《I Attacked Because I Was Afraid Of Death》


 CH 1

    Chapter 1: Little white flower became a piranha


    ¡°Chi Xin! Chi Xin! Wake up! No way, how can you faint just from a zombie movie¡­¡±


    Her roommate¡¯s voice was getting further and further away. There was a buzzing sound in her ears and the face of the zombie rushing towards the hero was carved in her brain. Fighting with the terror that was drowning her, her other senses seemed to awaken.


    Endless screams, fire shots, the sound of flesh and blood being ripped, and the strong rancid and metallic smell of blood assaulted Chi Xin, stimulating her to open her eyes.


    A clouded eyeball fell out and the face that followed it revealed half of the bone, the stinking and disgusting mouth suddenly enlarging in her field of vision.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s expression went blank with horror and her heart screamed: Zombie!!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With a gunshot, the zombie in front of her fell down but another one was coming, and then another one. The densely packed zombies formed a huge wave and the whole ground was shaking under their assault.


    The place where she stood was very high and in the distance was a dilapidated city and an endless tide of corpses. The zombies came wave after wave and the giant wall beneath her feet as it would collapse under the attack.


    Chi Xin lowered her head; she was holding a gun in her slender hands, the silver body very smooth and beautiful. Her body wasn¡¯t listening to her, she trembled and almost fell to her death.


    The name of the gun suddenly appeared in her mind: Desert Eagle, and the strange thing was even though her body was shaking like a leaf, the hand holding the weapon was surprisingly steady, without the slightest tremor. It seemed that as long as she lifted it up, she could dominate the whole world.


    ¡°Chi Xin, use your life to pay for this mistake.¡±


    Despite the endless chaos, the cold voice reached Chi Xin¡¯s ears. She turned around and the handsome face that had made her swoon earlier on the screen appeared. He was quite far away, with short black hair, fair complexion, and clear and sharp eyes behind his glasses. Chi Xin wanted to scream but the stench of blood and rot fought its way into her mouth and nose and she tightened her lips quickly.


    The hero of the movie raised his gun, the black muzzle not aimed at the zombies but at herself. He was going to kill her! The thought spread into Chi Xin¡¯s mind and her pupils dilated under the intense fear; zombies were everywhere and humans were fighting, she had nowhere to escape.


    She remembered the voice in her head before she had passed out.


    [Congratulations for binding the troublemaker system. After entering the world of the movie ¡°Journey of the end of times¡±, the host must work hard to cause trouble every day! But because the doomsday world is highly difficult, the host can choose to add defense, attack, foresight, or other functions¡­]


    ¡°Journey of the end of times¡± was a zombie movie with supernatural powers and the heroine was named Jiang Congyun and had a portable space as a family heirloom. She didn¡¯t know anything about it at first and this secret had been discovered by the supporting female character; she had tricked the heroine into lending her the necklace and secretly tied it to herself with a drop of blood. When the heroine had asked to get it back, the little villain had denied she ever got it until she exposed herself.


    The heroine had a gentle personality and did not like to enter conflict with others. She was distraught at the thought of not getting it back but whether it was her, the hero, or the second male lead, they knew that if the supporting female character died, they would never get the pendant that had integrated itself into her body back. But not only that, when the heroine had saved the second male lead, the man had mistakenly believed the little villain was his savior. Relying on this false life-saving grace, the female supporting character had squeezed herself into the protagonist group and while they all hated her, she had forced them to protect her.


    This female supporting character was the one Chi Xin had transmigrated into. She had taken on the entire movie¡¯s hate value until she had come across the evolved zombie king, successfully ending her life. And of course, the current assault was her fault.


    When they had reached Base L, she had believed it was safe. As soon as they had entered the base, she had dumped the protagonist group to seduce a few admirers willing to give her food, thanks to her weak and beautiful appearance. The end of the world had started three months prior; mankind had not entirely been wiped out yet and people had not yet acclimated to the apocalypse and needed to eat just like before.


    This time, the original Chi Xin had disobeyed orders; she had made a scene and acted recklessly, asking one of her admirers to take her out of the base to¡­ find cosmetics. Unfortunately, she had also provoked powerful zombies on the way. They had rushed back to the base and brought back with them thousands of zombies.


    It was no wonder everybody was looking at her with resentment and no one was stopping the hero.


    Watching the male lead gradually approach, Chi Xin wanted to retreat but was rooted in place by fear. Should she hug the hero¡¯s thigh right away and beg for forgiveness?


    ¡°Xiubai! Stop!¡±


    The voice claiming to be the troublemaker system overlapped with a shout coming from not too far away.


    [The troublemaker system is successfully bound. Please raise your trouble value within three days otherwise the host¡¯s body will be controlled as a punishment to forcefully obtain trouble value.]


    [The acquisition of the trouble value is closely related to the caused trouble¡¯s proportions. The system will help the host at any time, don¡¯t worry!]


    Chi Xin unexpectedly became more worried after hearing that; she didn¡¯t want to come to this stupid world and she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble!


    ¡°What trouble? What don¡¯t you make some yourself? Send me back! Hurry!¡±


    [The host needs to understand that her body in the original world is already dead. If the host wants to live, she can only get trouble value in this world.]


    Jiang Xiubai¡¯s figure gradually enlarged in her pupils and the trigger in his hand was about to be pulled¡­ But a zombie was faster than him and rushed to Chi Xin, his mouth wide open to take a bite and disgusting saliva coming from it. Chi Xin¡¯s entire mind went blank.


    I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I can¡¯t die!


    She raised her hand instinctively and slammed the zombie who almost bit her with the gun in her hand. Jing Xiubai¡¯s eyes followed her movement and the finger who was about to press the trigger stopped.


    Chi Xin¡¯s hands were small and thin and even if she had been given a gun, nobody believed she could control the Desert eagle and its strong recoil. But those weak hands slammed the heavy weapon in the zombie¡¯s head like it weighed nothing. Blood and brain fluid exploded on the silver handle, dripping on her slender white wrist and on her arm.


    Yu Xiang, who had noticed Jiang Xiubai was about to kill Chi Xin, only had time to call out. Seeing as his friend kept walking towards the girl, he killed the zombies around him and rushed to them. Chi Xin was hateful but she had saved his life and he couldn¡¯t just watch her die like that¡­ but the next second, he saw Chi Xin¡¯s gun in the zombie¡¯s head.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth wide, like all the people who had just witnessed this scene, and stared at Chi Xin dumbfounded.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t notice she was attracting attention. She snatched her gun back and almost suffocated as she looked at her sticky hands.


    Blood! There is blood! Aaaaaah!


    She was upset and words were useless at this moment; she raised her guns and shot at her surrounding like a madwoman.


    As she shot and shot some more, she realized that no matter where she pointed her gun, even if she pointed it at the sky, a zombie¡¯s brain would explode in deadly precision.


    Chi Xin: Huh?


    She deliberately tried to shoot behind her for the sake of experimentation and in the eyes of others, she suddenly put her hand in her back in a beautiful arc, instantly fired, and hit a zombie who was about to attack her from behind.


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    Everyone: ¡­


    On the treacherous battlefield, Chi Xin¡¯s location had become a delicate tornado. Everybody watched countless zombies trying to pounce on the slender girl in the middle. Her eyes were sad, she was silent and her body was slightly shaking but the gun in her hand was extremely steady. One by one, she killed the zombies that were coming at her. She seemed to have endless power in her thin body and her anguished gaze looked at the hell on earth before her with pity. She was like a well-trained soldier, decisive and confident, without discarding the kindest truth.


    All those who witnessed this scene, whether they knew her or not, looked at Chi Xin with complexity and amazement.


    ¡°This¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Xiang swallowed hard and was almost bitten on his arm in his daze: ¡°When did Chi Xin become so powerful?¡±


    Jing Xiubai raised his slender finger to push back the glasses on the bridge of his nose, the lenses covering the look in his eyes.


    ¡°How long until the bio-cannons arrive?¡±


    ¡°Ten kilometers left.¡± Yu Xiang looked around with a worried look and withdrew his gaze after seeing a man get violently torn apart by a zombie. He whispered: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to use your ability?¡±


    Jing Xiubai kept staring at Chi Xin: ¡°It depends on the situation.¡±


    The emotions that had taken over and had led him to try to kill Chi Xin had disappeared and calm only stayed.


    Not far from where they were, Chi Xin heard what they said and was so frightened she almost dropped her gun. The hero Jing Xiubai was the son of the director of the top virology institute in Country C. When Jing Xiubai was still studying in middle school in Country S, he had been taken in for human experiments and had been injected with some kind of medicine that gave him ice powers. In the movie, having abilities was a sin and it was hidden from the public.


    Although the hero had been rescued by his father, due to this terrible experience, hidden madness and alienation were in his heart, until he gradually healed from the angelic heroine¡¯s presence.


    In the movie, the hero had condensed his ice sword during this zombie siege, and coupled with the aid of the biological cannonballs specially transported from City A, he had repelled the zombie army and exposed his ability to everyone.


    But now, looking at Jing Xiubai¡¯s indifferent eyes, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t feel the slightest sign of action and she kept pressing the trigger, crying without tears.


    ¡°Click.¡±


    The magazine was empty. No one had thought of giving her supplementary ammos and she suspected the Desert Eagle had ended in her hand by mistake in the midst of the chaos; with her thin body, just by pressing the trigger and being pushed back by the recoil, she would have delivered free food to the zombies.


    What to do now? Fear surged again and Chi Xin looked around in a panic, just in time to see Jing Xiubai¡¯s calm eyes; he had no intention of lending a helping hand and Chi Xin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at the hero with accusations: why aren¡¯t you doing anything? Why are you just watching? This scene had not lasted so long in the movie and if this continued like this, higher level zombies would become more agitated and their number would rise.


    As if sensing her thoughts, Jing Xiubai glanced at her lightly. His look was full of warning and Chi Xin shivered before inserting her gun into the open mouth of the nearest zombie.


    Chi Xin: Ah, I¡¯m going to die!


    Because of past experiences, Chi Xin became expressionless when she was frightened. After staying in this position for less than half a second, her body automatically moved and she instinctively lifted her foot before kicking the sturdy male zombie, like a piece of paper. He was kicked straight down the roll and took another with him. When she turned around, her face was blank and indifferent, as if she had done the most trivial thing.


    She needed to find a way to get the hero to take action, otherwise, everybody would die even if the bio-cannons arrived. An idea formed in her head and she turned around to look at Jing Xiubai. As she was about to speak, something happened.


    ¡°Chi Xin! This is all your fault! Why do you still have the face to live, you should just die!¡±


    Someone rushed at her with a distorted expression and trembling hands raising a gun pointed straight at her, roaring wildly.


    ¡°Everything is your fault! Why won¡¯t you just die? Why don¡¯t you die¡ª¡±


    Chi Xin saw the muzzle pointed at her and her unwillingness to die took over. She quickly raised her leg, trying to gently discourage the man¡­


    ¡°Bang.¡±


    When no one reacted, the gun in the man¡¯s hand flew straight out. Chi Xin steadily braced herself on the ground with one foot, her entire body tilted, and her other foot raised high above her head before kicking the man¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi Xin stared at the flying gun, then at the angry man, and stopped moving for half a second. She then withdrew her leg with no expression and sincerely apologized: ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    TL note: zombies again! Yes, I was completely in a mood last month and this one was one of my favorites along with Qingqing¡¯s story and another one way too long for me to translate. It might sound rather similar to The vicious female character at the end of days at first but don¡¯t worry, despite the zombies, the portable space, and the special abilities, the plot is not the same.


    I actually only read the first Arc when it first came out and was saving chapters until the second was completed. Now that the author started the fourth one, I thought it was a good idea to re-read it and decided to translate it on the way because Sister Chi deserves to be shared with the world.


    The chapters are rather long, longer than my other projects anyway, and will become even longer in the future. They will most likely all be divided into two or three parts so I don¡¯t die from over-translation (that¡¯s a thing now).


    The romance is¡­ minimal at best and this isn¡¯t a story about the main character hooking up with the original hero and leaving the original heroine in the dirt. I can¡¯t say too much without risking giving any spoilers but don¡¯t hesitate to check the little reading guide I made! The story entered its last arc (most likely), so I still don¡¯t know how it ends. And as always, all chapters have been purchased on JJ and if you want to support the author, please do so!


    Happy reading, I hope you enjoy it~

 CH 2

    Chapter 2: Let¡¯s go down together


    The gun that flew out hit a zombie in the head and when she looked at the man¡¯s distorted face, Chi Xin felt a little guilty. She just wanted to keep him from firing, who knew her leg would move on its own.


    The man was shocked for a moment and recovered a bit of sanity. He stared at the weak and thin Chi Xin; he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid and didn¡¯t dare to make another rash move.


    ¡°Cao Yan, what is going on?¡±


    Yu Xiang had been watching the scene on the side and had a hard time picking up his jaw from the floor. When he saw the man go crazy, he rushed over and shouted with warning.


    ¡°Yu Xiang, I know she saved your life but you can¡¯t protect her anymore!¡± Cao Yan¡¯s eyes were full of hatred and shot straight to Chi Xin.


    ¡°She caused this! How many lives have just been lost? How many more? If we aren¡¯t going to survive, she should pay with her blood first!¡±


    Yu Xiang glanced at Chi Xin behind him. Knowing her character, she should have started crying by now, saying she was innocent, that she didn¡¯t mean it or didn¡¯t know anything, just like she had done when they had questioned her about Jiang Congyun¡¯s pendant.


    But Chi Xin opened a pair of large, calm eyes and looked back at them quietly; her aloof and composed face were not expressions he had expected to see. A trace of confusion flashed through his eyes and Yu Xiang reluctantly looked at Jing Xiubai who was standing not far away.


    ¡°Are you still not going to do anything?¡±


    Chi Xin was on the lookout for danger from any directions and nodded wildly in her heart: Yes, hero, do something! I¡¯m not ready to die yet!


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t immediately answer. He shot a zombie that lunged at him and a few drops of dirty blood splashed on his face. He raised his eyes to look at the distance; on the other side of the thick smoke, several tanks were breaking through the layers of zombies and heading towards them. Chi Xin followed his gaze and watched the situation, as more and more survivors noticed the vehicles. Suddenly, hope renewed under the fear and everyone cheered for salvation.


    The biological cannonballs in them had been developed by the top research institute of the country, which had relocated itself to City A¡¯s base after the outbreak, and had been made specially to incapacitate the zombie virus.


    One, two, three, four¡­ There were only five units. Chi Xin¡¯s heart that had relaxed slightly tensed up again and the expression on her face became even colder.


    In the movie, in order to repel this wave of zombies, City A had dispatched ten tanks, each equipped with three bio-cannons. With the help of the hero, they had managed to drive away the army of corpses and kill the high-level zombie that had come with it. But right now, not only the male protagonist had no attention on doing anything, but the tanks had also been reduced by half!


    Listening to the nearby survivors¡¯ cheers and seeing their determination rise again, Chi Xin opened her mouth to speak, which was seen by Jing Xiubai. The man wiped the bloodstains on his face and looked at her from behind his glasses.


    ¡°Chi Xin, what do you have to say for your defense?¡±


    Chi Xin: Is it too late to beg for mercy?


    In the same instant, under everybody¡¯s cheers, the five tanks had been fully prepared and started to fire the biological cannonballs at the zombies.


    Bang.


    Thousands of corpses suddenly lost their traction and fell straight to the ground. Seeing the efficacity, people¡¯s excitement increased and some even cried with joy. One after another, cannonballs were fired and the zombie army weakened at a speed visible to the naked eye; layers upon layers of dead bodies piled up after losing the vitality of the virus.


    Things were getting better and even Cao Yan, who had just gone insane, knelt on the ground in tears, clasping his hands and mumbling religiously. But Jing Xiubai who had never stopped staring at Chi Xing realized her beautiful and indifferent profile had become more solemn. What did she find?


    Chi Xin watched as zombies fell like dominos but did not cheer like the others. Instead, she became anxious and worried. Her gaze kept searching among the zombies and the fallen corpse around made the standing figures easier to spot¡­ found it!


    Based on the image of the movie in her memory, Chi Xin stared at a zombie who was standing in the middle. The distance was too far and she couldn¡¯t see its appearance but could guess it was stronger than the other corpses; this was the high-level zombie who had launched the attack. No matter how many ordinary zombies died, as long as it stayed alive, the attack would be endless. Once the biological cannons ran out, even if the hero was willing to finally take action, she was afraid it would be too late.


    No way, she really didn¡¯t want to die!


    With Chi Xin¡¯s increasingly cold gaze, Jing Xiubai also noticed the obviously different zombie and his mood sank. Was this¡­? But how did Chi Xin know about it and how did she find it so fast?


    Yu Xiang also saw both of their expressions and said his own smile dropped: ¡°No, the zombies are almost dead, why do you look like that?¡±


    Chi Xin remained silent and the troublemaker system rang in her head.


    [The host has killed fifty zombies and has gotten five points of trouble. Keep it up, host!]


    Chi Xin asked suspiciously: ¡°Killing zombies also cause trouble?¡±


    [The host is indeed causing trouble for the zombie side. So go kill that high-level zombie now!]


    Chi Xin: ?!


    Despite being so afraid of death, the reason Chi Xin was currently unresponsive was that she was fighting with the system in her head.


    [Jump down! Kill the zombies!]


    ¡°No!¡±


    [Hurry up! You can¡¯t die! Jump!]


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    [You won¡¯t die!]


    Chi Xin¡¯s brain was about to explode and the system changed its request: [Then push the hero down! Hurry up!]


    Chi Xin: ¡­ Dog system! What is this stupid idea, isn¡¯t the world chaotic enough?


    Chi Xin raised her head to glance at Jing Xiubai, who was still standing straight in the panic, as handsome as ever even covered in blood.


    ¡°I¡­¡±

 CH 3

    Chapter 3: Go be a hero


    Chi Xin felt incredible anguish as she jumped off the huge wall with Jing Xiubai. As the wind buzzed in her ears, the people on the wall became black dots.


    [Ding! The trouble value has risen to 55. Congratulations to the host, keep up the good work!]


    This action had actually given her 50 points at once, offending the hero was obviously not small. Cold air blew in Chi Xin¡¯s expressionless face and her heart almost stopped; in this irrational movie world, she could already see her ill-fated future.


    But the system¡¯s action awakened her. If the system could manipulate her at will if her trouble value was too low, what would happen if she never increased it? To whom would her body belong? Would she lose her consciousness without even realizing it? Would the system destroy her body to get rid of a nuisance? Or would she become stuck here, unable to control her action but able to see everything until the day she died? Fear spread in her heart.


    In the rapid fall, Jing Xiubai¡¯s glasses flew away and his clear and sharp eyes were full of disbelief. Chi Xin felt cold all over and a chilling feeling reached her bones until she realized she was still holding the male protagonist. Jing Xiubai wasn¡¯t trying to kill her but forming a surface of ice around them, as their two bodies landed on a mountain of previously stacked unconscious zombies. Ignoring Chi Xin¡¯s hands still tied to his body, Jing Xiubai stretched out his arms to protect the girl in his embrace, planning on using himself as a shield to withstand the impact of the fall.


    His intentions were honorable, but for Chi Xin who had just offended him for some 50 points of trouble, his protection made her freeze. Regardless of the current situation, Chi Xin instinctively tried to push the hero away but as she freed her hands, Jing Xiubai¡¯s momentum suddenly stopped and without the concealment of his frames, his eyes showed astonishment. In order to prevent the hard landing from tearing him apart, he had to let go of Chi Xin and his hands grabbed a zombie¡¯s arm. He then quickly turned around to search for Chi Xin¡¯s figure; even with the zombies as a buffer, landing after a fall this high would end up in internal damage.


    Chi Xin at this time: Ah! Ah! Ah! So many zombies!


    After being separated from Jing Xiubai, it took her a while to realize she had ended up on a pile of zombies. No! No! Don¡¯t bite me!


    She didn¡¯t seem to notice these zombies were unconscious; her strong will to survive broke out again and her slender waist suddenly twisted upwards. In Jing Xiubai¡¯s shocked eyes, she bounced up in a posture humans couldn¡¯t accomplish. Her light body was like a butterfly, particularly beautiful among so many corpses, and her hand instinctively grabbed the hot and hard object she touched. She rolled over several times until she reached the ground, landing on one knee to maintain her balance, her long black hair was scattered all over her body, and the thing she had picked up was held to her side.


    Dust stirred up on the ground and she stood up before looking up at the people above her, ignoring the frenzy of zombies behind her.


    People on the wall: ¡­


    Jing Xiubai: ¡­


    Chi Xin with the machine gun that had appeared from nowhere in her hand: ¡­


    This series of actions really shocked all the survivors of Base L. Cao Yan, who had been trying to kill her a few minutes ago, patted Yu Xiang on the shoulder with a dazed look: ¡°Isn¡¯t she your classmate?¡±


    Yu Xiang nodded blankly: ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Cao Yan: ¡°Aren¡¯t you from some normal, prestigious university? Or are you actually special forces in training?¡±


    Yu Xiang was silent for a moment until he gazed up at him: ¡°Why don¡¯t you push me down to see if I can do the same?¡±


    The survivors watched Chi Xin¡¯s operation and their deep-rooted impressions of her were slightly shaken.


    ¡°This¡­ If Chi Xin is so skilled, she wouldn¡¯t rely on men to survive, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ she is so powerful, I am afraid only Jing Xiubai can match her. Saying she is raised by men¡­ I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°In fact, nobody saw her ask anything from men before, no? Those were all rumors.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that this attack had a hidden agenda? She is so powerful, there is no way she would have brought back so many zombies.¡±


    Everybody fell silent when they thought about it; it was human instinct to respect the strong and the once unwavering desire to kill her decreased.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Someone asked, ¡°What if she is powerful? She brought back the zombies! She must pay with her life, we can¡¯t just let her off!¡±


    But this time, fewer voices joined in agreement. The man¡¯s angry face distorted, but like the others, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Chi Xin who had reached the ground; in any case, right now they could only watch what this weak girl could do.


    Chi Xin knew nothing about the dispute that had just broken out between the survivors. She raised her head to look at Jing Xiubai who was still hanging in the air, trying to gather enough courage to talk to him.


    Suddenly, the loud noise of the machine gun firing resonated. The people, who were still arguing, thought she had something to say and became quiet all of a sudden to stare at her. Chi Xin became the center of attention and the embarrassment in her heart was through the roof, but after the gruesome scene of the pile of zombies, she was completely frightened and her face had a glacial expression.


    She wanted to say: What are you still hanging there for? Come down so we can find a way to kill this high-level zombie! They¡¯re coming!


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s eyes were as black as ink and Chi Xin didn¡¯t dare to stare into them. She looked towards the incoming zombies and said: ¡°You should know why I brought you down.¡±


    Now that this had been done and she had already offended him, why not admit it and take the opportunity to use his protagonist aura?


    Jing Xiubai watched her and the guess in his heart was confirmed. With some shock and caution, he asked: ¡°How did you know?¡±


    I saw it in the movie.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know how to explain it and couldn¡¯t make an excuse on the spot. Seeing the zombies getting closer and closer, she looked at him straight in the eyes: ¡°Is it really important right now? If you want to live, do one thing: cover me.¡±


    Jing Xiubai seemed to have a lot to ask but the current crisis was indeed more pressing. He only had time to take a deep look at the girl and raised one hand up: ¡°It seems that we all have secrets but you have been concealing yours even more.¡±


    Chi Xin was too weak-hearted to speak. She felt the temperature around her suddenly drop and the screams of everyone on the city wall could be heard from far away. She looked up and watched the ice cones getting formed in the air one after another, sharp enough to pierce zombie¡¯s heads.


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°How about you¡­¡±


    The system suddenly sounded in her head: [Warning, the trouble value is decreasing!]


    At the same time, Cao Yan once again patted Yu Xiang¡®s shoulder and was about to open his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a magic or a martial arts school. The two of them aren¡¯t human, that¡¯s all.¡± Yu Xiang¡¯s expression was dumb and he blocked the words first.


    ***


    In the tanks.


    Each tank was equipped with three soldiers and they were the few remaining ones from Base A. They had been ordered to support Base L but everybody had underestimated the intensity of the fight there and despair had captured them.


    After they had run out of cannonballs, they had taken guns to shoot frantically at the corpse but the army seemed endless; when they finally ran out of ammo, only a small part of them had been killed.


    ¡°It looks like this is the end.¡± The commander-in-chief struggled to look at the others, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, Commander!¡± A soldier responded loudly, ¡°Communication is blocked, no one knew there would be high-level zombies and nobody can fight with them at present.¡±


    Not only nobody could kill them, but under the protection of layers of zombies, no one could even get close to them. Everyone understood this truth and when the last bullet was fired, all the soldiers showed a desperate yet fatalistic look, planning to rush into the zombie with their tank, hoping to crush some to death.


    But suddenly, several transparent ice cones stabbed the zombies surrounding the vehicles. The soldiers were stunned and they saw a petite girl, barely the age of the daughters of some of them, covered in blood and carrying a machine gun too big for her. She was kicking the zombies in front of her, leaving bloody corpses behind her and stepping on them as she walked forward. With flying black hair and cold eyes, she threw the empty gun in her hand at one of the soldiers.


    The soldier¡¯s eyes widened and tried to avoid it before noticing it passed him and slammed into the head of a zombie that was about to pounce on him. The long barrel of the weapon pierced through the zombie¡¯s eye and came out from the back of its head, startling people at how much power was contained in this slender girl.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    The girl twisted her thin hands and snapped the head of a nearby zombie directly.


    ¡°Cover me so I can go kill this goddamn high-level zombie!¡±

 CH 4

    Chapter 4: Nuclear smile


    Faced with such a turbulent tide of corpses, coupled with the high-level zombie not far away, everyone believed they were finished. This was the biggest crisis mankind had ever faced; surviving was difficult and food and resources were drying up. Even in the once capital City A, now converted into a base, nobody dared to say they had the power to protect the world. Doomsday was the time when heroes were the most needed and the people who were witnessing today¡¯s battle felt that they had found the hero they needed in their hearts.


    Without the system¡¯s help, Chi Xin was fighting with all her might in order to prevent the zombies from touching her, killing all of them as she moved. Her body seemed to have its own consciousness, reacting as soon as she thought about it, and no zombie could reach even a corner of her clothes.


    The zombies had swarmed under the wall and Jing Xiubai was desperately trying to protect it from being captured; the number of ice swords protecting Chi Xin decreased and her eyes narrowed at the change of pressure. An arm stretched over even though she didn¡¯t need it and overturned a zombie beside her. A young soldier looked at her with passionate eyes and said: ¡°Girl, go ahead and charge! We will cover you from behind!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± All the soldiers responded loudly and surrounded Chi Xin, fighting fiercely to clear the way for her.


    Chi Xin almost burst into tears: Actually, I want you to rush and stay behind! Why are you letting a delicate girl like myself kill monsters, aren¡¯t you embarrassed?


    All the soldiers looked at the beautiful girl after hearing the determination in her voice. Compared to the zombie¡¯s dead gaze, tears seemed to shine in her eyes; she turned out to be such a strong yet soft girl!


    Chi Xin opened her mouth but before she could say anything, she thought the dog system would deduct more points and decided against it. She turned her head resolutely, grabbed her empty gun, and backhanded the zombie who had sneaked behind her in one swing. The men who saw this scene showed expressions of astonishment and one of them was almost bitten in his surprise. As trained soldiers, they naturally knew how much arm strength was needed to achieve this kind of effect. Was Base L hiding such incredible fighters? No wonder they dared to face high-level zombies, with this girl, they might be able to win!


    The soldiers glanced at each other; infected by Chi Xin¡¯s perseverance, their will to survive burned once again and their weak attacks regained their power.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know what they were thinking, she only felt that her body had a steady stream of strength and that all of her actions were more instinctive than anything. The more power she used, the obvious restraint became obvious; her body¡¯s strength was much more than what she was using. She could feel the huge energy lurking in her vein but only one-tenth of it was exerted, but as time went on, she began to weaken. Although she was not tired, her body started to show signs of exhaustion.


    Not good.


    Chi Xin¡¯s death warning instantly sounded. She did not want to die and the only way from avoiding that¡ª


    Chi Xin¡¯s desire to live had surpassed her fear of zombies. Ignoring the current situation, she tore the hem of her shirt, held the empty gun she had just grabbed, and tied her long hair in a high ponytail under the cover of the soldier. She held the tip of her hair in her mouth to not have it interfere with her movements and to prevent her teeth from chattering.


    She stepped on a ladder made of corpses, heading step by step towards the high-level zombie. The decisive battle that was about to erupt attracted the attention of everyone on the city wall and accompanied by the survivors¡¯ horrified screams, the high-level zombie launched its attack.


    It was as fast as lightning and its withered hands were as sharp as claws. Chi Xin avoided it and one word flashed in her mind: weak. She could do it!


    Her body moved at will and Chi Xin stretched out an arm as she avoided the zombie and in countless gasps of shocks, grabbed its wrist. The monster tried to struggle but soon realized to its horror that despite its agility and strength, it could not compete with Chi Xin¡¯s power. But by the time it did, it was already too late; Chi Xin had grabbed the top of its head with her other hand and a white, slender, well-defined, and graceful leg aimed at it.


    The world spun.


    Chi Xin held the zombie tightly in her hand, rotated half a circle, and landed on the ground before stabilizing her body. She had actually kicked down the head of the monster.


    Chi Xin: Brain¡­ Brain fluids¡­ Is there any detergent in this era? I want to cry.


    At that very moment, a cold chill covered her whole body and her hands tightened. She instinctively looked in the direction that made her feel threatened but only saw moving zombies; something hidden in the mass made her far more afraid than the high-level zombie she had just killed.


    In the eyes of everyone, she held the head of the zombie, just like a triumphant warrior carrying his trophy, and looked back at the city wall. Her gaze was cold and empty, as if this victory was just a trivial matter for her. The zombies around her suddenly lost control; their will to attack disappeared and instinct to hunt for human flesh took over, making them much easier to kill.


    A soldier, full of awe, carefully glanced at the head in Chi Xin¡¯s hand: ¡°This¡­ Hero, what should we do now?¡±


    The remaining soldiers willingly guarded Chi Xin and followed her all the way back to the city wall.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s face was pale, exhausted by such intense use of his ability, much more than he had done in the movie. When Chi Xin had been ¡°fighting bravely¡±, he had firmly defended the rear, and not one zombie had broken through his protection and reached the wall.


    He looked at Chi Xin as she returned from her bloodbath and strong emotions flashed in his eyes; a few colors returned to his calm and handsome face and whether it was hatred, admiration, or surprise, his feelings were obviously complicated but he wasn¡¯t determined to kill her anymore. After realizing this, Chi Xin finally relaxed a little.


    Great, no need to end up with an ice spear in my face.


    Chi Xin wanted to show her gratitude and tried to smile at him. The corners of her lips curled on her bloodied face. The faces of the few young soldiers who happened to see her murderous, beautiful yet aloof smile turned red instantly.


    When the gate of the city opened, all the survivors consciously divided into two teams and everyone looked at the people outside in silence, with the tragedy of the aftermath.


    The soldier who kept following Chi Xin raised the head of the high-level zombie with a serious face, staring at the girl with scorching eyes as if she was the light in his heart. This was the first time in human history someone had killed a zombie that powerful, and whether it was the act itself or from a research perspective, this was a glorious milestone. Of course, he needed to keep the trophy for the Goddess.


    When Chi Xin turned around, she saw the decapitated head right when the eyeballs fell out after wobbling for a while, attached only by a bloody thread.


    Chi Xin, looking at the empty bloodshot eye sockets: ¡­


    She almost passed out but the more frightened she was, the colder her face became and the soldier stared blankly at her indifferent expression yet vaguely disgusted look as she glanced over at the head. His heart started beating faster and his eyes grew hot but he still held that head and walked into Base L with Chi Xin.


    Chi Xin moved under the complex gazes of the survivors, only to find out that Jing Xiubai was receiving the same treatment as she was; between his psychic abilities and her sudden battle prowess, getting past this hurdle wouldn¡¯t be that easy. She raised her head to look at Jing Xiubai; his face was very calm, as he had been expecting such a scene for a long time. Perceiving her gaze, he looked at her and without the cover of his glasses, his flawless features were on display. And in his clear eyes was a complicated inquiry.

 CH 5

    Chapter 5: Surrounded


    No matter what information Jing Xiubai wanted to get from Chi Xin, she looked away expressionlessly.


    Chi Xin: Don¡¯t look at me, I haven¡¯t found an excuse yet!


    She, the person who should have been escorted into the base as a sinner awaiting her trial, was calmly making her way toward the council room. The surviving soldiers surrounded her and even those who had other ideas didn¡¯t dare to meddle with them. Chi Xin looked around her, trying her best not to expose it was the first time she ever put foot here. Although she had seen the appearance of Base L in the movie, walking on the road herself was very different from sitting in front of a screen.


    According to the timeline of the movie, it had been three months since the world ended and the world was basically without any government. Base L was somewhat more fortunate; before the whole social system had entirely collapsed, the city had built giant and sturdy walls to protect its inhabitants and stop the zombies.


    The person in charge of the base was Cao Yan, the one who had just tried to kill Chi Xin on the wall. He didn¡¯t have the same madness in his eyes anymore and when the rest of the people made their way back into the council room, he took out an instrument: ¡°Is everyone back? Let¡¯s check.¡±


    Chi Xin stared at the machine. In the movie, the reason humans were still managing to survive such a crisis was thanks to this detection device. It had been specifically built to detect whether someone was infected or not. After the outbreak, a company called Tuobila had created this machine at an extremely fast speed and had made considerable profits. The company had only been mentioned once or twice in the movie and Chi Xin had not paid attention to it as she watched; all of her attention had been focused on the romance of the protagonists and on their mission to kill the zombie king and eliminate the biological agent the hero had been injected with, in an attempt to create super warriors.


    As she thought about it, Chi Xin realized that she still hadn¡¯t met the heroine; she was not in good health, and right now, she was most likely unconscious because of a fever. She should wake up when the hero would get questioned by everyone and step forward to defend him, regardless of his abnormality and psychic ability¡­


    ¡°How did this happen? What have you all been through?¡±


    A shout came from the door; Chi Xin looked up to find a tall, gentle-faced girl covering her mouth and staring at the people in the council room in horror.


    Since the protagonist group had come to the base, they had given a lot of suggestions for improvement and had taken the initiative to search for supplies many times. While Jiang Congyun had been sick through the whole attack, no one blamed her.


    Seeing her, Cao Yan showed a gentle expression: ¡°Sister Congyun, don¡¯t come closer, nobody has been tested yet.¡±


    Jiang Congyun¡¯s gaze fell on Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang and stood still after they both nodded. She then swept through the crowd and when she found Chi Xin standing in the middle of several soldiers, looking as much like a fighter as them, she frowned.


    Chi Xin remembered she still had the portable space the original character had robbed from her and tried to search for it. This portable space was a huge advantage in the last days, whether to store food or weapons¡­ Chi Xin¡¯s expression froze. She didn¡¯t find any essential items for survival but a messy pile of cosmetics; toner, lotion, foundation, lipsticks, even fake eyelashes¡­ There were also all kinds of beautiful clothes, jewelry, diamonds, and other things that nobody needed during the apocalypse. Ah, really worthy of the vicious female character! The writers really had written this aspect of her personality everywhere. Chi Xin withdrew her consciousness in a daze. Let¡¯s wait until she could dispose of all these things and find a way to return the pendant to the heroine.


    Someone tested the survivors one by one with the instrument. The method was similar to using a thermometer; if the light displayed on the forehead was green, it meant there was no infection and if it was red¡­


    ¡°Bang.¡±


    Chi Xin watched as someone who had just measured red was shot to death in a horrified scream and her heart skipped a couple of beats. Sure enough, this world was too dangerous!


    The others looked numb and evacuated the body quickly, as if despite the headshot, they would still get up and bite.


    It was Chi Xin¡¯s turn. She retracted her gaze after looking at the corpse and her indifference naturally showed in her panic, shocking the person holding the device. The man froze for a while and unexpectedly explained: ¡°This is the rule, you know that.¡±


    Chi Xin: ? I didn¡¯t stop you from testing.


    But the hand of the man trembled as he reached her forehead as if he was afraid she would suddenly kick him just like she had severed the high-level zombie.


    When the test was over, the infection had been detected on several people and their bodies were all dragged out; they would all be incinerated together afterward. This was one of the tragedies of the last days; even if the people infected had relatives, they could only hold back their cries and the atmosphere in the council room was solemn.


    As soon as the inspection was over, Jiang Congyun rushed in and stood beside Jing Xiubai. There was obvious worry in her eyes when she looked at him and while the man didn¡¯t say anything, he shot her a reassuring glance.


    Witnessing this scene, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but look at him. He was in trouble now, if his ability wasn¡¯t explained correctly, he might be branded as a monster. In any case, if he showed too much concern for the heroine, he might implicate her and he deliberately pretended to be indifferent before separating from her.


    Clever, too clever.


    ¡°I know everyone is tired and many people just lost relatives and friends. Everybody is grieving.¡± Cao Yan stood in front of everyone and looked at them, ¡°But we are a community and if there is a problem in this community, it must be resolved right away.¡±


    Some people were crying, some were numb, and some had just escaped death.


    One problem was solved, the remaining one was naturally Chi Xing.


    She didn¡¯t show the slightest panic but looked back at everyone who looked at her with something close to worship. Her voice was not like the soft and arrogant they thought but was clear as water.


    ¡°You only huddle in this corner with some peace of mind, without looking at what is happening outside. In the end, you will only become complacent and be overrun by zombies.¡±


    As soon as she opened her mouth, she accused everyone of being short-sighted. She poked at the deepest cowardice in their hearts; people became furious and some even shouted to throw her back into the pile of zombies. The soldiers tensed up and Chi Xin¡¯s young follower stepped in front of her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think she is guilty of, but she saved all of you. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    The crowd became even angrier.


    ¡°What retribution? She deserves to die!¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she die in the attack?¡±

 CH 6

    Chapter 6: Intuition of the strong


    Chi Xin: I¡­ I¡¯ll kill¡­


    This dog system was making her insane. Anger built up in her heart and the look on her face became even more terrifying. None of the people who came into contact with her gaze dared to continue the conversation and bowed their heads.


    The appearance of the high-level zombie was a fact and everyone had experienced its power firsthand; but before Chi Xin had gone out, nobody had known about such a terrible creature hiding next to their base. That was why she must be angry; they were both complacent and ungrateful.


    Everybody found an explanation for Chi Xin¡¯s behavior and the ones who had just tried to have her killed remained silent. After all, Cao Yan was the person in charge of the page and if he decided to let go of past grievances was because people¡¯s lives and survival were more important.


    He asked: ¡°So, is there any way to detect that¡­ more powerful thing?¡±


    Chi Xin was still furious: ¡°No.¡±


    Someone in the crowd shouted: ¡°It¡¯s a lie. How did you know there were high-level zombies then and how did you know where to find it?¡±


    The man was relying on the advantage of the crowd to stay hidden, but Chi Xin¡¯s eyes, just like a sharp sword, found him right away.


    The next moment, everyone began discussing how to fight against the ¡°more powerful beings¡±. Chi Xin looked at the soldiers around her and at how they had fought bravely and covered her in the middle of the battle. Grateful, she said: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The soldiers were stunned and the young man in the lead shook his head again and again, before saying in a somewhat weakened and awe-inspiring voice: ¡°Goddess¡­ no, hero, don¡¯t joke. We should be the ones thanking you.¡±


    The others nodded strongly. Chi Xin was surprised by his answer and gave a small smile; a dreamy expression grew on the young man¡¯s face and after realizing his reaction, he lowered his head, not daring to look at Chi Xin anymore, before trotting over and picking up the zombie¡¯s head again.


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    ¡°Why are you so attached to this head?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Chi Xin separated from the soldiers, ignoring Xiao Li¡¯s momentary dissatisfaction in his eyes, and returned to her room. Fortunately, the room was not as messy and cluttered as the portable space, otherwise the slightly clean freak part of her would have had to tidy everything up.


    After taking a simple shower, thinking of all the disgusting things that had stuck to her skin during the battle, Chi Xin rubbed her white skin red before finally coming out. Holding her long hair, she stood in front of a full-length mirror that showed her whole body.


    This was the first time she examined her new appearance and as a fine vicious supporting character, she had the matching beauty. But the most remarkable thing about it was the thin muscles that covered her slender limbs. Chi Xin stared at the area above her shorts, on her flat stomach had appeared out of nowhere faint abdominal muscles and smooth mermaid lines that went down all the way to her waist. These enhancements not only did not harm the original beauty of the body but her exposed skin also did not have the previous weakness but healthy and wild charm instead.


    Chi Xin was very much aware of all the terrible power contained in these seemingly thin muscles but once covered, if not for the strength in her brow, she looked like a delicate and beautiful vase again.


    Chi Xin stared at herself in the mirror, not getting used to this completely different face from hers. Her slender fingertips stroked the outline and her gaze showed a trace of sorrow. Was the Chi family¡¯s daughter really dead? From now on the one who would live and survive this apocalyptic world was this Chi Xin.


    She stretched out her hand to stroke the area where her heart was; the mark of an emerald green pendant was where a gunshot scar should have been, the evidence of the fusion with the portable space.


    Now that her relationship with the protagonist group seemed particularly tense, if she wanted to join them again to follow the plot, this pendant was a problem. Chi Xin clenched her fists; the system had promised that once the plot was over and the trouble value was full, she would get her freedom back and live in this world. But if she couldn¡¯t cause enough trouble, the system would be happy to replace her.


    She couldn¡¯t die but she couldn¡¯t do what the system wanted. She hadn¡¯t died after so many dangers, she had fought for her life even after being shot. Why would she give up now?


    She wanted to live, even if no one would protect her from now on. She wanted to live, even in this devastated world. She wanted to live!

 CH 7

    Chapter 7: Desensitization


    Chi Xin had a dream. The images in the dream were unstable and distorted and could only be recognized from general knowledge; this seemed to be a laboratory.


    In the cold white, the shrill of an alarm sounded and a bloody red light shrouded the whole scene. Chi Xin didn¡¯t know who she was; one moment she was a scientist wearing a white coat and rushing, the other she was a miserable and groaning experiment subject lying on a bed.


    What was this place? Was it the laboratory where Jing Xiubai had been kept?


    Her vision shifted suddenly; she was now standing in the middle and a cold male voice came from her mouth: ¡°I warned you, the subject can control minds. I told you to be particularly careful but he escaped. Who was on duty yesterday?¡±


    Someone wearing a white coat replied in a trembling voice: ¡°It¡­ It was me¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang.¡±


    Chi Xin raised a man¡¯s hand and shot the other person before saying: ¡°We have no need for waste.¡±


    Chi Xin shuddered as she witnessed death yet again. Even in her dreams, she was frightened. She looked at the hand she put down and a small snake ring flashed in the dazzling light on a slender little finger; the head of the snake was connected to its tail, as if it was eating itself.


    The dream changed again and a pair of cold eyes emerged from the darkness, staring at her with a deadly gaze. Pale hands stretched out, about to grab her¡­


    Chi Xin opened her eyes suddenly. She sat up on her bed, trying to grasp for air, and looked at the clock next to her: 1:30 in the morning. What was the place in her dream, who was talking, and who had escaped? Those were not scenes from the movie and Chi Xin¡¯s mind was disturbed. She got up and went to the table before looking at a piece of paper she had written on.


    Three days had passed and the trouble value was about to fall below the pass line; it was time to go out to earn some points.


    In the morning, Chi Xin rummaged through the bunch of fancy clothes in the space and finally picked some that could be worn. The weather at the end of the world no longer had any logic and right now, the temperatures were similar to the scorching heat of July. Chi Xin put on a sports bra and denim ultra-shorts, showing her long and toned legs, before looking around and finding a large white shirt to use as a cover.


    She only had one bag of biscuits left in her food supplies; she didn¡¯t really want to eat it and went out, straight to the canteen of the base.


    Nowadays, the survival mechanism of the base was similar to one big shared pot. Every day, a small team would go out to collect food. They could keep for themselves part of their findings and the rest was arranged for common meals and daily necessities for the rest of the survivors.


    Chi Xin strode past the people who stared at her as soon as she left her room with a calm face and naturally picked up a plate before lining up behind the line of food. As she had been away from sight for three days, she gained everybody¡¯s attention right away.


    Not to mention her battle a few days ago, the original Chi Xin had always looked down on the big pot of rice before; the men she had seduced would give her her favorite food and she had never appeared in the canteen. And as she stood at the end of the line, people kept looking back at her.


    There was nothing delicious in the last days. Today, the canteen was serving barely visible egg soup and potatoes. Chi Xin picked up her food and turned around to find a seat just as Cao Qing and the protagonist group walked in.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t want to confront them for the time being, not before she knew how to follow the plot. She just glanced at them and found an empty seat to sit down on a slightly soft, square, and high plastic stool.


    The four new arrivals immediately noticed the very eye-catching Chi Xin. In the last days, whether people fought or not, everyone¡¯s expression was habitually tense and apparently cowering. But Chi Xin wasn¡¯t. She had a beautiful face, a clean body and when she was not fighting or killing, she had a calm aura around her, just like a young girl going to class after eating. Cao Qing¡¯s face darkened immediately and Jiang Congyun¡¯s eyes also became slightly strange.


    Cao Qing couldn¡¯t swallow his anger; the woman he once could have easily played with had become a God of War before he could get his hands on her and had embarrassed him in public. Seeing her back was against them, Cao Qing clenched a fist, put away Cao Yan¡¯s advice, and walked over.


    Chi Xin was about to pick up her bowl of soup when she felt a strong wind coming from behind her head, aiming straight at the soup in her hand. Before she could even prepare herself, her whole body of muscles had already responded to the aggression. She raised the bowl, avoided the kick, and pressed Cao Qing¡¯s ankle hard on the table. His face turned pale and she dodged low as he swung a fist toward her face.


    The system had taken care of this counterattack but this man had come to make trouble yet again. Chi Xin felt angry and after avoiding his punch, she lifted a long leg and kneed him in the stomach.


    ¡°Ah!!¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s leg strength could kick the head of a high-level zombie off, it was a miracle Cao Qing¡¯s body was still attached. He screamed and fell to the ground.


    Chi Xin picked up her stool, stuck it around his neck, and sat on it casually. Her legs were crossed and she took back her barely spilled bowl of soup gracefully. Ignoring Cao Qing¡¯s cries, she raised her calm eyes and seriously said: ¡°It needs more salt.¡±


    Except for Cao Qing¡¯s broken voice, the canteen fell into silence for a while. Everyone looked at Chi Xin sitting above the man¡¯s head, drinking her soup leisurely and deep awe carved in their hearts. Although she had shown great power during the last battle, the city wall had been far away and most of the survivors had only seen the shadow of her movements; they did not have a clear understanding of how powerful she really was.


    Chi Xin drank her soup in silence and took a bite of the potatoes. She was in a good mood; her trouble value had just increased by 1 with this small incident. It turned out that beating someone could also get her points and it gave her something to think about.


    At this time, Xiao Li and his comrades also walked into the canteen. They noticed Chi Xin at a glance and Xiao Li¡¯s face turned red instantly. With the push of his men behind him, he barely maintained his composure and headed toward the girl. Without one look for Cao Qing, he asked in a low voice: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Chi Xin had just bitten a mouthful of potatoes and when she turned to look at Xiao Li, her cheeks were bulging. She chewed hard and swallowed.


    ¡°Quite good, just no food.¡±


    Xiao Li watched her; she was obviously so powerful yet her eyes were innocent and her chewing appearance was just like a little squirrel and¡­ cute. Xiao Li felt his heart was hit hard and suddenly stammered.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± Idiot! Couldn¡¯t he say something interesting? He wanted to punch himself.


    Everyone forgot about the poor Cao Qing. In the end, the kind-hearted heroine couldn¡¯t stand it anymore; she glanced at Jing Xiubai, seemingly shocked by his indifferent face, and stepped forward.


    ¡°Chi Xin.¡± Jiang Congyun said in a gentle voice, ¡°Cao Qing is Cao Yan¡¯s brother, it¡¯s not good to keep pressing him down like that for too long. Let him go.¡±


    Chi Xin raised her head, it was the first time she was really looking at the heroine. Just like in the movie, Jiang Congyun had soft eyebrows and gentle eyes and despite her imperial figure, her character had taken the route of the healing angel. And even in front of Chi Xin, who had stolen her belongings, she was able to give kind advice.

 CH 8

    Chapter 8: The contradiction deepens


    Chi Xin nodded at Xiao Li and left with the hero in his daze. This child, with how young he was, seemed a little dumb.


    Cao Qing stood there and looked at their backs bitterly, resentment overflowing his eyes. Xiao Li reluctantly watched Chi Xin leave, turned to the man who was still holding his waist and leaning on the table, and couldn¡¯t help but ask with some confusion: ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡±


    Xiao Li wasn¡¯t old, perhaps 18 or 19 years old. Once he took off the camo uniform and put on an ordinary t-shirt, he looked even younger. He had an innocent expression and his question sounded very genuine. Cao Qing¡¯s face became stiff; he straightened up despite the pain and limped away.


    Xiao Li put away his immature expression and snorted.


    Chi Xin followed the protagonist group to a room. There were many of them that weren¡¯t inhabited in the base, which had been abandoned after the outbreak. Jing Xiubai opened one at random; it seemed that the original owner had been a basketball lover and the entire room was decorated in famous players¡¯ posters. Chi Xin walked over to take a look, touching the furniture with the tip of her fingers. Everything was so real.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s voice sounded behind her: ¡°You just followed us like that, aren¡¯t you afraid of what I will do to you?¡± His tone was cold, ¡°After all, after what you did, you can¡¯t have a clear conscience.¡±


    Chi Xin turned around and looked at the three protagonists. They all had different expressions and she picked the easiest answer: ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    She then added: ¡°Watch what you say, there¡­ are girls.¡±


    Right now, the hero and the heroine¡¯s feelings were not clear and as she thought about it, she swallowed the word ¡°your¡± in her sentence.


    Yu Xiang laughed: ¡°Chi Xin, ah, you are so confusing now.¡±


    Yu Xiang was the least hostile of the three. Not only was he more tolerant towards her because she had saved him in the past, but after she had saved the entire base, his negative thoughts had been forgotten.


    Chi Xin might have been confusing but her meaning was self-explanatory. Jing Xiubai choked for a second and his indifferent expression faded. He pushed back his glasses and said, a little helpless: ¡°I just think you are no longer unreasonable.¡±


    It was Chi Xin¡¯s turn to be perplexed: if you don¡¯t mean it, why say such misleading words!


    Once the atmosphere eased, Jiang Congyun pursed her lips and whispered: ¡°Nothing else matters but that pendant is very important to me. Chi Xin, can you give it back to me?¡±


    After her words fell, the barely-there joy in the room disappeared instantly. The pendant was what Jiang Congyun cared the most about and the real thorn between Chi Xin and the protagonist group. Yu Xiang stopped smiling and Jing Xiubai¡¯s eyes became serious once more; all three of them stared at Chi Xin.


    But Chi Xin was also helpless. She had studied the space during these past three days but the jade pendant had melted in her body and she hadn¡¯t found a way to give it back.


    After Chi Xin left, the other two looked at Jing Xiubai.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Yu Xiang asked.


    ¡°It looks like my pendant really cannot be retrieved.¡± Jiang Congyun sighed with a certain gloominess between her gentle brows.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep observing.¡± Jing Xiubai said, ¡°I feel she is hiding something else but if she doesn¡¯t want to share, I am afraid no one can force her.¡±


    Yu Xiang¡¯s spirits suddenly came back: ¡°Speaking of, what level is your ability at now? And if you were to be the one going against the high-level zombie before, what would have been your chances of winning?¡±


    ***


    Chi Xin went out of the base in depression and the scorching heat of the sun made her feel even more annoyed. She hadn¡¯t expected to mess up the first step as soon as she came out.


    She picked up her pace and wandered around the base, hoping to find some minor troubles to raise her value up. However, before she could get far, Yu Xiang caught up with her.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    He had a bright smile on his face and started to walk by her side.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t figure out what he wanted and cautiously answered: ¡°Wandering.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use to be so shy with words.¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know how to respond to that and replied with a cold face: ¡°Oh.¡±


    She was so uncooperative, Yu Xiang couldn¡¯t continue the conversation; he shrugged and closed his mouth.


    At the same time, a child rushed past them and Chi Xin avoided him carefully. Unfortunately, she did not pay attention to the man beside her and accidentally stepped on his foot.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She blurted out then froze for a moment. The system prompted in her head: [+0.1 trouble value]


    Oh, so stepping on the second male lead could actually get her the same amount of points as killing an ordinary zombie¡­ Chi Xin stared at Yu Xiang and the man touched his head in confusion, wondering if something was wrong with his face. However, after weighing the importance of offending one of the protagonists or getting the trouble value, Chi Xin decided to abandon this idea with regret.


    She worked hard for one day, always followed by Yu Xiang. Chi Xin constantly committed petty crimes, such as accidentally stepping on flowers or drinking from other people¡¯s cups. Yu Xiang scratched his head, not expecting that despite having witnessed Chi Xin¡¯s fighting power, she was still the same distracted girl as before.


    When she ¡°accidentally¡± stepped on someone¡¯s shoe again, the current victim was not as good-tempered as the ones before. He obviously recognized Chi Xin and didn¡¯t dare to confront her so blatantly, but the resentment in his eyes was far beyond the anger of being stepped on. Chi Xin swallowed back her apology when her defense instinct kicked in and her expression turned cold.


    Yu Xiang¡¯s face stiffened but kept on a smile as he apologized and pushed her away.


    ¡°The attitude towards you in the base is not quite uniform at the moment.¡± Yi Xiang whispered, ¡°One group regards you as their savior and hero and another believes you are a sinner and not worthy of your merits. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Yu Xiang: ¡°Could you be just a little more concerned about your own life?¡±


    Chi Xin thought about it seriously and looked at him with her big eyes: ¡°But they are no danger to my life.¡±


    Yu Xiang wanted to hold his forehead and almost gritted his teeth: ¡°Have you ever heard the saying that it is difficult to guard against hidden enemies? Knowing you are so powerful now, who would be stupid enough to face you upfront?¡± He muttered angrily, ¡°If not for you saving me before, I wouldn¡¯t bother reminding you.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s face froze, this misunderstanding was also a big problem¡­


    Seeing she ignored him and sullenly walked, Yu Xiang chased after her again and said with a strange expression: ¡°You used to remind me of saving my life 800 times a day but suddenly you don¡¯t seem to care about it so much.¡±


    The original Chi Xin would mention it because it had been the only reason she had been able to stay with the protagonist group. Chi Xin really wished he had forgotten about it altogether, why would he take the initiative to mention it? She kept ignoring him as he followed and seriously caused trouble all day.


    Unfortunately, her daily harvest was cleared out after one night of sleep.


    Chi Xin: ¡­ I will kill the system!


    She bounced off the bed all of sudden, quickly washed, and went out the door with a gloomy expression. This time, she would no longer waste time on trivial things and she headed straight to the mission exchange; this was the place where outside teams were arranged to go out and gather supplies and where they handed the items once they were back.

 CH 9

    Chapter 9: Abnormal discharge


    Base L was not very large and only half a dozen teams were selected each day to go out. They were currently counting the number of people and doing their final weapon and equipment inspection.


    Jiang Congyun was in poor health and did not participate but Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang naturally joined the surviving soldiers and followed everyone to the outside. While the heroine couldn¡¯t go out, she would accompany them every day to the edge of the city wall and watch them leave.


    ¡°Is the ammunition full?¡± She asked with worry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yu Xiang answered.


    Jiang Congyun sighed softly: ¡°If only we had the space¡­¡±


    When her voice fell, several gasps sounded and Xiao Li looked straight at the door with bright eyes. Chi Xin strode in, ignoring all the various gazes, and walked to Cao Yan: ¡°I want to join a team.¡±


    She talked as she took things for granted but of course, no one doubted her ability. Cao Yan was at first surprised then happily replied: ¡°Great! Xiubai¡¯s team is going to the former armory in L City today. There are many zombies that used to be soldiers, if you join them it should go smoother!¡±


    There was actually¡­ such a coincidence? Chi Xin and Jing Xiubai looked at each other and the hero nodded. Chi Xin felt a little bit embarrassed, she had not expected to encounter such a difficult mission the first time she took the initiative to leave the base. But it wasn¡¯t like she could change her mind and she calmly agreed.


    This team¡¯s task today was very dangerous and the members were all strong men and as soon as Chi Xin stood with them, it suddenly looked like all the stars cupped themselves around the moon1 and the whole picture changed. Yu Xiang whistled: ¡°I gotta say, I feel more at ease now that you¡¯re here.¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to him.


    Suddenly, Xiao Li uttered an objection: ¡°Wait!¡±


    Even though he was only a few steps away, he trotted over for fear of delaying the departure. He looked at Chi Xin nervously and said to Cao Yan: ¡°I would like to apply for a change of team and join Jing Xiubai¡¯s.¡±


    Seeing that Chi Xin had joined the hero¡¯s team, the most excited was the system. At this moment, it was going crazy in Chi Xin¡¯s head: [The male lead and the second male lead are here. Host, your great opportunity has come!]


    Chi Xin wilted: ¡°Got it.¡±


    If she had a choice, she really wanted to turn around and leave now. But if she didn¡¯t go out today nor tomorrow, would she ever get the courage to face it later? Chi Xin picked out the already familiar Desert Eagle among the weapons and loaded the bullets in a daze. A few minutes later, five SUVs left Base L.


    There were a total of six people in the team led by Jing Xiubai and according to him, it was better to have fewer people but be sure about everyone¡¯s skills. In addition to the two protagonists and Chi Xin, the three other men were not easy to provoke at first glance.


    Chen Xing was a bearded middle-aged man. He had strong muscles, his arms thicker than Chi Xin¡¯s thighs, and had been a security guard before the end of the world. He basically was the heavy DPS of the team and his smile was very large.


    The second man had a baby face and was named Yu Pengcheng. He looked a little shy and carried a medicine box; he was the on-site doctor.


    After getting to know the people in the team, Chi Xin sat in the passenger seat and turned around to look at Yu Xiang who kept blathering with a subtle expression.


    ¡°I know Jing Xiubai is all-powerful and technically a soldier, but what about you?¡±


    As she mentioned Jing Xiubai¡¯s omnipotence, she didn¡¯t pay attention to the hero who was driving but he glanced at her with squinted eyes and the hint of a smile.


    Chi Xin¡¯s question made Yu Xiang aggravated: ¡°Hey, don¡¯t step on me just for the sake of playing Xiubai, okay? I¡¯m very strong!¡±


    Chi Xin was satisfied when she heard the system prompt [+0.1 trouble value] and sat back comfortably in her seat, ignoring Yu Xiang¡¯s constant chatter about his abilities behind her. She had watched the movie and she was aware he was not useless.


    Yu Xiang looked carefree but was actually the opposite. No matter how big the mess the team could get in, he could clean it up and he was the perfect partner for Jing Xiubai. Moreover, due to his status and family background, his force value was very high.


    ¡°You¡¯re too much!¡± The second male lead was still indignant in the back and the two people¡¯s bickering aroused the serious atmosphere in the car. The baby-faced Yu Pengcheng scratched his head and said with some embarrassment: ¡°I thought Sister Chi was difficult to get along with but you are actually so kind.¡±


    Chi Xin wasn¡¯t sure if the difficulty he was talking about was because of the behavior of the original body or because she had killed a high-level zombie. But before she could reply, Chen Xing laughed, sounding just like a loud bell: ¡°Hahaha, how old are you, you dare to call her Sister Chi!¡±


    Yu Pengcheng was even more embarrassed and muttered: ¡°No but I can¡¯t just call her Goddess¡­¡±


    At this time, Rong Feng, who had not been involved in the conversation, sat upright and pointed forward: ¡°There is a gas station, let¡¯s get some supplies first.¡±


    His words were unanimously agreed and the SUV pulled off in front of the building.


    Chi Xin was about to get out of the car but when she turned around and looked at Jing Xiubai to turn off the engine, the system sounded.


    [Host, put on the gear, and rush in!]


    Chi Xin: ¡°¡­ what?¡±


    [Quickly, host! Put the gear on and rush into the gas station!]


    Chi Xin: ¡°Are you crazy? It will explode!¡±

 CH 10

    Chapter 10: Enter the arsenal


    [+1.5 trouble value] The system prompted, [There are only five zombies but the broken glass gives the host one more point.]


    Stingy system.


    Hearing the alert, Chi Xin avoided Jing Xiubai¡¯s gaze and casually opened the car door. In the eyes of everyone, she looked stern as she saw the zombies she had just hit, as indifferent as usual.


    Yu Xiang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and blurted out: ¡°Chi Xin, how did you know there were zombies behind the door?¡±


    There were more than a dozen zombies in the station. Neither Jing Xiubai nor Chi Xin had gotten out of the car and even if Yu Pengcheng had eight hands, he would most likely have died. The man avoided the rest of the zombies who were about to catch his clothes, jumped in front of the vehicle, and stared at Chi Xin with a grateful expression: ¡°Sister Chi, thank you.¡±


    This ¡°Sister Chi¡± of his was said even more sincerely.


    The others quickly moved closer and all looked at Chi Xin with respect and fear and Chen Xing added: ¡°Sister Chi, you are amazing.¡±


    Before he knew it, he was also willing to call her that.


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t explain how she knew it and coldly muttered one stiff word: ¡°Accident.¡±


    ¡°You are so humble, how can killing so many zombies at once be an accident¡­¡± Yu Xiang didn¡¯t believe her at all. As he was about to shoot the ones left who were still stuck in the windshield and under the car, Jing Xiubai reached out and stopped him.


    ¡°No need, these are not worth shooting. Be careful of not attracting more.¡±


    He looked at Chi Xin with a complicated expression; he wanted to ask something but as he could guess she wouldn¡¯t answer, he decided against it.


    Chi Xin was quite worried they would keep interrogating her but as she saw their reverent gazes and that no one was having doubts, she breathed a sigh of relief. What she didn¡¯t know about was the basically God status she had just reached in their hearts; and naturally, there was nothing to ask their Goddess, just follow her steps and instructions.


    Once they were done, Chen Xing had already cleaned the remaining zombies at the door. He looked back and winked at everyone before walking in first with his waist down.


    Chi Xin¡¯s eyes darkened and she followed everyone¡¯s movement. She held her gun, bent down, and went inside too with extremely light footsteps. While her strength was obvious to all, she had never joined this team before and Jing Xiubai half-heartedly gestured to her to keep quiet; Chi Xin nodded to express her understanding.


    The group quickly began to search for supplies. Chi Xin was still carrying the space on her body and didn¡¯t use it in vain. She went to a place no one was there, put her hand on the shelf, and everything she touched disappeared instantly. Jing Xiubai took a moment to look at her, wondering if she was collecting cosmetics as she used to do but as he noticed she was grabbing all the food, water and even toilet paper on her say, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.


    The gas station was rather small and the useful sections were quickly searched. But as Chi Xin was about to leave, a subtle tremor hit her and her pupils dilated. She quickly turned around, stretched out her hand to grab Yu Xiang¡¯s shoulder, leaned on her side, and jumped onto the desk behind him. Everyone watched in horror as the girl pulled out the army knife at her waist and fiercely stabbed under the desk.


    Yu Xiang shook and realized a zombie had been hiding behind the counter. If it hadn¡¯t been for Chi Xin, he would have become dinner. Even if he hadn¡¯t been bitten, the struggle would have been unavoidable and they would have attracted more monsters. Thinking of this, he glanced at Chi Xin with awe in his eyes and said: ¡°You saved my life again.¡±


    Chi Xin waved her hand casually and put all of her thoughts on¡­ the army knife stuck in the zombie¡¯s head. Her eyes were cold, her expression was indifferent and it wasn¡¯t until everyone retreated that she took out the weapon with a blank face. She didn¡¯t dare to look at it and directly inserted it back into its sheath.


    Her three-day desensitization treatment had been very useful and Chi Xin was rather thankful to just feel instinctive fear instead of bordering on the same mental breakdown from the first battle.


    When everyone returned to the car, they fell into silence.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Yu Xiang cleared his throat, ¡°Thank you just now, Chi Xin.¡±


    His gratitude sounded so sincere and Chi Xin answered with a stiff ¡°um¡± but this sound was like breaking the ice and the atmosphere in the car became less solemn once more.


    ¡°I thought we were already really good as humans.¡± Chen Xing blushed a little, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that outside the captain, even a girl would be so good.¡±


    ¡°Can you pick someone you can compare to? Why would you compare yourself with gods?¡± Yu Pengcheng muttered in a low voice.


    Jing Xiubai kept driving silently and paused half a second when he remembered the feeling of Chi Xin¡¯s whole body hugging his arm earlier before shifting gears casually.


    Listening to their admiration and praises, Chi Xin was embarrassed. In her opinion, those skills were only given to her by the system and weren¡¯t her own; she didn¡¯t feel proud of her accomplishments so far and her face became even calmer instead. But in the eyes of the others, this reaction was seen as the unwillingness to brag off and after they all glanced at each other, they couldn¡¯t help but keep looking at Chi Xin with even higher regards. If the Goddess had this kind of character¡­ it wasn¡¯t so surprising anymore she would hide it for so long. And she had dared to go alone fight a high-zombie, she probably just wanted to quietly solve the problem. For all of those in the base that still suspected her motive, her new team felt guilty about it.


    The armory was located in the former military area of City L. The location was relatively remote and the SUV drove at high speed for a while before they finally reached their destination.


    The surroundings were plunged in the darkness for a while and only everyone¡¯s pants could be heard. A cold hand held Chi Xin and as she didn¡¯t feel any attacking intentions, she did not react. She grabbed the hand and used her strength to stand up from the ground. Someone turned on a flashlight and Chi Xin saw Jing Xiubai¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He let go of Chi Xin and handed her a light, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, everyone keeps quiet.¡±


    There was only a deep corridor in front of them. They didn¡¯t know where it led but in the silent distance, a scream was heard. They really didn¡¯t have much time.


    ¡°Damn, I hope there are no high-level zombies here.¡± Yu Xiang muttered.


    Chi Xin stared in front of her and installed a new magazine in her Desert Eagle.

 CH 11

    Chapter 11: Power type high-level zombie


    The group advanced carefully and with only a few beams of lights to brighten their way, they fumbled along the deep corridor. It went all the way down and the room where weapons and military equipment were stored was underground.


    There must have been a few fierce battles here. The walls on both sides were mottled with blood, the smell rotting and metallic, and they would occasionally stumble on a few zombies and human corpses lying across the tunnel.


    Everyone stepped cautiously and Chi Xin tried to suppress her nausea. She squatted down and flashed her light on a mouse crawling out of a bloody eye socket and observed carefully. Noticing she had fallen behind, Yu Xiang came back and whispered to her: ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about mice? Let¡¯s go, if you like them so much, I will catch a dozen for you when we get back.¡±


    Chi Xin felt even more disgusted. She looked at the small rodent again, a little uneasy, ignored Yu Xiang, and stood back up to follow the rest of the team. It had been three months since the outbreak and there was still no sign of animal mutation. But Chi Xin knew it had occurred in the middle and later stages of the movie; the world didn¡¯t know anything about it yet and would be unprepared for it.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang.¡±


    There were doors on the wall and whenever they passed one, crashing sounds could be heard and everyone knew it couldn¡¯t be good. But killing zombies was not the mission and they all ignored the noise and sped up their pace.


    They soon reached the core of the building and after pushing the door open, the first thing that caught their eyes were a few big blood-red letters: Don¡¯t open it!


    The words were written in dry blood and the dark brown exclamation point was particularly creepy. In the direction of the exit, another heavy door was locked and debris was piled up in front of it, fully expressing the intentions of the people who had died here. Although they could only hear silence behind it, it was pretty obvious that something terrifying was sealed there and fear and anxiety rose in everybody¡¯s heart.


    Jing Xiubai turned sideways, made a few gestures, and nodded to Yu Xiang to have him guard the door. Rong Feng wouldn¡¯t participate in the gathering work either; he observed the surroundings for a while before finding a spot with a good view and picking up his sniper rifle.


    Perhaps it was the smell of living people but the faint echo they had heard before gradually became stronger. It was accompanied by a faint running sound and the howling became clearer, as if countless zombies were rushing towards them.


    ¡°Speed up.¡± Jing Xiubai threw a full bag at Yu Xiang, which he put on his back.


    Chi Xin hid in the corner farthest from the blood-stained door. After seeing the room, Chi Xin¡¯s heart sank; not because of whatever was hiding behind but because of her understanding of the system these last few days. It would obviously not miss on the opportunity to create trouble and Chi Xin felt it was better to stay away.


    She had never seen so many guns in her entire life and looked a little dazzled. Although she had the system, she had to touch the weapons to know what their names and brands were. But those were guns and those were useful during the apocalypse. Chi Xin didn¡¯t pay attention to their size or weight, stretched out her hand, and gathered all of them in her space.


    Jing Xiubai frowned when he saw her confusion. He put out the gun he had just taken in his backpack and walked towards her: ¡°Do you prefer long guns or short guns?¡±


    His sudden appearance scared Chi Xin and she exclaimed: ¡°What?¡±


    Jing Xiubai reached out and took out a gun. He checked the magazine and put it in Chi Xin¡¯s hand: ¡°I have seen you hit the tank with a rifle and your hit rate with your Desert Eagle is frighteningly accurate. But you don¡¯t seem to be focused and no matter which weapon you have in your hand, your posture is always the same and you only assume the correct pose after a split second. This is¡­ rarely seen.¡±


    Chi Xin noticed his hesitation and guessed he was being suspicious.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a habit.¡± She pretended; she never missed her target anyway.


    But suddenly, Chi Xin¡¯s body alarm rang. At the same moment, Rong Feng¡¯s eyes sharpened and he fired his weapon. Yu Xiang cursed and followed him with continuous gunshots.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Prepare to evacuate!¡± Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t care to study Chi Xin¡¯s abnormality any longer. He stretched out his hand, pulled all the guns in front of him into a pile, and motioned Chi Xin to pick them up. He had seen how she had been collecting food at the gas station and as soon as she touched them, the weapons disappeared instantly.


    Chi Xin was not surprised the hero had guessed how she used the space. She shrugged him off, raised her Desert Eagle towards the door, and exploded a zombie¡¯s head that was about to rush in.


    The smell of blood was full of temptation and zombies burst in their direction faster than usual.


    ¡°Dammit! They¡¯re all here, we can¡¯t go this way anymore!¡± Yu Xiang was overwhelmed and tried to close the door with Chen Xing as he dodged. The zombies roared and scratched the metal behind it.


    The group gasped and fear was in their eyes. Former soldiers turned zombies far surpassed ordinary ones both in strength and speed and in such a dry and narrow space, Jing Xiubai couldn¡¯t condense enough ice cones. They now had a choice between two paths but the empty ones exuded a more dangerous atmosphere.


    ¡°Chen Xing, you are injured. Let me help you bandage it.¡± Yu Pengcheng¡¯s voice broke the silence and everybody looked at Chen Xing in shock.


    The heavy door blocked them from the outside world but also temporarily isolated the zombies, which could be considered as a short respite.


    ¡°We are lacking everything.¡± Yu Pengcheng said, ¡°Alcohol and antibiotics are almost all used up, if we don¡¯t replenish it, I am afraid future missions will become even more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°There is no more at the base but they should have sent someone to find some. We will be able to get more before the next outing.¡± Yu Xiang¡¯s voice was a little tight but he tried his best to ease the mood with his usual silly tone: ¡°Hey, there will be another mission right?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the comfort.¡± Rong Feng had been fumbling on his side and gave him a cold look as he came back, ¡°I have observed every single gap and crevice here. There are only these two exits.¡±


    On one side was the unknown and the fear that came with it, on the other was the entrance already full of zombies. No matter which choice they made, death was forever.


    ¡°Captain, give the order and we shall follow.¡± After getting his arm bandaged, Chen Xing stared at Jing Xiubai, ¡°We can¡¯t stay there forever, whatever you decide, we will obey.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Xiang agreed, ¡°You are the captain, we all listen to you.¡±


    Rong Feng and Yu Pengcheng didn¡¯t speak but their silent gazes also fell on Jing Xiubai one after another, expressing the trust they had in him. Jing Xiubai pondered for a moment, maintaining his calm despite the roars from the other side of the door, and looked at Chi Xin.


    Chi Xin looked thoughtful as she watched the sealed door. She was wondering why the system hadn¡¯t come out to make trouble yet when she heard Jing Xiubai¡¯s voice: ¡°Chi Xin, which side do you think we should choose?¡±


    Chi Xin had not expected the hero would place his trust in her and have her make that big of a decision. She blinked in surprise: ¡°Are you asking me?¡±


    Jing Xiubai nodded: ¡°Yes.¡±


    The team walked carefully; the scene was even more tragic than the entrance, with layers upon layers of rotten corps. Nobody spoke and everybody was tense. Suddenly, Chi Xin felt as if a needle pierced her temple and her nerves trembled.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± She yelled.


    A hidden door was knocked open as Rong Feng walked past it. The huge force knocked the 180 cm tall man away and his back hit the wall. He fell heavily to the ground, covered his chest, and spit a mouthful of blood. His eyes filled with horror and he looked at the now open door with the rest of the team.


    Several guns stood to attention and the scraping sound of metal dragging on the ground was heard. It sounded like something huge was dragging its heavy body and¡­ the weapon that would kill them.


    An arm full of muscles and knots appeared and a monster that was more than two meters tall, a combination of a zombie and a boulder, came out of the door.


    Two sentences crossed Chi Xin¡¯s mind as she saw the creature¡­


    System, as expected of you.


    Yu Xiang, you big crow¡¯s beak1!

 CH 12

    Chapter 12: How to kill a power-type zombie


    The monster took ragged gasps; each one of its roars felt like a blow and brought a strong metallic smell of blood. On its grisly face, two bulging eyes with only eyeballs slowly swept over the team members. Its rock-like hand held a shaft removed from somewhere, which made a terrifying sound as it scraped the ground.


    This was a power-type high-level zombie, how lucky were they.


    Chi Xin felt chills all over; even after her three-day desensitization, faced with this large creature whose oppression was far greater than that of ordinary zombies, she couldn¡¯t contain the fear that spread in her heart.


    But she couldn¡¯t retreat and tightened the hand that was holding her Desert Eagle. This was the path she had chosen, if anyone were to die there, she would never forgive herself.


    High-level zombies had a certain amount of wisdom and in the short confrontation, it seemed to have already made a simple strength assessment of the people in front of it. The next second, the monster raised the shaft in his hand without warning and slammed it straight at Yu Pengcheng, who was standing the nearest to it.


    While Yu Pengcheng was the doctor of the team, he was one of the men selected by Jing Xiubai and his skills were not low. He rolled on the spot and avoided the fierce attack in a split second. Unfortunately, in the narrow space and in the short range of the blow, his arm was hit and Chi Xin heard the bone breaking.


    Sounds of gunshots, gasps, and roars instantly filled the corridor.


    Chen Xing pointed his machine gun at the zombie and after a few rows of munitions, he threw the weapon in anger and rushed to directly hit the monster¡¯s face. The eyeballs that were about to fall off turned and the creature stretched out a fist that collided with Chen Xing.


    Bam.


    Chen Xing was shaken back a few steps but the shock was surprisingly not serious. He breathed deeply and went back to hit the zombie.


    The zombie was a huge target and Chi Xin didn¡¯t need to aim to hit it. But with Chen Xing figure in front obstructing her line of sight, she dared not act rashly. Because while her shots were always 100% accurate, she wasn¡¯t sure whether she would hit the monster or her teammate.


    But soon, everyone realized that the bullets fired either bounced back on the zombie¡¯s skin or were getting absorbed. The more shots they took, the more it became enraged.


    Yu Xiang bowed abruptly to avoid the shaft aimed at his face and shouted at Jing Xiubai: ¡°Can you crush its skull?¡±


    Jing Xiubai had been trying to condense ice into cones and sweat had appeared on his forehead. He shook his head solemnly: ¡°No, there are not enough water molecules here. It¡¯s impossible to break through its skin.¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Yu Xiang lifted his legs and kicked the zombie¡¯s attack trajectory with all his strength.


    Be careful, be careful¡­ I want to be careful but this body won¡¯t listen to me!


    In the eyes of everyone, Chi Xin¡¯s gaze was cold and her face remained unchanged. She threw herself in front of the zombie¡¯s hand and took advantage of her strength to jump in the air. She kicked her legs on the wall, positioned the knife in her hand, and pierced one of the monster¡¯s eyes fiercely.


    It works! Those two words crossed her mind as she poked the eyeballs. The zombie¡¯s head was hard but its eyes were exposed and its only weakness.


    ¡°Roar¡ª¡±


    The roaring of the power-type zombie was getting closer and was accompanied by heavy footsteps.


    ¡°Behind this door just now, there is an infirmary.¡± Jing Xiubai whispered.


    Chi Xin looked back at him and at the other men. Their eyes were desperate, even if they survived from here, some may die because antibiotics were lacking. Even Yu Pengcheng may lose his arm.


    Silence spread in the group.


    [Your great opportunity is here, host!] The system¡¯s voice rang, [This is a power-type high-level zombie and the host¡¯s shortcoming. If the host can kill it, you will get more points than the last victory against the agile zombie.]


    The system¡¯s voice was full of temptation and Chi Xin remained silent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jing Xiubai strode to Rong Feng, put him on his shoulder, and said in a fierce voice, ¡°As long as we can move, let¡¯s not wait for death on the spot!¡±


    Under his influence, everybody struggled and continued to rush forward. After running for a few steps, Yu Xiang suddenly stopped: ¡°Where is Chi Xin?¡±


    Everyone looked back in horror. In the middle of the shaking corridor, Chi Xin was standing quietly, a decisive look on her beautiful face. She glanced at them, turned around resolutely, and met the zombie who was coming after them.


    ¡°Sister Chi¡ª!¡± Yu Pengcheng¡¯s eyes were red and he broke away from Yu Xiang who was supporting him before raising his gun with one hand and shooting at the monster.


    ¡°Go!¡± Chi Xin was afraid. She did not want to be a hero and fight alone, but her group was injured and she knew she was able to kill the zombie.


    But how could they listen to her? Nobody said a word but raised their weapons one after another to shoot in vain at the zombie, not backing away.


    Chi Xin did not pay attention to them and faced the sturdy creature. She kicked on the wall and rushed forward in a burst of strength.


    Ah, ah, ah, ah I¡¯m going to die!


    The sharp mouth of the zombie was getting closer¡ª and in the middle of her teammates¡¯ cries, she landed on its neck. It was the first time she was coming in so close contact with one of those things and Chi Xin¡¯s heart was about to stop. Fortunately, her body instinctively moved and her elbow hit the zombie¡¯s head.


    So hard! Despite Chi Xin¡¯s indifferent expression, her bones almost shattered. Strength was not her forte and she jerked her head down to avoid a rock-like punch. She grabbed its ears and quickly tried to think of a plan of attack.


    Little theater:


    Jing Xiubai: Am I the male lead?


    Yu Xiang: Is Xiubai the male lead?


    Translator: Is Jing Xiubai the male lead?


    Readers: Is Jing Xiubai the male lead?


    Chi Xin: What male lead?


    Author: Don¡¯t ask me.

 CH 13

    Chapter 13: Escape


    [Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a power-type high-level zombie and earning an extra five points of trouble value, for a total of 25 points.] The voice of the system made it difficult to know whether it was excited or regretful, [The host¡¯s trouble value is now at 89 points.]


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t feel happy at all. The system was trying to influence her behavior and when it could not control her body, it would emit electric current which was a very dangerous sign. It meant that the system could manipulate her at all times.


    If the trouble value went down the pass line, the system would control her body. But what if the trouble value reached zero? After all, this dog system already deducted points rather randomly and she had no idea what its pattern was.


    Chi Xin¡¯s heart started beating faster and she felt a cold chill all over her body. When she stood up again, there was no hint of the excitement or pride of killing a high-level zombie in her expression; she looked blank and the men watching her were amazed.


    Can¡¯t laugh, forget it. She looked at Jing Xiubai and could not find anything other than shock in his gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, aren¡¯t we going to the medical room?¡±


    Jing Xiubai took a deep breath. He glanced at the other¡¯s condition and decisively ordered the wounded to move first; he, Yu Xiang, and Chi Xin would search for drugs.


    ¡°Be quick.¡± Yu Pengcheng, who was the less injured among the three, was anxious, ¡°The place is going to collapse soon.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up.¡± Yu Xiang helped Rong Feng stand up, ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    He then ran to Chi Xin¡¯s side and ignoring the swaying around them, he patted his chest and said: ¡°Sister Chi, what do you need me to do?¡±


    Chi Xin was taken aback for a moment and looked at Jing Xiubai again.


    Jing Xiubai: ¡°You just experienced a fight, can you still keep up with your current physical strength?¡±


    ¡°Walk against the wall, keep your body steady.¡± Jing Xiubai reminded in a low voice.


    The three of them supported themselves with the swaying wall and quickly returned to the place the power-type zombie had come out. Chi Xin found the army knife she had left and picked it up on the way.


    She had mentally prepared herself to find nothing beneficial as they entered the medical room but she had not expected to find arrays of medicine cabinets under her flashlight. Some of the drugs had no name and only serial numbers, just like something that had been specially developed.


    The three of them were overjoyed. In addition to the bag they had brought as a cover and where they stuffed some basic antibiotics, alcohol, and the likes, both protagonists knew about Chi Xin¡¯s space and opened the code locks one by one unceremoniously. Quickly, they ransacked the entire medical room.


    ¡°Huh?¡± While Chi Xin was grabbing everything, Yu Xiang lay on the ground and pulled out a box from the corner, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it first.¡± Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t look back and Yu Xiang let out a small shout as he got up with the box in his arm.


    After she looked at it under the flashlight, Chi Xin felt this box was a little familiar. When Yu Xiang handed it to her and Chi Xin got a closer look at it, her heart skipped a beat.


    The hero and second male lead did not know anything about this box yet but she did; it contained a similar drug to the one that had been injected in Jing Xiubai back then. When he had suffered these experiments, the drugs had not been perfected yet and it was after dancing with death that Jing Xiubai had gained the ability to control ice. Yet the box in her hand contained the same medicine after years of research and improvement; it could stimulate supernatural abilities with almost no secondary effect.


    Unexpectedly, they had obtained the drug this way and Chi Xin felt she was holding the Grail in her hand. Who didn¡¯t want to have powers during the apocalypse? Except for her, obviously; she already had a dog system of unknown composition in her body, she wasn¡¯t sure what kind of monster she would become if she ever took this drug.


    In the movie, the medicine had been injected into Jiang Congyun¡¯s body who had awakened healing powers afterward. Remembering this, Chi Xin glanced at Yu Xiang with sympathetic eyes; in the whole movie, he was the only one in the protagonist group with no ability, it was really pitiful.


    The light was too dim and Yu Xiang didn¡¯t notice Chi Xin¡¯s abnormal expression. As soon as he handed the box to her, the ground shook violently and they almost fell together. He helped Chi Xin and turned his head: ¡°It¡¯s going to collapse! Stop searching!¡±


    Jing Xiubai was in the corner and no one knew what it was doing. Chi Xin felt the system should have bound itself to him instead, his trouble value was much stronger than her!


    ¡°Jing Xiubai!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but shout. Her voice was clear and very noticeable amidst the rumbling sound.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He ran quickly back to them and stuffed something into Chi Xin¡¯s hand, ¡°Put that away first and let¡¯s go!¡±


    In the chaos, Chi Xin didn¡¯t dare to explore what it was. The three of them turned around and rushed out of the medical room.


    The shaking was getting worse; if it weren¡¯t for the support of the metal walls, they were afraid they would have been buried alive by now.


    Run, run! Chi Xin, who had never qualified for the 800 meters sprint before, burst out with a strong will to survive. When the light of the exit appeared, she could hardly see the way in front of her anymore.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    With determination, she pushed her whole body forward at an even faster speed¡ª


    Bang.


    Behind them, the entire ground where the armory was located sank. The three wounded men who were waiting for them at the entrance, raising their guns to shoot the scattered zombies around, showed expressions of surprise when they saw the situation.


    Chi Xin calmed her breathing and strode forward before stretching out her hand at the severely wounded Rong Feng: ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    All gazes suddenly focused on her and Rong Feng looked at her incredulously: ¡°Are you trying to¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Yu Xiang roared, ¡°There is still me and Xiubai, why would you be the one to carry him?!¡±


    Chi Xin was very calm: ¡°Jing Xiubai will drive over so we can meet halfway, it will save a lot of time.¡±


    She glanced at a dumbfounded Chen Xing: ¡°Or do you want me to carry Chen Xing?¡±


    Yu Pengcheng gritted his teeth and said: ¡°I¡¯ll carry him! Say what you want but we can¡¯t let Sister Chi carry a grown man!¡±


    Although Chi Xin was powerful, she was just too small compared to the tall and strong Rong Feng.


    ¡°Why are you nagging?!¡± Chi Xin grabbed Rong Feng¡¯s arm, ¡°Bear with me.¡±


    And in the eyes of everyone, she put him on her shoulders. Even if his feet were still dragging on the ground, she was definitely carrying him on her back. Her breath was stable and she made it look like it didn¡¯t require much effort.


    ¡°That¡­?¡±


    Before anyone could exclaim their astonishment, they saw Chi Xin inhale deeply and start running forward.


    Everyone: ??!


    A few days ago, Chi Xin wouldn¡¯t have claimed she could carry Rong Feng. But after killing the power-type zombie, she felt she could. And indeed she did.


    Rong Feng¡¯s narrow phoenix eyes stared at Chi Xin as she carried him without blinking. Despite the weight on her back, she had freed one hand and taken her Desert Eagle out to shoot any zombie that dared to block her way, killing them without fail. The expression in Rong Feng¡¯s gaze changed several times.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know she was being stared at. Her heart was beating wildly and endless power seemed to surge through her limbs, giving her infinite confidence. If she could live, so could they!


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to see the SUV drive towards them and run over the zombies in the way. Chi Xin was carrying Rong Feng and killing the zombies around yet was still faster than the other three men.


    She saw Jing Xiubai open the door of the rear seat and whispered: ¡°Go and hold on.¡±


    Rong Feng nodded until he realized she couldn¡¯t see him and said in a hurry: ¡°I know.¡±


    As the car passed by, Chi Xin pushed the man on her back into the car. Rong Feng immediately grabbed the roof and climbed inside with difficulty, reaching out to catch the others.


    Chi Xin ran back quickly to help Yu Xiang with the other two injured. Once they were all in the car, Yu Xiang squeezed in and Jing Xiubai opened the passenger door for her.


    Just as Chi Xin was about to go in, electricity hit her wrist and she loosened her grasp on the handle and was almost bitten by a zombie that came at her.


    Dog system!


    ¡°Chi Xin!¡± Jing Xiubai threw an ice cone at the zombie¡¯s head.


    Chi Xin gritted her teeth, retracted all four limbs, and hopped into the vehicle. With a stern expression, Jing Xiubai accelerated; the SUV roared and ran over all the zombies before driving into the distance

 CH 14

    Chapter 14: Practice marksmanship


    For a few minutes, only the sound of the car, the ragged breathing of the men, and the subtle tremble of nerves were heard.


    ¡°We¡­ came out alive?¡± Yu Pengcheng asked in a trance, his voice shaking.


    ¡°Yes, we made it out alive.¡± Yu Xiang slapped his thigh abruptly and shouted, ¡°Who assigned us this broken mission? I think I have a few words to tell them.¡±


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t complain but his lips were drawn in a straight line. From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Chi Xin: ¡°How are you?¡±


    Hearing him ask her this question, the mood in the car suddenly calmed down.


    ¡°Sister Chi, thank you for saving us this time.¡± Yu Pengcheng¡¯s reverence was no longer enough to be contained on his face and he clenched his uninjured fist, ¡°You really, really¡­¡±


    His brain was drawing a blank, unable to find the words to describe her.


    ¡°Sister Chi, I also recognize you as Sister Chi!¡± Chen Xing laughed weakly but his voice was full of gratitude and fear of having almost died, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Rong Feng held his ribs in silence but both of his eyes were riveted on Chi Xin and never moved.


    ¡°Sister Chi.¡± Yu Xiang followed somewhat seriously, ¡°There is something I want to say but I am too embarrassed to do so here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to confess, are you? Then we don¡¯t agree!¡± Chen Xing joked.


    ¡°Even if I do, you can¡¯t answer for her!¡± Yu Xiang glared at him in dissatisfaction and smiled again as he faced Chi Xin, ¡°Right?¡±


    Chi Xin was lying on the back of her seat, watching them, and she rolled her eyes when she heard him: ¡°Speak fast.¡±


    As soon as she answered, the slightly solemn atmosphere in the car immediately relaxed.


    ¡°Young master Xiang, it seems like you are not so invincible.¡± Chen Xing grinned.


    Rong Feng¡¯s sharp gaze retracted and Yu Pengcheng breathed a sigh of relief. Even Jing Xiubai loosened his hands that were holding the steering wheel tightly.


    Yu Xiang looked at Chi Xin with a complicated expression but decided to keep his thoughts to himself. She obviously had a portable space on her, did she really need help to move? Chi Xin smiled, ignored him, and looked back at the road.


    The space was not hers and sooner or later, she would find a way to return it to the heroine. In this apocalyptic world, it would be nice to have someone carry things for her and it was good to find a volunteer in advance. She was so full of thoughts on how to survive this cruel world, she did not carefully consider what deeper meaning Yu Xiang¡¯s words had. To put it simply, even if she heard something, she would only choose to ignore it. The relationship between her and these plot characters was like a cold partnership; she needed to rely on them to walk the plot and nothing more.


    After a while, Chi Xin turned back around and said: ¡°Yu Xiang.¡±


    The man, who was quarreling back and forth with the wounded in the back, immediately sat upright: ¡°Yes!¡±


    ***


    Although everyone had come back in a miserable state, the harvest of this mission was visible to the naked eye. Cao Yan, the leader of the base, specially gave the team special privileges and told them to select materials from what they had gathered.


    Chi Xin casually picked up some ammunition for her Desert Eagle. She and the protagonists knew that the better of today¡¯s results had ended up in her space and the rest was not worth fighting over. However, in the eyes of those secretly observing this scene, they all responded in awe to Chi Xin¡¯s indifference to fame and fortune. In the last days, everything might be what would save them from death and she just had handed all the supplies casually like it didn¡¯t matter to her.


    Cao Yan¡¯s grateful words went in and out of Chi Xin¡¯s ears; she was already distractingly organizing her messy space and as she flipped through it, she stilled.


    She forgot to find detergent! What was she going to do with all this blood!


    Cao Yan stared at her cold expression and thoughts he had said something wrong. Chi Xin had conquered one of their best teams in one trip, including Jing Xiubai; any dangerous mission in the future would require her and he did not dare to offend her.


    ¡°None of your business.¡± Chi Xin had a heavy heart and was wondering where to find soap.


    Cao Yan became nervous and looked at Jing Xiubai who was standing not far away, a cry for help in his gaze. The hero had been looking at their side and after answering Jiang Congyun¡¯s concerns, he walked to them. Seeing the blood-covered Chi Xin, Jing Xiubai said: ¡°If you want to go back to freshen up, go. There is nothing more to do here.¡±


    Chi Xin silently shifted her gaze to him. Outside of the battle, she looked like a small trapped deer, her eyes pure and innocent. Somehow, Jing Xiubai¡¯s heart suddenly became happy and he tentatively asked: ¡°Do you not have any toiletries?¡±


    ***


    Chi Xin¡¯s most lucrative gain after this mission was not the food nor the guns in her space but the 89 trouble value. With these points, she could stay in the base and try to fix the relationship with the protagonist group without having to go seek death outside for the time being.


    But she was not idle.


    When L City had built the base, it had deliberately included the shooting range of the original urban area. Because most people were ordinary citizens, even if they were given guns, they didn¡¯t know how to use them and needed a place to train.


    After the terrible zombie siege, there were twice as many people going to practice and Chi Xin got up early and rushed there before the crowd would arrive. There were only a few people already present and when they saw her come in, they put down the guns in their hands and saluted Chi Xin in awe.


    After the team had come back from the last mission, the news of her killing another high-level zombie had quickly spread. Nowadays, nobody could look at her with normal expression anymore and the voices of opposition had almost entirely disappeared.


    Chi Xin silently and solemnly walked to the corner she used for training every day. Since she had taken this spot, nobody dared to use it lately.


    The other people in the shooting range didn¡¯t understand why the Goddess would miss the target every time she fired. But after watching her practice with a cold expression on her face and never hit the bullseye, they suddenly realized¡ª


    It seemed that she was too bored during her rest time and she had come to the shooting range to have fun! And at once, their gazes held even more worship.


    After this downed on them, nobody was surprised anymore with her empty target but kept observing her. Chi Xin ignored those eyes, took a deep breath, glared at the bullseye, and raised her gun again.


    ¡°You are not standing firmly enough, you are not putting your body weight on your two feet so your trajectory always deviates. Of course, if it was your intention, just ignore me.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s hand holding the gun stiffened, and she looked behind her. Jing Xiubai stood not far away, his arms crossed on his chest, and the eyes behind his glasses were looking at her gently.


    ¡°I went to your room to look for you but you weren¡¯t there. I guessed you should be here instead.¡±

 CH 15

    Because all the supplies were in Chi Xin¡¯s space, Jing Xiubai often came to see her these past few days to get some guns, ammunition, medicine, or food. Including the ability drug and the last thing he had stuffed her with, Chi Xin had handed everything over to him.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s muffled laughter came from behind her. Chi Xin picked up her hair and turned around helplessly: ¡°What do you need?¡±


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t rush to reply and stared at her fried hair before walking to her.


    ¡°You are really special. Obviously, you can hit but it looks like you have never held a gun in your life.¡±


    Jing Xiubai used his hand like a gun, widened his feet slightly, moved his center of gravity, and assumed a standard shooting posture. He looked at Chi Xin with a tilted head: ¡°Try it this way.¡±


    Chi Xin felt a little guilty; she feared the hero would suspect her of something and seeing him start a shooting lesson, a flash of joy flashed in her eyes and she took his advice seriously. She imitated his posture and asked: ¡°Like this?¡±


    Jing Xiubai stretched out his hand and raised her elbow: ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t answer, Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t insist. His hand took something out of his pocket and he opened his palm in front of Chi Xin, showing a few familiar bullets.


    ¡°Those are special bullets I made. Fortunately, in the medicine we found that day, some contained something similar to biological cannonballs.¡±


    What an awesome guy, he really deserved to be the son of the boss of Base A¡¯s research institute. He could even make bullets under such simple conditions!


    Chi Xin sighed and didn¡¯t understand his meaning. Did he want to show off to the vicious female character¡­?


    Looking at her confused face, Jing Xiubai couldn¡¯t hold a gentle expression anymore: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Chi Xing scratched her cheek, looking up at him with questions in her gaze, and tentatively said: ¡°¡­ so amazing?¡±


    ¡°I found the raw materials in the medical supplies we got from the armory.¡± He took Chi Xin¡¯s hand and dropped the bullets in her palm before adding warmly, ¡°Only you can maximize the effect.¡±


    Chi Xin was embarrassed: ¡°Actually, Rong Feng can do it. So can Yu Xiang. And then again, you are also quite powerful.¡±


    She was obviously so strong, far beyond human imagination, but faced with praise, she felt too humble and flustered. Perhaps Yu Xiang was right, if Chi Xing could desperately try to save people and find medicine regardless of danger, she should not be the kind of person that would steal other people¡¯s things and pendants. Perhaps it was just like she said, everything had been an accident.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s gaze softened, but after thinking of something a complicated expression showed on his face. He hesitated for a moment and decided to be honest: ¡°Chi Xin, there is something else I should tell you.¡±


    Chi Xin was still fiddling with the bullets and asked without raising her head: ¡°Ah? What is it?¡±


    Jing Xiubai tried to organize his thoughts: ¡°The box Yu Xiang found contains a drug able to stimulate human potential. This is how I got my ability.¡±


    Strong disgust and hatred flashed in his eyes. Noticing Chi Xin¡¯s movements had stopped, it instantly disappeared: ¡°There is only one injection. I don¡¯t know what potential it will stimulate neither do I know if there will be side effects.¡±


    Chi Xin was surprised the hero would actually tell her about it. In the movie, the protagonists had never trusted Chi Xin and she found the situation rather funny. Hadn¡¯t she seen the movie, she would have believed he cared.


    The hero had not gotten much information at this time and he did not have a good impression of this medicine. In his eyes, the drug represented sin and death.


    Jing Xiubai looked at her with imperceptible tension: ¡°Chi Xin¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it to Yu Xiang or Jiang Congyun.¡± Chi Xin raised her head, ¡°The two of them are weak, their chances at staying alive will get better with some supernatural abilities.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry! Chi Xin apologized in her heart, in order to express she was not interested, she had wronged them both.


    Jing Xiubai couldn¡¯t control his stunned expression. Chi Xin¡¯s face was calm, not drooling nor showing any desire, only saying she would give away the medicine that all mankind would fight for. Not only that, but it also felt she was feeling too much trouble at being asked and a vague sense of disgust.


    Jing Xiubai couldn¡¯t figure her out and after a pause, he said: ¡°This drug may stimulate supernatural abilities, do you really not want it?¡±


    Chi Xin glanced at him as if he was talking nonsense: ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Jin Xiubai looked at her calm yet slightly impatient face and the tension in his heart suddenly loosened. It was the kind of relief he had felt a few times before, such as when Chi Xin had hugged his arm,  when she had dragged him away from the battle, or when she had looked at him and not at anyone else¡­ But at this exact moment, this relief was so strong he was a little surprised.


    ¡°Anyway, just give it to them, you can discuss it between yourselves.¡± When she saw the hero was frozen in place, she thought he didn¡¯t understand her meaning and she emphasized: ¡°Death and life have their determined appointments, riches and honors depend upon heaven1.¡±


    In the movie however, the drug had indeed been given to Jiang Congyun and Chi Xin became afraid something would deviate from the original plot.


    ¡°Good idea. I took her space, she needs more life-saving skills.¡±


    She spoke earnestly, as if she was really eager to give the injection to Jiang Congyun, not caring about the previous signs of the heroine targeting her. Jing Xiubai lowered his gaze and a hint of tenderness appeared in his voice: ¡°Okay.¡±


    ***


    Chi Xin practiced her marksmanship for a few more days and her trouble value kept dropping down. She couldn¡¯t do anything about the system for the time being and had to take out the paper where she had recorded all of the movie¡¯s major events, before studying how to cause some trouble.


    She put a lollipop in her mouth and slid the tip of her finger on the paper. According to the timeline, the heroine should have started awakening her healing power and the next thing the vicious female character should be doing was¡­


    Her finger suddenly stopped as she reached a line.


    Slip out of the base in the middle of the night and provoke zombies. Cry and send out a distress signal, causing the second male lead to come to rescue her and get injured.


    Uh-oh.

 CH 16

    Chapter 16: Chen Xiang


    Chi Xin thought about it for a while. Every member of the team should still be recovering and Yu Xiang should have nothing to do. But if he stayed in his room, how would he see the distress signal?


    Chi Xin put her paper away and went out to find Yu Xiang. As soon as she left her room, she noticed Xiao Li who was living next to her, leaning against the wall in a clean uniform. When he heard the sound of the door, he looked up and a huge grin appeared on his face when he saw her.


    ¡°¡­ Chi Xin¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how to call her, ¡°Are you going to the canteen?¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± She stretched out her hand and waved, ¡°I am going to find Yu Xiang.¡±


    Xiao Li¡¯s smile stiffened and the corner of his mouth fell down.


    ¡°I need to find him too. Let¡¯s go together.¡± He looked at her nervously, ¡°Can we?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep you away.¡±


    Xiao Li¡¯s smile was tense and it seemed he could hear the sound of his heart breaking. But seeing as she was already walking away, he felt helpless. He clenched his fists, moved his legs, and rushed to Chi Xin¡¯s side.


    They reached the level where the protagonist group lived and Chi Xin stood in front of one door for a while, before turning to look at Xiao Li with embarrassment: ¡°Do you know where Yu Xiang lives?¡±


    As soon as she asked, she realized he would most likely not know but when he heard her, Xiao Li blinked and showed a smile bright enough it made the sun pale: ¡°Room 301.¡±


    Chi Xin raised her eyebrows in surprise and he took the initiative to explain: ¡°We sometimes eat together. When you came back after killing the high-level zombie, he didn¡¯t accuse you like the others.¡±


    The reason he judged people for being nice was really strange. Chi Xin scratched her cheek and was about to head to Yu Xiang¡¯s room when the loudspeakers in the base sounded.


    ¡°Calling Chi Xin, calling Chi Xin! Please come to the council room immediately. I repeat, please come to the council room immediately.¡±


    Chi Xin stopped in her tracks. Xiao Li¡¯s eyes widened as he heard the alert for the first time: ¡°Are they not afraid to attract zombies with such a loudspeaker?¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡°It is only used for emergencies, like the zombie siege from last time. I didn¡¯t know I was as important.¡±


    Xiao Li looked at her expression and didn¡¯t see any anxiety: ¡°Then¡­ are we going?¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t notice how naturally he had said the word ¡°we¡± but she frowned and hesitated for a while: ¡°But I want to find Yu Xiang.¡±


    Slight gloom appeared in Xiao Li¡¯s eyes and when he was about to speak, her door was pushed open and Jing Xiubai walked out of the room. He saw the two of them standing here and his eyebrows raised in surprise.


    He walked to Chi Xin and asked in a soft voice: ¡°I heard they were looking for you on the loudspeaker. Why aren¡¯t you going there?¡±


    She looked over his shoulder but didn¡¯t see the person she was looking for. She showed a disappointed expression: ¡°Is Yu Xiang away?¡±


    Jing Xiubai raised his eyebrows again and pushed his glasses on his nose: ¡°He isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Chi Xin, please come to the council room. I repeat, Chi Xin, please come to the council room immediately.¡±


    The loudspeaker sounded again and Chi Xin sighed helplessly: ¡°Then I guess I will go there. When you see Yu Xiang, tell him to find me.¡±


    She was worried they would keep using the speaker again and that the noise would attract another wave of zombies.


    Jing Xiubai nodded but didn¡¯t turn around to go look for Yu Xiang, just like Xiao Li, and followed Chi Xin to the council room. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw people standing inside. When they noticed Chi Xin¡¯s arrival, the crowd broke out and instinctively separated to create a path, revealing the people who were standing in the middle.


    The person who had made the announcement was Cao Yan and next to him was standing a gloating Cao Qing. When he saw Chi Xin come in, resentment and excitement were in his eyes, and he grabbed the color of a thin woman before throwing her in front of Chi Xin.


    ¡°Chen Xiang?¡± Jing Xiubai¡¯s voice sounded and Chi Xin came to a realization. In the movie, Chen Xiang was just a short-lived character and she had never reappeared after the zombie siege. She really didn¡¯t think she would see her there.


    ¡°It¡¯s Chen Xiang.¡± Chi Xin thought about their relationship and was slightly embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re okay.¡±


    She was calm and Cao Qing suddenly fell into a rage. He pointed at her and stared at Chen Xiang: ¡°Chen Xiang, why the hell did she go out that night?¡±


    Before Chi Xin could react, Xiao Li stepped forward and grabbed Cao Qing¡¯s finger. Cao Qing struggled but Xiao Li dodged his head and raised his hand to block the upcoming punch. Those few movements were neat and concise, showing his military training.


    ¡°Get to the point and show some respect.¡± He stood in front of Chi Xin with a cold face and the ice cone Jing Xiubai had condensed in his palm quietly dissipated. He pushed his glasses back and asked in a cold voice: ¡°Cao Qing, what is going on?¡±


    Although he was asking him, his eyes were on Cao Yan.


    Cao Yan smiled bitterly: ¡°Chen Xiang said Chi Xin lied and did not go to kill a high-level zombie that night but went to look for cosmetics. If this is the case, even if she saved the base, she is guilty.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Chi Xin is a liar, who really thinks she is a hero? This is ridiculous!¡± Cao Qing¡¯s face was grim, savoring the sweet taste of revenge, ¡°Am I not right?¡±


    Most of the crowd remained silent but a few people responded with indignant cries. Listening to their voices, Cao Qing showed a victorious expression. He looked at Chi Xin and said in an obscene and despicable voice: ¡°Chi Xin, can you defend yourself? Do you want to beg me? Beg me and I can persuade everyone to let you stay in the base.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t wait to tear the composure from her beautiful face and find the same, seductive, pleasing, little white rabbit-like pitiful and scheming expression as before.


    Although Chi Xin was expressionless, the disgusting meaning in this sentence could be heard. She glanced at Cao Qing and kicked Chen Xiang on the ground with a stretched leg.


    ¡°Tell me, what happened that night?¡±


    With her indifferent face, it didn¡¯t look like she was the one being accused at this moment. This unexpected reaction made Cao Qing even more furious and he yelled: ¡°The witness is here, what else are you trying to do?!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Xiao Li also showed anger and he wanted to step forward to teach him respect. Chi Xin lifted up an arm and he stopped. Her face was as calm as ever and her eyes had a cold sharp edge. She gave Cao Qing a sideways glance; she was timid but things that did not put her life in danger were not worthy of her fear. Cao Qing felt a chill all over his body and he looked at her directly for the first time.

 CH 17

    Chapter 17: Resolution


    Chi Xin had either changed or revealed her true side. Cao Qing knew about it but refused to admit it; in his heart, Chi Xin had cheated him as soon as she had joined the base and was a stupid girl.


    But at this exact moment, he really felt her change.


    She was beautiful and her face was obviously the same but her aura was similar to the daughter of a wealthy family, noble and inviolable.


    He heard her unhurried voice: ¡°Why are you in such a rush? Even in a death sentence trial, you should give the defendant a chance to appeal.¡±


    Chen Xiang saw such a Chi Xin, a trace of doubt flashed across her eyes and she glanced at Cao Qing. Meeting his cold and threatening gaze, she immediately shrunk her head and cried out: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chi Xin! I cannot deceive anyone anymore! This is wrong! I must tell the truth! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Her shouts were equivalent to admitting what Cao Qing had said was true. Chi Xin was a liar and she had provoked the zombie attack; she was not a hero.


    The crowd was in an uproar. The people who had been suspicious to begin with began to curse angrily. They may not care about who had saved them but they cared about who had almost caused their deaths.


    In the chaos, Chi Xin remained unmoved: ¡°I will ask you one more question. Since you are still alive, why didn¡¯t you fight against the zombies with everyone else? If it is as you said, aren¡¯t you also guilty of causing the attack?¡±


    The scene became even more turbulent and Chen Xiang¡¯s eyes fluttered. She flinched and said in a low voice: ¡°I¡­ I was too scared. That was a high-level zombie! How can humans fight against this¡­ I thought we were all going to die, it didn¡¯t matter where¡­¡±


    Her cowardly remarks aroused the anger of the crowd even more and the people closest to her tried to kick her. It looked like a switch had been flipped, the people in the back row pushed the front frantically. Everyone was venting and accusing both girls loudly; the scene was utter chaos and far exceeded Cao Qing¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Calm down! Be quiet! Be quiet!¡± Cao Yan tried to appease everyone but with little effect.


    Cao Qing looked at everyone and shouted: ¡°What are you doing! Chi Xin should be blamed! She is the culprit!¡±


    A cold hand grasped Chi Xin¡¯s wrist and Jing Xiubai blocked her from the crowd before whispering: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Chi Xin raised her head to look at him. The hero¡¯s beautiful jawline was clenched and the pupils behind his glasses were sharp, always guarding his surroundings. Chi Xin didn¡¯t answer but felt a little uneasy; in such a messy situation and with what she had learned about a certain dog system, it will definitely¡­


    [Host, there is such a good opportunity!]


    Ah, speak of the devil.


    Jing Xiubai noticed Chi Xin¡¯s face was getting paler but the light in her gaze was getting brighter.


    At the same time, Chi Xin felt danger incoming, which instantly triggered her body¡¯s defense reflex.


    ¡°Chi Xin! How can you still have the face to live! Go to hell¡ª¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s muscles tightened instantly and without looking back to check who was attacking her, a slender and powerful leg turned around in a violent kick.


    Which directly landed in Cao Qing¡¯s lower abdomen.


    His face changed and flushed instantly. He clutched his groin and fell to the ground as he dropped the gun he had pointed at Chi Xin. At the same time, Chi Xin¡¯s Desert Eagle appeared in her hand and the moment Cao Qing touched the floor, the cold muzzle was aimed at him.


    Chi Xin steadily held her gun on Cao Qing¡¯s forehead and her eyes were cold. The man was curled up on the ground, unable to move nor speak. He tentatively stretched out a finger but immediately retracted it to cover his lower abdomen. The pain tore through his heart and lungs and made him sweat.


    ¡°Chi Xin, wait!¡± Cao Yan squeezed out from the crowd and nervously guarded Cao Qing, ¡°What grievances you have, just say! Don¡¯t shoot, don¡¯t shoot!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chi Xin slowly lowered her gun, ¡°I thought I was getting sentenced to death in court.¡±


    Her words were flat but the sarcasm in them was strong. Cao Yan showed a trace of embarrassment and glanced at Cao Qing who was hitting his own bitter fruit1 behind him. Kicked to the groin by Chi Xin¡­ He was afraid he would never think about women anymore in his life.


    But at any rate, his life was spared.


    Cao Yan breathed a sigh of relief and saw that Chi Xin had raised her gun one more time, this time towards Chen Xiang. As soon as he was about to speak, Chi Xin glanced coldly at him; his words stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.


    ¡°I will give you another chance.¡± Chi Xin steadied herself on her feet and her hand was extremely stable, ¡°What happened that night?¡±


    Chen Xiang had long been scared by her and the smell of urine rose. She broke down and cried out: ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean it! It¡¯s Cao Qing! He said that as long as I told everyone you caused the zombie attack, he would protect me and feed me for the rest of my life. It¡¯s all Cao Qing! Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡±


    Hearing Chen Xiang¡¯s new answer, Chi Xin¡¯s face was as calm as when she had been accused: ¡°You did not answer my question.¡±


    ¡°I did, I did!¡± Chen Xiang knelt down, ¡°We were separated shortly after we went out. I fled back to the base when I saw the zombies, I really don¡¯t know what Chi Xin did!¡±


    The truth finally came to light and Chi Xin frowned unsatisfactorily; she still didn¡¯t know what the original Chi Xin had done that night. The slender and cold eyes in her mind made goosebumps appear on her body just thinking about them as if a knife was hanging above her head. She felt that she wouldn¡¯t be able to put her mind at rest if she didn¡¯t solve this mystery soon.


    Once everything was over, Cao Qing and Chen Xiang were taken away. Chi Xin didn¡¯t care about their fate and listened to everyone¡¯s gratitude and apology with no expression on her face. She even became stiff and was happy when she finally got rid of them.


    She turned to Jing Xiubai who had not left yet.


    ¡°Where did Yu Xiang go?¡± She was thinking about her mission and asked the hero before he could talk.


    Jing Xiubai gave a small smile: ¡°He wasn¡¯t there last night, I don¡¯t know where he went.


    Xiao Li, who was also still waiting on the side, seemed to remember something and interjected: ¡°I was a little uncomfortable yesterday and didn¡¯t go eat with my men. They never came back after going to the canteen.¡±


    The three looked at each other and noticed the gloom in each other¡¯s eyes.

 CH 18.1

    Chapter 18: A mutant emerges (1)


    Nights at the end of the world were not as bright as seen in the movie. After the loss of lightning engineers, in order to save electricity, the lights were all turned off at night and the entire base looked like a deserted and dead city.


    Chi Xin checked her gun inventory in the space and after feeling it was more than enough, she walked to the entrance in the dark.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    A few flashlights shone in her face and Chi Xin squinted her eyes.


    ¡°Lower your hands!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Goddess!¡±


    And the lights soon disappeared.


    Someone came to her quickly and asked in a very flattering voice: ¡°Why is Sister Chi coming out in the dark? Are you leaving the base?¡±


    Chi Xin was startled by his attentive attitude and only had time to hum softly.


    When the base had first been established, in order to protect the few surviving humans, it had been surrounded by giant walls that were constantly being monitored. Because Yu Xiang and the soldiers were not really considered people of the base, even if they had gone out, no one would have cared.


    Chi Xin was ready to fight the gatekeeper but realized he was not planning on stopping her at all. He even turned around and beckoned: ¡°Open the door! Sister Chi is going out!¡±


    Chi Xin asked: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I register or something?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± The man kept his polite attitude, ¡°Does Sister Chi want to investigate that legendary powerful thing again?¡±


    She thought of Xiao Li and Jing Xiubai she had left behind and clapped her hand before silently apologizing. She had missed their appointment.


    During the day, the three of them had realized Yu Xiang and the five soldiers had disappeared at the same time and had not returned for a day and a night. The three of them were certain something serious had happened.


    ¡°Although Yu Xiang is somewhat carefree, he is not reckless.¡± Jing Xiubai had said hesitantly at the time, ¡°If he didn¡¯t tell anyone where he was going, it is possible he felt too embarrassed to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°My comrades are rather serious and disciplined.¡± Xiao Li had shown confusion, ¡°Is it really possible for them to act together?¡±


    Jing Xiubai: ¡°Let¡¯s not rule out this possibility. If they¡¯re still in the base, then nevermind but if they went out¡­¡±


    Chi Xin, who had been silent all along, had said: ¡°Then let¡¯s go find them.¡±


    They had looked through every corner of the base until it had been about to get dark. It had been unlikely they had still been there and Jin Xiubai had proposed to borrow a car the next day to look for them outside.


    But for the sake of the mission, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t follow them honestly and chose to slip out at night.


    Her thoughts were very simple; she wasn¡¯t sure how Yu Xiang would have been able to learn of her absence if he had been staying in the base. But now that he was outside, he would definitely be able to see the distress signal. Chi Xin, who believed she had figured out the plot¡¯s routine, felt rather good about herself.


    In the movie, Chi Xin had gone to a department store in the center of the original L city to¡­ get cosmetics and beautiful clothes.


    That was hitting her limit. Forget it, it was also good to get more supplies.


    But after a few steps, Chi Xin stopped. When the base had been built, in order to avoid being besieged by zombies, it had been built on the outskirts of the city. How would she get to that mall now?


    She raised her head and looked at the few abandoned vehicles all over the dilapidated street. The howling of zombies was faintly heard from afar and when a Land Rover appeared in her line of sight, the smooth body of the car made her eyes shine and she rushed forward¡­ only to bypass the Land Rover and pull out a dirty shared scooter from the grass behind it.


    The little bike was still full of gas. Chi Xin tested it and, satisfied, she took out a gun and fired at the lock. At once, she accelerated and left her spot, where a few zombies attracted by the gunshot spun around in confusion.


    Although Chi Xin couldn¡¯t drive, she had good cycling skills. She controlled the handlebar with one hand and held a gun in the other, always watching out for the zombies on the side of the road. When one would appear, she would try to not rely on her instinctive reaction but to aim and shoot on her own and the scattered zombies on the way became her perfect practice targets.


    Chi Xin found everything very easy in the early stage. But as the road gradually narrowed and she began to enter the city, she realized things were unusual.


    Before the outbreak, L City had been a third-tier city. It had not been particularly prosperous but its population had not been low. Yet as she made her way to her destination, she encountered very few zombies, which had been the reason the system had not bothered to show and she had been able to practice her skills.


    Where were the zombies? Were they waiting for her near the mall for the plot, eager to get provoked?


    The closer she got to the store, the more Chi Xin felt that this ridiculous guess was the most probable.


    The roof of the mall vaguely appeared from the building complex, seemingly only a couple of blocks away. Her surroundings were no longer dead silent and she could hear the roar of zombies and the crackling sound of bloody flesh and bones, which grew louder as she kept approaching. Chi Xin pulled on the brake and some apprehension flashed in her eyes.


    Were these zombies so dedicated they really were waiting for her impatiently in the mall?


    The howling became even louder and Chi Xin suppressed her wild heartbeat that was almost as fast as the roars. She drove around the corner and held her breath as she saw the scene in front of her.


    Layers upon layers of zombies surrounded the door of the mall. They roared, rushed, and lunged themselves on the roll-up door, which was already falling down and was about to be breached.


    What was going on?


    Chi Xin was about to turn her scooter around and leave when she heard faint human sounds coming from the building. She suddenly stopped and looked up.


    In the darkness, around the fifth floor, sparks of gunfire were slightly visible and male voices were mixed with the howling of zombies. And now that she had heard them, she could no longer ignore the situation.


    But was it¡­? Thinking of Yu Xiang and the soldiers¡¯ disappearance, Chi Xin sighed and almost cursed, before controlling herself. At such a distance from a crowd of monsters, she shouldn¡¯t attract their attention.


    She got off the scooter cautiously and as she tried to find a way to enter the man, she heard a loud noise and she saw the group of zombies break through the roll-up door and rush in like a Black Friday crowd.


    The system screamed: [Your points! Your points!]


    My points! My¡­ what points! The second male lead¡¯s life is in danger!


    After clearing the intersection, Chi Xin fought her nausea and took a deep breath before rushing up the stairs.


    Ah, ah, ah, ah, I¡¯m going to die!


    Chi Xin almost didn¡¯t dare to open her eyes, running all the way up, pressing the trigger, or pushing zombies down the stairs instinctively, and she soon reached the third floor.


    Click.


    Not again.


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t even give a bitter smile, she felt dead inside. Her Desert Eagle was powerful and had a flexible range but its fatal weakness was the small magazine.


    She didn¡¯t have time to replace it and Chi Xin threw it into the space. She pulled out the army knife at her waist and backhanded the nearest zombie in its eye socket in a flash.


    By the time she made it to the fifth floor, her whole body was covered in blood and the fear in her heart was numb. After cleaning the last zombie beside her, she looked at the closed fire escape and aimed the knife at the lock.


    This kind of lock was naturally not comparable to the armory¡¯s and Chi Xin lifted her foot and kicked the door open in a huge noise. She quickly took a look at the situation inside and when she saw the dazzling array of makeup counters and various pre-apocalyptic big brands, she was stunned.


    This¡­ could not be a coincidence.

 CH 18.2

    Chapter 18: A mutant emerges (3)


    When they walked past the elevator, the group stopped. Even the sound of their breathing was suppressed and someone whispered: ¡°Do you guys hear anything?¡±


    The sound of fingernails scratching against metal resonated in the distance. Chi Xin froze and suddenly realized she had made a fatal mistake.


    In the movie, the reason the second male lead had been injured was not because of the numerous zombies but because of¡­


    The scratching sound became louder and a monster climbed out of the empty elevator. It looked like some kind of zombie, with all of its muscles peeling off and they could almost see the exposed organs and bones.


    But it lay on the ground, with black and sharp claws on its hands and feet, like a giant and crawling spider. Obviously, the scratching noise had come from this thing.


    After the creature creeped out, it raised its head and looked at the group with green eyes as it exhaled a terrible stench.


    ¡°That¡­ what¡­¡±


    A monster beyond imagination had appeared in front of them and one of the soldiers muttered in horror. Chi Xin stepped back slightly and with the cover of her body, she handed a gun to Yu Xiang. He grabbed it in a slip second, as nervous and scared as the others of the monster¡¯s appearance.


    However, once Chi Xin took a good look at it, the tremor in her heart gradually settled down.


    ¡°Stay steady.¡± In the movie, they had made it alive for only one reason, ¡°It doesn¡¯t dare to move for now. I will hold it for a while, you run towards the stairs, and remember to be fast.¡±


    Although her voice was small, her whole aura was stable and the frightened soldiers calmed down when they saw her quiet profile.


    ¡°No!¡± Yu Xiang objected in a low voice, ¡°We are all here, how can we leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°You are out of ammo, seriously injured, and haven¡¯t eaten for two days. You¡¯re serving yourself on a silver platter.¡± Chi Xin answered, ¡°Go before it moves!¡±


    The tallest of the soldiers suddenly raised his guns, and shouted with a hint of madness in his voice: ¡°I don¡¯t believe this monster can be more powerful than a gun!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Chi Xin was a step too late. She watched as the bullets shot out and as the incredibly agile monster used all four legs and disappeared from his spot. The next second, its hideous face was in front of the man who had just fired.


    At that moment, Chi Xin wasn¡¯t sure whether she had seen a sneer on its face. Amidst everyone¡¯s shout, the creature stretched out a sharp claw and plunged it deep into the man¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ah!!!!¡±


    Everyone started to shoot frantically at the monster; it dodged from left to right and let out roars when it was hit.


    Chi Xin squeezed her army knife. Instead of attacking the monster with the others, she walked to the man who was howling on the ground. His arm, starting from the hole the claw had made, was quickly turning black and spreading to his entire arm. Where the darkness swept past, the muscles instantly atrophied. It had already reached his shoulder and Chi Xin was afraid that his whole body would become like his arm in seconds.


    ¡°To save you, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi Xin forced herself to look at his eyes and stabbed his arm. Her army knife could pierce a zombie¡¯s head as easily as a man¡¯s arm.


    She didn¡¯t dare to look anymore at the agony on the man¡¯s face and turned around abruptly before walking towards the monster. Although not many bullets had accurately hit it, the occasional true aims had angered the creature. It was currently still in the hall, in a stand-off with the men, in a hunting pose.


    Suddenly, its body stiffened. It seemed to feel a strong threat coming from behind and stopped paying attention to the persons in front of it. It turned back in a roar and its two front paws aimed at the threat.


    Clang.


    Chi Xin held the army knife in both hands in front of her and steadily blocked the fierce blow.


    The monster was unable to strike and fell into a frenzy. It could feel the danger coming from the girl and ignored the other men to focus on her.


    Faced with the unpredictable creature, whose speed was comparable to an agile-type high-level zombie but whose strength was many times stronger, Chi Xin¡¯s heart sank. Fortunately, the system was on high alert and she not only avoided all of its attacks, but she also raised her knife and pierced its eyes.


    Chi Xin took this very short break to yell with all she had at the men: ¡°Go!¡±


    A red-eyed young soldier raised his gun again but was stopped by Yu Xiang.


    ¡°Let¡¯s carry Lu Tao, go!¡±


    He could see the bullets didn¡¯t cause much damage yet it was afraid of Chi Xin. If they stayed here, the girl would try to protect them and get distracted.


    The two of them lifted the man with the missing arm and Yu Xiang glanced at Chi Xin again. She was holding the monster¡¯s head and turning over in the air before she fell on its back. He saw her raise her knife to stab into the back of the monster¡¯s neck and arouse his anger even more.


    Yu Xiang turned his head, gritted his teeth, and rushed out of the flood with the others.


    Seeing them leave, Chi Xin relaxed slightly. She looked at the monster struggling beneath her and pulled out her army knife before getting ready to hit one more time. But at this moment, the creature turned his head to look at her and Chi Xin¡¯s hand froze in the air. In its eyes, Chi Xin could see hatred, fear, and deep resentment.


    A terrifying thought came to her mind and Chi Xin felt as if she had been doused in cold water. Incredulously and in a soft voice, she asked: ¡°Are you¡­ still conscious?¡±


    The monster stopped moving for a moment and it confirmed Chi Xin¡¯s guess: ¡°You can understand me, can¡¯t you? How did you become like this? What¡­¡±


    ¡°Howl¡ª!¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, the monster started to go crazy. It kept extending its claws to reach her as if her words had hit the most painful spot in its heart. Chi Xin was unstable and had to roll off its back, her army knife held at an oblique angle.


    ¡°I know you can understand.¡± Chi Xin¡¯s throat strained, ¡°Tell me, can you still talk?¡±


    The monster stared at her with a deadly gaze. Chi Xin¡¯s heart tightened and she backed her knife a little before tentatively saying: ¡°If you don¡¯t attack people. I can find someone to help you.¡±


    The creature¡¯s fierce eyes suddenly wavered but the next second, fear appeared in its pale pupils. The kind of fear far greater than it had felt facing Chi Xin. The monster began to shake and frequently looked out of the French window.


    Chi Xin licked her dry lips and looked too. But before she could see anything clearly, the monster seemed to have received orders and its previous hesitation disappeared. It rushed to Chi Xin with all its might, with strong killing intent.


    She rolled again and her eyes fell on the dazzling variety of skincare products on the counters, before getting up and ran towards it, while the monster chased after her.


    Chi Xin¡¯s main objective was to hide but she waved her knife along the way, smashing all the counters she could reach. All the bottles and jars flew out; some shattered on the ground, some piled up and they gradually gathered into a small mountain.


    Chi Xin dodged yet another attack, not advancing nor retreating until she faced the monster up and grabbed one of its arms. She used the leverage to jump and immediately rolled in the distance after landing.


    The monster was about to rush towards her again but a lighter quietly appeared in Chi Xin¡¯s hand. Whether she could kill the monster or not only depended on this.


    Her eyes darkened and when the creature reached the mountain of cosmetics, she ignited the lighter. With no hesitation, she aimed it in a beautiful curve, straight at the products on the ground.


    Chi Xin turned around at once, rushed to the French window as fast as she could, and took another gun from her space.


    Three, two, one.


    Boom¡ª


    As a huge heatwave hit from behind, Chi Xin fired at the window, hugged her head, and slammed sideways against the glass.


    Crack¡ª


    The sound of broken glass resonated and the men who had been waiting outside looked up. Chi Xin was caught in debris and flames and she volleyed outside. Everyone took a breath and rushed towards her.


    This was the fifth floor! Even for Chi Xin, it was too high!


    But she hadn¡¯t planned on waiting for death. The next second, an automatic folding umbrella appeared in her hand. With a clatter, the umbrella slammed open and the resistance suddenly slowed down her momentum, just in time for her to grab the beam of the second floor.


    ¡°Chi Xin! Let go! We will catch you!¡±


    The men rushed underneath and fear strained Yu Xiang¡¯s voice. Just now, this high-altitude jump almost caused him to cardiac arrest.


    Chi Xin glanced down. Her heart was beating widely but her lips were curved into a bright smile. She looked down at Yu Xiang, her eyes even brighter in the blazing flames of the fifth floor behind her.


    ¡°Yu Xiang, did I forget to tell you.¡±


    She suddenly let go. The men screamed and wanted to catch her but her waist twisted, just like the instinctive action she had made when she had fallen from the wall the first day. She fell on the ground lightly, rolled, stood up steadily, and finished her sentence:


    ¡°Before the end of the world, bungee jumping was my favorite sport.¡±


    She raised her head and smiled at the dumbfounded men.


    She hadn¡¯t been lying. Bungee jumping was indeed her favorite sport, she liked the feeling of flying to freedom; the unprotected high jump was just a first for her.


    Yu Xiang followed Chi Xin and it took him a long time to sort out his thoughts.


    ¡°Sister Chi¡­ Did you set the fifth floor on fire?¡± He asked in awe.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Her smile had disappeared after a few steps, and Chi Xin had returned to her calm and cold appearance, which made the men admire her even more.


    ¡°The monster, is it dead?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t get in our way anymore.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was dead or not but seeing that it hadn¡¯t followed her out, it must at least be incapacitated for the time being.


    There was a soft gasp from behind. Everyone knew how terrible the creature had been, Lu Tao even had lost his arm to it. Yet Chi Xin was unharmed after she had killed it by herself and jumped from the fifth floor.


    ¡°Sister Chi, you really are a god.¡± Someone said softly.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know how to answer these words and remained silent.


    Lu Tao, whose arm had been cut off, also said in a muted voice: ¡°Thank you¡­ for saving my life.¡±


    He had naturally felt he had been dying at that time and had not expected Chi Xin to be so decisive. She had snatched him back from the gates of hell.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Chi Xin became more embarrassed as she listened and simply interrupted their chanting praises, ¡°Let¡¯s see how we can go back.¡±


    Yu Xiang had been quietly looking at her back and smiled gently: ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you yet, but how did you come?¡±


    Chi Xin stopped and so did the others. They followed her gaze and looked at the¡­ shared little blue scooter in the grass. Smiles appeared on their faces and they coughed a few times to hide their laughter.


    ¡°You, you¡­ It really suits you.¡± Yu Xiang hadn¡¯t expected such an answer and he shook his head in astonishment, ¡°The car we drove is in front, let¡¯s go.¡±


    One of the less injured soldiers drove. He looked at Chi Xin sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat and his entire face suddenly reddened.


    ¡°Eh eh.¡± Yu Xiang knocked on the back of the driver¡¯s seat and said seriously: ¡°No time to be love-struck. The zombies had scattered because of the monster, are you waiting for them to come back?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t dare to look at Chi Xin and his fare was almost buried on the steering wheel. Chi Xin didn¡¯t know she was so scary and said: ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I don¡¯t eat people.¡±


    The man¡¯s ears also turned red but he finally drove away.


    Chi Xin looked at the building engulfed in the fire from the rearview mirror and the monster¡¯s eyes kept popping in her head. It had been conscious, and she had seen hesitation in them, but in the end, something had controlled it to keep fighting against her. What did? Chi Xin frowned and carefully recalled the movie¡¯s big boss.


    The company that had once captured Jing Xiubai was undoubtedly the traditional zombie movie¡¯s villain; they had tried to create biochemical warriors to control the world and had ended up releasing a zombie virus. And these zombies had continued to evolve until a zombie king had been born, posing a huge threat to humans. In the end, both the company and the zombie king had been eliminated by the protagonists and a new home for mankind had been built together.


    Could it be that the zombie king who wasn¡¯t supposed to appear just yet was the one controlling the dream? And what was the relationship between him and the dream she had?


    Chi Xin was lost in thoughts and didn¡¯t realize the car had returned to the base. The man at the gate was the one who had let her leave earlier and when he saw her come back in an SUV when she had left alone, he suddenly gave out a small cry.


    Yu Xiang had escaped from the dead and the story of Chi Xin¡¯s heroic rescue spread throughout the entire base the next day. Her trouble value had risen again and she slept the whole night, unaware of it.


    ***


    When she woke up the next day, she felt refreshed and her bones were lighter. She believed that yet another layer of restrictions in her body had been unsealed. As she looked at her slender white-jade hand, she sensed that it would be less difficult if she were to face last night¡¯s monster again.


    Hungry. Chi Xin got up and got ready to go to the canteen to find something warm to eat after washing up. However, as soon as she opened the door, she found Jing Xiubai and Xiao Li standing in the doorway, talking. Hearing her, the two of them turned around. Surprise flashed across Xiao Li¡¯s eyes and he pressed his lips tightly, and Jing Xiubai pushed his glasses.


    ¡°Awake?¡± He asked, ¡°You worked hard last night, why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem angry but Chi Xin felt a chill.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Remembering that she had left those two behind to go find Yu Xiang and the others alone, she took a step back and said with a weak tone, ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we discuss going together?¡± Xiao Li muttered, his voice laced with fear, ¡°Such a terrible monster¡­ you almost didn¡¯t come back.¡±


    Chi Xin nodded when he said ¡°such a terrible monster¡± but shook her head when she heard ¡°almost didn¡¯t come back¡±.


    ¡°You think too much.¡± she replied, ¡°That thing isn¡¯t as strong as a power-type zombie, I can handle it.¡±


    Strength was her weakness, relatively speaking.


    Listening to her answer, both men looked at each other and sighed helplessly.


    ¡°No one could have guaranteed what you would encounter.¡± Jing Xiubai added, ¡°Don¡¯t be so reckless.¡±


    Chi Xin nodded but was she really trying to be ¡°reckless¡±? Such a big plot had been under her nose and as the protagonist of that scene, how could she not appear on stage.


    Noticing she wasn¡¯t paying attention, Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t keep pressing her. He looked at the two of them and made a decision.


    ¡°If you two don¡¯t mind, come to my room.¡± He pushed his glasses again, ¡°There are some things I need to discuss with you.¡±

 CH 19.1

    Chapter 19: New abilities (1)


    Chi Xin had encountered a mutated zombie that had not been a high-level one last night; it was indeed something she needed to share with the protagonist group and she nodded in agreement without any hesitation.


    Because Xiao Li didn¡¯t have a role in the movie, Chi Xin felt a little uneasy having him participate in the conversation. But as long as the plot didn¡¯t deviate too much, she supposed it wasn¡¯t a problem but took an extra look at him.


    When the young soldier saw the look in her eyes, his face reddened and he lowered his head. His innocence made Chi Xin¡¯s eyes twitch and she turned away.


    Jing Xiubai glanced at them: ¡°Xiao Li is also involved and he can brief Base A in the future. Base A is currently the largest survivor base and there mustn¡¯t be any accident.¡±


    His words were a bit cold but they answered Chi Xin¡¯s doubts and she suddenly realized he had guessed her thoughts. Jing Xiubai pushed his glasses back as he silently glanced at Xiao Li, who was looking at him with a complicated expression.


    The protagonist group lived in the same residential building and Jing Xiubai¡¯s room was next to Yu Xiang. He opened the door and welcomed his guests inside. Yu Xiang was standing inside with a splint on his arm, along with Jiang Congyun who looked somewhat strange, and Cao Yan.


    ¡°Chi Xin!¡±


    Seeing them arrive, Yu Xiang bounced from his chair and waved his arms in excitement.


    ¡°Look, Chi Xin! This is from Congyun treating me! I was so stunned, isn¡¯t she much better than the doctor?¡± Yu Xiang showed Chi Xing the arm he could move today despite having broken it yesterday, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect to be able to keep it.¡±


    ¡°Yu Xiang.¡± Jiang Congyun called him helplessly, ¡°Sit down, Xiubai has something to say.¡±


    Jiang Congyun¡¯s face was a little red. She got up and looked at Chi Xin, nervously.


    ¡°Xiubai told me you proposed to give me the medicine¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Guessing what the heroine was about to say, Chi Xin interrupted her, ¡°You misunderstand, it had nothing to do with me.¡±


    Jiang Congyun was stunned and she glanced at Jing Xiubai. The man shook his head and sighed. Jiang Congyun pondered for a second and smiled naturally: ¡°Anyway, you risked your life for it so thank you, Chi Xin.¡±


    She was genuinely sincere and Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but be flattered. From what she had learned from the movie, although the heroine was not the kind of showing hostility, she had no reason to act intimately either.


    Chi Xin hesitated for a split second and Jiang Congyun took it as it didn¡¯t matter. She smiled again as she went to sit back on her chair and Chi Xin had a whole new understanding of the heroine¡¯s good temper.


    Once everyone was settled, Jing Xiubai tapped the table with his fingers, his face serious.


    ¡°Chi Xin, Yu Xiang already told me about last night.¡± He glanced at Yu Xiang¡¯s somewhat embarrassed expression, ¡°Leave aside all the zombies, he said that you encountered a¡­ monster.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Chi Xin and Jing Xiubai¡¯s hand on the table slightly clenched. Chi Xin looked at them for a while and finally said what she knew.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to figure out what it was.¡± Seeing the disappointed gazes, she added quickly, ¡°But I am almost sure it was controlled by something even scarier and it had its own consciousness.¡±


    ¡°This is not surprising, zombies above level 3 are more or less wise.¡± Yu Xiang interjected.


    ¡°No. It was not just wisdom but also¡­ emotions. Before I killed it, it wanted to reconcile with me but something stronger was controlling it. It got scared and I had no choice but to kill it.¡±


    This part had never been depicted in the movie. Chi Xin told the truth but her words were too unbelievable. When she finished speaking, the room was silent, everyone too shocked to say anything.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s lips were pale and a trace of disgust flowed through his eyes.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked softly, ¡°That monster, did it really have emotions?¡±


    Jing Xiubai was silent for a moment: ¡°First of all, I need to apologize. On the day the zombies besieged the city, I didn¡¯t tell you the whole truth about my ability. I concealed it because there is nothing glorious about it, but only evil.¡±


    ¡°Xiubai, why don¡¯t I tell them?¡± Jiang Congyun¡¯s eyebrows were twisted in a sad expression, ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, no need.¡± Jing Xiubai refused her kindness, ¡°There is a secret laboratory deep in Country A¡¯s jungle. They research biological viruses and have been trying to create biochemical super soldiers. Congyun¡¯s and my abilities came from drugs that were developed there.


    I was there for my studies and the scientists there took backpackers with ordinary backgrounds as test studies. They were kidnapped to be experimented on.¡± A cold light flashed in Jing Xiubai¡¯s eyes, ¡°I have seen a lot of monsters that were no longer human there. If I am not mistaken, I believe that what you described as a ¡°spider¡± must have escaped from the laboratory.¡±


    Yu Xiang and Jiang Congyun already knew about the hero¡¯s story but the rest of the men were shocked. Chi Xin kept a calm face and Jing Xiubai looked at her: ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡±


    Chi Xin came back to her senses and as everybody turned to stare at her, she realized her reaction had been too indifferent.


    Cao Yan: ¡°With what you are telling us¡­ did the outbreak come from this laboratory?¡±


    Jing Xiubai retracted his gaze from Chi Xin and nodded: ¡°There is no definite evidence yet but I guess that it is tightly related. If we can figure out what the relationship is between the laboratory and the virus, we may in fact be able to cure it. This is our next objective.¡±


    He sternly added: ¡°Cao Yan, as outsiders, we are deeply grateful to the base for taking us in but we may not be able to stay for much longer.¡±


    The room became silent. The world had collapsed and mankind had been greatly reduced; no one ever thought one day they would heal from this apocalypse. But now, someone was saying that he may be able to find the key to not only their survival but to also eradicate the zombie virus. The shock they were in was unimaginable.


    Chi Xin¡¯s heart beat faster. This was when the main plot began!


    In the movie, the next step had been to leave the base and investigate the truth behind the outbreak. They had left Chi Xin behind after they had learned the heroine had been the one saving the second male lead, and the base had been attacked later. Chi Xin had been sold in the black market of another base and accidentally saved by the protagonist group afterward. After her experiences, she had blackened and constantly caused trouble to them or herself, until she had poked into the zombie king¡¯s lair.


    ¡­ no wonder the system decided this character was perfect to cause trouble.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t care whether she would be exposed for taking credit for the heroine¡¯s action, but she did not want to be sold in a black market; she needed to find a way to bypass this story without being judged by the system as going against the plot.

 CH 19.2

    Chapter 19: New abilities (2)


    Chi Xin was lost in thought when Cao Yan¡¯s voice sounded, a little panicked: ¡°You have the mission to save the world, I can¡¯t force you to stay. But there are so many monsters around the base, can I ask you¡­ Can I ask you to help my people?¡±


    Yu Xiang blinked: ¡°You want us to go find the monsters and kill them?¡±


    Cao Yan looked ashamed: ¡°I know this is presumptuous of me.¡±


    He saw the people in the room were pondering and he twisted anxiously. When he raised his eyes, he noticed Ci Xin was quiet and soulful.


    Suddenly, all eyes were on her. When she woke up from her contemplation, she realized everybody was looking at her with different emotions and she carefully moved on her chair.


    ¡°Chi Xin, Sister Chi, Goddess Chi.¡± Cao Yan acted as if he was grabbing a lifeline. His upper body tilted to the side and he implored, ¡°I beg you, for the sake of the hundreds of people in the base. Please help us.¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a bold request! But no one can guarantee to successfully clean up the area.¡± Cao Yan looked like he was about to cry, ¡°Our poor base doesn¡¯t have many things to hire you but as long as you like it, just take it away!¡±


    Chi Xin swallowed back her refusal. The investigation of high-level zombies outside the base had indeed happened in the movie, but she had not been part of it. Yet looking at Cao Yan begging her, she couldn¡¯t bear to ignore him.


    Cao Yan took a deep breath and added in a low voice: ¡°You have been here for so many days, you must have noticed I don¡¯t have a lot of ability. I have been elected by the people of the base because I want to do well for everyone and since they all believe in me, I want to do more for them. You can take me with you and even use me as a shield if you encounter danger, but please, save everyone.¡±


    Chi Xin was in a dilemma; her expression became even more indifferent and Cao Yan became desperate.


    ¡°Cao Yan, your cousin has caused Chi Xin a lot of trouble and this account has not been settled yet. Now you are begging for her help?¡± Yu Xiang was half-joking, half-serious, ¡°No one knows what is out there and you are asking a girl to risk her life like it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Cao Qing¡­¡± Cao Yan replied sadly, ¡°has learned his lesson.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s help him.¡± Jiang Congyun, who had been silent all along, finally said before looking at Jing Xiubai tentatively, ¡°I can now go on missions with you and I can heal you if you get injured. And if the monster Chi Xin encountered last night is indeed related to the research institute, it can be regarded as looking for clues.¡±


    Chi Xin applauded her fearless spirit in her heart: as expected of the kind-hearted heroine!


    Cao Yan also turned to Jing Xiubai with hope in his eyes. The hero kept wondering for a while more and suddenly stood up.


    Chi Xin watched him walk to her and stretch out his hand.


    ¡°Chi Xin, I respect your strength and I admire you.¡± He was looking at her seriously and his gorgeous eyes had some sort of affectionate illusion, ¡°On this road to search for the truth, I¡­ we need you. Would you like to join us?¡±


    Chi Xin stared at his splendid hand, a little unhappy. Was the hero recruiting her to join his army? She looked at Jing Xiubai¡¯s handsome face, remembering that it had been the reason she had watched the movie in the first place. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    The hero¡­ was so beautiful.


    Everyone held their breath as they waited for her answer. Chi Xin¡¯s strength was obvious to all, if she joined them, the chance of success would increase a lot.


    But Chi Xin slowly shook her head and Jing Xiubai¡¯s outstretched fingers curled up.


    ¡°I can come with you to investigate the zombies outside the base but I don¡¯t want to participate in your big plan.¡±


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s eyes dimmed behind his lenses and Chi Xin pursed her lips, trying to not agree: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for.¡± The hero calmly retracted his hand, ¡°Everyone has a choice and I respect yours.¡±


    Chi Xin looked out the window with a cold face, ignoring the various gazes on her. According to the plot, she needed to be abandoned by the protagonist group, how could she agree to join their team?


    After rejecting Jing Xiubai¡¯s offer, the mood in the room became more subtle. Chi Xin stood up and was about to take her leave when a signal sounded from Cao Yan¡¯s pocket. He took out a satellite phone, adjusted his emotions, and answered: ¡°This is Cao Yan.¡±


    ¡°Brother Cao, there is a woman outside.¡±


    Cao Yan frowned: ¡°Is it a wandering survivor? Let her in if she is not bitten.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. She says she wasn¡¯t but the tester keeps showing red. We dare not let her in.¡±


    ¡°I will come with you.¡± Jing Xiubai said.


    Cao Yan glanced at him gratefully: ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait for me, I¡¯m coming too!¡± Yu Xiang jumped up and looked back at Jiang Congyun, ¡°Congyun, you just healed me. Your face is a little pale, you should go rest first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still too weak, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t even need a splint right now.¡± Jiang Congyun¡¯s soft eyebrows showed a trace of helplessness, ¡°Then you be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only one girl!¡± Yu Xiang winked, ¡°And they¡¯re both here, even if it¡¯s a high-level zombie, they will reduce it to ashes.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Chi Xin had less trouble dealing with Yu Xiang than with the hero, ¡°I did not say I was coming.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! There is nothing to do here, why don¡¯t you come to watch the fun?¡± Yu Xiang grinned and wrapped his uninjured arm around her neck before being elbowed by her. He clutched his stomach, with a look of pain.


    ¡°You saved me so many times just to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Chi Xin was expressionless, ¡°Reflex.¡±


    She was telling the truth but the man didn¡¯t believe her. He looked at her leaving the room and turned his head towards the only person left inside: ¡°Brother, do you want to come too?¡±


    Xiao Li finally broke free from his long meditation and raised a blank face: ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Exciting!¡± Yu Xiang repeated his tricks and grabbed his neck, ¡°Let¡¯s go see what is going on, the base is so boring. Every day is so dull, it¡¯s unbearable.¡±


    ***


    The group came to the wall and saw soldiers holding guns and vigilantly surrounding a small figure in the middle. When they noticed them arriving, one of them greeted them nervously, the one who had just called Cao Yan.


    ¡°Brother Cao, that¡¯s her.¡± The man pointed to the figure, ¡°There is no sign of mutation but we dare not let her in.¡±


    Cao Yan looked at the girl: ¡°Doesn¡¯t it take three hours to mutate after being bitten? In any case, we cannot leave the door open like this. Bring her in first.¡±


    The man nodded and turned around to give the order.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t remember this part of the movie but there indeed had been some scenes with wandering survivors. But if she wasn¡¯t surprised, she was still a little curious. It sounded like it was a lone girl, and it should not have been easy for her to survive and find the base.


    But as the girl gradually walked in, Chi Xin¡¯s face changed. As she looked at her white dress and her well-behaved smile as she let others point guns at her head, Chi Xin felt deeply shocked. Her pupils shrank and all the muscles of her body instantly tightened, almost ready to attack.


    Jing Xiubai was also observing the girl but noticed Chi Xin¡¯s abnormality and he turned his head with concern: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know her?¡±


    His words fell on deaf ears.


    More than just knowing. When she had watched the movie, she had hated two people the most; one had been the original Chi Xin and the other had been this girl.


    When the original Chi Xin had stayed in the base, the protagonist group had rescued a girl on the road. Her name was Han Yiyi and she was comparable to the original Chi Xin. When she had been absent, Han Yiyi had taken on herself to cause trouble and a headache to the protagonists, until she had killed herself. But perhaps because the heroes had rescued the original Chi Xin before, they were more tolerant towards her.


    Why did she show up now? The plot¡­ had changed.


    Seeing Chi Xin staring at the girl¡¯s every move like a feral cat, Jing Xiubai looked over in thought. He patted Chi Xin¡¯s shoulder and walked towards Han Yiyi. Yu Xiang was a little confused, he glanced back at Chi Xin and followed him.


    Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang were both handsome and both of them must have been greatly praised before the end of the world. Han Yiyi quickly lowered her head to cover the ambition in her eyes and her voice became softer: ¡°I really didn¡¯t get bitten. I found the base after walking for a long time, I am starving¡­¡±


    Yu Xiang rubbed his arms and glanced at Jing Xiubai: ¡°Do you know her?¡±


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t answer but turned back to look at Chi Xin, who was still vigilant. She stood a little far away and couldn¡¯t hear them talking but when she noticed the hero, she made psychological preparations and walked over, followed by Xiao Li.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°She said her name is Han Yiyi.¡± Jing Xiubai stared at Chi Xin¡¯s instantly pale face, ¡°You really know her.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s neck snapped and she looked at the weak and delicate Han Yiyi. It was really her. Her last trace of self-comfort broke and Chi Xin really felt that this world was full of false deceptions.


    Xiao Li looked at the girl thoughtfully: ¡°Where do you come from and how did you manage to come here by yourself?¡±


    Han Yiyi lightly coughed and raised her face again to reply. When she saw Xiao Li, her eyes lit up again.


    A young wolf!


    As for Chi Xin who was standing among the men, she was perfectly ignored.


    ¡°I escaped from a very scary place.¡± Han Yiyi showed a weak smile but her eyes were full of arrogance, ¡°As for how I got here¡­ because of this.¡±


    Han Yiyi stretched out a finger toward a weed in the corner of the wall. In the stunned gazes of everyone, the grass grew larger at an incredible speed, until it was half a person tall. Sharp thorns sprouted from the ordinary weed, causing the man closest to it to dodge in horror. He wasn¡¯t fast enough and a long slit opened in the sturdy trousers in an instant.


    ¡°This is a plant power.¡± Han Yiyi retracted her hand. She looked at everyone¡¯s shocked expression, a trace of contempt in her eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t know about it, do you?¡±

 CH 20.1

    Han Yiyi showed her hand and all the people around her were more or less shocked. But unlike other people¡¯s simple surprise, Chi Xin¡¯s narrowed eyes were mixed with some subtle panic.


    She was dressed in a white dress, with a pure face, just like an angel who had descended from heaven and knew nothing of the world. The soldiers who had raised their guns couldn¡¯t help but put them down and they all turned to look at Cao Yan.


    Cao Yan was a little relieved and he walked to Jing Xiubai: ¡°Xiubai, she also had an ability, do you know her?¡±


    ¡°Also?¡± Han Yiyi¡¯s eyes lit up and she stared at the hero, ¡°Do you¡­ also have a power?¡±


    She did not wait for his answer and quickly added: ¡°This must be a gift from God. Since we both have something others don¡¯t, it must be fate.¡±


    Han Yiyi didn¡¯t notice Jing Xiubai¡¯s face instantly became colder. Nobody knew what she was thinking but the smile on her face became dreamy and her eyes blurred. The few people who had just listened to the hero¡¯s story knew he hated his ability, and Yu Xiang turned his head and coughed to cover up his embarrassment.


    Chi Xin was admirative. She thought that if the troublemaker system had bound itself to Han Yiyi, she would currently be hearing rising trouble value prompts.


    Now that people were aware Han Yiyi had a supernatural ability, they were not as afraid of her eventual mutation. Cao Yan scratched his head and asked the men to put their weapons down before asking with confusion: ¡°Han Yiyi, right? Why didn¡¯t you tell us about your power first? There wouldn¡¯t have been such a misunderstanding.¡±


    Witnessing her sluggish behavior, Han Yiyi glanced disdainfully at her before turning her head away and changing her expression to an innocent one.


    Chi Xin¡¯s mouth twitched. She had seen the performance of this green tea lady in the movie but the main plot had not been about that but about saving the world. Han Yiyi had not had so many roles. In those short ten minutes, Chi Xin did not have such a good impression of Han Yiyi¡¯s ¡°crawl high, step low1¡± temperament. She rubbed the goosebumps on her arm and followed the others.


    ¡°The tester is probably broken. Arrange for someone to contact Tuobila to have them send a new one.¡±


    Chi Xin took two steps and heard Cao Yan. After a few seconds, she walked over to him and asked: ¡°Is Tuobila still delivering?¡±


    Cao Yan was startled, it was the first time Chi Xin ever took the initiative to speak to him. He blushed and scratched his head: ¡°Deliveries are more expensive but we are a small base and we can¡¯t send anyone to pick it up.¡± He added in a sad sigh, ¡°In this day and age, which base would dare not buy a detector?¡±


    Chi Xin nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t ask more but a little respect rose in her heart for this company, whose name had been mentioned only once or twice in the movie. Being able to deliver anywhere in the last days, whether they were wealthy or full of confidence, was rather impressive.


    As they were talking about the tester, Han Yiyi constantly approached Jing Xiubai.


    ¡°Is your name Xiubai?¡± Han Yiyi ignored the man¡¯s cold behavior and kept asking with a sweet smile, ¡°What¡¯s your power? I never met anyone else with power, we must have a special fate.¡±


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t even give her a side glance but noticed Chi Xin was not following. He looked back for a while until he found her and his eyes fell on her.


    ¡°You have been distracted, are you uncomfortable somewhere?¡±


    Chi Xin had been watching the lively show and was suddenly called: ¡°Ah, no, I just think I may have drunk too much tea today.¡±


    The large council room looked somewhat empty when the group came in. Han Yiyi looked around, a slight disgust between her brows.


    ¡°Everyone, sit down.¡± Cao Yan said.


    Chi Xin casually took a seat on the side and watched Han Yiyi deliberately linger for a while, waiting for Jing Xiubai to sit down, before immediately taking the chair next to him.


    Yu Xiang had been friends with the hero for many years and naturally noticed the obvious coldness on his face. He preceded everyone and started talking: ¡°Miss Han, you can now tell us about your experience.¡±


    Han Yiyi looked at Yu Xiang with a not too indifferent expression and smiled: ¡°I come from a place where the weak are prey to the strong2. It is not as friendly as this base. Strong people rule and beautiful women exist to please them.¡±


    She paused and as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, she gave Jing Xiubai a pretend strong look. Chi Xin was dumbfounded, her crying skills were just as good as the original Chi Xin.


    Han Yiyi didn¡¯t wait for the expected sympathy and pity. She bit her lip and continued: ¡°If I hadn¡¯t found a tube of potion by chance and followed the advice to inject myself, I¡¯m afraid I would have become one of those women.¡±


    Despite having seen the movie, listening to a woman like her say those kinds of things in front of her, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked.


    ¡°What is the approximate ratio of men to women in your place?¡± Chi Xin asked, just like she had wanted to know when she had watched the movie.


    Han Yiyi didn¡¯t look at her: ¡°Half and half, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Since half of the population is female, why not resist this monstrous rule?¡± Chi Xin went up, ¡°You are also a woman and you got this gift. Why don¡¯t you help them instead of saying it is ¡°inevitable¡±?¡±


    Han Yiyi finally glanced at her, sarcasm on her face.


    ¡°What are you saying, resist the rule of men?¡±


    Chi Xin straightened her back and the creaking sound of her clenched fists was heard.

 CH 20.2

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Jing Xiubai to interrupt, Chi Xin¡¯s fist would have ended up in Han Yiyi¡¯s face.


    Chi Xin and Yu Xiang looked at each other, with the same stunned expression. Those people would let the woman out but have them constantly supervised to prevent them from escaping but Han Yiyi called it ¡°protection¡±?


    Han Yiyi leaned against Jing Xiubai again: ¡°I don¡¯t know who gave me the advice. I had a dream and a voice told me this medicine would help me in this world. So I injected myself and it gave me the power of controlling plants.¡±


    Jing Xiubai was lost in thoughts.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you think something was wrong?¡± Yu Xiang found everything unbelievable, ¡°This story sounds like a conspiracy from beginning to end. You actually listened to this ¡°advice¡±? What if you had lost your life after injecting this product? Weren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°In the last days, life and death are not so important.¡± Han Yiyi replied, ¡°If I was to die, I would have died a long time ago but I have been saved and protected. God wants me to continue on living and He gave me supernatural powers.¡±


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t care about life or death, you should have given this medicine to people who want to live.¡± Chi Xin said coldly.


    Han Yiyi glanced at her with an aggrieved look and a soft snort came from her nose: ¡°You are a weak woman who can only be protected by men. I am afraid I don¡¯t dare give the medicine to you.¡±


    She looked at Jing Xiubai with pride, as if proving she was not such a delicate and timid woman and didn¡¯t notice the eyes of everyone suddenly became strange.


    Han Yiyi was stunned and a trace of anger appeared in her eyes.


    Chi Xin stayed silent but the others couldn¡¯t bear it. The always gentle Cao Yan suddenly became serious and said with accusation in his tone: ¡°Miss Han, pay attention to your words. Chi Xin is a respected hero of our base, do not insult her.¡±


    Han Yiyi was stunned and carefully observed Chi Xin for the first time. Yet she couldn¡¯t see any strength in her expressionless face.


    ¡°Does she also have powers?¡± Han Yiyi asked, ¡°But Xiubai has one, and men are inherently stronger than women, you are boasting too much.¡±


    When her words fell, everyone became silent.


    ¡°Please excuse me, I am not familiar with Miss Han, you should call me Mr. Jing.¡±


    Jing Xiubai got up and went to get a box of black tea and a few cups before sitting down on Yu Xiang¡¯s side.


    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s make some tea first.¡± Cao Yan mediated.


    ¡°Wait a minute, I have another question.¡± Chi Xin said, ¡°How did you find the base?¡±


    Everything was just too strange. The Han Yiyi in the movie did not have any abilities, otherwise she would not have died so easily. Now she had ¡°just happened¡± to find the drug and had ¡°coincidentally¡± come to the base the protagonist group was at. Chi Xin didn¡¯t believe the plot hadn¡¯t gone off track.


    Han Yiyi was dissatisfied with how everyone turned to Chi Xin and volunteered to make tea for everyone.


    ¡°Plant powers are useful, not only on the battlefield but also in daily life.¡± Han Yiyi said and looked at the plant that was dying in the corner, ¡°Like this one.¡±


    She bit her lower lip and stared at the green plant. It unfurled its wilted leaves and gradually grew. No sharp thorn appeared, but soft branches that tremblingly picked up the tea leaves on the table. In everyone¡¯s strange gazes, the huge plant poured the tea leaves into the teacup and soaked them in hot water.


    Han Yiyi¡¯s face turned red after exertion and one of the branches held up the steaming cup with difficulty before handing it to Jing Xiubai¡­


    But whether the branches were too soft or because they were too wilted, Han Yiyi mistakenly estimated the amount of force used. When the teacup arrived at Jing Xiubai¡¯s side, Han Yiyi suddenly sucked in a breath; her plant shook and the whole cup of hot tea rushed towards Yu Xiang and his injured arm.


    Chi Xin stretched out her hand to try to stop it, once more dumbfounded at Han Yiyi¡¯s antics. Yu Xiang cried out and dodged as a transparent wall of ice protected his arm, and the hot water splashed on the frozen wall in a loud sound.


    Jing Xiubai put his hand away; the blue light in his palm gradually disappeared and his sharp eyes shot directly at Han Yiyi. Chi Xin withdrew her hand too, except for the day the zombies had besieged the city, she had never seen the hero look so angry.


    The voice of the system came in a timely manner: [Host, when it comes to creating trouble, you lost.]


    Chi Xin: ¡°Thank you, I don¡¯t want to win in that respect.¡±


    System: [No, you can¡¯t lose!]


    Han Yiyi stared at the gradually disappearing ice wall with excitement and admiration. When she noticed Jing Xiubai¡¯s gaze, her face immediately showed panic.


    She stood up and squeezed the corner of her skirt: ¡°Yes¡­ that plant was too wilted and it made me lose control. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sister, is it really the time to care if Xiubai is angry?¡± Yu Xiang held his arm and looked at Han Yiyi incredulously, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m the victim here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Han Yiyi was not very sincere and she blinked at him, ¡°It¡¯s fine if it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Yu Xiang: ¡­


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    ¡°That¡­ shouldn¡¯t the victim say that?¡± Chi Xin asked.


    ¡°Let her be.¡± Yu Xiang sounded a little desperate.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Jing Xiubai stood up, ¡°This matter is over. Cao Yan, we won¡¯t take care of her in the base.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Cao Yan nodded and picked up the teacup that had fallen on the ground. He looked at Han Yiyi with a less amiable expression, ¡°Miss Han, then you¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Han Yiyi shouted anxiously, ¡°Give me another chance, I am very useful!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jing Xiubai categorically refused without glancing at her and tapped Chi Xin¡¯s shoulder, signaling her to leave.


    Chi Xin stood up too and turned her head to look at Han Yiyi curiously. In her impression, this girl didn¡¯t seem to give up easily.


    Sure enough, she saw panic and ruthlessness flash in her eyes. The wilted plant moved again, this time clearly stabilized, and sent another teacup towards Jing Xiubai again. The hero wasn¡¯t planning on picking it up and Han Yiyi stopped her action, ending it peacefully.


    But an electric shock no one could see hit Chi Xin¡¯s arm. It was not the first time the system had used this method to control her and apart from the first time, Chi Xin could more or less keep it restrained. But the system knew that too and the shock it sent this time was twice as strong as before and Chi Xin¡¯s arm suddenly lifted¡ª


    In the eyes of everyone, Chi Xin raised her hand and flipped the teacup back. Due to her excessive force, the hot water splashed as it flew towards the wide-eyed Han Yiyi.


    Jing Xiubai glanced at her and raised his eyebrows, clearly not planning on saving people.


    Ah, the system really did not want to pass up on an opportunity to cause trouble! But there was no scene in the movie where Chi Xin had hurt Han Yiyi; she really didn¡¯t know what would happen. She felt flustered but her face became more cold and empty.


    She looked at the flying teacup, strode forward, raised a long leg, and kicked away the cup that was about to hit Han Yiyi¡¯s face in a whirling kick. The cup hit the wall in a clear cracking sound.


    Chi Xin stood there, facing the gazes from all directions, silently paralyzed.


    Han Yiyi stretched out her hand to pat her chest and her eyes filled with tears: ¡°You! You! Why did you deliberately throw away the tea I made for Xiubai? You are too much!¡±


    This action just now, to everyone else, had deliberately been made to frighten her. Seeing her behavior, Jing Xiubai frowned but a smile was sitting at the corner of his mouth: ¡°I said¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Chi Xin interrupted him and looked at Han Yiyi, the coldness on her face still intact.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Han Yiyi¡¯s face turned green at once.

 CH 21.1

    Chapter 21: Upcoming crisis (1)


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t care about Han Yiyi¡¯s angry expression. Her only concern regarding this girl was her reason for coming to their base. The protagonist group was there, Chi Xin didn¡¯t believe the plot would send one of its cannon fodder for nothing.


    Chi Xin had never investigated anybody but thought it would be difficult to find out Han Yiyi¡¯s purpose. But after one day of following her around, she didn¡¯t want to bother anymore with her.


    ¡°Did Miss Han give you this flower?¡±


    ¡°Yes, did she give yours too?¡±


    ¡°She did! In the last days, besides Miss Han, who can grow such beautiful and healthy flowers? I heard that she can also make seeds grow faster and we will get vegetables to eat!¡±


    ¡°Miss Han must be an angel sent from heaven¡­¡±


    Chi Xin passed two excited women expressionlessly, without paying attention to them. But when the women saw her walk past, they glanced at each other and fell silent.


    Plant abilities were indeed very useful during the apocalypse. Not only they could be used to fight, but they could also help fruit and vegetable production and feed the whole base. And in just a few days, almost everyone had been bought by Han Yiyi¡¯s power; everywhere Chi Xin walked by, eight out of ten people were talking about her. They talked about her beauty, her kindness, and her magical powers. And while Chi Xin didn¡¯t want to bother with the girl anymore, she wasn¡¯t sure what Han Yiyi¡¯s objective was and her vigilance towards her never diminished.


    She checked her trouble value: 86 points.


    She had been reducing and adding a lot recently. Fortunately, her value was not too low and the system couldn¡¯t control her for the time being.


    Chi Xin raised her head and saw a handsome figure almost squatting in front of a fruit stand, looking at the apples.


    After hesitating for a moment, Chi Xin walked over and greeted him.


    Jing Xiubai pushed his glasses and a faint smile appeared on his face when he saw her.


    ¡°Look. This apple looks very good.¡±


    Although there was a public cafeteria and supplies were distributed to every family, people who were unable to go out to find items still needed to exchange with each other. Some people were able to grow vegetables, some could grow fruits, and some would craft to make a living.


    Chi Xin squatted next to the young man and looked at the fruit in his hand. It was shiny and big, tender and juicy at first glance.


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    ¡°The girl has good eyesight. Miss Han specially ripened it for me and the quality is the best!¡± The vendor smiled, full of praise for Han Yiyi.


    Chi Xin frowned slightly and suddenly felt this beautiful apple had become the poisonous fruit given to Snow White by the vicious Queen, full of ominous aura. As she did, Jing Xiubai put the apple back.


    The seller looked at the two of them carefully and asked: ¡°Are you¡­ Chi Xin?¡±


    Chi Xin had become rather famous since she had transmigrated and it wasn¡¯t surprising for people to know her. She nodded: ¡°I am.¡±


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s brows furrowed but as he was about to say something, Chi Xin pulled his sleeve and said: ¡°It¡¯s useless to argue.¡±


    The two left the stand and Chi Xin glanced at the hero¡¯s unpleasant expression. She was wondering what to ask him first.


    ¡°Is Han Yiyi helping grow plants for nothing?¡±


    Jing Xiubai shook his head: ¡°Cao Yan promised her first dibs when people come back with supplies.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­¡± Chi Xin muttered, ¡°She is so benevolent.¡±


    Jing Xiubai let out a sullen laugh.


    ¡°Why are you laughing? What about your cold and indifferent persona?¡±


    The hero had a leisurely smile and Chi Xin couldn¡¯t see the shadow of the man who had held a gun against her just some time ago.


    ¡°This is the first time I have seen you hate someone so much.¡±


    Jing Xiubai stopped and turned to look at her.


    ¡°Then what about me?¡±


    Chi Xin: ?


    But before she had time to think about his meaning, a gust of wind blew by her side and people started running in one direction, chanting ¡°Miss Han¡± or something similar.


    Witnessing Chi Xin¡¯s attention being drawn away, Jing Xiubai raised his eyebrows and looked at the commotion too.


    Surrounded by the crowd, Han Yiyi was smiling but deep impatience was slightly hidden in her eyes. She pointed at the seedlings of an orange tree and in the midst of everyone¡¯s exclamation, she used her ability to make the tree grow until fruit buds appeared.


    Everyone beamed at her and acted as if they had just seen their savior.


    Chi Xin: ¡°Let¡¯s take a detour.¡±


    Jing Xiubai: ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two turned around simultaneously but before they could successfully retreat, Han Yiyi¡¯s voice sounded: ¡°Xiubai!¡±


    Han Yiyi¡¯s gaze swept over Chi Xin and a wave of malice and contempt followed. When she turned to Jing Xiubai, an angelic girl with a sweet smile looked at him.


    ¡°Xiubai, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?¡±


    Jing Xiubai ignored her and watched Chi Xin: ¡°Let¡¯s meet at 8 tomorrow for departure.¡±


    Chi Xin froze for a second: ¡°You already knew what I wanted to ask?¡±


    The hero showed a trace of helplessness: ¡°If you didn¡¯t need to ask me something, you probably wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to speak to me.¡±


    The two of them continued to act as if Han Yiyi wasn¡¯t here; the girl bit her lower lip and followed them aggrievedly, without speaking nor leaving. This scene made all the onlookers stare at Chi Xin with accusing eyes but both Jing Xiubai and her ignored it.


    But in the end, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t stand the evil spirit behind them and she winked at Jing Xiubai.


    Chi Xin: I will withdraw first.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s eyes were solemn: Take me with you.


    Chi Xin: Good luck!


    She threw one more cheering glance towards him and turned around. When Jing Xiubai looked back, she had already disappeared.

 CH 21.2

    Chapter 21: Upcoming crisis (2)


    Chi Xin went back to her room and had a good night¡¯s sleep. She woke up early the next morning and headed straight to the mission exchange.


    It was already bustling early in the morning and teams were getting ready to leave. As soon as she appeared, she instantly attracted almost everyone¡¯s attention.


    She glanced around and did not see Xiao Li¡¯s team. She remembered him saying he had things to deal with his comrades and was probably not following the base¡¯s arrangements these days.


    Chi Xin bypassed everyone and walked towards Jing Xiubai¡¯s team area and she immediately noticed quite a few people had come this time.


    In addition to Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang, Jiang Congyun was also there as well as two unexpected people.


    ¡°Sister Chi!¡± Chen Xing greeted her with a big slap on her back.


    Beside him, a sniper with tied long hair and white gloves was lovingly wiping his gun, and he smiled at Chi Xin when he saw her.


    ¡°Are your injuries all healed?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Sister Congjun, it healed much faster!¡± Chen Xing answered with a bold smile.


    Chen Xing had not been too seriously hurt last time but Chi Xin was very happy to see that Rong Feng, who had taken a direct hit from the power zombie, was intact.


    Perceiving her joyful gaze, Rong Feng showed a rare softness: ¡°I am fine.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡± Chi Xin patted him lightly on his shoulder, welcoming him back to the team.


    She looked around and asked: ¡°Where is Yu Pengcheng?¡±


    Yu Xiang was excited to see Chi Xin but when he heard her question, he lowered his eyes.


    ¡°Alright. Now that everyone is here, let¡¯s set off.¡± Jing Xiubai interrupted the slightly depressing atmosphere and everyone agreed.


    But as they were about to leave, Cao Yan led someone in in a hurry: ¡°Xiubai! Great! You haven¡¯t left yet!¡±


    Chi Xin looked at Han Yiyi and suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Cao Yan: ¡°Look, your mission is more dangerous this time. You might encounter something terrible, let Miss Han go with you. She has an ability just like you, she can help.¡±


    Chen Xing and Rong Feng stayed silent; they had been recuperating these past few days and didn¡¯t know who this new girl was.


    Jiang Congyun had never seen Han Yiyi either. She glanced at her strangely and couldn¡¯t help frowning when she noticed she was staring at Jing Xiubai.


    ¡°I¡¯m against it.¡± Before the others could speak, Chi Xin voiced her disagreement, ¡°I won¡¯t go if she does.¡±


    What a joke, putting the two vicious female characters in the same team. Were they trying to summon the Zombie King ahead of schedule? Although she wasn¡¯t the original Chi Xin, she still didn¡¯t want to bring this kind of troublesome scenario to herself.


    Her expression was cold and her tone decisive, leaving Cao Yan no chance to persuade her.


    The conflict between them attracted the attention of other people and everybody looked at Chi Xin as if they had expected it.


    ¡°Chi Xin, you can¡¯t ostracize me just because I have powers!¡± Han Yiyi bit her lip, ¡°My combat power is obvious to all! Even if you don¡¯t like me, you have to take into account the team¡¯s safety.¡±


    Hearing them, Chi Xin guessed Han Yiyi had arranged this performance. She smiled and ignored her, before turning around to face Jing Xiubai: ¡°I am serious. It¡¯s her or me.¡±


    ¡°Although it is a bit hurtful, if you act like that, it¡¯s difficult for me to stay silent.¡± Han Yiyi curled her hair around a finger, her voice arrogant, ¡°Who cares if you don¡¯t go? You don¡¯t have any power, you¡¯re not of any use. Compared to you, I am much more suitable to fight alongside everyone, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Han Yiyi showed her ¡°You are not worthy¡± look with pride.


    She didn¡¯t pay attention but after she spoke, the three members of the team who hadn¡¯t met her yet instantly cooled down.


    Chen Xing said: ¡°This¡­ Miss Han? This doesn¡¯t sound very nice, does it?¡±


    Han Yiyi covered her mouth and blinked apologetically: ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong! I mean¡­ it should be a very dangerous mission, shouldn¡¯t it? People who don¡¯t have much self-preservation ability and just want to follow and muddle through¡­ it¡¯s better for them to not actively participate.¡±


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s face was completely cold and he opened his mouth. But as he was about to speak, he felt a touch on his pinky finger. He stared at Chi Xin beside him in amazement.


    Chi Xin looked indifferent as if the conversation was not related to her. She was watching Han Yiyi and she walked towards her.


    Her gaze was too sharp and Han Yiyi felt uncomfortable. The surrounding discussion also instantly stopped.


    Chi Xin¡¯s soft voice echoed in the hall: ¡°Drop the act or I will pull out your leaves one by one.¡±


    ***


    This happened so suddenly and no one had expected Chi Xin would actually walk away. For a few minutes, nobody talked in the hall.


    Yu Xiang pointed to Han Yiyi and looked at Jing Xiubai in disbelief: ¡°Won¡¯t you do something?¡±


    He had always acted rather gentlemanly towards women and it was the first time he was rudely pointing at one. He was obviously very angry.


    Rong Feng¡¯s icy gaze fell on Cao Yan: ¡°She is the strongest among us.¡±


    Han Yiyi looked at him with a slight smile: ¡°If she was a man. She has no power, you will soon find out I am more effective than her.¡±


    Jiang Congyun frowned: ¡°Xiubai, go get Chi Xin back.¡±


    She wanted Chi Xin as her teammate.


    All eyes fell on their captain. Jing Xiubai rubbed his pinky finger and calmly said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Han Yiyi thought he had finally agreed with her presence and a bright smile bloomed on her face.


    When everyone got in the car, Yu Xiang couldn¡¯t help but whisper: ¡°Are you serious? Do you really want to trade Sister Chi for this girl?¡±


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t answer him and put his elbow on the window. He glanced in the rearview mirror before starting the SUV and a small smile appeared on his lips. He looked back at Yu Xiang and discreetly pointed to the mirror.


    Yu Xiang leaned over suspiciously and noticed a familiar blue scooter hiding behind an abandoned car. Chi Xin¡¯s face appeared and she waved at him.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what Chi Xin was playing, he understood that she wasn¡¯t leaving them but following them secretly instead. The anger in Yu Xiang¡¯s heart gradually extinguished.


    He wanted to ask Jing Xiubai if it had been the plan all along but he couldn¡¯t because of all the people in the back of the car.


    His face became red and Jing Xiubai asked: ¡°Do you have a fever? Do you need Congyun to heal you?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Little theater:


    Chi Xin: This is a terrible idea. But it¡¯s even more of a terrible idea to leave my protagonists with this girl.


    Yu Xiang: Chi Xin¡¯s scooter is back!


    TL note: Han Yiyi, don¡¯t even look at my Rong Feng!


    And this is why Jing Xiubai can eventually only be the ML. He understands Chi Xin, they don¡¯t need words.


    TL second note: Yayyyy, Sister Chi¡¯s story is going back to the 2 updates a week schedule! Please check the September notice for more information about all the projects. I know it¡¯s not perfect yet but everything is moving in the right direction!

 CH 21.3

    Chapter 21: Upcoming crisis (3)


    While the SUV was deliberately starting slowly, Chi Xin grabbed her blue scooter and followed the vehicle.


    Looking at the car in front, she suddenly felt like a worried mother hen following her little chicks. She sighed and somewhat hoped Han Yiyi would finally show everyone her true colors or she would have wasted way too much energy.


    To avoid being discovered, Chi Xin stayed far behind the SUV. She couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the car but she looked at it drove forward and at the scattered zombies around.


    The zombies near the base had been almost entirely cleaned up and the journey went smoothly. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the urban area that the number of undead increased.


    Jing Xiubai knew that Chi Xin was behind and was worried she would not be able to deal with all the corpses; he picked the cleanest street and stopped at the corner.


    Seeing this, Chi Xin quickly found a spot to hide her scooter and watched the team get out of the car. She was still far away and she couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about but she could feel the tense atmosphere as they made their way to the city.


    The mission¡¯s objective this time was to investigate traces of high-level zombies and they all knew it was rather dangerous.


    They all surrounded Jiang Congyun, the healer of the team, and maintained a relatively stable formation as they explored. Han Yiyi seemed to complain about it but was ignored.


    Looking up again, Chi Xin blinked as she saw the situation, almost forgetting why she was here.


    She watched the girl in the white dress spinning and hopping around the men. She would run to the side of the road from time to time, feeding her powers to dying flowers before picking them and holding them enthusiastically to Jing Xiubai.


    She was acting like a little girl going for an outing with her family, using her abilities for all kinds of strange and useless things. She wasn¡¯t showing any nervosity and didn¡¯t care about the stiff faces of the people around her.


    Chi Xing could almost imagine what Yu Xiang would say.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much for wasting your powers, we wouldn¡¯t know what to do against a high-level zombie without your flowers.¡±


    Chi Xin dived behind a wall when she heard him, trying to not laugh out loud.


    Cheng Xin poked Rong Feng and asked: ¡°Is this the sister who is supposedly more effective than Sister Chi?¡±


    Rong Feng didn¡¯t reply and aimed at a zombie rushing their way, killing it in one headshot.


    Han Yiyi seemed to not hear them and while everybody else was busy cleaning up the zombies, she suddenly exclaimed: ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Congyun had been very tense since the beginning and was startled by her cry.


    ¡°Look!¡± Han Yiyi pointed at the sky.


    The men pointed their guns to the sky vigilantly. A few seconds passed but they only saw a bird fly.


    ¡°Look at how happy birds are when there are no humans.¡± Han Yiyi crossed her hands on her chest and has a dreamy smile on her face, ¡°The plants told me they are very happy.¡±


    Everyone: ¡­


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    Chi Xin already knew this girl was rather special but she had not expected it would be to that point. She felt some pain for the team.


    ¡°Birds. Chi Xin can shoot five or six dead every time she enters the range.¡± Yu Xiang said expressionlessly.


    Han Yiyi¡¯s expression turned into horror when the feather ball fell on her face. She jumped up and screamed, throwing the dead sparrow away with trembling hands: ¡°Get off! Get off!¡±


    The whole team looked at her coldly and no one went to help her.


    When the girl realized it was just a bird, her body suddenly stiffened. She watched the other members indifferently killing zombies in every direction as if she wasn¡¯t even there.


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help herself anymore and let out a muffled laugh.


    The team carefully searched every corner and the closer they advanced to the original city center, the more frequent the zombies appeared.


    Chi Xin stared at her empty magazine. The gun she had taken from this mission did not feel as familiar as her Desert Eagle but the muffled sound allowed her to be discreet.


    She squatted and poked out her head carefully. The team was still killing the zombies but Han Yiyi was staring at Jing Xiubai with a blank expression.


    Ah?


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t see clearly but felt that something was wrong and she clenched her gun.


    Han Yiyi¡¯s empty expression only lasted for a short while. When one of the men turned his head, the girl had returned to normal and as she pointed in a direction. Jing Xiubai glanced at her calmly but indulged her and slowly followed.


    More and more zombies were coming and even Chi Xin started getting attacked. When she looked back to the team, she realized they had reached the front of a school.


    The tall and white building was smeared with bloodstains, giving the original ivory tower a horrific makeover. The air around the school was cold and the system automatically sounded an alarm in her head.


    Chi Xin stared at the building and felt that something terrible awaited them.

 CH 22.1

    Chapter 22: The first appearance of the Zombie King (1)


    There were many zombies in school uniforms and rather formal attire wandering on campus. They had most likely been teachers and students when they had been alive; after they had been bitten, their imprisoned souls had probably not known where to go.


    They were walking slowly, raising their heads from time to time towards the roof of the building. Jing Xiubai put a finger to his lips, gesturing to his teammates to stay silent.


    Everyone could feel something was wrong and they gathered closer together. Even Han Yiyi stopped spinning around and followed the others honestly.


    Jing Xiubai raised his head and stared at where Chi Xin was also looking; a tall and slender figure slowly appeared on the roof.


    Chi Xin was too far and could not tell whether they were male, female, human, or zombie. But as soon as he appeared, the whole world fell silent. The howling zombies seemed to have to receive some kind of muting command at the same time; their rotten faces and sluggish movements all stopped in place, like disgusting wax figures.


    Chi Xin could feel a cold gaze sizing her up; her muscles tensed and she barely resisted taking out her most powerful bullets to kill the new threat. Was it a high-level zombie?


    No. Chi Xin disagreed with herself instantly and the image of the eyes she had seen in her dream surfaced. The palms of her hands started sweating and her hold on her gun became slippery.


    That was¡ª probably what had been haunting her mind since she had transmigrated. Was it the Zombie King? Or was it some new kind of high-level zombie?


    No matter what it was, its destiny with humankind was to fight to one last gasp1.


    As Chi Xin and the others prepared to fight, the person on the roof suddenly disappeared and the restriction on the zombies lifted. They started moving again and all turned their heads.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Jing Xiubai opened his arms to release his power before the others could react. A huge wall of ice appeared in front of the gate, blocking the corpses inside. The mission had been to find the new threat¡¯s den and they had now achieved it; they would now have to find a way to eliminate it. His team was made of ordinary people, Jing Xiubai could not guarantee everyone¡¯s survival and could only choose to retreat.


    Chi Xin instantly understood Jing Xiubai¡¯s intentions and she raised her gun to eliminate the zombies blocking their way, kicking the ones around her at the same time.


    But a cold and dangerous feeling came from behind her, one she had never felt since she had come to this world, a feeling of death.


    It was like the time when she had been kidnapped in her previous life, when she had gotten out of the sack after waking up and her kidnapper¡¯s sharp scissors had been waiting there, almost piercing her eyes.


    Her back and her forehead broke in a sweat. But the more frightened she was, the calmer she became, a skill she had gained during her childhood after countless kidnappings.


    She calmed herself down and followed her body¡¯s reaction, crossing her arms in front of her and quickly turning back to block the upcoming blow.


    Bang¡ª


    It was not a physical blow but felt like someone had rung a huge and loud bell in her head. Chi Xin felt dizzy, her ears were ringing and she took a few steps back, involuntarily leaving her shelter.


    Chi Xin raised her head in astonishment and met with a bloodless face.


    This visage was not ugly, quite the contrary. Its appearance was somewhat androgenous and would have been very popular with girls before the end of the world. But now, this face was tragically pale and thin, its neck and forehead crawling with blue veins. Its slender eyes were grim, full of resentment.


    This, this was¡ª


    ¡°Chi Xin!¡±


    ¡°Sister Chi!¡±


    The shouts of the team awakened her. She stared at the leisurely posture of the Zombie King, not understanding why he was there. She was full of fear and panic but composed herself instantly.


    In the movie, the Zombie King hadn¡¯t shown himself much but his appearance had been impossible to forget. But seeing him face to face without a screen between them was much more terrifying.


    Chi Xin slowly took out her army knife and took an offensive stance. The Zombie King looked at her, with a little interest floating in his cold eyes.


    ¡°You really live up to my expectations¡­¡±


    Danger!


    Chi Xin realized she had let her mouth slip and an unprecedented threat reached her. Before the Zombie King could move, she raised her knife forward, trying to poke him in the chest.


    A stabbing pain erupted in her brain and she was caught off guard. She paused for a split second but her face remained expressionless and the army knife was still aimed at her opponent¡¯s body.


    A hint of surprise flashed in the Zombie King¡¯s cold eyes but he dodged the attack. As he was about to open his mouth, a strong and glacial wing surged up.


    Bang¡ª


    Chi Xin¡¯s eyes fell on the Zombie King who was grinning at her. She couldn¡¯t do anything against him and she turned around to pounce on her teammates; her Desert Eagle appeared in her hand and she shot all of their weapons away.


    Shocked by the sound, Jing Xiubai¡¯s expression shook for an instant and his eyes regained their clarity. Horror flashed across his face and before he could think about anything, he kicked Yu Xiang who was struggling to pick up his gun again.


    Chi Xin reached them and threw herself with all of her strength on Rong Feng.


    ¡°Wake up!¡±


    She slapped him in the face. She was too afraid to use her fists and directly break his cheekbones. The print of her hand appeared on his cheek but his eyes also regained focus.


    The others also broke out of their trances and looked at each other with shock.


    Chi Xin took her knife back and stood up in front of her team. She vigilantly stared at the Zombie King who was watching the entertainment yet did not look like he had plans to do anything else.

 CH 22.2

    Chapter 22: The first appearance of the zombie king (2)


    A cold hand squeezed Chi Xin¡¯s tight shoulder and she almost reflexively turned around and stabbed the hero.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s face was slightly pale and despite the tense situation, he still reached out and pushed his glasses first. Yu Xiang had once said that if Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t push his glasses first, the matter must be very serious.


    Jing Xiubai looked at the Zombie King and calmly analyzed: ¡°The highest level of zombies known to mankind is level four. Level four have basic intelligence, a relatively normal appearance, and the ability to command lower zombies.¡±


    The Zombie King nodded as if he was encouraging him to continue.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you are.¡± Jing Xiubai concluded, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Should I thank you for asking me who I am instead of what?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Chi Xin recalled that when the hero had seen the Zombie King for the first time in the movie, he had barely been alive. He had been at his weakest point and had encountered his strongest opponent, yet he had also calmly questioned the Zombie King and fought for himself and his companions.


    But perhaps because the current team was still complete and Chi Xin had transmigrated, Jing Xiubai¡¯s expression was calmer than it had been in the movie and he stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.


    The Zombie King narrowed his slender eyes as if he was only noticing him. His cold gaze sized him up with a chilling smile.


    Everything that was happening was conflicting with Chi Xin¡¯s knowledge and she stared back at the Zombie King. He met her gaze abruptly and the emotions in his eyes were almost overflowing, stunning Chi Xin. She wanted to explore the meaning behind them but the Zombie King retracted his gaze.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s pupils shrunk for a second. He stayed silent but a cloud of cold air slowly condensed around him.


    ¡°You have always been the best product among us.¡± The Zombie King gave a fake laugh, ¡°Your ability was the strongest but you were also the fastest to adapt. All day long, I was tied to the operation table¡­ I was very jealous.¡±


    The last sentence was said with a joking tone but his mood was grim. Jing Xiubai¡¯s gaze became sharper and the Zombie King¡¯s humming became hoarse.


    ¡°You also have memories of this place, don¡¯t you?¡± He whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a place even worse than Hell. All the people who came out were no longer humans.¡±


    His eyes were dark and fixed on Jing Xiubai.


    Chi Xin looked at Jing Xiubai. The corners of his eyes were red, like a beast cornered. His lips were tightly pressed and his muscles were tense.


    ¡°Wait, wait.¡± Yu Xiang suddenly raised his hand and his carefree voice broke the strained atmosphere.


    ¡°This¡­ sir. Seeing you can breathe and talk, let¡¯s call you sir first.¡±


    He paused and added after a while: ¡°You keep talking like a movie villain, then can you answer what we already asked¡ª Who are you?¡±


    His question attracted the Zombie King¡¯s attention and his gaze moved to him, his eyes flashing. Yu Xiang was stunned and his mouth twitched: ¡°What? For the record, I like girls, I¡¯m not interested in guys.¡±


    The Zombie King ignored his crazy words and glanced at Chi Xin again, an unreadable expression on his face.


    Her internal alarm hadn¡¯t stopped for a moment and she could feel evil attention coming from behind her. Her stiff hands and feet moved a little and she held her army knife in an oblique angle.


    She was very dissatisfied with the Zombie King¡¯s ability to beat around the bush and she couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes.


    ¡°The Zombie King is supposed to be the most powerful of your kind. This¡­ is kind of embarrassing.¡±


    When her words fell, everybody¡¯s eyes widened. Chi Xin stared at the Zombie King and added: ¡°High-level zombies are not so psychotic, they just don¡¯t have emotions anymore. They do not play and kill humans for fun.¡±


    Now that she knew the enemy¡¯s identity, Chi Xin did not back down despite the anxious mood. Jing Xiubai turned his head to look at her, a sudden light in his eyes.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t guess wrong, your ability should be mind control. I am guessing you commanded Han Yiyi to bring us here, am I right?¡±


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s expression calmed down as if he had finally realized what was happening.


    ¡°You are right, I am a monster. But I am different from those zombies and I am different from you. If you want revenge, you have come to the wrong place; the fault of those people should not be borne by the innocent.¡±


    Jing Xiubai had wondered the same thing for so long. He had endured those cruel experiments and when the end of the world had come he had not felt so different from those monsters who looked like people. Numb, dead inside, just like those zombies. Their only difference was his human shell.


    But now he had realized he was different. He was human, perhaps also a monster but with a beating heart, feelings, and hope.


    His eyes became brighter as the Zombie King¡¯s scowl became darker.


    ¡°We are the same, we both crawled out of the same place. You are simply pretending to be alive.¡±


    Like in every movie, the villain took a cool pose to say his villain words and the Zombie King was no exception. He gave a low laugh, his voice almost inaudible.


    ¡°Revenge? No, these poor and ignorant human beings are not worth it.¡± He closed his eyes and opened his arms with enjoyment, ¡°Kill.¡±


    The now familiar stab of pain in her head struck again and Chi Xin frowned. She noticed Jiang Congyun was already looking pale and except for Jing Xiubai, the others looked greatly affected.


    Only Han Yiyi¡¯s eyes were blank and the plants around her began to move. The branches and leaves became thicker and bigger and sharp thorns grew on them.


    Chi Xin and Jing Xiubai looked at each other and she wasn¡¯t sure if she was reading him right. But at the same time, hoarse roars came from all directions and the zombies approached. Without the time to think, Chi Xin held her knife and suddenly moved.


    She turned around and kicked Han Yiyi in the chest. Her body twisted agility and she cut the plant at the roots.


    At the same time. Jing Xiubai released his accumulated power and cones of ice appeared everywhere in the sky and above the Zombie King, before stabbing him in the eyes and ribs.


    He also divided his energy and protected Yu Xiang and the others with a thin layer of ice. When the shield of ice condensed, the group¡¯s faces turned blue until they got better again.


    Jiang Congyun stood up with the help of Chen Xing¡¯s tall shoulders. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and a pale light suddenly appeared on everybody.


    Chi Xin was enveloped by a warm feeling and instantly felt more energetic. While her actions were no different, her headache gradually eased.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡±


    Han Yiyi did not have a system-enhanced body and had been kicked unceremoniously by Chi Xin. She lay on the ground and spat a mouthful of blood. Her eyes seemed less vacant and the leaves beside her wilted.

 CH 22.3

    Chapter 22: The first appearance of the zombie king (3)


    [Ding! The trouble value increased by 1.]


    Chi Xin: Oh, I forgot that beating up people gave me points.


    She stepped on a wilted leaf. Despite being separated from the rest of the plant, as her foot made contact with it, it shrank slightly.


    Chi Xin leaned down and looked at Han Yiyi¡¯s unfocused pupils.


    ¡°I told you I would pull out your leaves one by one.¡±


    But Han Yiyi was just a puppet and looked so fragile; Chi Xin was too lazy to pay too much attention to her.


    She got up and looked at her companions who were recovering.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay alive.¡±


    Chen Xing¡¯s bellowed laugh answered her. Yu Xiang gave a thumbs up and Rong Feng put a new magazine in his gun.


    ¡°Support is ready.¡± Jiang Congyun said with a smile.


    She ruffled up her long and slightly curly hair, her face showing the sassy heroism of the late part of the movie.


    Chi Xin nodded and when Chen Xing and Rong Feng started unloading their guns on the surrounding zombies, her legs tensed and her eyes became cold. Her body was stronger now, she just needed to believe in herself and trust her instincts.


    The sky above them gradually changed colors and gray thunderclouds slowly gathered. But what fell was not rain but cold ice needles as Jing Xiubai used all of his ability.


    Chi Xin calmed herself and let her fear of death settle down. She watched the zombies toward them, piling up like a wall in front of the Zombie King.


    The surging power in her body was urging her to act, crawling under her skin and each of her muscles.


    ¡°Jing Xiubai! Squat down¡ª¡±


    Chi Xin accelerated, moving both like an agile cheetah and a flying butterfly. She suddenly jumped and lightly landed on Jing Xiubai¡¯s back. The young man did not need her to say anything and used his strength to propel her upwards.


    Chi Xin flew up at an unprecedented height and her body bowed into a graceful arc. Her eyes were cold and determined and her army knife was tightly held in her hands.


    The Zombie King showed a stunned expression as he watched her leaping over the shield of zombies and rushing toward him fiercely.


    The pain in Chi Xin¡¯s head came once more but the next second, a pale light enveloped her and the warm feeling appeared again. Although it didn¡¯t block the whole mental attack, it helped her shield most of it.


    Jiang Congyun.


    Chi Xin was grateful and felt a sense of freedom as if the shackles in her heart had finally broken. She couldn¡¯t help but show a smile that was seen by the Zombie King and her teammates.


    Chi Xin¡¯s shirt and black hair fluttered, her beautiful face was brightened by a cruel smile, and people felt struck by lighting. The Zombie King¡¯s eyes shrank abruptly and couldn¡¯t hide the horror in them.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I was living up to your expectations?¡ª¡±


    But after the Zombie King¡¯s initial astonishment, incredible excitement appeared on his pale face.


    ¡°Oh, Chi Xin, you really deserve to be the one¡­¡±


    He did not finish his sentence. With the area cleared by Chi Xin, countless ice needles instantly found a breakthrough and they rushed to pierce the thin figure.


    The Zombie King¡¯s brows furrowed and in an instant, a mirage appeared in front of Chi Xin¡¯s eyes.


    Her target had suddenly disappeared.


    Where was his head? His head had clearly been here just now, waiting for her to cut it. As long as she did, this huge threat would have ended.


    Chi Xin was at a loss for a moment only to realize she was under the Zombie King¡¯s mental manipulation. Endless panic and fear of death were about to drown her and she closed her eyes.


    Listen to the wind.


    Here it comes!


    Chi Xin blinked and a tight heartbeat reached her ears. She raised her head and looked at Jing Xiubai¡¯s clenched jaw.


    Countless rotating ice needles surrounded the two of them, blocking any zombies from reaching them. Chi Xin broke free from the hero and turned to look in the direction of the Zombie King.


    The thin man had an army knife deep in his chest and all the zombies were standing still, guarding him. His face was deadly pale but his eyes were bright.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to meet you so early but you are just too keen.¡±


    The Zombie King reached for the knife and pulled it out of his body. Bright red blood flowed but he looked like he felt no pain.


    A sick and dark smile was on his face, ¡°I thought Jing Xiubai was the perfect choice until I found you, Chi Xin.¡±


    Chi Xin felt the hair on her arms rising. She wanted to curse and had so many questions but the first sentence that came out after she opened her mouth was: ¡°Return the knife to me.¡±


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s solemn face suddenly froze and a subtle dumbfounded expression appeared. The Zombie King didn¡¯t seem to expect that either and he smiled as he played with the weapon.


    ¡°I will keep it until our next meeting.¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­ who wants to see you again!


    The fighting on Yu Xiang¡¯s side also stopped and the zombies all approached the Zombie King, silently dancing around him like a well-trained army.


    The Zombie King stared grimly at Jiang Congyun and stepped forward with a sneer. The corpses squirmed and gradually engulfed his figure and before his face disappeared, he smiled.


    ¡°Chi Xin, I will give you a gift. This world should long have been destroyed, and when mankind will abandon you, remember to come to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªMy name is Lou Chen.¡±


    Chi Xin was stunned but at the same time, a memory suddenly flashed in her mind.


    In a panicked crowd, Yu Xiang was dragged into a group of corpses. Chi Xin turned around and ran away, while Jiang Congyun struggled to save her friend.


    And from her teammate¡¯s state of trance, Chi Xin guessed they were also getting the same images.

 CH 23.1

    The person in the memory had exactly the same face as Chi Xin and was from the original body.


    She soon realized this scene was when the original Chi Xin had abandoned Yu Xiang in a tide of corpses. After Jiang Congyun had rescued him and found him medicine, she had stolen her credit; the original Chi Xin had accompanied the unconscious Yu Xiang only to be regarded as his savior afterward.


    Ah, was that what the Zombie King was calling a gift? Wow, so generous.


    When this misunderstanding in the movie had been revealed, it had been accompanied by a few simple flashbacks. Now was the first time Chi Xin was witnessing the whole incident and as she watched it with gusto, she couldn¡¯t help but curse the screenwriter¡¯s logic.


    Even if Yu Xiang hadn¡¯t known who had saved him, the original Chi Xin had managed to take the credit? Had the others just listened to Yu Xiang and never doubted it a single moment? No character had felt there had been any problem¡­


    Seeing her teammates¡¯ shocked expressions, Chi Xin mentally prepared herself for the upcoming accusations. Although this incident had been exposed later in the movie, it had now happened and she shouldn¡¯t be afraid.


    After all, she wasn¡¯t really the one who had abandoned Yu Xiang.


    But after spending some time with him, she had realized Yu Xiang really valued her savior. Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed to not be able to quarrel with him in the future.


    Chi Xin mentally got ready and drafted a few speeches in her heart. She should be able to respond to any questions and disappointment from her team.


    Everything should be fine.


    But as she calmed herself down, the system sounded.


    [Ding! Ding! The system has detected the host has made a serious mistake. The host did not grasp the perfect opportunity to cause trouble and will be deducted 30 points as a warning.]


    [I repeat, the host has been deducted 30 points of trouble value as a warning.]


    Chi Xin was shocked. Her ears started ringing and she wondered if it was an echo from the system¡¯s notification. And she didn¡¯t know whether she was imagining it or not, but she could swear she could hear gloating and excitement from the dog system¡¯s tone.


    She inhaled deeply and looked at her points. Two bright red numbers flashed in her mind: 55.


    Chi Xin¡¯s eyes darkened. Her indifferent expression suddenly changed and became slightly grim.


    Chi Xin: I will kill this system.


    When the others were done going through the memory, they all looked at Chi Xin with complex expressions, only to become stunned when they saw her murderous mood.


    Yu Xiang hesitated: ¡°Chi Xin, this Lou Chen distorted the memory. We didn¡¯t want to see that, calm down.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s angry figure froze: ¡°Distorted the memory?¡±


    ¡°This can only be fake.¡± Chen Xing scratched his head, ¡°How can only a few zombies be enough to scare Sister Chi?¡±


    Chi Xin was startled again.


    ¡°Too weak.¡± With only two words, Rong Feng drew his own conclusion.


    Yu Xiang nodded in agreement: ¡°At least, he should have made Chi Xin kill a few zombies before forgetting to save me¡­ It would have been more credible.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s trouble value had been deducted below the pass line and the Zombie King had disappeared. She stared blankly at the three men who didn¡¯t look like they were distrusting her in the slightest.


    She had thought of many scenarios but had not expected they would just choose to believe her without reservation.


    But¡­


    Chi Xin shifted her gaze to Jing Xiubai and Jiang Congyun. This memory had been personally experienced by Jiang Congryun and she knew the truth, yet was now apprehensively locking her gaze with Chi Xin¡¯s.


    Chi Xin looked at Jing Xiubai. They glanced at each other and as if he hadn¡¯t seen her anxiety, he said in a calm voice: ¡°The mission is over, let¡¯s go back to the base.¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    She watched the team getting ready to go back home. Yu Xiang turned around and frowned: ¡°What about her?¡±


    Han Yiyi was holding her knees under a tree. She had grown a few leaves around her that were covering her tightly.


    Upon hearing Yu Xiang¡¯s words, she immediately got out of her green shield and ran to the group.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m human! I am not injured or bitten! Take me back, don¡¯t leave me here!¡±


    ¡°Should we?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Although she is being controlled¡­¡±


    The team started discussing Han Yiyi¡¯s issue. Chi Xin was still bewildered by the whole situation and her mind was going into overdrive.


    Only Jiang Congyun was still looking at her. She watched Chi Xin glance at her and walked towards her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, let them believe it¡¯s fake. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Jiang Congyun blinked, ¡°Anyway, with your strength, you can save Yu Xiang a hundred times over. At that time¡­ you must have had a reason to hide but no I don¡¯t doubt a second you would not save him anymore.¡±


    Jiang Congyun smiled with a relaxed expression: ¡°I want us to be a team.¡±


    Was this okay?


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t tell whether she was just too strong or whether these characters were too simple. But at this moment, she seemed to see the true kindness and beauty of Jiang Congyun.


    Jing Xiubai looked back at them and realized Chi Xin was dwelling on the memory. He came to her and said: ¡°Lou Chen seems to have taken all the zombies with him. It¡¯s safe here now.¡±


    He looked at Chi Xin: ¡°There is a convenience store on the way, we can stop and see if they have any detergent left.¡±


    Chi Xin had not expected the hero would talk about laundry at this time. She looked down at the blood sticking to her body and almost choked.


    And seeing their trusting eyes, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they would react if she really admitted she had abandoned Yu Xiang at that time. Would anyone cry?

 CH 23.2

    Now that this issue had already emerged, it was better to solve it as soon as possible. But while Lou Chen had taken all the zombies with him, some things couldn¡¯t be dealt with here. It was the end of the world after all.


    She cursed the dog system strongly but coldness only showed on her face, just as fearless as when she was facing an endless tide of corpses.


    She didn¡¯t look like someone who wanted to admit to her mistakes but like a queen ready to conquer the world.


    ¡°The memory just now is real, it was indeed Jiang Congyun who saved Yu Xiang that time. I took the credit and deceived all of you.¡±


    She gathered her courage and looked at the group, waiting for their verdict. In the movie, it had been because of the incident that the protagonist group had officially cut all ties with Chi Xin. When they had left the base, they hadn¡¯t brought her with them.


    Chi Xin had already begun thinking about where to go after leaving the base until she was fated to meet with the hero and his companions again.


    No one had expected that Chi Xin would actually admit to this memory and the group fell into silence. Only Han Yiyi looked lost and asked: ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    No one paid attention to her but she suddenly became excited and pointed a trembling finger at Chi Xin.


    ¡°She lied to you, right? I knew she was a liar! Her appearance might attract men¡¯s trust but she¡¯s nothing! If you guys can forgive me, you can forgive me¡­¡±


    Her words did not go on and her chattering mouth was sealed with a thin layer of ice. Perhaps because of the cold, her whole body shivered and a look of horror flashed in her wide-open eyes.


    ¡°Finally quiet.¡± Yu Xiang exhaled, ¡°Good job, Xiubai.¡±


    Jing Xiubai didn¡¯t look back and only stared at Chi Xin with a slightly helpless expression.


    Yu Xiang staggered forward and glanced back at Rong Feng with resentment. He walked to Chi Xin slowly but avoided her eyes.


    ¡°I meant what I said.¡± Yu Xiang started, ¡°When we were in the car after the armory, I meant it. You have saved my life so many times, I am all yours.¡±


    Yu Xiang¡¯s heart was about to melt and he wanted to curse.


    ¡°Regardless of this incident, how many times have you saved me? Are ten fingers even enough? You don¡¯t need to worry about this matter.¡±


    Jing Xiubai coughed dryly and interrupted Yu Xiang¡¯s performance.


    ¡°Yu Xiang had known for a while you weren¡¯t the one saving him this time.¡±


    Chi Xin suddenly raised her head and looked at Yu Xiang who was smiling at her.


    ¡°It was just a guess.¡± He explained, ¡°But if you didn¡¯t mention it, it didn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    Then¡­


    In the movie, the exposure of the incident could have been either intentional or not.


    Chi Xin was lost in thoughts when she heard Jiang Congyun¡¯s fakely angry voice: ¡°Goddess Chi saved you so many times and you will repay her with your life, but when I save you, it doesn¡¯t matter, right? You should be more careful next time you go out, Yu Xiang.¡±


    The protagonists were all friends and they could naturally realize whether they were really angry or not. Yu Xiang rushed to her with a big smile: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! If there is anything you want me to do, you just need to ask! I will go through a sea of fire for you!¡±


    ¡°Get off me.¡± Jiang Congyun pulled him away with disgust and a small smile. She winked at Chi Xin, letting her know everything was fine.


    Chi Xin was once more stunned. She tried to make one final effort for the sake of the plot and said: ¡°Wait, wait. I lied to you for so long, why aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    ¡°You have been hiding since we joined the base. Hadn¡¯t it been for the huge attack, no one would have known how powerful you really are.¡± Yu Xiang touched his chin, ¡°We can guess you have been pretending all along before. But I have to say, your acting is very good.¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    She had never expected they had already found reasons to forgive her. She had to be abandoned according to the plot but everything she would say now would be pointless. The victims were saying they were okay, as the perpetrator she couldn¡¯t keep clinging to it.


    But she was worried the system wouldn¡¯t relent and waited in fear, only to realize it was staying quiet. Perhaps the situation had exceeded its expectations and wasn¡¯t planning on forcing Chi Xin to do anything for a while.


    Chi Xin breathed a sigh of relief but her face darkened. The threat the system posed was too big and her trouble value had fallen below the pass line again. It was hanging above her head like the sword of Damocles and not knowing when it would finally fall made her unable to rest.

 CH 23.3

    Seeing that Chi Xin was silent, they didn¡¯t dare to disturb her. But after waiting for a while, Yu Xiang poked her arm cautiously and asked: ¡°Chi Xin, are you still angry?¡±


    ¡°Now that the misunderstanding was solved, everything is fine, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chen Xing walked over nervously, shrinking his tall and powerful body and looking straight at Chi Xin, ¡°Sister Chi, you won¡¯t go, will you?¡±


    Chi Xin looked at him and moved her gaze to the others. Jing Xiubai was watching her with serious eyes, worry was written all over Jiang Congyun and further away, although he didn¡¯t come closer, Rong Feng was holding his rifle tightly and was about to break its barrel.


    Looking at them, a warm feeling suddenly surged up.


    ¡°En1.¡± Chi Xin responded in a low voice but did not deny she was planning on leaving. According to the inevitability of the plot, even if she didn¡¯t leave now, she would definitely later.


    She didn¡¯t want to make senseless promises.


    Yu Xiang didn¡¯t hear her deeper meaning and smiled as soon as she agreed. Jing Xiubai however frowned but stayed silent. It was time to go home.


    When they reached the car, Han Yiyi, who had been unable to speak for a long time, ran up immediately. She stopped in front of the vehicle and gestured with eyes full of panic and anxiety.


    ¡°I forgot about her¡­¡± Yu Xiang muttered, ¡°What should we do? Do we have to bring her back with us?¡±


    Chi Xin wanted to point out it wasn¡¯t Han Yiyi¡¯s time to die yet. But with her personality, she didn¡¯t want to take the initiative to bring her along either.


    Her eyes swept her surroundings and she said: ¡°Just wait a second.¡±


    Everybody stopped and waited obediently to see what she was planning on doing. When it came to Sister Chi, no one was ever impatient.


    Han Yiyi, who was on all four still trying to communicate, witnessed this scene and resentment flashed in her eyes. But because everybody was ignoring her, nobody noticed.


    Chi Xin ran to the place she had stopped before. She bent down and dragged out¡­ her little blue scooter.


    Yu Xiang¡¯s mind immediately went back to the city mall where they had gone to find cosmetics and he suddenly laughed out loud. Then he recalled how Chi Xin had desperately rescued him and the other soldiers. Why did she think that this issue from when they didn¡¯t even know each other would matter to him? He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head helplessly.


    The others didn¡¯t know anything about the scooter but as they watched the heroic and majestic Chi Xin push a small blue bike on the battlefield, they laughed too.


    Chi Xin¡¯s big black eyes glanced at them and handed the scooter to Han Yiyi.


    ¡°Here. Don¡¯t say we abandoned you.¡±


    She heard a chuckle. She looked back and saw Jing Xiubai with his elbow on the car window. He didn¡¯t have his usually solemn look and was smiling cheerfully, instantly transforming from a movie hero to a real person.


    He waved his hand: ¡°Shall we go now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jiang Congyun said.


    The group got in the car and headed to the convenience store Jing Xiubai had mentioned before ransacking it and rushing back to the base.


    ¡°Chi Xin, you really aren¡¯t planning on leaving by yourself, are you?¡±


    Yu Xiang kept thinking about it and couldn¡¯t let go in the end. He turned his head from the passenger seat and asked her with a serious face.


    Chi Xin avoided his gaze and looked out the window. The others also watched her and she finally shook her head.


    Not for now.


    Yu Xiang turned back to the road suspiciously. He always felt that Chi Xin was making plans behind their backs.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed time to move on.¡± Jing Xiubai turned the steering wheel, ¡°We have been delayed in Base L for a long time and now that the Zombie King has appeared, there is not much time left for mankind.¡±


    The car became silent when his words fell.


    ¡°Should we continue to Country A according to the original plan?¡± Yu Xiang asked.


    ¡°I believe so.¡± Jing Xiubai answered in a deep voice, ¡°All the ability-related drugs were from this laboratory, so should be the zombie ones. There may be serums or vaccines there, we can¡¯t just give up this hope.¡±


    The Base L plot was finally coming to an end. Chi Xin casually looked out the window again as she listened to their discussion.


    The scenery was similar to her memory with dilapidated tall buildings, alleys, and streets. This plot had been only a short part of the movie but now that she had experienced it personally, she had found out it had been much longer.


    These characters¡¯ struggle to survive, their joy, anger, and pain¡­ as a spectator, in front of a screen, she had felt everything had been exaggerated. But now that she was in there with them, she understood how difficult life at the end of the world was.


    Without her attack buff she had asked for when she had first transmigrated, she most likely wouldn¡¯t have survived. Even if she had survived by chance, she would have become one of the thousands of ordinary people struggling and depressed. How could that be considered living?


    Chi Xin stretched out her hand and covered the coldness in her eyes. She would not allow anything that would hinder her will and right to survive. Not the zombies, not this world, and definitely not the system.


    ***


    When they returned to the base, Chi Xin was worried about her trouble value and did not dare stay too close to the protagonist group.


    When the others went to report the situation to Cao Yan, Chi Xin headed straight to her room instead. But before taking a few steps, Rong Feng stopped her.


    ¡°Chi Xin.¡±


    He didn¡¯t call her Sister Chi like the others, nor was he using Yu Xiang deliberately carefree tone. He just called her name softly and she subconsciously waited.


    This was the first time he was actually calling her name.


    After hesitating whether to go or not, Chi Xin decided to wait for him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She turned around.


    Chi Xin returned to her room confused. She took off her clothes and soaked them in the water, before pouring half of a bottle of detergent. She had just replenished her inventory and had a lot left but the former young miss of the Chi family didn¡¯t know how to do laundry and only rubbed her clothes until bubbles covered the entire floor.


    As she washed, Chi Xin thought about what to do now that the ¡°incident exposure¡± plot had been used. How could she break away from the team now?


    She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the pendant-shaped mark on her collarbone, suddenly feeling that the color was darker than before.


    She thought she was seeing wrong and lowered her head to observe it more carefully.


    It wasn¡¯t an illusion. The faint emerald imprint had changed into a dark green and it no longer blended with her skin. It didn¡¯t look like a birthmark anymore but was slightly protruding, just like a brand.


    Chi Xin touched the mark and the uneven touch made her think.

 CH 24.1

    Chapter 24: People can be more dangerous than zombies (1)


    Could it be that she could unbind the pendant from her body? With this thought in mind, Chi Xin entered the space with her consciousness.


    Although she hadn¡¯t dumped all of her supplies as the original Chi Xin had, the space she had tried to carefully sort out was¡­ not so neat. She looked at the food, the piles of guns and ammunition and as soon as she thought of her Desert Eagle, it appeared in her hand smoothly.


    She frowned and looked at the print on her chest again.


    What was happening?


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t understand what was going on and wanted to ask the system. But when she recalled a trouble value that was already below the pass line, she was too afraid of what it would do to her and she decided against it.


    She closed her eyes and felt the power crawling under her skin. The more battles she experienced, the more limitations she seemed to break from. And right now, despite the mission from earlier, not only was she not tired but she also felt continuous strength.


    She was stronger than before and her five senses seemed to have become more acute.


    She could hear people walking outside, talking downstairs, and even the slight foam noise of the detergent behind her. She just needed to listen attentively and it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape her ears.


    She opened her eyes and despite knowing her own reflection, the face in the mirror felt different. She had a bright glow and clear pupils and she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    She looked¡­ evolved.


    ***


    Due to survival pressure, Chi Xin didn¡¯t waste time. The day after the encounter with the Zombie King, she actively went out to find ways to cause trouble.


    But after walking around for a while, she realized it was too peaceful and couldn¡¯t find any way to increase her points. Perhaps she could rush into the protagonist group¡¯s room with a gun and shoot them one by one?


    Chi Xin silently rejected this idea but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that the dog system would indeed do this kind of thing.


    She turned around and walked towards the gate.


    He didn¡¯t see her but she noticed Yu Xiang from far away thanks to her increased vision. He was sitting on a big rock, seemingly lost in thoughts, and a dark cloud was shrouding his handsome face.


    Chi Xin was used to his overly carefree expression and she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when faced with this gloomy mood. His profile looked like a melancholic Greek statue and she walked to him silently, light on her feet, only to pass by him gently.


    But as she somewhat ignored him, Yu Xiang bounced from his rock.


    ¡°Chi Xin! Did you forget we¡¯re friends?¡±


    Yu Xiang watched her move and started following her.


    ¡°What are you gonna do?¡±


    ¡°Going out.¡± Chi Xin didn¡¯t spare him a glance.


    She really didn¡¯t want to spend any time with any of the protagonists at the moment. Who knew how the system would use her body for!


    But Yu Xiang was obviously not planning to let her be. He caught her with his long legs and smiled at her: ¡°Sister Chi, kind and generous Sister Chi, I want to go out too.¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    ¡°Why?¡± She finally stopped.


    Yu Xiang sighed and replied: ¡°I want to help Xiubai find some medicine.¡±


    Chi Xin was a little surprised and couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    Chi Xin finally reacted. Now that she thought about it, something similar had indeed happened in the movie. The only difference had been that what they had encountered had not been the Zombie King. Later, when Jing Xiubai had finally managed to get medicine for her, the original Chi Xin had ¡°accidentally¡± broken it in front of everyone.


    Chi Xin might have listed all the important events related to her body before, but now that she was experiencing it personally, she couldn¡¯t tell the timeline anymore.


    She thought of Jiang Congyun who had smiled gently at her yesterday and started feeling a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°So you look like that because you need to go outside?¡±


    ¡°Xiubai checked the pharmacy but he is missing something.¡± Yu Xiang nodded, ¡°After last time¡­ I am afraid to ask anyone to accompany me out.¡±


    Chi Xin softened after hearing him say that: ¡°You can come with me, but you have to listen to me.¡±


    Yu Xiang gave her a bright smile and agreed: ¡°Of course! You are my boss today!¡±


    He then saw her serious face when she added another request: ¡°And if I start acting strangely, you must leave me behind and run as far as you can.¡±


    Yu Xiang: ??


    He didn¡¯t quite understand. What strange behavior could she have? Would she kill him if he was being an idiot?


    Chi Xin was still uneasy but didn¡¯t say anything else. She glanced at Yu Xiang and the two of them left the base together.


    When the second male lead when to borrow a car from the gatekeeper, Chi Xin was a little skeptical. Every time they had gone out, Jing Xiubai had always been the one to drive, would Yu Xiang really be able to?


    Yu Xiang chose a familiar SUV and honked the horn when he stopped beside her. Chi Xin let go of her doubts and hopped in the passenger seat.


    ¡°You obviously know how to drive, so why is Jing Xiubai always driving?¡± Chi Xin asked as she put on her seatbelt.


    Yu Xiang didn¡¯t answer right away. He was weirdly staying silent before he said hesitantly: ¡°That¡­ Xiubai says it¡¯s not safe when I drive.¡±


    Heaving his reply, Chi Xin¡¯s heart started beating wildly and she grasped her seat belt tightly.


    Yu Xiang laughed: ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, we won¡¯t die.¡±


    Chi Xin became even more worried. She tried to resist the urge to jump out of the car and sat stiffly on her seat.


    And as she listened to the speeding and tire sounds of the car in fright, she understood why Jing Xiubai had said Yu Xiang was not a safe driver.

 CH 24.2

    Chapter 24: People can be more dangerous than zombies (2)


    This chapter has not been edited because packing sucks


    The hospital pharmacy near the base had long been ransacked. If they wanted to find the things Jing Xiubai needed, they had to go farther.


    When the SUV braked swiftly in front of the door of the central hospital, Chi Xin¡¯s expression was the most indifferent it had ever been. Yu Xiang glanced at her when he parked and couldn¡¯t help but say admiratively: ¡°As expected of Sister Chi, you are the first one to keep your calm in a car with me.¡±


    Chi Xin tried to calm her wild heart and to avoid exposing herself, she didn¡¯t even look at her driver as she got out of the car.


    ¡°You¡¯re really cool.¡±


    Chi Xin regained some of her senses and touched her waist when she touched the ground. She recalled how the Zombie King had snatched Rong Feng¡¯s knife from her and felt slightly naked. Could it be that Rong Feng had wanted to talk to her about the weapon last night? Not only had she lost someone else¡¯s thing, she had also forgotten to apologize.


    Yu Xiang also jumped out of the car. He looked around and asked: ¡°Chi Xin, don¡¯t you think something is wrong?¡±


    Chi Xin glanced at him and Yu Xiang added: ¡°It¡¯s quiet.¡±


    It was. Usually, even if there were no zombies around, howling and screeching roars could be heard from afar. But right now, even with her enhanced hearing, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t hear any noise of zombie activity.


    Yu Xiang started getting anxious: ¡°Every time it¡¯s silent, we encounter something big¡­?¡±


    Worry spread in her heart and she started feeling a little uneasy. But with an indifferent voice, she said: ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yu Xiang was taken aback.


    Chi Xin looked down and found a flat can on the ground. Without thinking about it, she moved her food and kicked it, forgetting her strength for a moment. The can flew in the air in a flash and hit an abandoned car not too far away.


    Bang¡ª


    With a loud noise, the thin can set deep in the vehicle and cracked the metal body.


    Yu Xiang: ¡­


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    [Ding! +0.1 trouble value.] The system sounded.


    Chi Xin grimaced. She threw a gun at Yu Xiang and headed toward the hospital.


    The sun was bright and strong in the sky outside but as soon as they walked into the hospital, the surroundings became gloomy. The walls of the building were thick and instead of the usual scent of disinfectant, blood stains and corpses that hadn¡¯t entirely decayed were scattered in the corridors.


    Chi Xin knew no zombies were around and she walked smoothly. Yu Xiang followed her closely, always looking vigilant, and whistled with admiration when he saw her calm appearance.


    ¡°What does Jing Xiubai need?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the pharmacy. He needs anxiety meds and sedatives.¡± Yu Xiang whispered back, much quieter than her.


    Knowing there were no zombies, Chi Xin had no expectations for that trip. Once again, her plan to earn some trouble value had failed and she felt a little depressed.


    Yu Xiang kept moving around, quickly setting all the medicine he could find in front of Chi Xin and watched her lazily reach out to transfer them in her space.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be more spirited? What if something happens and you¡¯re not ready?¡±


    ¡°Shush. Go get more.¡± Chi Xin replied.


    Yu Xiang closed his mouth abruptly and went to look for more medicine pitifully.


    Chi Xin touched the mark on her collarbone. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because her strength had increased and because her senses had become sharper, but every time she gathered items in the space, she could faintly feel the pendant getting warmer. But she couldn¡¯t check it with Yu Xiang around.


    The young man came back with more supplies and Chi Xin asked: ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, we might not have as much luck next time.¡± Yu Xiang answered.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t object; nobody had too much medicine in the last days. She started walking again and a faint voice suddenly reached her ears. She paused for a second, suspecting she had heard it wrong.


    Yu Xiang noticed she was behaving a little strangely and asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s expression gradually sank. She raised her eyes to look at Yu Xiang and whispered: ¡°Someone is there.¡±


    ***


    At the entrance of the hospital, six tall men walked in with caution.


    ¡°Is there really nothing wrong here?¡± One of them asked, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to become a second Old Three.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, idiot. Should we go back empty-handed?¡± Another man with a big scar on his face and a turban on his hand answered. His fierce eyes gave a bad feeling at first glance and he chuckled: ¡°You don¡¯t want to be a second Old Three, do you want to be that?¡±


    He nodded with his chin at a decayed zombie next to him that had been dead for a long time.


    The scarred man obviously had a lot of weight in this team and as soon as he opened his mouth, the men who were still somewhat reluctant no longer dared say anything.


    ¡°What a shitty city. Even the hospital is so shabby.¡± The scarred man spat, never letting go of the machine gun in his hand, ¡°And it¡¯s this unlucky bastard¡¯s fault. He wasn¡¯t bitten by a zombie but injured by his own men, did he even have a brain?¡±


    One of the men in the team was already a little timid and was even more scared to utter a word.


    ¡°Old Five is scared.¡± Someone laughed, ¡°But who knew such a large group of zombies would suddenly appear?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Another man said, ¡°But it¡¯s really strange, there hadn¡¯t been any zombies since yesterday. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck cares where they went? I just want to go back to the base.¡± The scarred man hissed viciously before a lewd expression took place on his face, ¡°They said there were new innocent lambs to find.¡±


    The other men laughed wickedly and only the timidest asked: ¡°Is what the little white flower said really accurate? We have come all this way.¡±


    ¡°Whether it is or not, she will be in trouble when we catch her.¡± The scarred man said, ¡°Shi is the first one who dared escape from the base, she must pay the price.¡±


    The men howled.


    ¡°What kind of price do you want her to pay, boss?¡±


    They asked as they walked all the way to the pharmacy.

 CH 24.3

    Chapter 24: People can be more dangerous than zombies (3)


    Chi Xin and Yu Xiang were crouching behind the shelves and looked at each other only to realize they both had the same shocked expression.


    Were they really human?


    They watched through the narrow gap between the shelves and saw six men with lots of weapons come in, striding in as they owned the place and sweeping everything in a mess.


    Chi Xin silently asked: ¡°Do you know them?¡±


    Yu Xiang shook his head in confusion and Chi Xin sensed something was wrong. Where did these people not from their base come from?


    She had only heard their voices and hadn¡¯t been able to listen to their conversation. But now that she had caught a glimpse of them, she had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Those guys don¡¯t look good.¡± Yu Xiang motioned to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Chi Xin nodded hesitantly. No matter where these people came from or what they were planning to do, it was a bad idea to approach them at the moment. Even if they weren¡¯t enemies, it was better to go back to the base first and discuss it.


    The two of them crawled over and proceeded carefully towards the door.


    The hospital¡¯s pharmacy was very large and when the two of them reached halfway, Yu Xuang suddenly stopped moving. He looked up to the top of the shelf, to a bottle of medicine in a glass container and Chi Xin guessed it was what he had been looking for all along.


    Although Yu Xiang was not short, there was no way he would be silent reaching the top of the shelf. If he attracted the attention of these men, it would be troublesome. He looked at the bottle of medicine and hesitated; he knew Jing Xiubai needed it but he was also afraid to make too much noise and risk their safety.


    Chi Xin patted him on the shoulder and Yu Xiang looked back in confusion. Chi Xin smirked at him and raised a long and powerful leg.


    Up. Up. Up.


    Until she was stretched in a perfect vertical split. She stood like this, looking as if she was exerting no effort at all and Yu Xiang stared at her with wide eyes. With a relaxed expression, Chi Xin stretched her toes to the glass bottle with ease.


    She maintained her incredible balance, moved the medicine until it fell directly into her hand that had been waiting all along. She then lowered her legs and smiled at Yu Xiang.


    ¡°Success.¡±


    Yu Xiang¡¯s mouth was still hanging open and he nodded in a daze before turning away to walk out of the pharmacy.


    Chi Xin transferred the medicine to her space, took her gun again, and looked warily at the men who were still browsing in the room.


    The man with the fiercest eyes seemed to not have found what he was looking for and he cursed.


    ¡°Who the fuck searched that place first? There¡¯s fucking nothing!¡±


    Chi Xin started to feel anxious and she followed Yu Xiang. But as soon as she moved, she stopped in her tracks and her eyes suddenly widened.


    She gritted her teeth and watched the man who was getting closer and closer. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move at all.


    Yu Xiang was already a few steps away and when he turned around, he realized Chi Xin was rooted in place. He beckoned to her in astonishment but she ignored him.


    The other man had already reached the medicine shelf Chi Xin was hiding behind. He scanned it and naturally found her through the gap.


    Four eyes faced each other and Chi Xin could clearly see the man¡¯s scar.


    Knowing the system, things should go down¡ª


    Now!


    The next second, Chi Xin got her body back and raised her leg to kick towards the shelf in front of her. She grabbed Yu Xiang and threw him down in an instant.


    Bang¡ª


    The huge medicine rack fell to the ground, on the man who had just raised his gun to shoot.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    He screamed: ¡°Attack! Attack! What the fuck!¡±


    Gunfire sounded and if it hadn¡¯t been for Chi Xin¡¯s foresight, the both of them would have most likely been full of bullets by now.


    Yu Xiang struggled to get back up to fight but Chi Xin pressed his head down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± She whispered.


    Yu Xiang instinctively dared not to anymore.


    He raised his eyes with difficulty and noticed Chi Xin was just like him, her head bowed and not paying attention to the opponents. But her gun was in her hand and she kept shooting.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Judging from the screams from the other side, she was not wasting her bullets. Even if he already knew Chi Xin was amazing, he could not hide the deep shock on his face; she could hit her targets without even looking, was she even human?!


    Her shots slowed down the enemies and when Chi Xin realized no bullets were flying over her head anymore, she gradually released Yu Xiang and let him get up.


    When he stood up, he stretched his neck, feeling like he had almost been squished by Chi Xin¡¯s strength. It was both safe and really dangerous to go out with her!


    Chi Xin was unaware he was cursing her in his head and she stood up, her gun pointed to the men. She had just fired four times but two of the shots had hit the same person; one man was still unharmed and had not fallen to the ground.


    The man was shaking, holding his gun with both hands but not daring to shoot. The scarred man crawled from under the medicine rack, his leg obviously injured. The scar on his face looked even more ugly against the resentment in his eyes.


    ¡°Which base are you from?¡± His voice was hoarse.


    ¡°I advise you to look at the situation now.¡± Chi Xin strode across the fallen shelf but when nobody reacted, she pressed the cold muzzle of her Desert Eagle on the scarred man¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°What are you doing here in City L?¡±


    Although the man was injured, he was still holding his gun but Chi Xin went head-on nonetheless. But she had forgotten about the other man and he pointed his weapon at her.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ Put your gun down!¡± He stuttered, ¡°We have more weapons!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Chi Xin smiled.


    Bang¡ª


    A second gun appeared in her hand quickly, so fast nobody could see where it was coming from. She raised her gun and shot the one the timid man was holding. His grip was not strong enough and it flew out and fell to the ground.


    Chi Xin pointed the Desert Eagle to the scarred man and the other was raised toward the other man.


    ¡°Now, who has more guns?¡±

 CH 25.1

    Chapter 25: Growth (1)


    The moment she raised her gun and fired, Chi Xin felt things had changed; she no longer needed the system to shoot. She had clearly predicted the trajectory of the bullet before firing up and had known where it would hit after she had pressed the trigger.


    When the man had raised his gun, she had known he wouldn¡¯t have shot her and so had the system. It had relaxed but Chi Xin had shot him nonetheless, entirely on her own ability and judgment.


    When she realized this, self-confidence rose in her heart. What she was hoping for might indeed happen.


    Chi Xin had a slender finger but the brightest in her eyes was impossible to look at directly. The glowing confidence that surrounded her had nothing to do with her appearance and the timid man who had been staring at her was taken aback for a moment.


    The scarred man¡¯s eyes narrowed, full of anger and hate: ¡°Old Five! What are you fucking waiting for? Pick up your gun and get rid of this bitch!¡±


    His words fell and he felt the cold muzzle on his forehead sink deeper in his skin.


    ¡°Think before you speak.¡± A gentle voice sounded, ¡°At the very least, know when you¡¯re meat on someone¡¯s chopping block1.


    The scarred man closed his eyes, trying to hide the humiliation in his eyes. When he opened them again, he only showed a denouncing and innocent look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell you are, you never answered.¡±He said, ¡°But we were just passing by here. One of our brothers was injured and we came to this hospital to find medicine for him. Now you just shot at us for no reason.¡±


    At this point, his expression changed a little; he was obviously not able to keep it. Yu Xiang raised his eyebrows and sneered unceremoniously.


    The scarred man looked a little embarrassed; their group had been disarmed by only two people, and a slender and delicate girl was one of those two people. If word spread out, they would never let him live it down at the base.


    But he swallowed his humiliation and continued: ¡°We have no beef with you. It¡¯s the end of the world, how can anyone not be on their guard when we see strangers? We¡¯re not going to blame you for that, so let¡¯s all take a step back, okay?¡±


    He bowed down and looked at Chi Xin sincerely. But quite well hidden, deep disdain flashed.


    A leader can submit or can stand tall as required2, he told himself. There was nothing wrong to beg a woman if it was for his own survival.


    She just shouldn¡¯t give him the chance to catch her because once he did¡­


    Looking at Chi Xin¡¯s beautiful face that was particularly rare in the last days, the man¡¯s eyes lit up with lust.


    He thought he was hiding his dark ideas well but he underestimated the sensitivity of women, let alone a beautiful one.


    At one glance, Chi Xin could guess where his thoughts had wandered and was not too surprised with this direction. It didn¡¯t mean she would tolerate being the object of someone¡¯s desire anyway.


    She raised her gun and as she was about to slam it against the man¡¯s head, Yu Xiang stepped in faster. The young man who was usually a gentleman or laughing and bickering with Chi Xin was now viciously pouncing on the other guy.


    He pushed the scarred man to the ground and raised his fist silently before hitting him hard on the face. The scarred man screamed and instinctively fought back.


    But Yu Xiang did not waver and he took advantage of their positions, his knee aiming towards his opponent¡¯s crotch. He then kept punching him as he was wailing until blood flowed out.


    Chi Xin stood aside dumbfounded and looked at her gun in confusion until she noticed movements with her sharp eyes. She found a bottle of medicine with her toe and kicked it in the direction of the other man.


    The man who had tried to crawl to his gun was hit on his wrist again, bent down at an unnatural angle. Not only wasn¡¯t he able to pick up his weapon anymore, but he also started screaming too.


    ¡°Yu Xiang, enough.¡± Chi Xin finally spoke and her teammate calmed down. He stood up and shook his numb fist, kicking the scarred man once more time.


    Chi Xin patted Yu Xiang on the shoulder, somewhat comforting. She knew why he was angry and a smile flashed in her eyes.


    She then looked down at the scarred man and asked: ¡°Are you willing to tell the truth now?¡±


    The scarred man¡¯s face was red and he spat out a few mouthfuls of blood and a broken tooth. He stared at it and tried to suppress his hatred and humiliation again.


    With a smile on her delicate face, Chi Xin gently kicked the gun beside him away. The man watched her and dared not move at all.

 CH 25.2

    Silky black hair fell over her shoulder with a tempting fragrance when Chi Xin bent down, but the man did not dare to feel seduced. He had seen what had happened to his leader.


    The timid mad was stunned at this turn of events and at this hot potato thrown his way. But when he faced Chi Xin, he whispered: ¡°We are really here to find medicine.¡±


    Chi Xin stared at him for a moment and nodded coldly. The man wasn¡¯t lying to her but it was probably not the whole truth either.


    She turned back to the man with the broken wrist, a little conflicted, and closed her eyes. She stayed like that for a while and when she opened them again, her usual indifferent mask was in place. She slowly raised her gun toward him, until the cold muzzle was aiming at his eye socket.


    Let him watch his doom crept closer.


    Then she spoke: ¡°I will give you one more chance. Where do you come from and what are you doing in City L?¡±


    She can press the trigger, she can really do it. This girl is different from the weak women from the base. She can press the trigger.


    Bang.


    Chi Xin suddenly felt danger come from behind her; she bent down and rolled to her left quickly. She raised her head and her pupils shook.


    Before he could finish his sentence, the man she had just been questioning had been killed, his dead eyes staring at her in horror. Chi Xin slowly turned around and saw Yu Xiang kick the scarred man who had gotten up and grabbed his gun.


    Her throat tightened but although the man¡¯s words had been short, from the two sentences she could guess these men¡¯s identity. Added to the fact their leader had just killed him¡­


    The scarred man struggled to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t believe him, he¡¯s crazy!¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the crazy one.¡±


    Yu Xiang had his gun aimed at him and Chi Xin had no intention to stop him. Instead, she also raised her weapon to the others but when she met the clear eyes of the timid man, she couldn¡¯t press the trigger for a long time.


    Her heart was so conflicted. In the movie, the Longteng Base had been the ones to show the wolf into the house1 when they had sent Han Yiyi to Base L, only to later attack them.


    It had also been the place where the original Chi Xin had ended.


    Chi Xin was no judge nor executioner but she knew what would happen in the future. She kept hesitating and the timid man under her gun showed a hint of relief before closing his eyes peacefully.


    ¡°Chi Xin, those men are definitely up to no good? Do you want to solve the matter here?¡±


    Yu Xiang¡¯s question came from behind her. Chi Xin breathed deeply and answered: ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    She moved her gun away and face the other injured men. But at the same time, a sharp alarm sounded in her mind.


    [It is forbidden to kill characters related to the plot! It is forbidden to kill characters related to the plot!]


    Chi Xin was taken aback and a cold feeling rushed into her heart. She ignored all the men struggling to pick up their weapons and rushed towards Yu Xiang.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Bang.


    Yu Xiang was knocked down and the gun in his hand shot at the wall. He stared in a daze at Chi Xin¡¯s face so closely, at her beautiful eyes, her beautiful nose, her beautiful mouth, and her extremely cold expression, and the roots of his ears suddenly turned red.


    Chi Xin stood up and stretched her hand to Yu Xiang to help him back on his feet too. She looked at the panting men on the floor. She knew that if she left them walk away from here, they would do evil but she wasn¡¯t allowed to kill them.


    She swallowed her anger but the system¡¯s panicked notice made her feel somewhat hopeful. This might be an opportunity to get rid of it but the risk was too big right now.


    If she luckily managed to destroy it, she would be able to live on her own accord. But if she failed, her consciousness would be wiped on the spot.


    Struggle flashed again in her eyes but her obsession with freedom grew even bigger.


    She needed to take the gamble.


    She reached behind her waist but took two knives out of the space, before handing one to Yu Xiang.


    ¡°Cut off their hands and feet.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s up to them whether they survive or not.¡±


    Yu Xiang had been a little surprised by her change of mind and had just thought Chi Xin was too kind and wasn¡¯t able to kill those men. But when he heard her new orders, he nodded with no objection.


    The men resisted in vain and Chi Xin suppressed the nausea in her heart as she looked at their hands and feet blankly.


    But when she thought of what they had done to all those women in the base in the movie, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t find any compassion in her.


    The timid man was the only one left. He watched everything happen in a trance and took a step back when Chi Xin approached him.


    ¡°I have been a coward all my life and this might be the only one I have the courage to ask for something.¡± He smiled bitterly, ¡°Although I follow them, I haven¡¯t done any bad things. Can we find another way?¡±


    Chi Xin could feel the system shake in anger. But Chi Xin had to punish them without killing them and she smiled.


    ¡°Watching on the sidelines is also a crime.¡± She replied, ¡°But I can let you live.¡±


    She handed him her blood-stained dagger. A trace of determination flashed in the man¡¯s eyes and he grabbed the knife before stabbing his left hand fiercely.


    ¡°Ahhhhh¡ª¡± He fell to the ground in a cry.


    Chi Xin glanced at him with indifference. She wasn¡¯t a homicidal maniac, obsessed with killing everyone. But when someone did something wrong, they had to pay the price.

 CH 25.3

    Full of medicine, Chi Xin and Yu Xiang drove back to the base.


    ¡°Chi Xin?¡± Yu Xiang¡¯s voice reached her ears, ¡°We¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go in and give the medicine to Xiubai.¡±


    Chi Xin came back to her senses and hummed her agreement. It wasn¡¯t until she reached Jing Xiubai¡¯s room that she realized Yu Xiang¡¯s words.


    ¡°Jing Xiubai is making the medicine?¡±


    The hero¡¯s living room had turned into a chemistry laboratory. All kinds of chemical instruments and bottles were neatly organized on shelves, on the table, and on all available surfaces. When the two of them entered the room, Jing Xiubai¡¯s brows were furrowed and his eyes looked tired but showed some surprise at their presence.


    ¡°We got you stuff.¡±


    Yu Xiang went inside first and Chi Xin followed. She closed the door carefully and with a shake of her wrist, a lot of different kinds of medicine appeared on the ground.


    Jing Xiubai immediately squatted down and browsed through the bottles until he found the one Chi Xin had grabbed with her legs. He raised his eyes and looked at both of them: ¡°This is¡­?¡±


    Yu Xiang grinned with pride: ¡°Chi Xin and I worked hard to find this.¡±


    Chi Xin rolled her eyes: ¡°Ignore him. See if you find anything that can help Jiang Congyun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Jing Xiubai replied sincerely.


    Taking advantage of the two boys¡¯ distraction, Chi Xin turned around and went out. She walked to Jiang Congyun¡¯s room and turned the doorknob gently.


    The heroine was lying on the bed, pale and unconscious. Chi Xin stretched out her hand and touched her forehead.


    It was cold.


    While she knew Jiang Congyun wouldn¡¯t die, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but feel a little uncomfortable seeing her comrade doing so bad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, you will be alright.¡± Chi Xin stroked the girl¡¯s hair, ¡°You will be alright.¡±


    As she whispered to her, Jiang Congyun¡¯s finger moved slightly; the action so small Chi Xin didn¡¯t notice it despite her heightened senses.


    She didn¡¯t stay long. Realizing the heroine wouldn¡¯t wake up, she sighed and left.


    As Chi Xin headed back to Jing Xiubai, he was the only one left. She looked around suspiciously and asked: ¡°Where is Yu Xiang?¡±


    ¡°He went to tell Cao Yao about your encounter.¡± Jing Xiubai was unpacking a box of medicine. He grabbed a capsule and poured the powder inside a container.


    ¡°The Base L is very fragile. If someone wants to attack it, they can easily succeed.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them but I cut their hands and feet. They may not survive.¡± Chi Xin suddenly said and Jing Xiubai paused.


    ¡°This is the first time I ever took the initiative to hurt someone.¡± Her voice was tight, ¡°They deserved to die.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t say anything about the plot and only repeated: ¡°They deserved to die.¡±


    Jing Xiubai sighed. He put down the things in his hand, sat down next to Chi Xin, and looked at her.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong.¡± His voice was gentle and sincere, ¡°They were evil men, you didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    Chi Xin nodded silently. Wanting to change the conversation, she looked at Jing Xiubai¡¯s workplace and asked: ¡°Will Jiang Congyun be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Xiubai answered with the same affirmative tone.


    Chi Xin glanced at him with a teasing smile on her face: ¡°You are so kind to her.¡±


    Jing Xiubai seriously looked at her: ¡°Congyun is a very important friend. She has not only saved Yu Xiang but she has also helped me.¡±


    Seeing her behavior, Jing Xiubai felt a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth but closed it helplessly. And as soon as Chi Xin glanced at him again she saw¡­ aggrieved eyes?


    Chi Xin: ?


    Chi Xin wanted to look closer but his pupils were blocked by his lenses.


    It must have been an illusion.


    Jing Xiubai opened his hand in front of her.


    ¡°This is a new biological bullet. It was useless against the Zombie King last time but you probably used them all. I made a few more for you.¡± He continued, ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of raw materials and I am lacking equipment so I only have a few so far.¡±


    He paused and light flashed in his eyes, his voice softening: ¡°I¡¯m not just nice to my ¡°friends¡±.¡±


    Chi Xin stared at the hero¡¯s hand and at the bullet in it. She had the urge to slap her forehead¡­ she hadn¡¯t used the other bullets, she had completely forgotten about them!


    As for the second half of his sentence he deliberately emphasized, she naturally ignored him. The protagonist group and she weren¡¯t friends, it was no wonder Jing Xiubai wouldn¡¯t call her one.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She took the bullets, ¡°I will remember to use it.¡±


    Jing Xiubai squinted her eyes, realizing she clearly didn¡¯t understand his meaning. He sighed again and let go of this topic.


    After a while and after leaving him some food, Chi Xin left Jing Xiubai to concentrate on the medicine and left.


    On the way to her room, he met an unexpected person. Han Yiyi was talking to someone else and as soon as she saw her, something flashed in her eyes. She dismissed her companion and walked toward her.


    Chi Xin sensed the inevitability of the plot again.


    Han Yiyi approached with a fake smile but couldn¡¯t hide the resentment in her expression.


    ¡°Chi Xin, what a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°I have always been very talented in terms of bad luck.¡± Chi Xin greeted her dryly.


    Han Yiyi¡¯s smile froze. She looked left and right and got even closer before whispering: ¡°Keep acting so arrogant, someone will come to avenge me. Everyone that bullied me will be punished.¡±


    Her voice was filled with both glee and hatred. But when she raised her head to look at Chi Xin, her face morphed in a stunned expression.


    Chi Xin was staring at her coldly, showing no fear or worry for her words. She looked at her with clear eyes, full of indifferent pity.


    Pity? How dared she?


    ¡°You¡¯re only a pawn, why can¡¯t you learn to respect yourself a little?¡± Chi Xin said and turned away, not intending in the least to entangle with this woman more than she had to.


    The plot¡¯s pace was increasing and there wasn¡¯t much time left for her to put her plan in motion. She had two things to do; first she needed to follow the original plot and leave the base, and the second was to get rid of the system.

 CH 26.1

    Chapter 26: The system¡¯s conspiracy ¨C Part I (1)


    After their escapade, Yu Xiang rested for two days and his spirit recovered enough to start trouble again. Because Jiang Congyun was still ill and Jing Xiubai was busy dispensing medicine, he would always come to harass Chi Xin every time he was bored.


    ¡°Chi Xin, there is a team going out today. Do you want to go?¡± Yu Xiang smiled brightly, showing his commercial-worthy white teeth.


    ¡°Not interested. Please go away.¡±


    She shut her door on the young man¡¯s face. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t want to go out, it was just that the system had already been offended enough. Right now, if she went to be around any of the protagonists, she was afraid of what would happen.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go by myself!¡± Yu Xiang yelled from the other side.


    Chi Xin pondered for a moment. Now that the three heroes were busy, there was little chance she would run into them in the base. She got ready and decided to take a stroll to let go of some steam.


    The climate at the end of days was very abnormal.; summer weather had lasted for several months again and it didn¡¯t look like it would change anytime soon. People might think this was a normal phenomenon but for Chi Xin who knew the plot, worry spread in her heart.


    Once this intense heat would pass, severe cold would come. And in this abrupt climate, animals would also start to quietly mutate; between the harsh weather conditions and the mutated beasts, the unprepared humankind had suffered heavy casualties.


    Chi Xin covered her eyes slightly and looked at the blue sky. Who could imagine that this seemingly harmless sky, no different from before the end of the world, would become yet another unprecedented test of survival?


    She was about to put her hand down when a low rumbling sound came from not too far, gradually getting closer to the base. As soon as the noise reached her, Chi Xin looked in its direction; a helicopter was flying to them.


    Despite her speed, she was not as fast as a helicopter and when she arrived, it was making its descent. The wind blew on her face and she stretched her hands to protect herself, slightly squinting her eyes to look between her fingers.


    The helicopter did not land, neither did the people inside go down. They opened the door and threw something from their vehicle.


    Cao Yan was standing underneath and reached out to catch it in a hurry as he thanked them. He waved his hand and several men from the base lifted a huge box. The people in the helicopter dropped a harness and they tied the box with it. As soon as it was done, the helicopter pulled up and flew into the sky.


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t help but be curious about this whole situation; she had never seen such a scene in the movie.


    Seeing the helicopter was gone, she walked to Cao Yan and patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Cao Yan looked back at her and was taken aback: ¡°Chi Xin? Didn¡¯t you go outside today?¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    Cao Yan had already told her about the company but she had never expected they would be brave enough to actually use helicopters to deliver their goods all over the world.


    ¡°Was what was in the other box the payment?¡± She asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cao Yan nodded, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for buying the new tester, our teams wouldn¡¯t have to go out on gathering missions today.¡±


    He saw her furrowed eyebrows and added: ¡°They know this was for the detector and were willing to do it. After all, this tool saves lives.¡±


    Cao Yan took the brand new tester out as he said and pointed it to Chi Xin¡¯s forehead. The instrument showed a green light and the man smiled happily.


    Chi Xin watched him. He was the leader of a base but had maintained a kind and innocent youth to him. He wasn¡¯t really part of the plot either and she asked: ¡°Cao Yan, did Yu Xiang tell you about the people we met outside the base?¡±


    When he heard her question, Cao Yan¡¯s smile faded and he became more serious: ¡°He did. He said they were bad people.¡±


    The system really didn¡¯t allow her to reveal any plot-related information. Perhaps because it had already been offended, it didn¡¯t bother with the sound in her head and directly hurt her.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Chi Xin pasted a gentle smile on her face, ¡°Just a little cold lately.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Cao Yan looked up at the sunny sky but didn¡¯t dare to refute, ¡°Then if you need any medicine, just go to the pharmacy and grab what you want. Take care of yourself.¡±


    Chi Xin kept smiling and nodded. Cao Yan looked at it and the back of his neck felt like it was getting warmer.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first.¡± He turned around, ready to leave.


    Despite the pain, Chi Xin called out his name again.


    TL note: Hey there! This will be the only chapter this week (and one update of LSOBP most likely on Saturday night). I have Wi-Fi problem and my translation is not complete yet; funny story, there is a shortage of routers on my island and mine died last week. It¡¯s been a lot of fun!


    Sorry for the delay. I will post more chapters as soon as it¡¯s fixed!

 CH 26.2

    Chapter 26: The system¡¯s conspiracy ¨C Part I (2)


    She watched Cao Yan leave and looked back at a tree not too far from her.


    ¡°How long are you going to hide there?¡±


    Everything was silent for a moment and as Chi Xin raised her eyebrows and was about to go kick the tree or something, a rustling sound came from behind; Xiao Li, whom she had not seen for several days, appeared.


    ¡°How did you know I was there?¡±


    As he walked to her, he couldn¡¯t believe it. He looked at the distance between the tree and Chi Xin, and coupled with his stealth skills, he couldn¡¯t understand how she had noticed him.


    Chi Xin smiled at his question. And in Xiao Li¡¯s eyes, this smile was even more stunning and awe flashed in his gaze.


    ¡°Why are you hiding there?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I was looking for you.¡± Xiao Li scratched his head and emphasized earnestly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to overhear!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in public, what do you mean by overhearing?¡± Chi Xin replied with amusement, ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t answer immediately. She looked around and asked with some confusion: ¡°How do you know I will leave? The food is delicious here, can¡¯t I stay?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t stay just like a dragon cannot live in shallow water.¡±


    Xiao Li¡¯s expression was so serious he stared at Chi Xin without blinking, filled with determination.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t expect her image would be so lofty in his heart and she suddenly blushed. She avoided his gaze and replied: ¡°Everyone has their own path and yours isn¡¯t with me.¡±


    Xiao Li had expected she would refuse and was not disappointed. He looked at Chi Xin¡¯s beautiful face and his eyes softened.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s goodbye.¡± Xiao Li said, ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t come with you?¡±


    In one day, she had said goodbye to two people and Chi Xin was feeling a little melancholic. She quickly cheered up; this apocalyptic world¡¯s challenge had only begun. If she was already worrying about parting ways, how would she face her cruel reality in the future?


    After touching her painful chest, Chi Xin¡¯s expression cooled down. She was wondering something and couldn¡¯t ask the system; if her guess was correct, the system would reveal its true purpose sooner or later. It was just that she wasn¡¯t hoping for it to come soon


    ***


    A few days later, while eating in the cafeteria, Chi Xin heard Yu Xiang about Jing Xiubai¡¯s experiment; it was ready and just needed a couple more experiments before giving it to Jiang Congyun.


    Chi Xin was slowly eating her meal and asked: ¡°Is it good?¡±


    ¡°Xiubai is very unhappy with the time it took.¡± Yu Xiang answered, ¡°But he was careful to check there was no issue before he could experiment.¡±


    Chi Xin sighed in her heart. If Jing Xiubai¡¯s medicine was ready, it meant that the plot ¡°breaking the heroine¡¯s life-saving medicine¡± was about to start. Which would end up in her parting ways with their team.


    Yu Xiang was very happy. With Jiang Congyun¡¯s coma, he hadn¡¯t had his usual cheerful personality but now that he knew his friend would be saved, he could have jumped on the spot.


    Chi Xin stirred the bowl with her spoon a few times: ¡°Is the medicine in Jing Xiubai¡¯s room now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Xiang replied honestly, ¡°It¡¯s among the mess.¡±


    Chi Xin nodded silently. She remembered that in the movie, Jing Xiubai hadn¡¯t stayed in the room all the time. This had given the time for the original Chi Xin to knock over the medicine.


    ¡°Xiubai will go get a few mice for testing tomorrow. Do you want to go with us?¡±


    And here was her opportunity. Chi Xin squeezed her spoon tightly and rejected him.


    ***


    The next day, Chi Xin waited for Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang to leave. She then got up and headed to the floor where they all lived.


    She stayed there for a while, faced with a dilemma. It was not difficult to break into Jing Xiubai¡¯s room, nor was it difficult to break the bottle of medicine. The difficult thing was to follow the movie and break the bottle right when the hero came back.


    How had the original Chi Xin estimated the time so accurately?


    Chi Xin felt some anxiety spread in her heart. This plot was more complicated than attracting zombies!


    She looked at Jing Xiubai¡¯s window and after a few more laps, she decided it was time.


    TL note: Hi!! Tomorrow¡¯s my last day at work and I have been rather busy this whole week. I was hoping to update it much faster but I don¡¯t think I will be able to post anything else before tomorrow night. But there will be another chapter of IABIWAOD and at least one update of LSOBP! Thank you for your support~ I¡¯ve super excited to be done with work, ahah.


    TL second note: The Wi-Fi is back! It¡¯s not very good but so much better than nothing. I have to catch up with a lot of things I wasn¡¯t able to do at work and I am not looking forward to it. But at least I can start translating again!

 CH 26.3

    Chapter 26: The system¡¯s conspiracy ¨C Part I (3)


    Chi Xin went to Jiang Congyun¡¯s room first and was surprised to not find the girl there. She looked carefully everywhere and even opened the closet but really couldn¡¯t find anyone.


    Where was the heroine?


    Subte panic surged and she stood at the door for a long time, her brows furrowed. She felt that the plot was diverging again, like when they had faced the Zombie King last time.


    Chi Xin had no idea about Jiang Congyun¡¯s whereabouts and she didn¡¯t dare to leave too far to look for her. She went to Jing Xiubai¡¯s door instead, full of doubts.


    In front of the locked door, she took her silencer blankly and shot at it. She was going to hurt the heroine anyway, she didn¡¯t have to worry about damaging their property.


    Jing Xiubai¡¯s room was exactly the same as it had been just before, only perhaps even more clustered, and filled with a strong smell of medicine. Thanks to that, Chi Xin didn¡¯t need much effort to find the one he had made for Jiang Congyun.


    Just like in the movie, the medicine bottle was filled with transparent liquid. It was barely visible and only the person who had made it would know how precious this was.


    Chi Xin carefully controlled her strength; it was still too early to break the bottle now, she had to wait for the protagonist group. But as she looked at it, struggle and hesitation flashed in her eyes.


    Did she really have to break it?


    Jiang Congyun had not died in the movie despite this incident but she had been weak for a while and the whole group had been in danger many times because of this. But now, the plot had slightly changed and not everything followed what she had seen. If she broke the bottle now, would the future be affected? Could Jiang Congyun¡­ die because of that?


    Chi Xin¡¯s breathing sped up and she kept looking at the bottle anxiously.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she stood in the middle of the room with the medicine in her hand but soon enough, the sunlight shining through the window changed from bright to a bloody red.


    [They are coming back. Hurry up and smash it.]


    Chi Xin woke up from her contemplation and a hint of contempt appeared on her face: ¡°Aren¡¯t you pretending to be dead?¡±


    The system was silent for a while: [The host does not listen to me and forcefully tries to change the plot. This is not allowed.]


    Chi Xin seized the loophole right away: ¡°So¡­ the plot can be changed? Your so-called restrictions are only from your own design? What I have done or how I obtained the points have no effect whatsoever on this world itself?¡±


    The system stayed silent and Chi Xin added: ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what these trouble values are for and there are so many people on Earth, why did you choose me?


    The system seemed to want to go offline again but replied: [Because of all the people watching the movie at that time, only your brain waves were consistent with this world.]


    ¡°What about the previous question, why don¡¯t you answer?¡± Chi Xin¡¯s sneer gradually disappeared and her whole person exuded intense coldness, ¡°I just fainted when I saw the zombie on the screen, am I really dead?¡±


    The system became silent again.


    Chi Xin¡¯s heart beat violently; these questions brought her closer to the truth she had always wanted to know.


    There it was. What Chi Xin was wondering was finally answered. She closed her eyes tremblingly and the hand that held the bottle of medicine unconsciously began to exert force.


    ¡°You killed me because of the trouble value.¡±


    Her voice was colder than it had even been.


    ¡°As long as you give some benefits, the humans you bind should be grateful, shouldn¡¯t they? They would scramble to complete the tasks you issue, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    The system hesitated and its tone became slightly more human: [From the system¡¯s point of view, you have gained far more than you have lost. The host just lost a body and got a new one. Why are you angry?]


    Furious anger seized Chi Xin but she swallowed all the things she wanted to say. Amidst the anger, sorrow spread in her heart and almost suppressed it. Lost in her grief, she didn¡¯t even hear the footsteps getting closer to the door.


    At the same time, a loud voice came from the corridor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! We really need to find Chi Xin to celebrate Jiang Congyun¡¯s recovery with her.¡± Yu Xiang¡¯s words reached her clearly, ¡°But nobody had seen the Goddess! She must be¡­ Xiubai, what¡¯s wrong with your door?¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s slightly shaking hand was suddenly controlled by a strong force and her grip tightened. She was caught off guard and was not able to stop it and could only stare at the bottle shattering.


    Bang.


    The door she had damaged was slammed open and everybody could see Chi Xin¡¯s figure under the sunset¡¯s glow, her fist clenched and transparent liquid slowly dripping from it. The scene was magnificent but filled with inexplicable despair.


    The noise outside suddenly stopped and Chi Xin glanced back indifferently at the protagonists.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked at her palm blankly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

 CH 27.1

    Chapter 27: The system¡¯s conspiracy ¨C Part II (1)


    Chi Xin watched the group come in, just how it had happened in the movie. The bottle of medicine in her hand was in pieces and there were both witnesses and evidence. She didn¡¯t need to try to act discreetly like the original Chi Xin and she wasn¡¯t planning on begging for forgiveness, but Jing Xiubai who had worked hard, and Jiang Congyun who was waiting for the drug deserved an apology.


    ¡°Chi Xin?¡± Jing Xiubai called her name softly as he took a cautious step into his room. He didn¡¯t ask why she had the broken medicine in her hand like she had imagined but acted carefully as if he was afraid to scare her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, ¡°Did anyone come in?¡±


    Chi Xin realized their reaction was strange. She blinked before looking at the group and noticed that next to Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang, Jiang Congyun was standing. Her face was still a little pale but she seemed okay. Behind her, more people from the base had joined in what should be a celebration. And all of these people were staring at Chi Xin in surprise.


    ¡°Jiang Congyun?¡± Chi Xin looked at her hand again and relief spread over her. With a hint of joy in her voice, she asked: ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Chi Xin, I¡¯m okay.¡± Jiang Congyun answered gently, ¡°Xiubai gave me medicine and I am cured.¡±


    Chi Xin had a hard time reacting and once again glanced at her hand.


    No one seemed to blame her. They were surprised to see her but no one was thinking she had malicious intentions.


    Yu Xiang added: ¡°Good, you¡¯re here. We want to hold a small party to celebrate Congyun¡¯s recovery!¡±


    Chi Xin clenched her fist.


    This was not right.


    With the help of the system, she had broken the heroine¡¯s medicine and followed the plot. But apart from this, everything else was different. She raised her head and scanned all the people who had come in one by one.


    In addition to the three protagonists, there were three men and two women. They all knew each other from the base and had a good relationship.


    The two women and two of the men looked as usual. They were secretly taking peaks at Chi Xin and all lowered their heads with obvious blushes on their faces after meeting her gaze.


    But Chi Xin ignored them and her eyes stopped on the last boy.


    He was thin and slightly noticeable. Chi Xin didn¡¯t remember seeing him in the movie. However, when she stared at him, he showed a rather uneasy expression; his body was stiff and his eyes were looking from left to right. Thanks to her advanced eyesight, she could also see cold sweat damping his forehead.


    As soon as their eyes met, the young man unconsciously took a step back. Chi Xin¡¯s gaze was cold and seemed to be able to see straight into his soul.


    At this time, the others also realized something was wrong.


    ¡°Zhang Zhi?¡± The smile on Yu Xiang¡¯s face had disappeared. He looked at the boy and back at Chi Xin, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡± Zhang Zhi averted his gaze and raised his hand to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He silently turned away and said: ¡°I just remembered I had something to do. You guys celebrate, I will join you later.¡±


    And before anyone could reply, he dashed away.


    Chi Xin pounced like a leopard and aimed for him as cold air spread into the room; a thick wall of ice appeared at the door even faster and blocked the only exit.


    Zhang Zhi was stuck between the wall and the other people in the room. He staggered back a few steps and, unable to control the strength of his legs, he fell to the ground with a face even paler than Jiang Congyun¡¯s.


    Chi Xin¡¯s accumulated power gradually disappeared and she watched the boy on the floor with cold eyes.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Jiang Conyun walked up to Chi Xin and looked at her unprecedented cold face with worry, ¡°What did he do to make you so angry?¡±


    Chi Xin stopped staring at Zhang Zhi and glanced at Jiang Conyung. Everything was getting too complicated.


    ¡°I broke your bottle.¡± She said, ¡°Even if this was a failure, no one knew this was the case. Why aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it? Are you afraid I would be?¡±


    Jiang Congyun smiled. Her eyes were gentle and she shook her head, full of trust, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± Jiang Congyun reached for Chi Xin¡¯s hand, ¡°If you wanted to, there have been hundreds of better opportunities in the past already. You wouldn¡¯t do something so ridiculous.¡±


    No matter how much she looked, Chi Xin couldn¡¯t see any lie in the heroine¡¯s gaze. She really trusted her and she couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. But before she could investigate the situation more, someone shouted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Zhang Zhu shrank his head to the ground, his eyes widened with fear. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean it! She just said to put something in Jiang Congyun¡¯s medicine, she said it wouldn¡¯t kill you! She promised!¡±


    Before anyone had asked anything, the truth was already out there. The people in the room all looked at each other and Jing Xiubai squatted in front of Zhang Zhi.


    ¡°Who instructed you?¡±


    ¡°What is he talking about?¡± Jiang Congyun also asked.


    Zhang Zhi¡¯s eyes met hers and he crawled to her feet. He grabbed her pants and cried: ¡°Congyun! Congyun! I really didn¡¯t want to hurt you¡­ She said it wouldn¡¯t kill you but you would stay in a coma a bit longer and wouldn¡¯t get in the way¡­¡±


    Jiang Congyun understood now. Her whole body shook and she looked back at Chi Xin in shock.

 CH 27.2

    Chapter 27: The system¡¯s conspiracy ¨C Part II (2)


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know how things could have changed to this point. She felt cold all over and didn¡¯t want to face the plot outside of the movie. But others could only stare in awe at her calm and majestic expression.


    ¡°Chi Xin, how did you know someone wanted to harm Congyun?¡± Yu Xiang was equally shocked, ¡°How do you¡­ no, why would someone try to hurt Congyun?¡±


    Jing Xiubai stood up and stared at Zhang Zhi who was shaking on the ground.


    ¡°I believe someone cannot wait anymore.¡±


    ¡°Wait for what?¡± Yu Xiang looked around in confusion, scratching his head, ¡°Is there something only Chi Xin and you know? What is happening?¡±


    Chi Xin had been feeling a little depressed just now but seeing Yu Xiang¡¯s on the verge of collapse, the corners of her mouth twitched. She met Jing Xiubai¡¯s gaze and it seemed that among the trust and understanding in his eyes, a hint of joy was not entirely hidden.


    ¡°Congyun has a healing power. If someone doesn¡¯t want her to get better, it means they are planning on hurting people.¡± He looked at Zhang Zhi and added, ¡°as for who that person is¡­ only he knows.¡±


    ¡°Chi Xin¡­¡± Jiang Congyun¡¯s voice was full of gratitude. She squeezed Chi Xin¡¯s hand and said: ¡°You saved my life again.¡±


    Her strength was too little for Chi Xin to notice it but it seemed as her hand felt hot for a little while.


    ¡°What should we do? What should we ask?¡± Yu Xiang said in an eager voice, ¡°There is this book that contains an introduction to ancient torture, we might¡­¡±


    Boom boom.


    Chi Xin¡¯s eyes slightly widened.


    Boom boom.


    She shook off Jiang Congyun¡¯s hand and took a step back, holding her chest.


    ¡°Chi Xin?¡± The heroine tried to grab her again but only met air.


    All the voices around her disappeared in an instant and Chi Xin felt a familiar pain coming from her heart, trying to tear her apart.


    The system.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s somewhat weird behavior naturally attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Yu Xiang stopped rambling and Zhang Zhi stopped shivering. Everyone simply stared at her dumbfounded.


    The blood-colored sunset bathed her whole body and amplified her beauty. Her hand was trembling slightly and slowly reached her waist as if she couldn¡¯t control it.


    In the horrified eyes of everyone, she drew out a dagger. The blade was sharp and reflected the light.


    ¡°Chi Xin?¡± Jing Xiubai¡¯s palm was glowing blue and he watched Chi Xin¡¯s movements closely, ¡°What are you doing? Calm down.¡±


    But Chi Xin was already very calm.


    She had never been so calm.


    She felt the system control her body and turn the tip of the blade towards her chest. The strange and powerful force moved her arm and gradually approached her heart.


    ¡°Chi Xin!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s chest started hurting even more. She stretched out her hand and opened her neckline, revealing what had become a dark green imprint. Seeing the mark, the three protagonists were taken aback.


    ¡°Space pendant?¡± Yu Xiang exclaimed.


    Jiang Congyun¡¯s eyes filled with anxiety: ¡°Chi Xin, I don¡¯t care about the pendant anymore! Everything was an accident, you should keep it. Then spaces are not enough to repay you for saving my life!¡±


    Light flashed from Jing Xiubai¡¯s hand and ice appeared between the knife and Chi Xin¡¯s heart. It was too close to her; he didn¡¯t dare to use too much power and watched the blade break through the shield easily. For the first time, anxiety also seized him.


    But while everybody was talking, Chi Xin didn¡¯t pay attention to any of them. She was using all of her strength and willpower to prevent the knife from plunging into her heart. There was no anger anymore in her, only deep understanding and contempt.


    ¡°You finally want to kill me.¡±


    [The system does not understand what the host is saying. The original plot is all messed-up and it is currently the best way to get trouble value. Please do not resist. I repeat, please do not resist.]


    Chi Xin almost wanted to laugh.


    ¡°Do not resist? Should I let you dig out the pendant?¡±


    Chi Xin stopped paying attention to it and focused on the system again.


    ¡°If my consciousness is gone, who will control this body?¡±


    [Naturally, I will do it myself.] The system¡¯s tone was flat, [You are the only host in this world, once you fail, only the system can take over and complete the task.¡±


    Chi Xin really laughed this time.


    ¡°You want to get rid of me and take over?¡± Her eyes became slightly passionate at once and her will to survive broke through everything in an instant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    Determination flashed across her face. Someone rushed to her again, still trying to stop her. Chi Xin felt the cold around her and moved around. She gritted her teeth and crashed directly into the wall made of ice at the door.


    Crack.


    Chi Xin smashed the ice with her shoulder blade and fell heavily to the ground.

 CH 27.3

    Chapter 27: The system¡¯s conspiracy ¨C Part II (3)


    Pain hit her shoulder and Chi Xin suddenly let go of all of her strength. The knife pierced her chest but at the last moment, she turned the blade¡¯s direction slightly and it stabbed the green pendant mark instead.


    Chi Xin panted heavily and her eyes gradually became clear. All the people in the room were huddled in the corner and watched all of this in horror. Only Jing Xiubai was very close to her, blood at the corner of his mouth.


    [Bip, bip, bip¡­. Warning¡­ warning¡­ the host¡¯s behavior is detected to be seriously out of control¡­ requesting support¡­ bip¡­ bip¡­ error detected¡­ the host refuses to hand over the control of the body¡­]


    The more the system tried to speak, the vaguer and disturbed it became.


    [Error detected¡­ bip¡­ repair¡­ waiting¡­ kill¡­]


    After a few more ominous words, the voice weakened until it disappeared entirely.


    ¡°System?¡±


    Chi Xin yelled in her head.


    Silence.


    Joy and sorrow spread on Chi Xin¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t move but nobody dared to and it wasn¡¯t until a long time Jing Xiubai said: ¡°Chi Xin, I am going to take your knife away.¡± His voice was very soft and gentle, ¡°We have no intention of attacking.¡±


    Chi Xin raised her eyes and looked at him. Without the system¡¯s control, she naturally wouldn¡¯t attack them.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    The pain in her shoulder made her want to cry a little and for the first time in her life, she had never been so grateful for her facial paralysis.


    She held her shoulder, put it back in its axis, and stood up from the ground. Her movements were too precise as if she had relocated her shoulder many times before, making her stunned for a moment.


    Chi Xin looked around and stared at the mess she had caused. Jing Xiubai was injured and Yu Xiang was not much better. Jiang Congyun was treating the two of them and they were all looking at her with worry.


    Chi Xin lowered her head and looked at her heart. Turbulent emotions surged and she felt alive for the first time since she had come to this apocalyptic world.


    Jiang Congyun approached her carefully. A pale light wrapped around her and the dull pain of her shoulder gradually eased.


    ¡°Chi Xin, I wasn¡¯t lying. The space is my thank you, you don¡¯t need to give it back to me.¡±


    Chi Xin looked at her and suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t like to owe things.¡±


    She picked up the knife again in the shocked eyes of everyone. She wiped the blood on her chest and the green mark appeared on her white collarbone. Without the control of the system, Chi Xin pulled the pendant out with the tip of the blade and gently placed it on the table beside her.


    ¡°You already know how to bind it, just drop blood on it.¡± She smiled again and added, ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything now.¡±


    ¡°Chi Xin¡­¡± Yu Xiang¡¯s eyes were a little red and he couldn¡¯t find his words.


    Without the shackles of the system or the sword hanging above her head all the time, Chi Xin showed a real expression for the first time. Her eyes were playful and gentle, the one that seemed to scream freedom. She wasn¡¯t restricted anymore and could say or do as she wanted and she couldn¡¯t help but find out that the protagonist group was not as troublesome as she had always thought.


    When they had believed she was going to kill herself, they had all tried to save her.


    Chi Xin moved her shoulder, deeply grateful for Jiang Congyun¡¯s healing power. It was no wonder someone wanted to get rid of her first.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She sincerely thanked the heroine.


    Jiang Congyun shook her head in a daze; Chi Xin looked different. In the past, she had surrounded herself by an impenetrable shield and her smile had always been indifferent and defensive. But at this moment, her eyes were full of smiles and despite the sweat and blood covering herself, she had never been so beautiful.


    Chi Xin pushed Jiang Congyun away gently and walked to Zhang Zhi. After this series of events, the boy had completely collapsed. Seeing Chi Xin approach, he screamed and tried to hide in the corner.


    Chi Xin squatted down and looked at him with sharp eyes.


    ¡°Tell the person behind you to deal with things by herself and not do those tricks anymore.¡± She could guess who was behind Zhang Zhi but she had not expected Han Yiyi¡¯s hatred was strong enough to modify the plot.


    She thought for a little while and looked back at the protagonists: ¡°How much longer will you stay here?¡±


    Yu Xiang suddenly became anxious: ¡°What do you mean? Aren¡¯t you staying?¡±


    When Chi Xin didn¡¯t answer, he wanted to rush over but Jing Xiubai grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.


    Chi Xin stood up and looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Have you made a decision?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I have never been so sure.¡± She replied.


    Jing Xiubai nodded and ignored Yu Xiang and Jiang Congyun¡¯s pleading looks. He took a step forward and said: ¡°Take care.¡±


    Chi Xin really felt it at this moment, the hero understood her. Base L had never been her home and plot or not, she couldn¡¯t stay here for long. She stretched out her hand: ¡°It was a pleasure working with you.¡±


    It was time to leave and Chi Xin was indeed happy to have cooperated with them. Jing Xiubai held her hand somewhat preciously and whispered: ¡°We will meet again.¡±


    At last, Chi Xin pointed to Zhang Zhi who was curled into a ball. She waved to Jiang Congyun and an almost crying Yu Xiang before turning around and stepping out of the room resolutely.


    But before she could take a few steps, she met other acquaintances. Chen Xing, Yu Pengcheng, and Rong Feng had also been invited to the small party; they had been locked out by Jing Xiubai¡¯s wall but had witnessed everything that had happened inside.


    Seeing Chi Xin coming out, Chen Xing and Yu Pengcheng¡¯s eyes were full of awe. Chi Xin nodded to them and raised her face to look at Rong Feng: ¡°I forgot to tell you that your army knife was taken away.¡±


    A rare yet beautiful smile appeared on Rong Feng¡¯s face: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I will try to get it back.¡± Chi Xin thought of the weird Zombie King and added, ¡°But there is no guarantee.¡±


    Rong Feng looked at her deeply: ¡°I can go find it with you.¡±


    Chi Xin lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and smiled. Her smile was gentle and reserved, just like the wealthy young lady she had been before.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Chi Xin walked away and raised her hand to wave to everyone as she disappeared in the distance.


    Alone, to her unknown destiny.


    No one stopped her and no one dared to.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t take anything and directly left the base. Looking back at the place she had only stayed since she had transmigrated, she couldn¡¯t help but remember the day she had been forced to jump from this big wall.


    The journey ahead of her was long and the road was uncertain but she was relaxed. The only pity was the Desert Eagle that had accompanied her since the beginning would be missed.


    She sighed with regret. The space had been returned to the heroine and she had just lost a huge apocalyptic cheat¡­


    What?


    Chi Xin stared at the gun that had suddenly appeared in her hand. The familiar feel of the body told her right away it was her favorite gun.


    No way?


    Chi Xin¡¯s consciousness went into the space as she used to and she saw the piles of guns, clothes, and food, and all the various cosmetics the original Chi Xin had previously stored¡­


    It was clearly the space she had returned.


    TL note: This is it! The end of the first arc! Can you believe it? That¡¯s 27 chapters and more than 70,000 words! And just so you know, I absolutely love how this first arc ended! It¡¯s just so smooth and it feels like it can be read on its own¡­ but of course, we all need more of Chi Xin!


    Sister Chi got rid of the system and left the novice village; it¡¯s now time for her to explore her new world without having to follow the plot or the protagonists. We said goodbye to many characters -and I cried when she parted ways with Rong Feng!!- but do not worry, amazing readers, this wasn¡¯t really goodbye.


    Sister Chi has things she needs to figure out for herself -and about herself- first and she has a new mission waiting for her. She touched everyone at the base with her strength and already modified the course of the plot unconsciously; every single character got changed one way or another with her arrival and their destinies were inevitably altered. Now it is time for her to help others!


    TL second note: Rong Feng, I love you, please stay safe!


    TL third note: I know who Sister Chi will meet again *insert evil laugh*


    TL fourth note: (againnnnn) This means IABIWAOD goes on hiatus today. It is estimated there will be no update for two full weeks; I really need to re-read the second arc and be sure of what I¡¯m translating and I have to finish my big move. But it also means that the next update will be in an entirely different timezone as I will be in France for a month. I will let you know if there are any changes.


    Thank you so much for your support so far. I hope you will continue to like this story as much as I did. Do not hesitate to share your guesses with me but avoid any spoilers if you¡¯ve already read it~

 CH 28.1

    Chapter 28: Entering the tiger¡¯s den (1)


    From the dark and gloomy sky, heavy snow fell like feathers. The thick white snowflakes contrasted deeply with the black clouds and the whole world was covered in a quiet layer of white powder.


    There wasn¡¯t a trace of life or death around.


    On a long highway, a tightly wrapped figure slowly walked. Only a pair of intelligent big eyes were exposed to the cold and her pace was so languid she seemed to belong to another world. Footsteps were left in her wake, only to be hidden the next second by newly fallen snow.


    Anyone walking towards her at this time would probably not recognize she was human. And this human was Chi Xin who had left Base L alone.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Chi Xin muttered as she trekked through the heavy snow, ¡°Where the hell is it?¡±


    Her voice was muffled by the huge scarf and she could barely hear herself. Just as she had seen in the movie, after the scorching heat of the summer, the end of the world was experiencing a cold wave; and in order to survive it, she had made sufficient preparations.


    Before leaving the area of City L, she had gone to a shopping mall that had been rather far away. She had searched for tents and other necessary items for the cold weather, and as she was now wandering alone, she had added a lot of batteries and various flashlights.


    As for why she was wandering¡­


    Chi Xin took a few more steps before stopping. She looked at the surroundings, her eyes filled with confusion.


    ¡­ She didn¡¯t know the way.


    This world was so different from her she had also lost her sense of direction. Since she had left Base L, she had not known where to go; the only thing she had realized was wherever she went, the fewer zombies she encountered.


    She raised her head to look ahead and her eyes fell on the majestic mountain in the distance, peeking from the fog and snow.


    Since when was she headed toward the mountains?


    Chi Xin wrinkled her nose and decided to find a building first to spend the night away from the wind. The weather was too cold, she wasn¡¯t sure she would survive if she slept without any shelter.


    With the current objective, Chi Xin started moving again¡ª


    But the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up; her eyes became sharp and her body tensed.


    Since the disappearance of the system, she did not have to worry about the plot or being shocked. Instead, her awareness of her surroundings had increased.


    Her own ability.


    The whistling wind echoed around her and she forced her breathing to slow down before looking around carefully.


    Both sides of the highway were full of abandoned cars buried in the now. Chi Xin watched through the white haze and her eyes fell on a very thin iron wire.


    Oh, smart.


    She raised her eyebrows and silently stuffed both hands in her pockets. She looked like an innocent traveler who didn¡¯t know anything and stepped on the string with one foot. As she did, cars on both sides of the road exploded simultaneously; shards and flames flew around and instantly reached Chi Xin.


    After the explosion sounded, several voices were heard.


    ¡°Are they dead?¡±


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s no luck. I thought a team would cross, I didn¡¯t expect just one person. Look at this skinny guy, they probably haven¡¯t eaten in a while.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to waste explosives. There was only one person, we can¡¯t even share one piece of clothing now¡­¡±|


    ¡°Should I have taken the trap down?¡±


    ¡°Wait, shut up. Don¡¯t you think something¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What? With this kind of explosion, nobody can survive.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why didn¡¯t we hear any screams?¡±


    The men suddenly fell silent until one replied: ¡°Stop scaring yourself, such a big fire would burn anyone to death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s check anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Gradually, a few heads appeared on the other side of the road. The flames of the explosion were swaying under the wind and their dazzling color was reflected on the bright snow.


    The men kept complaining to each other as they walked. At one point, one of them stopped.


    ¡°Keep moving.¡± Another urged.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened. He stretched out a shaking finger and pointed at the fire: ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    The others looked at him suspiciously but his face made them no longer dare to move forward. They all went back to watch the snow gradually extinguish the fire.


    As the flames disappeared, a figure in the middle appeared. The figure was tightly wrapped and nobody could guess whether they were male or female, thin or fat; and in their hands, was a fire extinguisher. The figure was seriously facing the remaining flames, aiming at any little sparks.


    As the fire extinguisher ran out in a puffing sound, the last of the fire also died.


    Everyone: ¡­


    Where did this weirdo come from?


    Who took such a difficult road with a fire extinguisher?


    But although this whole situation was off, there seemed to be only one person on this side of the highway. And watching them play with the fire extinguisher, anyone would have doubted their sanity.


    The men winked at each other and the one in the lead took out a gun before pouncing on the wrapped figure.


    ¡°Bang.¡±


    The man saw the red fire extinguisher gradually become bigger. In a loud noise, his face was hit before he could even figure what was happening.


    He staggered back and felt warm liquid fall on his face. He reached out to wipe it and found out he was covered in blood. In his daze, he watched the small and chubby figure hold the makeshift weapon and agilely hit his four companions in a flash. Then the figure abruptly turned around, and in another ¡°bang¡± a hole the size of a bullet appeared in the red metal. Residual powder fell from it and disappeared in the white snow.


    Except for the first man, everybody else was on the ground and groaning in pain. The leader had his gun raised, in trembling and blood-covered hands. He had watched such a small person take on much bigger men with a fire extinguisher and use this same weapon as a shield to block a bullet.


    His eyelid twitched. He would have been foolish if he hadn¡¯t known he had just encountered someone very powerful.


    He carefully put down his gun on the ground and kicked it towards the figure, fully expressing his surrender. He showed a smile that was more of a grimace and said: ¡°This¡­ hero, we are new to this area, we didn¡¯t recognize you and accidentally harmed you. This gun will be regarded as our plea, please spare our lives.¡±


    The figure did not respond. They stood quietly in the same spot, dressed in this huge coat and even bigger scarf. The man trembled, afraid the figure was angry, and would pick up the fire extinguisher again to dig a hole in his head.


    Fortunately, the figure finally seemed quite satisfied with their surrender.


    With a muffled clatter, the figure threw away the extinguisher and stepped forward. They weren¡¯t worried they would be attacked again and bent down to pick up the gun.


    The man started shaking even more.


    But the figure didn¡¯t spare the men another look. After picking up the gun, they walked away.


    As they passed by, the man instinctively glanced sideways. During a split second, he seemed to see a pair of extremely beautiful eyes.

 CH 28.2

    Chapter 28: Entering the tiger¡¯s den (2)


    Chi Xin collected her trophy as she ignored the men lying and groaning around her, before leaving the explosion site. Since she had gone out on her own, she had encountered similar incidents but fortunately, she had been mentally prepared; she knew how cruel humans could be in this apocalyptic world. Had she been soft-hearted or unable to make hard decisions, she didn¡¯t believe she would have survived so far. Now, she just wanted to be responsible for her own life.


    She looked up at the gray sky and sighed softly; it was getting darker. Chi Xin took out a flashlight, shook it slightly, and continued to walk forward. As the night fell, the mountain in the distance looked even more terrifying.


    After moving for a while, she could see a faint light on the side of the highway. She quickly increased her pace before leaving the road, only to realize the light seemed to come from a small brick house. It had probably been built by farmers before the end of the world, and the house was surrounded by a big field.


    People! Perhaps the farmer had survived?


    Chi Xin¡¯s eyes were bright and she almost ran to the house. She stopped in front of the door, took her gloves off, and patted the snow on her body, before politely knocking three times.


    The room stayed silent.


    As she was about to knock again, a rough man¡¯s voice came from inside.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked, ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    Chi Xin was too tightly wrapped and had trouble moving her head. She looked up with difficulty and answered: ¡°Yes.¡±


    She cleverly avoided the man¡¯s first question and added: ¡°My family and I have been separated, I can¡¯t find them anymore.¡±


    Her small gestures and her pitiful voice made her look like a young and innocent girl, making people relax their vigilance. The man who had just opened the door was no exception.


    After he made sure no other people were around the house, his suspicion gradually disappeared and was replaced by a subtle look.


    She noticed right away the man wasn¡¯t the only person inside. There was a round table in the middle of the room with a pot that smelled like cooked rice on it.


    Around this table, three other men were sitting and when they saw Chi Xin walk in, they all raised their heads to look at her. Their expressions turned into hungry wolves watching a weak prey and they didn¡¯t even bother to cover up their fierce looks.


    The man who had opened the door was standing behind Chi Xin and winked at them.


    ¡°Little girl, come and sit down.¡± He said to Chi Xin, ¡°Are you hungry? We just made some porridge and were about to have dinner.¡±


    Chi Xin retracted her gaze and shrank into her scarf, exaggerating her pretend naivete.


    ¡°Can I really have some? You are really good people!¡±


    As soon as she said this, the men looked at each other with smirks.


    Chi Xin took a step back and said somewhat cautiously: ¡°This isn¡¯t good, right?¡±


    ¡°Idiot, act like a gentleman.¡± The first man punched the other slightly. He turned around and smiled at Chi Xin: ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to him, he¡¯s all bark.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chi Xin hid her suspicious expression under her long eyelashes and sat down obediently.


    The man who had opened the door made a bowl of porridge and put it in front of her. In an amiable voice, he said: ¡°Little girl, you don¡¯t have to worry. You can take off your hat and scarf and have a good meal first.¡±


    Chi Xin tilted her head as she was considering it and replied: ¡°Okay.¡±


    The big men¡¯s hearts suddenly fluttered. They watched Chi Xin slowly take off her winter gear and looked at the fair face that appeared. Her features were delicate, her cold eyebrows were exquisite, and she looked even softer under her deliberate disguise.


    She was a rare beauty even before the end of the world. The men gasped and looked at each other in shock.


    The first man asked: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Chi Xin slowly crushed the rice grains in the bowl, her head lowered as if she wasn¡¯t listening. But she had already guessed who these people were.


    She had wandered for so long yet was still unable to leave the plot¡¯s inevitability; she had come back exactly where she should have been.


    Ji You¡¯s eyes fell on her. Thinking she was shy, he reached out and pushed the bowl closer to her.


    They kept discussing the missing people and no one asked about Chi Xin anymore. It seemed that from the moment she had knocked on the door, her fate had been decided in a tacit understanding, not caring about her own wishes.

 CH 28.3

    Chapter 28: Entering the tiger¡¯s den (3)


    Disclaimer: This arc will have passages of abuse and violence, slavery, and even mention of sexual assault. On top of that, the language will be coarse at times. Expect not very nice physical and verbal abuse all along but I will try to add a disclaimer at the start of each chapter containing triggering scenes.


    Chi Xin¡¯s ear suddenly twitched as she heard a curse coming from the outside.


    Before they could come in, she quickly took off her jacket, threw it under the table, and stepped on it. She used the table as her cover and took another one from her space that looked almost the same. After doing all this, she quickly returned to her weak appearance and waited for people to enter the house.


    The door was slammed open.


    ¡°Finally back. This was a mess, we thought there was only one person, who knew it would¡­ who¡¯s that?¡±


    Chi Xin put down her spoon and raised her head. She looked innocently at the men who became stiffened.


    They were the men she had just beaten with a fire extinguisher.


    The man in the lead looked at Ji You: ¡°¡­ Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Who can it be?¡± Ji You snorted and lazily stretched his very long legs, ¡°Lost girl.¡±


    Li Cheng stared at Chi Xin for a moment. Even though there was some suspicion in his heart, he didn¡¯t believe his group had just been beaten by such a delicate and soft looking girl.


    ¡°Have you seen anyone outside?¡± He asked her.


    Chi Xin shook her head and shrank back slightly.


    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t scare her.¡± Ji You stood up, ¡°It¡¯s almost time to go back to the base. Drink something hot first, you took so long you must be hungry.


    An annoyed expression appeared on Li Cheng¡¯s face: ¡°This was an accident.¡±


    ¡°You just wasted two bombs but didn¡¯t catch anything. You can explain it to the boss when we go back.¡± Ji You interrupted.


    Li Cheng¡¯s expression sank but Ji You didn¡¯t look at him anymore. He turned to Chi Xin and told her: ¡°Put your clothes back on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Chi Xin reached under the table to grab her coat and asked: ¡°Where are we going? I have to wait for my parents.¡±


    A small smile seemed to flash in Ji You¡¯s eyes: ¡°Let¡¯s go to a safer place first, you can wait for them here. There is no heater here, we might freeze to death.¡±


    Hearing that she might die, Chi Xin¡¯s eyes widened in fear. She immediately finished dressing up and followed Ji You. The man looked at her dark hair and instinctively reached out his hand to pat her head.


    Li Cheng kept staring at Chi Xin, his expression tense when he saw her coat. But after she was dressed, he looked carefully again and gradually relaxed.


    Ji You squinted his eyes: ¡°So?¡±


    Li Cheng was calmer: ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    Chi Xin lowered her head, seemingly not aware of what they were talking about.


    There were two cars parked behind the house. Under Ji You¡¯s instructions, Chi Xin got on one of the passenger seats as Ji You went behind the wheel. A minute later, the two vehicles started simultaneously and headed towards the mountain.


    The journey was a bit slow; the snow was still falling, the road was slippery and slightly narrow. They had to be particularly careful as they went up the mountain.


    As Ji You drove, he kept glancing at Chi Xin next to him. She was staring out the window and he discreetly sighed. Chi Xin didn¡¯t know what he was thinking but his rather relaxed expression became darker the more the car advanced.


    They were silent all the way and Chi Xin looked at the landscape as they drove up to the top of the mountain, to a wall made of metal and surrounded by barbed fences. On the watchtower, a flashlight emitted a regular light.


    ¡°Respond.¡± Ji You said coldly.


    One of the men in the backseat took out a flashlight, opened the window and began to respond. Soon after, the iron door slowly opened.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Chi Xin finally asked, ¡°Can my parents find it?¡±


    ¡°This is Longteng Base.¡± Ji You turned the steering wheel, ¡°Although it isn¡¯t easy to go in and out, no zombie can come up.¡±


    She was really there. Chi Xin¡¯s eyes flashed for a split second; soon she would see what lay in the most sinister base of the original movie.


    Chi Xin wasn¡¯t the kind of person to recklessly want to eliminate all the evil people in the world but the reason she wanted to help was¡­


    ¡°Ah! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Bastard! Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    As soon as she got out of the car, she heard a woman¡¯s sharp cry. She turned her head and saw a woman with short hair, held by her neck by a man and getting dragged out. Around, whether they were guards or something else, only men were visible.


    ¡°Let me go¡ª¡±


    The woman was in pain; she desperately grabbed the man¡¯s arm and bit him.


    ¡°Ah, Fuck!¡± The man yelled and kicked her waist fiercely. Feeling it wasn¡¯t enough, he kicked her a few more times and as she looked on the brink of death, he pulled her hair and slapped her.


    ¡°Fucking cunt! Resist one more time and I will throw you down the mountain!¡±


    The men around the scene watched the atrocious beating with enthusiasm, some of them even whistling to cheer.


    ¡°Is Wo Na misbehaving again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disfigure her too much, there aren¡¯t that many hot girls left in this world.¡±


    Chi Xin looked at everything in a daze, seemingly frightened, and a tall figure stood in front of her.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Ji You pushed her shoulders rather rudely, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡±


    ¡°Ji You¡¯s back?¡±


    The violent man turned his head and noticed them. He dropped the woman called Wo Na and walked to them.


    His ferocious eyes fell on Chi Xin and he asked: ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Ji You moved slightly and blocked Chi Xin.


    ¡°She¡¯s new.¡±


    The man was stunned and looked at Ji You with surprise: ¡°You actually¡­?¡±


    Ji You glared at him with warning and raised his hand to gesture at the woman on the ground: ¡°Wo Na, come here.¡±


    The woman stiffened. She pressed her lips together but obeyed. She was holding her waist and walking with a limp but her beautiful figure was impossible to miss. As she approached Chi Xin, her charming yet slightly heroic features appeared.


    Ji You pushed Chi Xin to her and said: ¡°She¡¯s new. Take care of her first.¡± He paused and added: ¡°Take her to see where you live. Don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±


    Not only the violent man but also Wo Na¡¯s swollen face showed a hint of surprise. She glanced at the tightly wrapped Chi Xin and asked: ¡°She¡¯s¡­ a girl?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ji You replied.


    Sadness flashed in Wo Na¡¯s eyes but she didn¡¯t say anything else. Ji You looked down at Chi Xin, and said in a serious tone: ¡°Follow her, do what you¡¯re asked but don¡¯t leave her. Understand?¡±


    Chi Xin blinked and nodded. Ji You¡¯s expression eased a little and he reached out to pat her head again.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    His gentle tone sounded slightly alien and as soon as he was done speaking, he quickly pushed her to Wo Na.


    The vicious man-sized up Chi Xin and said to the other woman in a fierce voice: ¡°I¡¯m letting you off lightly today, only because Vice Chief Ji needs you. Got it?¡±


    Disgust flashed in Wo Na¡¯s eyes but she kept her mouth shut.


    ¡°Okay, go now.¡± Ji You waved his hand.


    Wo Na glanced at Chi Xin and said blankly: ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Chi Xin started walking and followed her step by step into the infamous Longteng base. Under the huge coat, her fists were tightly clenched.

 CH 29.1

    Chapter 29: Spark it aflame (1)


    This was completely different from Base L.


    Base L had been built on the outskirts of City L and the survivors did not live much differently than before the end of the world.


    The Longteng Base was a refuge built by a group of people in the most precarious and remote places in the mountain col, in order to avoid zombies, and most of the houses were simple, made of wood and stone.


    Wo Na led Chi Xin and they never met any woman along the way. All the men they encountered would look at Wo Na with disgusting and lecherous eyes, only to give the same look to Chi Xin.


    But Wo Na kept a cold face as if she was accustomed to this situation, while Chi Xin shrank into her thick scarf.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the most remote place with no light around that she barely noticed a feminine figure. The figure was sneaking and fumbling around, and Chi Xin had no idea what they were doing.


    Wo Na looked over and whispered: ¡°Ai Xi, what are you doing?¡±


    The figure was startled but when she saw Wo Na, she leaped over and buried her petite body in her arms.


    ¡°Sister Wo Na! I¡­ I was so worried about you!¡±


    Her voice was very soft and delicate, mixed with broken sobs. Wo Na turned a gentle gaze to her and patted her shoulder lightly.


    Ai Xi raised her head and revealed her childish face. She looked suspiciously at Chi Xin and asked: ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Newcomer.¡± Wo Na didn¡¯t want to say more.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ai Xi nodded in understanding, ¡°Does she have to hurt to not be eaten too?¡±


    Wo Na¡¯s face changed and Chi Xin reacted half a second later; she quickly understood what Ai Xi meant by ¡°hurt¡± and her clenched fist trembled.


    ¡°Ai Xi, how old are you?¡± She tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart, making her voice hoarse.


    The young girl was taken aback. She looked at Chi Xin, then at Wo Na, and whispered: ¡°14 years old.¡±


    Fourteen?


    Chi Xin glanced at her small figure; she would have never guessed she was over twelve.


    At this time, Wo Na patted Ai Xi again and said: You should go back. If you insist on being so reckless, don¡¯t let them catch you. You won¡¯t be able to get out of it.¡±


    At such a close distance, Chi Xin could clearly see the bitterness on Wo Na¡¯s face. Ai Xi infused her with some sort of strength and when she left, the two women did not speak for a while.


    ¡°She¡¯s only 12.¡± Wo Na broke the silence first, ¡°She always tells people she¡¯s 14 but she has just graduated from elementary school. But that group of beasts¡­ that group of beasts¡­¡±


    Her trembling voice choked in her throat and her hand was held by warm fingers. Wo Na raised her head abruptly and saw Chi Xin¡¯s face oddly bright in the dark.


    ¡°It will be okay.¡± Chi Xin said.


    This was her purpose all along.


    But if her tone was very sincere, she looked very weak. Wo Na thought she was joking and after hesitating, she stretched out her hand.


    ¡°You have just arrived, you don¡¯t understand yet.¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got here, whether you got cheated or got bought¡­ but remember that once you enter this place, you have to accept whatever happens. Throw away all of your previous knowledge and education, surviving is the most important. Do you understand?¡±


    Chi Xin agreed with her last sentence: ¡°Only when you¡¯re alive can you resist.¡±


    ¡°What do you know!¡±


    Chi Xin watched Wo Na say such cruel words but her expression was sad, almost broken. At the end of her speech, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and made a low sobbing sound while covering her face.


    After a while, Wo Na put down her hand. Her eyes were wet with tears but her expression had returned to normal.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said, ¡°I have been in this place for so long, my mind is inevitably distorted.¡±


    Chi Xin had managed to hide her anger and listening to Wo Na¡¯s apology, she only shook her head slightly while the woman adjusted her emotions and led her inside.


    There were a total of ten small rooms, each housing about three women. Wo Na quickly explained this to her as she brought her to the one on the far left.


    It was very rudimentary, with only one bed, one cupboard, and one table inside. Wo Na took out a cup and handed it to Chi Xin.


    ¡°Take it. This is the only container you can hold things in. Keep it carefully.¡±


    She placed the cup on the table casually and looked around the room.


    ¡°Just now, you said you couldn¡¯t resist here.¡± Chi Xin said slowly, ¡°But when you were being dragged out there earlier, those people said you were being beaten for resisting. Why?¡±


    She spoke very quickly but her voice was soft, minimizing her aggressiveness.


    Sure enough, Wo Na did not hide away and replied: ¡°But you saw I wasn¡¯t resisting as I was being beaten.¡±


    Chi Xin thought for a while: ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Blind obedience or fear will only bore them faster and they will keep trying to get more girls from the outside.¡± Wo Na glanced at her, ¡°I¡¯m not a saint nor a martyr but with our limited resources, once a new girl arrives, what do you think will happen to the ¡°scraps¡± who occupied said resources?¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s eyes narrowed. She remembered that in the movie, the original Chi Xin had probably been one of those the men had gotten bored of. When the protagonist group had found her in the black market, it had looked as if her soul had been stripped away and all will to live had disappeared. Her eyes had been hollow and every time someone had touched her, she had exploded in a frenzied counterattack and obviously suffered from grave PTSD.

 CH 29.2

    Chapter 29: Spark it aflame (2)


    Wo Na didn¡¯t say anything else. She took out a quilt for Chi Xin and said: ¡°You are lucky, there is a message from Ji You. It says you shouldn¡¯t be given to the leader tonight¡­¡±


    There was a trace of fear in her eyes: ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how you got protection from that man, it will help you for now.¡±


    The survival mechanism of the Longteng Base had not been explained in the movie and Chi Xin asked as she grabbed the blanket: ¡°Are all the new girls sent to the leader upon arrival? What kind of person is he? And who is Ji You to hold so much power here?¡±


    Wo Na¡¯s expression became solemn: ¡°It¡¯s not in your best interest for you to know too much.¡±


    Chi Xin smiled and added a hint of lightness in her tone: ¡°I¡¯m here now anyway, what¡¯s the difference between learning about it today or tomorrow?¡±


    This sentence made Wo Na pause and look at Chi Xin rather oddly, somewhat surprised and confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chi Xin asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not quite what I thought¡­¡± Wo Na stopped and her voice hardened again, ¡°Actually, this is no secret. The leader of this base is called Song Liangping. I don¡¯t know who he was, what he did before, or even how, but all the girls who come to the base must be given to him to enjoy first, before being sent as presents for the men who have contributed to the base.¡±


    This was similar to Chi Xin¡¯s guess and she nodded in a daze.


    Chi Xin opened the window and let the cold wind from the top of the mountain enter the room. In order to prevent these girls from escaping, the men of the base had purposely built their houses on a cliff.


    In the front, there was the base and in the back, a precipice. There was really no way to escape.


    ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and close the window!¡± Wo Na urged, ¡°There is no fire at night, we will freeze to death!¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t oblige and turned around instead.


    ¡°Wo Na, do you believe in fate?¡±


    The woman was startled: ¡°Fate?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that this is how the world should be? Do you believe your life can only be this?¡±


    Chi Xin took off her scarf and her hat. The cold light of the moon and the darkness of the sky reflected in her eyes as her long black hair cascaded around her.


    Wo Na stared at Chi Xin in a daze and a faint flame in her heart she had long forgotten about suddenly came to life.


    But she immediately put it off.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Her face was cold, ¡°I advise you not to act rashly so as to not lose your life or hurt others.¡±


    As she wanted to continue to persuade Chi Xin, the door was opened violently by a man. Wo Na was taken aback but turned her head to look at the new threat.


    Li Cheng, who had been frightened by Chi Xin before, walked in. His gaze swept across Wo Na before falling on Chi Xin, and a trace of obsession and greed flashed in his eyes.


    ¡°Little girl, you are called Chi Xin, right?¡± Li Cheng said, ¡°Our boss is asking for you.¡±


    Chi Xin raised her eyebrows. Was Ji You supposed to protect her for the night? It seemed that he was not as powerful as Wo Na thought.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t answer but Wo Na rushed: ¡°Why is he asking for her?¡± She asked anxiously, ¡°Ji You clearly said¡­¡±


    When he heard the second half of her words, Li Cheng suddenly felt happy.


    ¡°Are you actually willing to teach her?¡± His lecherous eyes swept over Wo Na¡¯s breast, ¡°What are you going to teach her? How to hide a knife and stab a man¡¯s head?¡±


    A hint of shame and indignation flashed across Wo Na¡¯s face but she stood firmly in front of Chi Xin.


    ¡°Brother Cheng¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Li Cheng interrupted her, his patience clearly running out, ¡°The boss wants her and will get her. If he¡¯s not happy, he will send someone to get you later.¡±


    Chi Xin watched the exchange silently. When Wo Na had stood in front of her to deal with Li Cheng, she had not been surprised.


    Wo Na¡¯s waist had already been hit and already knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk tomorrow. She was already bracing herself for the upcoming abuse and her expression changed; she closed her eyes in despair and a cry interrupted her familiar beating.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    The sharp pain she was waiting for didn¡¯t come and she opened her eyes in astonishment. The man who was about to show off his power was now clutching his waist and fell to the ground embarrassedly, his face distorted with pain.


    ¡°Who! Who attacked me?!¡±


    Li Cheng roared and his voice echoed in the endless cliff. He had no idea this pain was a gift from Chi Xin, whom he had left inside the room as he grabbed his waist and got up, running out of the hut in a limp.

 CH 29.3

    Chapter 29: Spark it aflame (3)


    Only the two women were left in the room and Wo Na slowly turned an incredulous gaze to Chi Xin. A small silencer was slightly exposed in her hand, barely visible amidst the heavy clothes.


    ¡°Was it you?¡± Wo Na whispered.


    Chi Xin blinked at her: ¡°This is a special anesthetic bullet. He will be able to run to find someone but by tomorrow, the medicine will have reached the nerves along his spine. Without a very good doctor, it will be very difficult for him to stand again.¡±


    Chi Xin had an angelic face and her tone was soft and courteous.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just kill him directly otherwise we will get in trouble.¡±


    Right now, she was very glad all the strange bullets Jing Xiubai had given her before were still in her space.


    Wo Na looked at her with a look of fear and excitement on her face. Chi Xin walked to her and put the small gun in her hand without any explanation.


    ¡°If there was a chance to end all of this, would you be willing to take it?¡±


    She asked the same thing as before.


    Wo Na stared at the weapon in her hand and her grip tightened until her fingers turned white. A second later, her tears fell heavily on the cold body, bursting with all her repressed emotions.


    ¡°I would.¡± She nodded fiercely.


    The fire that she had extinguished herself was reignited by the girl called Chi Xin.


    Chi Xin smiled slightly and said: ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Wo Na raised her head in a daze: ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Wo Na looked at Chi Xin¡¯s calm face: ¡°Even if he isn¡¯t, the leader respects him. He wouldn¡¯t¡­ Maybe that¡¯s because you¡¯re just too beautiful.¡±


    She knew that Song Liangping must like Chi Xin¡¯s delicate and exquisite appearance and couldn¡¯t help but worry anymore: ¡°Don¡¯t go. You don¡¯t know him¡­¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m here, I have no plan to escape.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s voice suddenly cooled down. She obviously had the same beautiful features but suddenly, she felt colder, a mask of indifference slipping on her face, as if she had already faced much bigger threats.


    Seeing Wo N¡¯s startled expression, she smiled again and returned to the earlier appearance.


    ¡°You stay here and wait for me to come back, Sister Wo Na.¡±


    A trace of shame flashed across Wo Na¡¯s face: ¡°What kind of sister¡­¡±


    Chi Xin patted her shoulder and when she turned to face the outside, her eyes dropped to a freezing point. She pursed her lips and walked out.


    Li Cheng was barking like a mad dog outside but no girl dared to come closer and inquire about the situation. He hadn¡¯t found anyone and cursed as he returned to the front of the women¡¯s house.


    Seeing Chi Xin come on her own, he was stunned for a moment. He swept her whole body with suspicious eyes but when he reached her clear gaze, all his doubts dispelled.


    Chi Xin watched him rub his painful waist and held a smile: ¡°Should we go?¡±


    Li Cheng was still looking around suspiciously. He glared at her and warned: ¡°You¡¯d better not learn from that Wo Na or there will be consequences.¡±


    Chi Xin clenched her fists but her face stayed soft and well-behaved: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Sister Wo Na?¡±


    Li Cheng stared at her face and suddenly reached out to touch it: ¡°Oh, yes. No wonder Ji You want to keep you for himself, you really are¡­¡±


    But he never touched her and felt air instead. Chi Xin went around him and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Her voice was innocent when she added: ¡°Brother, you have a bad waist, should we go slow?¡±


    Li Cheng¡¯s expression stiffened. Gloomy anger emanated from him and he scolded the person who attacked him from all of his heart.


    The women¡¯s place was guarded from every level. Chi Xin had come in with a covered face and was leaving exposed, stunning all the men seeing her for the first time.


    Chi Xin endured rising nausea, pretending to be completely unaware of the attention she was getting and followed the limping Li Cheng to the leader¡¯s place.


    Unlike the narrow and dark wooden houses of the girls, without any power or heating, this house was made of stone and bright lighting came from it.


    As soon as she went in, warmth wrapped her body and she swept the surroundings quietly. This quick examination made her eyes pop.


    In the center of the room was a huge fire and on a stone bench lay a dazzling tiger skin, which on sat a big fierce-looking bald man. This should be the infamous leader of the Longteng Base, Song Liangping.


    Chi Xin stared at the white figure. Song Liangping was stroking the girl¡¯s hair and when he raised his head to look at Chi Xin, he smiled and said: ¡°Who¡¯s the little butterfly?¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    She wanted to choke.


    ¡°Boss, this is Chi Xin, she just arrived.¡± Li Cheng answered flatly.


    ¡°What? Who?¡±


    Han Yiyi, whose head had been peacefully lying on Song Liangping¡¯s knees, straightened up suddenly and her eyes widened.


    Song Liangping glanced at her, revealing an irritable look: ¡°Yiyi, do you know the butterfly?¡±


    Han Yiyi realized her mistake and quickly returned to the leader¡¯s favorite submissive appearance.


    ¡°I met her in the other base. We stayed together for a while.¡±


    She lowered her head and directed spiteful eyes at Chi Xin. Chi Xin raised her eyebrows and ignored her.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Song Liangping was a little surprised. He looked at Chi Xin and her beautiful features made his eyes brighten, ¡°You are called Chi Xin?¡±


    Chi Xin prepared herself for several seconds, the time to get rid of all disgust and indifference from her face. She raised her head and met Song Liangping¡¯s eyes.


    The leader tried to look kind and compassionate: ¡°Lost little butterfly, welcome to our warm family.¡±


    Chi Xin shuddered, barely holding back goosebumps. But in Song Liangping¡¯s eyes, her trembling was an expression of fear.


    He smiled and said: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, come closer. Let me comfort you.¡±


    ¡°Leader¡­¡± Han Yiyi didn¡¯t dare to directly oppose him but said coquettishly, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her innocent appearance¡­ It¡¯s all a lie, she seduced many men at the same time in her former base but was finally kicked out.¡±


    ¡°Is it now?¡± Song Liangping glanced at her but his gaze returned to Chi Xin, ¡°Is this true?¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t care about what Han Yiyi said. She lowered her head and whispered: ¡°How is Base L now?¡±


    ¡°Base L? Isn¡¯t this the place we destroyed so easily?¡± Disdain flashed in Song Liangping¡¯s eyes and he smiled, ¡°Perhaps you will meet them soon.¡±


    ¡°Boss, the new girls are there. What do you want to do with them?¡± Someone shouted from the door.


    Chi Xin¡¯s finger suddenly stiffened.


    ¡°Bring them in. Let Han Yiyi have a look first, after all this is all thanks to her.¡± Song Liangping waved.


    Chi Xin watched a huge cage being pushed up, just as she had seen in the movie. Inside, several women were unconscious, all familiar faces from Base L.

 CH 30.1

    Chapter 30: The Zombie King Reappears (1)


    Chi Xin glanced at the familiar faces. They were all pretty girls from Base L and one of them had even been quite close to the protagonist group. If she recalled well, her name was Yangyang.


    ¡°Come, Yiyi. Take a look. Are those the girls?¡±


    Song Liangping stood up from the tiger skin and he pulled Han Yiyi¡¯s arm with one hand as he moved.


    Han Yiyi followed him obediently and looked at the girls when she heard the leader¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s them. They all talked ill of me behind my back.¡±


    ¡°Then they should be punished for badmouthing our Yiyi.¡± Song Liangping glanced at Li Cheng, ¡°Wake them up.¡±


    Li Cheng¡¯s face froze. He covered his waist discreetly and awkwardly carried a bucket. With a loud noise, winter cold water was poured on the unconscious girls.


    Chi Xin¡¯s muscles tensed, barely holding back her attack. She showed a frightened expression instead, stepped back a bit, and hid into the darkness.


    No one found her suspicious and everyone¡¯s attention fell on the girls who were starting to wake up.


    ¡°Cough. Cough.¡±


    Yangyang was the first to stir. She sat up in confusion and looked at her surroundings. When her gaze fell on Song Liangping¡¯s hideous face, she shivered and patted around her in horror.


    They didn¡¯t see Chi Xin and Yangyang asked: ¡°Who are you? Why are we locked up?¡±


    Li Cheng kicked the cage fiercely: ¡°Bitch, do you know who you are talking to?¡±


    ¡°Li Cheng.¡± Song Liangping falsely rebuked.


    Li Cheng immediately stepped away and said respectfully: ¡°Boss.¡±


    Song Liangping nodded in satisfaction and looked at the pretty girls in the cage.


    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡±


    The girls were terrified.


    ¡°Leader, why are you talking to them?¡± Han Yiyi came up and looked at the cage with arrogance, ¡°Just kill them, they all bullied me.¡±


    ¡°Han Yiyi?¡±


    Yangyang saw her face clearly and suddenly didn¡¯t care about being afraid anymore. She rushed to the door of the cage and stared hatefully at Hang Yiyi.


    ¡°You vicious bitch! We took you in and took care of you but you actually collaborated with outsiders to attack the base! Tell me, where are the others?¡±


    Han Yiyi covered her mouth in exaggerated shock: ¡°Are you questioning me?¡±


    She looked at Song Liangping eagerly: ¡°Leader, you see. They are all so arrogant and even ignore you. They were just like that in their base before.¡±


    She bit her lower lip as if she had suffered great grievances and Song Liangping patted her hand comfortingly.


    Yangyang was shaking in anger: ¡°You have no conscience and you will get retribution one day, Han Yiyi. You will definitely be punished.¡±


    Han Yiyi glanced at her again with disdain.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Song Liangping pretended to be sympathetic and said, ¡°You were originally supposed to be offered food and clothing, even the opportunity to stay here without worry. But unfortunately, you offended Yiyi.¡±


    Han Yiyi proudly raised her head.


    ¡°Because of that, you can only be sold.¡± Song Liangping smiled.


    Chi Xin moved and breathed as quietly as she could so she wouldn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Boss, do you really want to sell them?¡± Li Cheng gazed at the girls greedily, ¡°Such good products are rare in the last days and difficult to part with.¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Song Liangping¡¯s face sank, ¡°Make sure they are untouched and sold in the best conditions to get the best price, understand?¡±


    Li Cheng¡¯s whole body trembled and he lowered his head before obeying in a low voice: ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take them out and take care of them. We will talk about it again in a few days.¡± Song Liangping waved his hand.


    The girls were so scared they couldn¡¯t even scream or mutter a word anymore. They sat in the cage in a daze as they were pushed out of the room.


    Han Yiyi leaned against Song Liangping coquettishly: ¡°Thank you, leader, for venting my anger.¡±


    ¡°You did good, it¡¯s the least I could do.¡± Song Liangping replied but swept around, ¡°What about the one¡­ Chi Xin?¡±


    Han Yiyi¡¯s face stiffened and she stared at Chi Xin as she walked out of the darkness. From Song Liangping¡¯s back, Chi Xin glanced at the other girl with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± Song Liangping found Chi Xin after following Han Yiyi¡¯s sight. He squinted his eyes and licked his lips, ¡°You must have been scared just now but you don¡¯t have to be, you will not be sold.¡±


    Before Chi Xin could speak, Han Yiyi grabbed the man¡¯s arm unwillingly, ¡°Leader, she actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Song Liangping, who was usually kind to Han Yiyi, suddenly showed impatience. He shook Han Yiyi¡¯s hand and smiled again when he looked at Chi Xin: ¡°Little butterfly, are you also from this base? Do you know these girls?¡±


    Chi Xin instantly changed her expression and lowered her face as if she was timid and scared.


    She softened her voice and asked: ¡°Where will they be sold? Where are the other people from Base L?¡±


    Song Liangping smiled even more when he heard her question and gestured: ¡°Come here and I will answer you.¡±


    Chi Xin clenched her fist tightly enough her nails pierced into her palms. The pain drowned her anger and sanity broke through the daze.


    She had to hold back.


    She had to learn where the others were first and learn how many were still alive.


    She needed to be confident to be able to fight back before taking any action.


    Chi Xin kept chanting these few mantras silently and walked to Song Liangping with hesitation on her face.

 CH 30.2

    Chapter 30: The Zombie King Reappears (2)


    Song Liangping looked down at Chi Xin¡¯s face. Chi Xin almost couldn¡¯t control her disgusted expression and quickly turned her head away. But in Song Lianping¡¯s eyes, it appeared as a sign of shyness.


    ¡°Newcomers are always so shy.¡± Song Liangping chuckled, seemingly in a good mood, ¡°The people from Base L, some of whom had been mean to our Yiyi, have been killed on the spot. Some others who didn¡¯t know better went elsewhere.¡±


    Mean to Han Yiyi?


    Chi Xin almost thought she had heard it wrong.


    Han Yiyi curled a strand of hair around her finger and sneered: ¡°All day around they forced me to do this and that. I was sick and tired of this! What kind of people pressure people to work like that?!¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about those who defended you or those who worshipped you?¡± Chi Xin asked softly.


    ¡°They were so weak, how dare they say they would defend me? Were they worthy?¡± Han Yiyi replied.


    Hadn¡¯t it been for Song Liangping to come between them suddenly, Chi Xin wasn¡¯t sure she would have been able to control herself.


    ¡°Excellent, I have decided.¡±


    Chi Xin softened her coldness between her eyes and watched Song Liangping smiling at her as a very small needle appeared quietly in the palm of her hand.


    ¡°Chi Xin, you are different from them.¡± Song Liangping said, ¡°You are more beautiful than any of them, you will stay to please me. If you are good, I will protect you for the rest of your life.¡±


    Chi Xin concealed her surprise and looked at her coldly. She hid her hand in her pocket and her favorite Desert Eagle appeared between her fingers.


    But Song Liangping just frowned and glared at Han Yiyi. For the first time since Chi Xin had entered the room, he faced the other girl with a stern look.


    ¡°Silence! Girls do yoga and sports, so what? Yiyi, don¡¯t be too jealous, this is not what a good girl should do.¡±


    Han Yiyi glared at Chi Xin unwillingly and lowered her gaze to the ground in submission.


    ¡°Yes, leader.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Song Liangping seemed to be very satisfied with her being so obedient. He nodded and walked closer to Chi Xin.


    ¡°Little butterfly, if you behave, I will love you.¡±


    His eyes were full of wicked thoughts and the glee of success. His fat and greasy hands stretched out to the clever and helpless little lamb in his eyes, just as Chi Xin also stretched out a hand¡ª


    Just as he was about to hug her, Song Liangping suddenly felt pain in the back of his neck and his whole body stiffened.


    Chi Xin moved her hand quickly and injected the medicine from the needle she was holding in Song Lianping¡¯s neck, at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye.


    ¡°What stung me?¡± Song Liangping reached out and touched his neck, but didn¡¯t feel anything suspicious.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a bug.¡± Chi Xin replied innocently.


    ¡°On such a cold day? Where are bugs coming from?¡±


    Song Liangping was puzzled but shook his head. He looked at Chi Xin with an obscene smile and said: ¡°I thought you were a good girl, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so naughty.¡±


    Chi Xin pressed her lips tightly, trying to stop herself from vomiting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s naughtier.¡±


    Song Liangping loved to play these kinds of games. He straightened up and tried to pounce on Chi Xin again¡ª


    Bang.


    Chi Xin¡¯s reflexively raised leg was just halfway up when someone came in and she immediately lowered her foot back on the ground.


    Song Liangping paused too and everyone looked at the door.


    Outside the room, a tall figure stood silently at the door.


    Song Liangping¡¯s eyes narrowed, his tone laced with a threat: ¡°Ji You?¡±


    Ji You¡¯s gaze swept all over Chi Xin before he replied in a dull voice: ¡°Boss.¡±


    Song Liangping regained his previous demeanor: ¡°Is this how you enter my quarters?¡±


    Ji You stood stiffly for a moment and lowered his head slightly: ¡°Apologies, Boss.¡±


    Song Liangping hummed and turned around before walking back to the tiger skin and sitting down. Han Yiyi immediately followed him and kneel at his feet obediently.


    Patting Han Yiyi¡¯s hair, Song Liangping¡¯s anger seemed to calm a bit and he said: ¡°It is so late, why are you here?¡±


    Ji You didn¡¯t answer but his eyes fell on Chi Xin once again, clear purpose in his gaze.


    Song Liangping showed an expression of enlightenment and asked: ¡°How could I forget¡­ You¡¯re the one that brought this girl, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Ji You nodded.


    The room fell silent for a while and Chi Xin raised her head to look at Ji You. She couldn¡¯t understand why someone who had tricked her here would take the risk to save her afterward.


    Song Liangping¡¯s eyes were dark and thoughtful. Suddenly, his hand moved and Han Yiyi let out a small cry. Knowing Song Liangping didn¡¯t like his women loud, she quickly covered her mouth and as pain painted a grimace on her face, she didn¡¯t dare to make any more sound.


    ¡°Ji You.¡± Song Liangping said, ¡°Do you still remember what you owe me?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± Ji You answered expressionlessly.


    ¡°But you still insist on coming tonight. Do you want to continue this charade?¡±


    Ji You stayed silent but there was affirmation in his eyes.


    Song Liangping sneered and kicked Han Yiyi away. Ignoring the girl¡¯s painful fall, he stood up with a sullen face: ¡°All women should be mine for the first night yet it is rare for you to show some interest. I guess I can make an exception.¡±


    Ji You¡¯s gaze relaxed slightly and Song Liangping turned around: ¡°But you have to remember the promise you once made.¡±


    ¡°I do, Boss. I have never failed to deliver on what I said.¡±


    Song Liangping sat back slowly, somewhat unwilling to do so. He glanced at Chi Xin and Ji You again and finally waved to them: ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Boss.¡± Ji You said once again impassively.


    Then he winked discreetly at Chi Xin and walked out of the room.

 CH 30.3

    Chapter 30: The Zombie King Reappears (3)


    Chi Xin was a bit confused about this development and pondered for a few seconds before she walked after Ji You. When she left the room, she saw Song Liangping from the corner of her eyes through the gap of the door about to get close, dragging Han Yiyi like a beast and throwing her on the tiger skin.


    She didn¡¯t see the rest.


    Ji You looked down at her, his eyes gleaming in the dark: ¡°Do you wonder what will happen next?¡±


    Han Yiyi¡¯s cry of pain sounded.


    Chi Xin looked back at him and didn¡¯t answer.


    Ji You stared at her for a moment, as if the cries and grunts from inside did not exist, and said after a while: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Chi Xin asked.


    Although she suspected the men of that base were monsters and others were saying Ji You was attracted to her, Chi Xin always felt like this was not exactly the case.


    ¡°You were gifted to me by the leader tonight. If you don¡¯t go back with me, you will suffer even more.¡± Ji You answered quietly, ¡°So we¡¯re going to my room right now. Are you afraid?¡±


    Chi Xin ignored the question but said: ¡°You said I could wait for my parents here. Will they come soon?¡±


    Ji You stopped in his tracks. Chi Xin didn¡¯t know how the sentence had affected him but the calm man showed a furious look. He turned around abruptly and shouted: ¡°Your parents are dead! They are dead, do you understand? You are by yourself now, can¡¯t you be less naive and stop believing others? Or are you a fool? I said we were going to my room tonight, the rest doesn¡¯t matter!¡±


    His rough voice sounded particularly merciless in the silent night. Chi Xin looked back at him with no fear nor complaint in her eyes and seeing such a gaze, Ji You immediately calmed down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The man glanced away, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He strode forward, his long legs allowing him to take much bigger steps than Chi Xin. When he noticed, he felt like he had to slow down but when he turned around, Chi Xin was just behind him.


    ***


    On the other side, when Chi Xin and Ji You left, Song Liangping pulled Han Yiyi up rudely and she did not resist.


    Song Liangping liked submissive and beautiful women and the more she obeyed, the less she suffered. And Han Yiyi herself regarded the pain as an honor.


    ¡°Leader¡­¡± Once the pain faded, her voice softened and she reached out to embrace Song Liangping¡¯s neck.


    Song Liangping had never cared about her feelings or what she needed. She was ready to go through the motions as usual and closed her eyes¡ª


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Han Yiyi didn¡¯t wait long but opened her eyes and looked at Song Liangping¡¯s bad head moving back and forth, sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Leader, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Liangping kept trying and shouted: ¡°Quiet!¡±


    Han Yiyi shivered with fright and closed her mouth.


    Song Liangping¡¯s face was dark. After a long time, he stepped back and looked at Han Yiyi fiercely.


    Han Yiyi was confused and acted according to her previous experiences. She smiled and touched the man: ¡°Leader¡­¡±


    But this time, Song Liangping was angry. As if going mad, he kicked Han Yiyi off the tiger skin.


    Han Yiyi screamed once, screamed twice, but Song Liangping wasn¡¯t stopping. He kept hitting her until her breathing gradually weakened.


    After venting his anger, Song Liangping panted roughly and asked some subordinates to find a doctor. But when this all happened, Chi Xin knew nothing of it yet.


    ***


    Chi Xin followed Ji You and they reached the man¡¯s room, whose conditions were obviously better.


    ¡°Sleep.¡± Ji You said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about running away.¡±


    He left the only bed for Chi Xin, warned her, and slammed the door after he left. Chi Xin didn¡¯t refute and seeing Ji You leave, she looked around the room and sat on the bed.


    Unexpectedly, Ji You looked rough but his room was surprisingly clean. Chi Xin got lost in thoughts for a moment until she focused on the base again.


    Too many things had happened today and her eyebrows furrowed. She thought of Base L, she thought of the protagonist group and their mission, she thought of Cao Yang and his stupid smile.


    Then she thought of the wounded Wo Na and the innocent Ai Xi.


    There must be some way to have everyone live a good life in this world.


    Suddenly, night changed to day and she was no longer in a simple room. In a cold and white laboratory, she was sitting on a chair and was rubbing her left little finger with her right hand.


    Chi Xin looked down and saw a familiar snake ring on pale and thin fingers. But before she could observe her surroundings more carefully, a cold voice came from her mouth.


    ¡°According to the report, the subject is still in Country C and there were some relatively big moves. Who knows what he is doing?¡±


    Standing in front of her were a group of people wearing white coats. Their faces were all blurry and Chi Xin couldn¡¯t make out any features.


    She rubbed the ring again, her tone full of bloodthirst and cruelty: ¡°I gave you time.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Raphael, there is¡­ I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    A trembling voice came from one of the scientists.


    ¡°Our guess is that the subject is trying to gather all the zombies from Country C, which is where he is from. He may want to use it as his base camp.¡±


    ¡°Is he now?¡± Chi Xin said unhurriedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t he insist he was a human being? Why does he suddenly want to create a zombie base?¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t answer this question and his fear was so physical it was visible even on his blurry features.


    Chi Xin sneered: ¡°Anyway, he did a good job.¡±


    She felt herself stand up and her sight went much higher than what she was used to, telling her the person she was possessing was much taller.


    But what was this place? And who was she possessing?


    They were looking for someone¡­ What was their objective?


    Based on this conversation and the previous ones, Chi Xin could guess the subject was referring to the Zombie King Lou Chen.


    But witnessing this scene that had never appeared in the movie, she couldn¡¯t find any clue.


    As she was lost in thoughts, her consciousness suddenly moved. Another one rushed in and hit her fiercely.


    Chi Xin shook her head and a metal container and a strand of blond hair flashed in her eyes. The next second, her mind was thrown out.


    Forcibly ejected, Chi Xin felt unable to breathe. She tried to cough a bit and quietly stand up as a strong sense of crisis surged and she opened her eyes quickly.


    She supported herself on the bed with her elbows and her long legs rose in the air, only to hit the source of her warning.


    ¡°Puff¡ª cough, cough, cough.¡±


    Chi Xin froze. She looked at the Zombie King holding his chest and trying to get up, coughing so hard he seemed about to break and got ready for her next kick.


    TL note: First chapter of last week¡¯s update! The next one a tiny bit later today, as soon as the missing paragraph is fixed. And for those who don¡¯t follow my other project: I am back from covid! I¡¯ve been kinda sick but the husband was mostly fine and we binged the whole Ted Lasso as soon as I stopped sleeping all day long. Back to work and house hunting! Thank you for all the good health wishes and for your patience!


    TL second note: I got too lazy last night to fix the missing translated parts hence why it is posted on Monday instead. You will still get this week¡¯s updates tho, so exceptionally four this time!

 CH 31.1

    Chapter 31: She is light, she is hope (1)


    The Zombie King was exactly the same as she had first seen him. His complexion was blue and white, his lips were red and his neck was strained by the violent cough.


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t know how to react for a while and froze in place, watching him finish coughing.


    Once he finally calmed down, Lou Chen raised his head to reveal a pair of slender eyes full of tears, and the coldness and hatred in them were instantly diminished.


    The Zombie King stared at Chi Xin quietly and she felt she had to say something and break this awkward silence.


    She looked away and blurted a friendly greeting: ¡°Hello.¡±


    Zombie King: ¡­


    Chi Xin: ¡­


    Chi Xin quickly put away her stretched legs and sat on the bed as if she hadn¡¯t said anything weird just now.


    The Zombie King looked at her and let out a soft laugh: ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Chi Xin: ¡­ oh my god, standard villain lines incoming!


    Perhaps her gaze was too strange, the Zombie King¡¯s smiling face stiffened and gradually sank.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you the last time we met?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Chi Xin said, ¡°You showed my companions and I a small movie too.¡±


    The corner of Lou Chen¡¯s eyes twitched and he barely kept his cool. In a mysterious tone, he said: ¡°I told you that when you were done with humans, you could come to me. I waited for you for so long, I didn¡¯t expect you would anymore¡­¡± He glanced around, ¡°¡­ to this disgusting place.¡±


    Chi Xin felt he hadn¡¯t finished speaking. She raised her eyebrows but didn¡¯t interrupt his performance.


    The Zombie King crossed his arms on his chest and continued with a contemptuous tone: ¡°I have watched you. You once knew how to use the weakness of human nature to do your bidding. This is how it should be, if you have the strength, the world should belong to you.¡±


    He paused for a second: ¡°But then I discovered that you were trying to hide your strength instead of using it.¡± Lou Chen squinted, ¡°Without any weakness, you still chose to put hope in mankind. This is¡­ foolish.¡±


    Chi Xin listened in silence, frowning and looking thoughtful. The Zombie King was quite satisfied with her expression and his gaze softened. As he was about to talk more, Chi Xin¡¯s slightly confused voice sounded: ¡°Zombie King.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± He interrupted her, ¡°My name is Lou Chen.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Lou Chen, then, can I ask you a question?¡±


    The young zombie showed a benevolent expression: ¡°Ask.¡±


    Chi Xin tried to sort out her thoughts but found out she had too little information to make any sense of anything and blurted out instead: ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Lou Chen¡¯s expression went blank for a few seconds.


    Chi Xin moved back quietly and the next second, Lou Chen¡¯s face darkened. He clenched his fists and snarled: ¡°I am talking for so long but you don¡¯t understand at all! Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier? Do you know what I did for¡­¡±


    He stopped speaking abruptly, his face morphing into a grimace.


    Chi Xin wasn¡¯t sure whether the Zombie King would throw up or spit on her and the distance she took made her feel a little safer.


    She sincerely said: ¡°Stop fancily beating around the bush, just spit it out.¡±


    A dim light flashed in Lou Chen¡¯s eyes. He looked at Chi Xin and leaned towards her.


    ¡°Before I saw you, I believed Jing Xiubai was the perfect choice. But after meeting you, I am sure you are more suitable.¡±


    He was very close but Chi Xin didn¡¯t worry about it. She looked straight at him and said in a very calm voice: ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    She could take a guess.


    The Zombie King in the movie had not had the slightest pity for humans. Wherever he had gone, his zombie army had destroyed.


    But now, this¡­ man who was calling himself Lou Chen obviously had emotions and his own objective; once again, the original plot seemed to change.


    ¡°Chi Xin, this world is dark.¡± Lou Chen said, ¡°There has never been so-called light and humans are just insects chasing it in vain.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Chi Xin could feel cold sweat falling down her back.


    ¡°You want to destroy mankind.¡± She observed.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t use the word destruction.¡± Lou Chen said softly, ¡°They don¡¯t want to live either, how can anyone want to? Living is a painful thing but they dare not die. I just want to help.¡±


    Chi Xin looked at his calm yet erratic eyes: ¡°Jing Xiubai was right. If you want revenge, go after the ones you made you that way. You don¡¯t have the right to decide on mankind¡¯s fate.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with revenge!¡± Lou Chen shouted loudly.


    ¡°They do not deserve my revenge. The human race is terrible, there is no reason to save them.¡± He took a deep breath and extended his hand to Chi Xin, ¡°Join me in this quest.¡±


    Chi Xin looked at his hand and slowly raised hers. Seeing her action, Lou Chen¡¯s gaze lit up and his fingers trembled with excitement.


    But as Chi Xin was about to touch him, she slapped his hand away.


    Lou Chen¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Chi Xin stretched out her legs and put her feet back on the floor, before standing up gracefully.


    ¡°You can continue to cling to your primary school dreams1 , but as a human being, I will try my best to stop you.¡±


    She then muttered to herself: ¡°Just a few words with you and I¡¯m already starting to talk like a kid too.¡±


    ¡°In short, your recruitment plan has failed.¡± She said, ¡°Should we start fighting now or should we wait for our next meeting?¡±


    Lou Chen retracted his opened hand with a disbelieving expression.


    Little theater:


    Lou Chen: Hi.


    Chi Xin: The stupid kid¡¯s back.


    Translator: The stupid kid¡¯s back!


    TL note: If you read the footnotes, now you know why I was too lazy to translate that part yesterday.

 CH 31.2

    Chapter 31: She is light, she is hope (2)


    As Chi Xin was ready to respond to his anger, Lou Chen asked in confusion: ¡°What is primary school?¡± 1


    The strength she had just gathered instantly poured out. She looked at the young face of the Zombie King and if it weren¡¯t for the transparency of his skin and the blue veins, he would have easily passed for a teenager.


    ¡°Let me ask you, how old are you?¡±


    Lou Chen tilted his head and thought for a second.


    ¡°I seem to be 19 this year.¡± He showed a disgusted expression, ¡°But I don¡¯t remember. From a very young age, my memories are only of this nasty laboratory. I didn¡¯t know how long I was locked up until¡­¡± His gorgeous face was distorted in anger, like an enraged poisonous snake.


    But he refused to continue.


    But Chi Xin didn¡¯t need him to. Lou Chen had been imprisoned in the laboratory since he had been very young. She doubted that in the few free years he had, anyone had taught him a somewhat correct outlook.


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but lower her guard and anger against him a bit.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me. What is primary school?¡± Lou Chen asked again in confusion.


    ¡°Primary school is elementary school.¡± Chi Xin replied casually, ¡°So you sneaked in to find me just to¡­ invite me to destroy the world with you?¡±


    ¡°To help humans get free.¡± Lou Chen interjected.


    Chi Xin laughed, ¡°Then it¡¯s a no from me. What are you going to do?¡±


    The Zombie Emperor looked startled, as if he had not considered this situation. He struggled for a moment and answered: ¡°Then we become enemies.¡±


    Chi Xin felt the space around her faintly change.


    ¡°Chi Xin, I am very disappointed you didn¡¯t choose me.¡±


    Lou Chen¡¯s voice seemed to be coming from afar, his tone slightly distorted.


    ¡°You are very strong and you grow stronger each day. I can only destroy you now.¡±


    The sky collapsed.


    The ceiling of the room fell down in large chunks as Chi Xin dodged on shaking ground. She stared at Lou Chen, her eyes as sharp and a hawk, only to see the Zombie Emperor standing steadily and unscratched. The wood and other debris didn¡¯t reach him and he gazed at her quietly.


    ¡°Whether you and I are the same or not, if you are no use to me, I cannot let you roam freely.¡±


    This stupid kid!


    Chi Xin cursed inwardly, arched her back, and was about to rush towards Lou Chen. But at the same moment, she saw a piece of broken wood fall right on top of his head and pass straight through him without affecting him.


    A thought came to her mind.


    She tried to ignore both her body¡¯s instinctive alarm and the danger around her, and suddenly stopped and stood in place. Lou Chen showed a confused expression and Chi Xin said:


    ¡°The only advantage you have against me is your mental power. You really shouldn¡¯t waste it like that.¡±


    Seeing Lou Chen¡¯s face sink, Chi Xin knew she was right.


    She smiled darkly and a needle appeared in her hand. As Lou Chen yelled at her ¡°Wait!¡± she stabbed her thigh fiercely.


    She felt the sharp pain and her body wobbled. Just like falling mid-air, Chi Xin lost track of her body until she felt the hardness of the bed. She opened her eyes sharply and just like before, both ceiling and floor were in one piece.


    Nothing had collapsed.


    The Zombie King was not there.


    She looked outside and noticed the sky had started to brighten. Relieved, Chi Xin sighed and pressed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart thumping wildly.


    She had almost been trapped in a dream. Unexpectedly, the Zombie King had such a powerful ability.


    At the thought of Lou Chen and his grand ambition, Chi Xin frowned sadly. She had thought about many scenarios but hadn¡¯t imagined he would actually try to enroll her and invite her to destroy the world together.


    She didn¡¯t know where he was right now, but Chi Xin knew this matter would not end so easily.


    She sat up on the bed, complicated thoughts swarming in her mind, as the light outside changed from foggy to clear. Today was cloudy.


    Noise came from the door and Ji You walked in with heavy footsteps, only to notice Chi Xin sitting by the window, holding her knees.


    He was taken aback for a moment and asked: ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep?¡±


    Chi Xin didn¡¯t reply and slowly stood up.


    Ji You took some bread out and threw it at her: ¡°Eat.¡±


    Chi Xin reflexively reached out to catch the food and facing Ji You¡¯s narrowed eyes, she paused casually.


    ¡°I will send you back in a bit.¡± Ji You said in a slightly uncomfortable voice, ¡°You should know when to or when not to speak, and which words can be said.¡±


    He stopped and his tone hardened: ¡°Or don¡¯t say anything at all. If anybody comes looking for you, find a way to find me first, alright?¡±


    Chi Xin really couldn¡¯t figure this man out. She felt the whole situation was rather funny and without realizing it, she replied a bit ironically: ¡°So you¡¯re helping me because you feel guilty about lying to me?¡±


    She thought Ji You would deny just like he had yesterday but instead, he stayed silent for a while and avoided answering altogether.


    ¡°If you want to get anything, you have to trade. You are too young.¡±


    ¡°You told me last night I only had myself now.¡± Chi Xin said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ji You¡¯s expression was uncomfortable. He anxiously grabbed his unkempt her and replied gruffly: ¡°Mind your own business, don¡¯t ask too many questions.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s lips twitched. Ji You noticed her small grimace and his gaze suddenly turned soft when she couldn¡¯t see. Realizing it, he turned back to his hard and blank expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He said.


    In front of the man, Chi Xin¡¯s body alarm did not ring and she knew Ji You did not have any ill intentions towards her. She followed her back to the women¡¯s quarters she had visited last night, finding that the place looked much different than it had in the evening


    In the small courtyard, several girls were sitting while men on the side were watching them. Their eyes were fixed on the women but they seemed to be accustomed to it; they leaned together and whispered to each other, or sat alone in silence, none paying attention to the men.


    Chi Xin noticed that Wo Na was sitting with Ai Xi, the furthest away possible from the men, talking quietly.


    Ji You led her over and immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Brother Ji?¡± One of the guards came forward. His gaze fell on Chi Xin and instantly couldn¡¯t move away, ¡°Is she the girl you brought back that everyone is talking about?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji You replied, ¡°The little girl is shy, stay away from her.¡±


    His words were flat, without the slightest emotion, but the guard immediately withdrew his gaze.


    ¡°Go.¡± Ji You turned to look at Chi Xin, ¡°Remember to be careful of your words.¡±


    Chi Xin slowly relaxed her tense muscles that were an inch away from attacking the other man and without another glance, she walked directly to Wo Na.


    << Previous | Table of Contents | Next >>


    TL note: The author started her new apocalyptic project! I¡¯m so excited! I¡¯m going to try to save a few chapters before whining about catching up, ahah.


    TL second note: I know I haven¡¯t replied to comments in a while but I¡¯m reading all of them! Especially the recs for the ¡°primary school¡± dilemma!


    TL third note: We¡¯re getting pizza and starting season 3 of Queen of the South tonight. I usually multitask when watching movies or shows but I¡¯m so obsessed with this one I can¡¯t even play on my switch, let alone translate :3

 CH 31.3

    Chapter 31: She is light, she is hope (3)


    The girls, most of whom were seeing Chi Xin for the first time, looked at her with little curiosity and lots of indifference and pity, and her heart tightened.


    ¡°Chi Xin, are you okay?¡± Wo Na asked her and looked for any injury, ¡°The leader¡­¡±


    ¡°Ji You brought me out.¡± Chi Xin knew what she was worried about, ¡°I am fine.¡±


    Wo Na was obviously very relieved and Chi Xin glanced at Ai Xi, who was hiding beside Wo Na and blinking at her. Her expression softened and she said in a gentle voice: ¡°Ai Xi, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Sister Chi Xin.¡± Ai Xi whispered as a greeting.


    Chi Xin almost melted. She had a bunch of items in her space but right now, she couldn¡¯t take anything out. She patted her body instead and after a few seconds, she found the break Ji You had given her earlier and handed it to the young girl.


    ¡°Do you like bread? This is for you.¡±


    Chi Xin realized that when she did that, everybody stared at her. Wo Na was startled for a moment and immediately pushed her hand away: ¡°Are you mad? Don¡¯t show stuff like that here, it will be stolen!¡±


    Chi Xin smiled but kept handing the break to Ai Xi: ¡°Little Ai Xi, do you want it?¡±


    Ai Xi smelled the sweet fragrance of food and her eyes clearly showed longing: ¡°I almost have forgotten the taste of bread¡­¡±


    ¡°Take it.¡± Chi Xin put the food in her hand, ¡°Eat it, don¡¯t worry. No one will take it from you.¡±


    Whether it was her tone or her temperament so different from the girls here, Ai Xi looked at Chi Xin with bright eyes and thanked her obediently. The worries on Wo Na¡¯s face gradually disappeared and she sighed as she watched the young girl eat the bread cherishedly.


    ¡°Li Chen didn¡¯t come today.¡± Wo Na whispered, ¡°I overheard the men chatting, saying that it looks to be very sick and was unable to stand up this morning.¡±


    From Wo Na¡¯s point of view, this was as much as a direct affirmation. Her breathing sped up and a flush of excitement appeared on her face. The hope that had been suppressed for so long was making itself known again and her voice shook at the thought: ¡°Tell me. As long as I can help, I will put my life on the line.¡±


    ¡°Your life is too important so you can live well in the future.¡± Chi Xin said, ¡°Do you know the base¡¯s approximate topography?¡±


    Wo Na¡¯s lips trembled and she lowered her head to hide the single tear falling from her face. She raised her chin again, wiped her cheek, and the hatred and confusion from yesterday had morphed into bright hope.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many chances to go out, I only know a little.¡± She answered, ¡°The leader¡¯s room you went to last night is at the center of the entire base. We are on the westernmost side and while this base seems small, the mountain roads make it hard to know where people will hide. It¡¯s not easy to escape.¡±


    She added: ¡°And these girls had been tortured for so long¡­ even if they manage to escape, they won¡¯t be able to survive the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to flee.¡± Chi Xin whispered.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Chi Xin temporarily stopped her plan to form and asked a few more questions.


    ¡°Chi Xin¡­¡± Wo Na hugged Ai Xi in a daze, ¡°Can we really go back to our lives before.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chi Xin¡¯s voice was soft but firm and Wo Na buried her face in Ai Xi¡¯s hair.


    Chi Xin hesitated for a moment and asked without much hope: ¡°Wo Na, do you know¡­ where are the prisoners usually hidden?¡±


    Wo Na raised her head in confusion.


    A beautiful woman was sitting, a smile on her face and staring at the bread in Ai Xi¡¯s hand: ¡°I slipped out to the bathroom last night and saw them pushing the cage away. I know where they are.¡±


    Chi Xin and Wo Na glanced at each other. Wo Na¡¯s eyes showed a trace of boredom and she asked: ¡°Wen Suxin, you had to sneak to the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The woman nodded but her face had a guilty expression, ¡°I saw them push the cage and where they went.¡±


    Seeing Wo Na¡¯s attitude, Chi Xin realized there might have been something wrong with Wen Suxin. She smiled harmlessly and asked: ¡°Can you show me? Ji You said he would bring me bread again tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal! You give me bread and I will take you.¡± Wen Suxin agreed.


    Wo Na watched the other woman turn around and leave and whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t trust her, she¡¯s just as brainwashed as Han Yiyi.¡±


    ¡°You know Han Yiyi?¡± Chi Xin wondered.


    ¡°She used to live here just like us.¡± Wo Na replied, ¡°But then she escaped and when she came back, she got the leader¡¯s favor. I don¡¯t know what exactly happened but Wen Suxin has always been jealous of her. You really shouldn¡¯t trust any of them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust them¡­¡± Chi Xin murmured, ¡°I know.¡±


    Wo Na looked like she wanted to add something else but when she saw Chi Xin¡¯s calm and indifferent face, she swallowed her words back. She didn¡¯t know what Chi Xin was planning but she had unprecedented trust in her.


    ***


    At night, Ji You naturally did not come to deliver bread to Chi Xin and she wasn¡¯t going to count on him. She picked some she didn¡¯t like from her space and gave it to Wen Suxin instead.


    Wen Suxin ate the food in seconds and said: ¡°I will take you.¡±


    She led Chi Xin through a narrow and dark path, where they did not encounter any guard along the way. Chi Xin was quite amazed at first until she saw Yangyang and the other girls in the big cage.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go farther, there are guards over there.¡±


    Chi Xin nodded and looked at her run away.


    Perhaps because nobody expected a group of women to escape, the cage had been placed on the edge of the cliff and only two guards were there. Both men were obviously tired, guns in hand, slightly dozing off.


    Chi Xin looked through her space and realized she had given the anesthetic bullets to Wo Na. Instead, she settled on a baseball bat.


    She walked quietly on the snow and approached the men silently. She had only seen one cage when she had been in Song Liangping¡¯s room but there were actually more than a dozen girls here, kept in four different cages.


    Yangyang was not cathartic like the others and was biting her fingernails, an expression of resentment and despair on her face. When she tried to pick the lock again, she looked up and noticed a familiar figure.


    She almost startled.


    Facing Yangyang¡¯s wide eyes, Chi Xin put her finger on her mouth and gestured her to stay quiet. Yangyang immediately reached to her throat, afraid she would make any noise.


    She watched Chi Xin walk straight to the two guards¡¯ back and swing the baseball bat hard; before they could realize what was happening, their eyes went blank and they fell to the ground.


    Awakened by the noise, the other girls also raised their heads and saw Chi Xin with her bat on her shoulder. She stepped on one of the men¡¯s faces and strode towards them.


    Just like a dream.


    ¡°Chi Xin?¡± Yangyang whispered her name, ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Chi Xin looked at the girls¡¯ state and found out they were mostly only afraid and tired, with no obvious injury. She breathed a sigh of relief and asked: ¡°Is everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re okay.¡± Yangyang replied in a trance, ¡°They want to sell us, that¡¯s why they don¡¯t dare hurt us.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    In Yangyang¡¯s case, a girl shrunk in the corner crawled out and looked at Chi Xin timidly.


    ¡°Chi Xin, is that really you?¡±


    Her face was full of hope yet full of fear. All the girls leaned towards Chi Xin and they all looked at her with similar expressions.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Chi Xin answered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore.¡±


    << Previous | Table of Contents | Next >>


    TL note: This chapter was supposed to be the fourth update of last week¡­ Obviously, I don¡¯t have time on the weekend and I should probably realize that and stop procrastinating. I still have a half-translated chapter of LSOBP to release cause we visited many houses instead. Oops. It¡¯s coming, I promise! I have to try to stop thinking I can do anything after Fridays tho.


    TL second note: ¡­and we spent most of our Sunday putting an offer together. Which is complicated, and stressful, and I wish the market wasn¡¯t so crazy. I¡¯ve been a big ball of anxiety these past two weeks because of the slightest things related to buying a house. I mean¡­ it¡¯s a shit ton of money and it¡¯s our first house, of course people would be stressed. But now is really not the time! Did you know that first home¡¯s budget was considered luxury less than a decade ago? Ugh, so. much. stress. You have to add so much money in appraisal, repairs, anything they can suck blood from to get a house without the office you really really wanted. At least I¡¯m learning a whole new vocabulary! And who knows, we might get lucky and get the house! It needs some work but it¡¯s in a great neighborhood and has a great yard! Fingers crossed okay? But also, happy reading! There should be two more updates this week.

 CH 32.1

    Chapter 32: Mutated giant wolf (1)


    It was Chi Xin¡¯s face and Chi Xin¡¯s voice. Once upon a time, on top of a very high wall, they had watched this slender girl break through a tide of zombies and behead a high-level one with one swing of her leg. This victory had been one huge milestone for humankind and no witness would ever be able to forget it.


    She had saved them one and was appearing in front of them once more. Was she there to rescue them again?


    Confirming Chi Xin¡¯s identity, the girls couldn¡¯t hold their fear and sorrow much longer and all burst into quiet tears. They covered their faces and cried all their might for the hope that was newly glimmering in their heart.


    Yangyang looked at Chi Xin without blinking. Although she wasn¡¯t sobbing like the others, her eyes were wet and a huge tear rolled on her cheek, creating a path on her dirty face.


    Chi Xin also felt very emotional. So many eager, trusting and expectant gazes were on her and it was the first time she wasn¡¯t hating herself since she had come to this world; the system wasn¡¯t binding her to the plot anymore and she could rescue those girls.


    At least, her arrival had given them hope.


    Chi Xin¡¯s lips tightened and she smothered the softness in her heart. She walked closer to the cage and looked at the girls one by one, checking for any sort of injury.


    ¡°Sister Chi, are you here to save us?¡± Yangyang clung to the catch and watched her savior¡¯s every move.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chi Xin answered, ¡°Was anyone bitten?¡±


    ¡°Can we leave right away?¡± Yangyang was starting to get excited, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to see those people¡¯s faces ever again!¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Chi Xin replied.


    A sob sounded but no one questioned her. Chi Xin was now their only hope and they had all seen what she could do when they were all living in Base L. If she said they couldn¡¯t leave yet, she must have a reason; nobody thought she was deliberately leaving them behind.


    But Chi Xin couldn¡¯t bear to see their disappointed looks and explained: ¡°Right now, this base is very dangerous. If you escape, I won¡¯t be able to protect all of you and if you leave for the mountains, the chance for survival will be even smaller.¡±


    Now that mutated animals had started to appear in some places, she couldn¡¯t know if they were already there. The best thing to do right now was to stay here; as long as they weren¡¯t headed to the black market, they would be safe.


    Once she had dealt with the men of the base, she would come to free them.


    The girls knew Chi Xin was right and they nodded to express their understanding.


    ¡°Sister Chi, it¡¯s alright. As long as you can kill all of their monsters, even if we don¡¯t survive, you will save us.¡± A girl said as she gritted her teeth.


    Hearing these words full of hatred, Chi Xin¡¯s heart sped up in her chest. She looked at Yangyang to ask the question that had been lingering in her head for a while but dared not speak.


    After a while, she said: ¡°Base L¡­ how are they doing?¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s grip on the iron cage loosened and her face broke in sorrow.


    ¡°Cao Yan is dead.¡± She whispered, ¡°Han Yiyi seduced a guard and convinced him to leave the gate open during his night duty. Nobody was prepared and they were all killed in their sleep.¡±


    Cao Yan¡­ was dead?


    Chi Xin¡¯s throat tightened and her voice sounded hoarse: ¡°Is everybody dead? What happened to Jing Xiubai?¡±


    She was grieving but she was also angry at the protagonist group. Before she had left, she had done her best to warn them about the upcoming danger.


    Why hadn¡¯t they listened?


    Why hadn¡¯t they secured the base?


    Why had everything gone according to the original plot?


    As if feeling her anger, Yanyang shrank.


    Chi Xin took a deep breath: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am not angry at you.¡±


    ¡°Sister Chi, don¡¯t blame Jing Xiubai and the others.¡± The girl said after a long time, ¡°After you left, they locked Han Yiyi up and they planned to stay at the base a bit longer.¡±


    Chi Xin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°But the day before it all happened, Brother Jing received a message.¡± Yangyang continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the message was but it seemed very urgent. They rushed out the next morning but left a lot of weapons behind for the base. It¡¯s just that¡­ no one thought anyone would attack in the middle of the night.¡±


    Chi Xin frowned: ¡°Since there were so many weapons, even if the attack was at night, it shouldn¡¯t have been so easy¡­¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s expression was sad: ¡°I don¡¯t know why but everyone slept very deeply that night.


    Chi Xin was startled.


    ¡°What else could it be!? They obviously drugged us!¡± Another girl shouted, ¡°I understand the law of the jungle in this world but such a shameful attack¡­ When I die, I will never stop haunting them!¡±


    Her voice was a little loud and snow on the top of trees fell not far away. Chi Xin glanced back and turned to the girls again: ¡°Don¡¯t say that, you won¡¯t become a ghost for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Sister Chi, we know you¡¯re not a mere mortal.¡± Yangyang said with some worship in her voice, her face almost deformed with awe, ¡°But if you are really a God who came down to save us, listen to our wishes. You must make these bastards pay for what they did to our base.¡±


    Chi Xin smiled bitterly: ¡°If I really was a god, how could I have let everything happen.¡±


    Yangyang wanted to say more but Chi Xin¡¯s eyes suddenly became serious and gestured to everyone to stay quiet. The girls watched her raise her arms and a black cloak appeared out of nowhere, just like magic. The next second, she was entirely enveloped in dark fabric and a voice sounded from not far away.


    TL note: Yesterday¡¯s chapters part 1. Next one in the afternoon, I¡¯m missing only a small part but I¡¯m starving :3


    TL second note: Yes, Cao Yan and the others from the base were our first real supporting cast¡¯s loss. Cao Yan was a good guy! His ending was super unfair and the Longteng Base needs to go down! Let¡¯s march with Sister Chi!

 CH 32.2

    Chapter 32: Mutated giant wolf (2)


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter with the two of you! Wake up!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Several male voices sounded and they were already very close.


    ¡°Keep quiet.¡± Chi Xin whispered.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡±


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t hide from where she was standing but when the bullet hit the air and headed her way, she jumped on the spot. She somersaulted, her broad cloak fluttering beside her, but the hood stayed firmly on her head.


    Before she could even land, two silver guns appeared in her hands and she shot towards the newcomers.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡±


    The girls looked at the slender figure standing protectively in front of them and their eyes teared up.


    A torch was lit up not far away and more people came in.


    They couldn¡¯t be blocked by them!


    Unlike zombies who attacked with their claws and fangs, humans had guns and their attacks were not aimless. Chi Xin was worried that if things kept going this way, not only she could get injured but the girls behind her could get killed in the crossfire.


    She turned around to look back at them and said quietly: ¡°Hold on tight and wait for me.¡±


    Then amidst everyone¡¯s exclamation, she climbed on the cage. It took a few seconds for the men to react, enough for her to stand on top.


    ¡°Quickly! Catch him!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s the cliff behind, he has nowhere to run!¡±


    Chi Xin sneered in disdain and raised her gun before aiming at the man who was shouting the most.


    Bang.


    Her bullets were never wasted.


    She then turned around and resolutely jumped down the cliff. Her cloak followed her in a beautiful arc, just like a God of Death.


    When the men rushed to the edge of the cliff, they could only see its dark bottom and hear the freezing wind roaring.


    ¡°What should we do? Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t see anything even during daylight. There¡¯s probably not even bones left.¡±


    Chi Xin couldn¡¯t hear them talk but she hadn¡¯t jumped down without a trace of worry. Fortunately, her body¡¯s reaction ability was still present. In this extremely dangerous situation, her body had reacted instinctively and even broke through its usual ability.


    Chi Xin had not jumped blindly. As she had fallen she had grabbed plants that grew on the edge of the cliff and caught it on her first try. After that, she took a dagger from her space and thrust it into the wall fiercely.


    She tried her best to listen to the movement above her but could not hear anything except for the wind. Glancing down at the abyss under her dangling feet, like a dark and deep-sea ready to drown her any time, her eyes trembled slightly and she looked away.


    After analyzing the direction, she clung to the wine and swayed hard. She suddenly loosened her hand, grabbed another plant, and did it again.


    ***


    At the other end of the base, Wo Na was fidgeting in the room. Ever since Chi Xin had left with Wen Suxin, she had felt uneasy. She couldn¡¯t help but think Wen Suxin was very dangerous and following her was even worse; she really regretted letting Chi Xin go with her.


    If she was leading her to a trap¡­


    A noise came from the outside and Wo Na carefully opened the door slightly to see what was happening. She could see lit-up torches in the woods, accompanied by shouts of men.


    What had happened? Had Chi Xin been caught?


    Wo Na grabbed her pocket nervously, where she kept the anesthesia gun that Chi Xin had given her. Thinking of the girl¡¯s gentle yet firm gaze, she couldn¡¯t help but feel pain; Chi Xin had given her hope again but she couldn¡¯t do anything to help.


    Wo Na let go of the small gun in a daze. Sure enough, nobody could protect others in this world. How could she put all of her hopes on such a delicate girl¡¯s shoulders?


    Just as she was falling into despair, knocking sounded on the window on the cliff¡¯s side. Wo Na was taken aback and a trace of anger flashed in her eyes.


    As soon as the window opened, she raised her arms and shot a couple of times.


    The black figure who had just climbed in staggered. Despite trying to avoid the bullets, they were hit.


    Wo Na¡¯s voice trembled: ¡°Don¡¯t move! Come closer and¡­ I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The figure paused but insisted on crawling inside. Wo Na looked at the man wrapped in black in horror and was about to pull the trigger again.


    TL note: Funny story. I was starving but I forgot my meal and I forgot my wallet. So I¡¯m still hungry.