Chapter 150 - 148: Casual Chat

Words : 1206 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

The installation of the geothermal heat pump equipment went very smoothly. The workers responsible for the construction were evidently very professional. Whether it was laying the cement base or aligning and leveling the equipment, everything was done flawlessly. This gave Chen Xin an inexplicable feeling of familiarity. From childhood to adulthood, he had seen and interacted with these kinds of mechanical equipment and on-site constructions way too often. Whether it was his childhood experiences living in a chemical plant, watching from the sidelines of construction sites with his father, or his own personal experiences after starting to work, Chen Xin always felt a close connection to this kind of equipment installation and debugging work. However, while Chen Xin felt a sense of closeness and familiarity, Qin Lan, who was watching from the side, inevitably found it a bit boring. As a sniper, Qin Lan certainly didn’t lack patience, but that did not stop her from feeling bored. Nevertheless, since accompanying Chen Xin was considered a task and something she wanted to do, she managed to endure the current boredom, although it was hard not to show it in her emotions. Chen Xin seemed to notice Qin Lan’s mood, so he said to her, "Ah Lan, if there’s something you need to do, you can go ahead and do it. I can manage here by myself." "Ah? No, it’s fine. I don’t have anything to do today. I’ll just keep you company," Qin Lan quickly shook her head. Although she was a bit bored and had nothing to do, she insisted on staying with Chen Xin. Seeing this, Chen Xin didn’t insist anymore but still said to Qin Lan, "It’s up to you, but if you really have something to do, don’t let keeping me company delay you." "Don’t worry, Chen Xin. The political commissar said yesterday that my task for the next couple of days is to take care of you." Qin Lan smiled slightly upon hearing Chen Xin’s words, "Chen Xin, you have no idea how important this geothermal heat pump system is to the political commissar and the captain! It’s almost become the team’s top priority, so I’ll stay with you." This statement made Chen Xin feel flattered, but seeing Qin Lan’s determined attitude, he didn’t say anything more. Besides, in his opinion, although Qin Lan might find accompanying him a bit boring, it was better than going out on missions against the wind and snow. Despite it sounding a bit selfish, Chen Xin hoped that the people he knew would endure a little less hardship. The workers’ construction went very smoothly. Considering that there weren’t too many holes to drill and ground anchors to lay for the six geothermal heat pumps, they had basically finished the work by noon. The ground anchors needed to be reinforced with cement to secure the steel plates, so after the construction was completed, it needed some time to set before the geothermal heat pump could be officially installed. "So, Chen Xin, what are you doing this afternoon?" During lunch, Qin Lan heard that they had to wait for the cement to set before continuing with the geothermal heat pump installation, so she naturally asked about the afternoon plans. "In the afternoon, mainly drilling holes on the lower level to prepare for placing the heat exchange pipes." Chen Xin answered Qin Lan’s question, and perhaps thinking she might have plans in the afternoon, asked her, "Ah Lan, do you have something to do this afternoon?" Qin Lan shook her head at this question, "I don’t have anything in the afternoon. I was mostly worried about you, Chen Xin. After going through what happened last night and having to work again today, I’m afraid you might not be able to take it." "You worry too much. I’m just standing on the side, watching and occasionally giving some guidance. It won’t be tiring." Qin Lan’s concern made Chen Xin laugh. While feeling touched, he seemed to change the subject, asking, "By the way, Ah Lan, why were you so decisive in directly shooting those three people last night? Isn’t it usually a warning before shooting?" Upon hearing Chen Xin bring up last night’s incident, Qin Lan inevitably tensed up a bit. But when she realized he was asking why she shot, she relaxed, adjusted her emotions, and replied, "I did shout ’Don’t move,’ but those three still raised the fireman’s axe, intending to attack the injured on the ground. In that situation, I could only shoot." At this point, as if to reinforce the impression that she was the one who shot the three people, Qin Lan deliberately apologized to him, saying, "I’m sorry, Chen Xin. I shouldn’t have shot them in the head directly last night. If I had aimed at the torso, I probably wouldn’t have scared you." Of course, Chen Xin understood the situation. He just shook his head indifferently at Qin Lan’s apology: "It’s nothing; it’s my lack of endurance. But why did this happen? There shouldn’t be circumstances where three people with a fireman’s axe would be attacking someone, right? This isn’t some apocalyptic drama from the West where cannibals appear just to depict human darkness." "Chen Xin, you’re being too optimistic!" Qin Lan bitterly smiled, denying Chen Xin’s conjecture before explaining, "Human nature hasn’t turned so dark as to spawn cannibals, but some people weren’t much better. Ever since the disaster struck, some with dark thoughts thought it was their opportunity, and various illegal and even harshly barbaric acts emerged. They claim to aid other survivors, but in reality, they kill or enslave men, confine women for pleasure, and engage in brutal killings for fun... The list of evil acts goes on! The municipal government had already issued an order, stating that addressing such heinous incidents was no longer about capture but suppression. Additionally, last night’s incident involved a woman trading for food, who was discovered by those three trying to rob her, and they even intended to kill!" The information Qin Lan provided came from the injured, whom she and the supporting police accompanied to the hospital with Chen Xin. The identities of the three criminals shot dead were not confirmed, but their assault on the injured and attempt to attack with a fireman’s axe were verified, aligning with the injured’s testimony. Such incidents were not new to Qin Lan. At the beginning of the disaster, she might have been reluctant to shoot so decisively. However, incidents of severe injury due to delayed shooting had occurred, even injuring police officers. Since then, the new unwritten rule was to shoot immediately if the other party showed aggression or violent tendencies. After Qin Lan explained to Chen Xin, he nodded in understanding, "Indeed, that’s how it should be. The state could maintain strict order before, but now in times like these, who knows if seemingly harmless people won’t suddenly pull out a knife?" For the three people she killed, Chen Xin felt not the slightest sympathy or regret. Even if they had been innocent, under last night’s circumstances, killing them would only count as unintentional manslaughter. Hearing Chen Xin’s thoughts, Qin Lan finally smiled, "Chen Xin, I’m glad you see it that way!"

Chapter 150 - 148: Casual Chat

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