Soldiers soon came down to inspect the vehicles Lu Heng had brought back. The heavy trucks also had to be opened and inspected. The base feared that zombies might be hiding inside, so every place that could potentially conceal something, brought back by any team, was meticulously checked.
However, when they opened the truck's cargo bay and saw the supplies piled inside, they were all stunned into silence.
This Mr. Lu was indeed extraordinary. He had been out for a while and managed to find so many supplies for the base. Moreover, Mr. Lu had gone out alone, far surpassing other ability users in the base in terms of capability.
Lu Heng walked to his off-road vehicle and said to the soldiers who had gathered to inspect, "Take this truckload of supplies back to the barracks. This is my gift to the base. You can follow Commander Zhao's arrangements for its distribution. Also, please park this heavy truck outside your barracks; it will be more convenient for future supply runs."
After speaking, he got back into his off-road vehicle and returned directly to the villa, without waiting for the other soldiers to reply.
Having not been back for so many days, Lu Heng had Black Bear give the villa a simple cleaning upon entering.
Lu Heng looked at the thick curtains in the villa. It seemed he should have reflective stickers installed on all the villa's windows. That way, he wouldn't need to draw the curtains and turn on the lights during the day.
However, he didn't want to do any of that today. He preferred to relax and slack off. After many days of continuous travel, he didn't feel like working anymore.
Black Bear was now very proficient at household chores. It quickly wiped down each room. It felt like the most useful one in the villa, and for that, it always received a special reward after finishing its chores.
Today, Lu Heng specifically rewarded it with a bucket of honey, freshly harvested. Black Bear, holding the honey bucket, sat on a cushion in the villa's first-floor living room, watching television while enjoying the delicious honey.
The other animals were also gathered around the living room, either lying down or sitting. A giant LCD television was mounted on the wall of the first-floor living room. Lu Heng had found a football match for them to watch.
He had now revoked Director's authority to freely choose video programs. After all, it was quite difficult to break the addiction to mahjong. Therefore, Lu Heng would personally select and play whatever programs the pets watched.
To enable them to watch programs better, Lu Heng had specifically installed a massive television in the first-floor living room and connected it to a host. The television could then play a rotation of pre-set programs.
The next day, the base sent someone to notify Lu Heng. They stated that the base's management intended to express their gratitude for the supplies Lu Heng had donated and hoped he could visit the base for a discussion.
Lu Heng readily agreed. He also had some matters he needed to discuss with the base. After all, there were many similarities between the new world he had discovered and this place. He planned to sell the supplies he obtained from there at this base. However, he didn't lack crystals or ordinary supplies; he wanted to exchange them for things his space didn't have.
After a simple preparation, Lu Heng left with the Siberian Tiger and the Golden Eagle. He brought these two animals with him this time for two reasons: First, to openly bring them out for combat in the future; second, to let the outside world have some understanding of his combat capabilities.
It wasn't wise to hide his strength indefinitely. It was time for the base personnel to understand his abilities, though he would certainly hold back some and not reveal everything at once.
...
Base Command Center.
Upon entering the barracks, Lu Heng was greeted by an officer waiting at the entrance and escorted into their command center.
In the conference room, he was met with a standing ovation from a group of officers. They were the same faces he had seen last time, but this time, Lu Heng could clearly feel that everyone's attitude towards him had changed.
Commander Zhao Kai of the base was very enthusiastic. It was evident that the smile on his middle-aged face was more genuine than ever.
"Hahaha, Mr. Lu, you've been gone for about two months, haven't you? I didn't expect you to bring so many supplies back to the base upon your return."
"Indeed. But what's truly surprising is that Mr. Lu's abilities must have advanced further during this trip. I heard about the incredible skills Mr. Lu displayed in Wengcheng, which left those unsophisticated country bumpkins dumbfounded," another officer chimed in.
"Haha, yes. Come, Mr. Lu, please have a seat. I'll have Little Li bring some tea, and we can have a good chat."
Zhao Kai enthusiastically walked to the door, intending to guide Lu Heng to a seat at the conference table. However, when he saw the tiger following behind Lu Heng and the eagle perched on the tiger's back, his eyes widened as he looked at Lu Heng.
"This... I recall Mr. Lu's pet was an orange cat, wasn't it? Why is it so large? And you mentioned having a turtle?"
Lu Heng's mouth twitched. "Those two are staying at home; I didn't bring them out. I brought these two today to meet everyone."
"It's not that cat? I thought mutated animals could grow this big," a young officer sitting in a corner muttered.
Lu Heng was led by Zhao Kai to a chair behind the conference table. "Heh, indeed, mutated animals are larger than ordinary animals, but not *that* exaggerated."
Then, he turned and rubbed the head of the Siberian Tiger crouching behind him. "This is a Siberian Tiger. As you can see, its physique is indeed much more robust than that of an ordinary adult tiger."
"Squeak~~~~~~"
"Crash......"
"Crackling......"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sounds of chairs being moved and falling echoed through the conference room.
Lu Heng turned his head and surveyed the surroundings. Some officers had already drawn their pistols and were nervously aiming at the Siberian Tiger.
The Siberian Tiger couldn't help but roll its eyes, but it made no other move. It would be awkward if someone nervously fired and hit it.
Lu Heng shifted his body, shielding the Siberian Tiger. He was now a ninth-tier ability user. Black Bear possessed strength-based abilities. Although it hadn't reached the tenth level of invulnerability, he was confident he could instantly neutralize any incoming bullets with his abilities.
Seeing Lu Heng stand in front of the tiger, some people gradually relaxed. It wasn't that they lacked courage; they had initially assumed Lu Heng had brought a mutated orange cat. Now, suddenly hearing that an ability-user tiger was beside him, they were naturally a little scared, given the close proximity.
Furthermore, the combat capabilities of ability-user animals far surpassed those of ordinary animals. They were unsure what abilities the tiger possessed, and its ability level appeared to be quite high. Therefore, with such a dangerous tiger nearby, it was no wonder they were so tense.