Almost no one could withstand such an impact.
Especially when the helicopter landed.
Sacks upon sacks of grain, bolts of cloth, oil, salt, sugar—everything imaginable, food and drink in abundance. And beyond that, medicine and, even more importantly, weapons.
It stirred envy in people's hearts while simultaneously sending a chill down their spines.
"The first batch of supplies is all here. This is the inventory list; please check it carefully to make sure nothing is missing or wrong."
Su Heng took it without hesitation.
He counted meticulously.
When his eyes reached the last line—the word "penicillin"—his gaze froze for a moment, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.
After confirming everything was correct, the total quantity of supplies delivered was substantial—more than enough for them to eat like kings, even wastefully throw away one bowl after another if they were being excessive.
He then eagerly asked:
"Will the grain supplies bound for the Northeast be delivered the same way? I wonder when that will be. Also, it seems the Northeast doesn't know about this yet—if it delays Sister Ning's plans, that would be unfortunate. As it happens, I have some connections here; perhaps I could relay the message on her behalf so they can make preparations and not let Sister Ning's goodwill go to waste."
He spoke at length.
Across from him.
The masked figures, standing ramrod straight, each with an icy demeanor, looking at first glance like carbon copies of one another, showed no reaction. The one in front was a man of few words, his voice cold:
"For large quantities of supplies, helicopters are too inefficient."
"Not needed."
"The young lady will come in person."
At that final sentence, Su Heng, who had been looking a little disappointed, widened his eyes. Behind him, the others did the same, all of them stirred with excitement.
Su Ning was coming!
There was nothing more to say. Everyone began mentally rehearsing what impressive deeds they had done and how they could make Miss Su take notice. Everyone wanted to get ahead.
The helicopter departed.
Only then did the crowd of onlookers open up, their faces full of joy and satisfaction. It really seemed there was genuine material support coming—everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"True friendship is shown in times of crisis. Miss Su is actually a good person after all."
"Yeah, how much grain do you think it'll be?"
"With promises like that, it can't be little. I just worry the higher-ups in office might pocket it all and nothing will reach ordinary folks like us."
"That can't be, not at a time like this."
The noise was too loud.
Having said what needed to be said, Su Heng unceremoniously started shooing people away. The crowd dispersed reluctantly, glancing back even as they walked off. Following along had truly been worth it—they'd not only confirmed the good news but also seen something impressive.
That thing—was it called a helicopter? Rumbling, whirring.
It looked incredibly formidable.
The helicopter pilots too—all big, tall men in their uniforms, with their weapons and their bearing. Anyone could tell at a glance they were formidable people.
It was genuinely inspiring.
Probably the elite of the elite. Even the Northeastern Army might not have many to match them.
As the saying goes, you can see the whole leopard from its spots.
For Miss Su to have subordinates like that under her command, her strength must be considerable indeed.
Over here.
Su Heng recounted what had just happened, sneering:
"That Huo Xiang—oily-faced and shifty-eyed—any fool can see he's no good. He calls it gruel distribution, but I bet there's hardly any real grain in it. Wood shavings, bran, weed roots all mixed in, and only a few pots of it at that. Yet he makes such a huge spectacle—he's definitely up to something else!"
That was his instinct as a member of the Su family.
The others exchanged glances.
"Probably just after a good reputation. It's only human to have selfish motives," someone said.
That was normal. Take Miss Su's sudden burst of generosity this time—it was also for the sake of the oil business. An oil field even bigger than the Yumen field—it should have been a wonderful thing, but then war suddenly broke out.
If you want to take, you must first give.
To motivate people to protect the oil field, she offered some benefits first.
"Hmph, I don't think it's that simple. That fellow doesn't look like good stock. He might be nursing a grudge against Sister Ning. We must stay vigilant. When Sister Ning arrives, I'll make sure to warn her properly."
Su Heng thought, quite villainously.
If the man really was a problem, it would be best to deal with him right here.
War, after all.
People die in war all the time. It's perfectly normal.
Perhaps because his mind was divided, Su Heng happened to step on something as he walked, his foot slipping. As he stumbled and nearly fell, he took a couple of steps backward.
He collided with someone carrying supplies. Crash—things scattered everywhere.
He lowered his head to apologize.
The person picking things up also happened to look up to say there was no need to thank him. The two bumped heads, Su Heng taking a hit to the nose. With a muffled groan, he fell backward flat.
The others laughed at the sight.
What a coincidence.
But as the laughter continued, they noticed that Su Heng wasn't getting up. Underneath him, a pool of bright red blood was spreading, growing wider and wider.
Everyone panicked.
When they looked, they saw that beneath Su Heng lay an extremely sharp pair of scissors. They should have been closed, but when they fell, the blades had come apart...
...
In the time it takes to eat a meal.
The news that Miss Su was sending grain supplies to support the Northeast spread like wildfire. Soon, even the Young Marshal's headquarters heard about it.
Their first reaction was, of course, joy.
War wasn't just about men fighting—it was a battle of resources. Even with advance preparations, money and supplies were flowing away like water, causing hearts to ache.
Some, however, were worried:
"This... I just feel uneasy. A leopard doesn't change its spots. Could Su Ning really have turned into a good person all of a sudden?"
"Let's not worry about that. Get the supplies in hand first. Even if she has ulterior motives, it'd have to be something we can actually give."
"Didn't they say she's coming in person? Then we'll find out."
"We can't miss this opportunity. Not to mention the rest, Su Ning is one of the people with the most grain in the country. The fertilizer agreement alone stockpiled her a huge amount. Earlier, when people secretly tried switching to opium poppies, she made an example of them and no one dared violate the rules after that. There was just a good harvest—who knows how much grain she's sitting on right now."
"She also owns plenty of land abroad."
"And Su Shipping—she can transport grain in massive quantities..."
Speaking one after another.
The more they talked, the more excited they became. They agreed on one thing: no matter what Su Ning's motives were, she was to be treated well.
To stabilize public morale, the matter wasn't kept secret—in fact, it was publicized. When Huo Xiang and Wu Yi heard the news, both were in a foul mood.
The two of them had been lying low here.
One was handing out gruel, planning to donate grain as well, building goodwill with the Northeastern Army so they could serve the Japanese more effectively when the moment came.
The other was using Huo Xiang to whitewash his own reputation.
Bang—
Wu Yi slammed his fist hard on the table.
Clenching his teeth:
"Su Ning! Why does it have to be that bitch again!"
"We can't just sit here and do nothing," Huo Xiang said in a low voice. "If Su Ning actually pulls this off, not only will she derail our plans, but her standing in the Northeast will rise dramatically. And since we have bad blood with her, she might very well come seeking revenge."
Hearing that, Wu Yi's face turned even darker.
Unlike Huo Xiang.
He was the one who would be affected the most—after all, his foundation was in the Northeast.
"So what do we do?"
"I heard one of Su Ning's clansmen was seriously injured today, and they took a desperate risk using penicillin." A smirk tugged at the corner of Huo Xiang's mouth, though he also sounded regretful. "What a pity he didn't die on the spot."
"You should know about the trouble penicillin has caused. If people find out that Su Ning is actually buying lives with money, having people test drugs..."
Hearing this, Wu Yi understood everything clearly.
He laughed coldly and answered:
"I'm afraid that's exactly what Su Ning is planning. Otherwise, why would she happen to bring penicillin over? What a vicious, cold-blooded woman. Watch me expose her!"
....
Achoo.
Su Ning sneezed, her nose clearing up. She actually caught a cold in the middle of summer!
"Who told you to stay in an air-conditioned room all day?"
The system remarked.
Even though the air conditioner was exchanged from the system mall, due to the limitations of the era, it couldn't adjust the temperature. Add in ice cream, popsicles, and all sorts of cold treats, eaten without any restraint—no wonder she caught a cold.
"But I won't be able to enjoy it for much longer. No, my air conditioner."
Su Ning clutched her chest in pain.
Why.
Why couldn't the air conditioner be carried along? Even if it could, the fighting in the Northeast meant unstable electricity, so it wouldn't power the unit anyway.
So she could only go early and come back early.
Despite the cold, Su Ning's mood was still bright. Her good-person plan was progressing smoothly. In the past few days, the reward curve for non-plot characters had even slowed its climb.
Even if it was only by a tiny bit.
It was still worth encouraging.
Thinking of this, she felt full of anticipation for the trip to the Northeast. She was finally about to become a good person again. The thought alone was a little exciting.
