you solved it. Where do you put their faces?"

Xu Jie was getting a little agitated. "Yu Meng, listen to your Aunt Xu, we'll keep this a secret. You can't tell anyone, or you'll be in danger. Even if the whole base protects you, they might not be able to."

"Is it really that dangerous? Isn't this a good thing?" Yu Meng asked, puzzled.

"It's certainly a good thing for those warriors who have been infected with the black spores. But for those who have already benefited, you've ruined their plans." Xu Jie sat back down in her chair. She could tell Yu Meng was a child who listened to advice, so she continued, "Don't assume everyone is so kind. Beneath the glamorous exterior, their hearts are all black."

Yu Meng looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

Xu Jie frowned and continued after a long while. "Because the Third Base was invaded by the Black Spore Xenomorph, they focused their main efforts on the Black Spore Xenomorph, and their research on Black Spore was one step ahead of all other bases."

In the beginning, any Black Spore Warriors that were parasitized would be sent to their base for treatment and observation.

But later, fewer and fewer people went to their base. Some soldiers preferred to be sealed on the battlefield rather than go to their base. Yu Meng, this speaks volumes.

"Aunt Xu, has their research been released to the public?"

"Sometimes they'll just say a word or two vaguely. For example, it's very difficult to find black spore heteromorphs. Or, black spores aren't plant morphologies, but they don't specify what form they are."

Yu Meng asked, "Aunt Xu, would you like to know the morphology of black spores?"

Xu Jie looked at Yu Meng. "Of course I want to know. Will the commander tell me?"

Yu Meng blinked. Why so direct? Shouldn't she have said a few polite, roundabout things first?

"Yes! I can not only tell you its shape, but also how to catch it." Yu Meng's tone was full of sincerity.

Xu Jie immediately stood up again. "You are the commander, you can't go back on your word." Well, she even used a respectful form of address. It's clear she really wanted to know, really wanted to learn.

"Actually, we've all fallen into a misconception. We thought that the aliens would definitely parasitize the brain. But the black spores parasitize the heart." Yu Meng's words completely overturned Xu Jie's understanding.

"The heart." Xu Jie finally managed to speak after a long pause. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll do something outrageous?"

Yu Meng rolled her eyes. "Didn't you say you wanted to know?"

"This is something every bone artist wants to know, isn't it? I just said it out of habit," Xu Jie explained reluctantly.

"Then what should we do? I've already said half of what I wanted to say, so it seems like I can't just ignore it." Yu Meng resorted to shamelessness. "Besides, if you encounter any of our base's soldiers infected with black spores in the alien battlefield, you can deal with them on the spot."

Xu Jie sat down. "Didn't your elders tell you that such precious skills shouldn't be passed on to outsiders casually?"

Yu Meng sighed. Why did everyone ask her this question, but she couldn't explain it clearly?

"This method is something I just discovered, and it's not something passed down from my sect. As long as I agree, no one will say anything," Yu Meng explained.

"Then I'll learn it. It's a practical skill, and no one would refuse such a good thing." Xu Jie was very happy, not expecting this unexpected joy.