《The System Sent Me an Object [End of the World]》 CH 1 TN Notes: Hii, Livanonymously here! this is my first work as a translator. I¡¯m not a native Chinese speaker and only rely on a lot of translator software so kindly bear with me. I tried my best to edit it so that it makes sense. Please don¡¯t hesitate to comment or something if there¡¯s something wrong with my translation. Thank you and may the Abyss be with you. ¡®Beep¨C¡® With a short beep, the ten-inch display screen lit up. Hao Jian gathered her long loose hair into a bunch and casually tied it into a bun, then gracefully took a sip of hot tea from the stainless steel cup next to the computer. The voice in her mind that she desperately wants to block kept ringing. ¡°Host, it has been the fifth day since the zombie outbreak level raised to 3. For the sake of your physical and mental health, please start the survival mission and increase the level as soon as possible.¡± The voice sounded mechanical and cold. Hao Jian associated it to the prompt sounds in games several times but couldn¡¯t tell which game specifically. ¡°Don¡¯t harass me, my mind and body are very healthy.¡± Hao Jian said vaguely as if talking to herself, but the system received her feedback very well. ¡°Reminding the host that it is your honor for the system to bind you.¡± Hao Jian almost couldn¡¯t contain her laugher. The system was afraid that the person who programmed the system had entered strange codes such as ¡®dominant president¡¯. Her slender fingers tapped quickly and skillfully on the keyboard a few times. Hao Jian put down the glass as her amber pupils quickly skimmed through a piece of information. Saturday, June 14, 2018 Edition A06: International Attacks in India Twelve people were killed and fifty were injured in the Old Delhi and Mumbai attacks Monday, July 18, 2018 Edition A02: Highlights Sudden panic incident at Nanfang City Fuyun Airport Sunday, July 22, 2018 Edition A01: Highlights Violence broke out in first-tier citied across the country -| Chaos Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Riot-| Chaos continues to escelate Hao Jian raised her left wrist and glanced at her watch. It was July 27, 2018, five days have passed since the system appeared. ¡°What the, I didn¡¯t lie to you!¡± The system¡¯s annoying voice rang again. Hao Jian was holding the glass with her right hand while using her left finger to slide on the touchpad. The latest news that can be searched are still dated on July 25. She suddenly stopped, thought for a moment then asked. ¡°Is there a direct or indirect relationship between your appearance and the outbreak of the zombie virus?¡± ¡°This is not in the scope of the system response.¡± ¡°Then I can judge that the zombie virus outbreak is caused by you. Since you¡¯re the culprit, I have the right to reject any of your proposals and requests. And according to the law of equality of transactions, I have not accepted your help. Under the premise of having the right to refuse your existence.¡± ¡°If the system can¡¯t recognize the host, just keep it simple.¡± Hao Jian was silent for a moment. I¡¯m afraid this system is not a fake or shoddy product! ¡°I mean, lift your so-called binding and get out of my mind.¡± ¡°The host¡¯s request exceeds the system¡¯s capabilities and is rejected.¡± Hao Jian curled her lips, she knew this would be the result. After taking a sup of the cold tea, she walked towards the window. She saw the crisscrossing farmlands and the cascading mountains and forests outside the window. She realized that the midsummer music has been singing in this mountain-and-water country, accompanied by the whirling sound of branches and leaves as the wind blows. ¡°The news didn¡¯t say in detail. I want to ask you, when, where. and why did the zombie virus break out?¡± Hao Jian retracted her gaze and returned to the computer. As the system took a long time to reply, she asked again. ¡°System?¡± ¡°Please add the prefix when the host wants to activate the system-dialogue feature. Otherwise, the system cannot determine who the host is talking to.¡± With the overbearing president¡¯s speaking style, Hao Jian was quite sure that the person who programmed it is an avid fan of overbearing presidents. ¡°The scientific name of the zombie virus is ¡®Qunaytirah¡¯, or Q virus for short. Its origins is unknown. The first confirmed infection appeared on March 12, 2018 and the victim was a resident of Qunaytra.¡± ¡°Since it was discovered four months ago, why did the countries not respond?¡± ¡°The incubation period of the virus varies from 12 to 48 hours, depending on the individual¡¯s physique. When the first confirmed infected patient was sent to the hospital, he was already showing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, changes in skin color, and organ failure. The virus in the body began to spread, controlling the infected person¡¯s mind to attack living creatures. Reminding the host that a civil war was also threatening the country at that time.¡± Hao Jian calculated it. The date of the armistice was in the middle of May. If someone discovered the strange occurrences and started investigating and taking measures to isolate it, the speed of the outbreak will not be too fast if it was suppressed. ¡°What about the mode of transmission?¡± ¡°The infection is transmitted through physical contact of the body-fluid of the infected person to the wound. And there is also sexual-intercourse.¡± ¡°Pfft. . .!¡± Hao Jian sprayed a sip of tea on the computer screen. ¡°This way of spreading is simply terrifying, and it¡¯s no wonder that the people of the world were not prepared at all.¡± With such a long incubation period and this method of infection, when the governments around the world began to notice the appearance of zombies, it was too late. And no one knows that if he just asks for a gun or is scratched by someone, he will become the next infected person. When the level is at 1, no one will be vigilant, but will only think that this is an attack. When its upgraded to level 2, in order to avoid panic, the government will try and conceal it. Until it was upgraded to an uncontrollable level 3, it could not be concealed anymore, and the only thing waiting for all mankind is doomsday. ¡°Unexpectedly, it was only after the Internet was disconnected for five days that so many things happened.¡± Hao Jian said with emotion. When she wanted to open Weibo to see if there was more useful information other than the official news, the Internet connected immediately. No more, ¡°I finally got the network cable from my neighbor¡¯s house, so it was only broken for me?!¡± She looked around and found that it was impossible to access the network directly from the operator. While thinking hard, she suddenly remembered that she still had her mobile phone with her so she took her phone from her room. Not surprisingly, it had no signal. Considering that in this 18th-line rural area there is only one signal on weekdays, she thought about it, grabbed her mobile phone and quickly ran downstairs. After leaving the yard, Hao Jian raised her phone high and finally saw two bars of signal. Relying on the meager signal, she quickly opened the appstore, ready to download Weibo. But before it finished downloading, the signal disappeared. She raised her phone again, struggling to reconnect but to no avail. Fortunately, even if there is no signal, she can still part of the history of her internet search. When she opened QQ, the notification sound kept ringing ¡®di di di di¡¯, and a mountain of news bombarded her phone to the point that it froze. All she saw was panic and desperate words. ¡°Ah! I knew it wasn¡¯t a terrorist attack at all, it was a zombie outbreak!¡± This was the latest message left by You Xiaoxiao two days ago, a friend she met while playing games as well as the one who brought her to be a game anchor. Although the name ¡®You Xiaoxiao¡¯ sounds coquettish, he¡¯s a real man. You Xiaoxiao lives in Pearl City, a major city in the east. Judging from the impact of the zombie virus outbreak, it is undoubtedly the first city to be affected. In other words, two days ago, he either had an accident, or communications there was paralyzed. According to the news dated on July 18th, an outbreak of infected people had already appeared in the Southern City. And as a stranger girl who basically doesn¡¯t surf the Internet except when playing games and live broadcasts and doesn¡¯t pay attention to the news, it¡¯s basically too late for her care about the news after all this time. ¡°Host, it¡¯s good that you know you¡¯re weird.¡± The system turned on its taunt mode in perfect timing. ¡°I only want two things in life, making money and reading books. Playing games live is my way of making money. I don¡¯t waste time on meaningless things aside from that. There are very few people who¡¯re as pure as me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon to be as shameless as you.¡± Hao Jian ignored the system and also didn¡¯t know how to retort. When this system appeared, she was still on her way back home. She was drowsy at the time when an alarm sounded in her mind, which made her think that she played too much games that caused her to have auditory hallucinations. The zombie virus outbreak level has been raised to level 3, triggering the activation system conditions! Doomsday Survival System Version 2018 has been activated! Loading host information: Hao Jian, female, 23 years old, single. Height: 170 cm Weight: 54 kg Measurements: 83/63/90 . . . Successfully Loaded! Matching system version 2018 and host. . . The match is successful and the binding requirement is fulfilled! Binding successful! Hao Jian turned to look at the little girl seated next to her who was playing with their phone. The latter must¡¯ve noticed and looked up at Hao Jian for a while. Between the silent stare, the little girl¡¯s face quietly turned into a shade of pink. She lowered her head and quickly tapped a series of numbers on her phone and stretched her hand out in front of Hao Jian. ¡°This is my phone number.¡± Realizing that the sound did not match, Hao Jian retracted her gaze. She thought the voice came from the person beside her, but the voice she heard in her mind was mechanized and cold unlike the shy tone of the little girl. ¡®It seems that I should visit the hospital after paying homage to my mother!¡¯ Hao Jian thought secretly. CH 2 Five years ago, Hao Jian was enrolled to a well-known university in Southern City. Southern City was more than 700 kilometers away from her hometown and lived there alone to study, only to drop out half a year later. She went back to her hometown and work to take care of her seriously ill mother. After half a year living this kind of life, her mother committed suicide two days after her birthday with a suicide note: ¡®I can¡¯t take it anymore, but I wanted to spend my last birthday with you.¡¯ She could still taste the last cake she ate as if it was stuck in her throat. It wasn¡¯t because it was sweet, but it was so bitter that she vomited everything in her stomach on her mother¡¯s grave. ¡°Reminding the host that it¡¯s the second day since the zombie virus outbreak level has risen to 3. For the sake of your physical and mental health, please start the survival mission and increase your level as soon as possible.¡± Yesterday, the auditory hallucinations in her mind reappeared. Hao Jian shook her head and looked around the cemetery again. Surrounding this barren and lonely cemetery, there are only small hills covered with weeds, while the more luxurious ones are just monuments. Apart from her and Zhiye, there are no other living creatures?! ¡°Reminding the host that it is disrespectful to vomit filth in front of other graves.¡± Hao Jian looked down, She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since last night. How could there be any filth? It was just saliva at most. Suddenly, she reached and patted her head. ¡°What is this auditory hallucination? Is it because I have split personality?¡± The more she thought about it, the more likely it was. She grabbed a shovel and shoveled away her vomit and weed apart. ¡°According to system results, the host ahs very good physical health and no record of mental illnesses. Otherwise, how could an advanced system like me and my high-end doomsday survival system version 2018 be bound to you!¡± Hao Jian¡¯s heart gradually grew heavy. She became more and more certain that either she¡¯s experiencing auditory hallucinations, or something strange was attached to her. If it was auditory hallucinations, then her condition could be serious, convincing her of going to the hospital as soon as possible. If something strange is attached to her then she has to do two things; first is to publish a paper confirming the existence of ghosts and monsters, second is to go to Huang Daxian 1. Thankfully, the sound never appeared again. Hao Jian paid homage to her mother with peace of mind. She went back down the mountain and went home before the forest lost its luster. Hao Jian arrived in a two-story red-brick house, with mottled walls on three sides like dividing a territory and a rusty iron door. Although she went to Southern City to earn a living after her mother died, she still returns to this home several times a year and is no stranger to all this. The valuables in the house were either given away by Hao Jian or taken to Southern City. She carried with her a suitcase when she came back this time since she planned to stay a few days, otherwise she would¡¯ve only brought with her a backpack. Hungry, she ate some snacks left over from her worship to her mother then took out the book she brought back from the suitcase and looked through it. After ten o¡¯clock, the dogs in the village stopped barking. The scattered lights that looked like stars were also extinguished. Hao Jian went to bath before sleeping. ¡ª¨C ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡± The neighbor¡¯s big yellow dog suddenly broke out loud barking that woke Hao Jian from her sleep. She stared at the dim ceiling for three seconds before turning to look out the window. The sky was faintly bright and one could see a strange trace in the blue sky at this time. She grabbed her watch and glanced at the date; Saturday, July 28, 2018, 5:34. The fan still blew from the soles of the feet to the head, but it couldn¡¯t dispel the still mood and her sweat all over her body. ¡°Reminding the host that it¡¯s the sixth day since the zombie virus outbreak level has risen to 3. For the sake of your physical and mental health, please start the survival mission and increase your level as soon as possible.¡± The voice of the system rang in her mind almost at the same time. ¡°Thank you for being humane as to not bother me when I was asleep.¡± Hao Jian wiped off her sweat and quickly got up and wore her underware. ¡°If the host wants the reminder function, kindly start the survival mission and upgrade your level. That way the system can appear at any given time.¡± The system tries to tempt her. ¡°You say that but for the sake of my beauty sleep, I can¡¯t do what you want.¡± ¡°You little minx.¡±2 The barking stopped ang Hao Jian walked towards the window and saw her neighbor aunt drag the big yellow dog desperately back into the house. She then locked the brand new stainless steel door. The lights in the house soon went out, and only vaguely revealed a figure on the second floor peeking from the window facing the road. Hao Jian went to the window and saw two beams of light swaying on the uneven road in a distance, it looked like a car heading towards the village. After a few minutes, the sound of the motor stopped. A figure went to the neighbor¡¯s door, banging it while calling out anxously. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back! Open the door!¡± The neighbor¡¯s lights went on as the aunt looked out to see who it was. After seeing the figure outside the yard, she ran downstairs excitedly and opened the door. ¡°Son, you¡¯re back! You called me and said that there was an illness outbreak everywhere and told me not to contact anyone. I called you for two days straight but you didn¡¯t answer it. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll catch it too. What kind of illness is it?! Why is your face so pale? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?¡± The man properly parked the car in the yard and said. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no time to stand outside the door and explain. Quickly go in and lock the door!¡± They left the lights on after heading inside and Hao Jian didn¡¯t hear any more sounds. She filled the kettle with water and plugged it in to boil. After Hao Jian brushed her teeth and washed her face, she made some tea and cleaned the moldy and old mountaineering bag. After wiping the surface mold off, she stuffed some folded clothes, laptop, and two books inside. The rest of the things she brought back were unnecessary for her. ¡°System version 2018 in good conscience would like to remind the host that laptops and books will only increase the load. Please consider it carefully.¡± The system paused for thee seconds before continuing. ¡°Of course, if the host begins the survival mission and upgrades to the corresponding level, things will be much more convenient.¡± ¡°You should be familiar with the saying ¡®There Is No Pie in the Sky¡¯. You appear all of a sudden and promise so many attractive benefits, but I don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t have conditions for them.¡± ¡°The question involves the secret of the Doomsday Survival Systems. System version 2018 cannot obtain corresponding permissions to answer and the host¡¯s level is too low. The host currently has no permission to learn the corresponding secrets.¡± Hao Jian finally found something interesting from the system on the sixth day of its appearance and asked. ¡°What level do I need to be to obtain the corresponding confidential authority?¡± ¡°The host hasn¡¯t even reached the lowest level and has no right to know.¡± The system¡¯s voice was very robotic, but Hao Jian could feel that its mocker her no matter how she hears it. All of a sudden, the neighbor¡¯s dog barked frantically. A scream was heard and the neighboring aunt cried. ¡°Son, what are you doing?! What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Hao Jian¡¯s heart almost stopped and hurried towards the window. Through the light of dawn, she saw the aunt with her back against the window with a hideous scratch on her right arm. Hao Jian then knew then and there that the aunt have been infected. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been ten minutes since she was infected, is there any way to rescue her?¡± Hao Jian asked the system. ¡°Once infected, no matter how long its been, they will inevitably turn into zombies. There¡¯s no turning back.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s brows shot up and the still atmosphere made her a little anxious. Before seeing the so-called zombies, she was still calm and indifferent, but now that she saw it with her own eyes, she had to accept it as a fact. ¡°What happens if I get infected?¡± ¡°I regret to tell the host that you will also become like them, a zombie.¡± Hao Jian clutched her chest, her heart beating violently in her chest, banging against her palm. She exhaled heavily and grinned. ¡°If what you say is true, then I can at least trust you a little bit more.¡± ¡°This system is having trouble understanding what the host is thinking, kindly speak human language.¡± ¡°If you tell me that you have a way to resist the virus, then I¡¯ll have to suspect that all of this is the ghost of your doomsday survival system.¡± In this world here zombies are rampant, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing more tempting than resisting the zombie virus. Although the motive of this system is still unknown, as long as it still has some use, I can at least trust it a little. ¡°Unfortunately, the system does not have this function.¡± The system replied solemnly The screams turned into wailing, Hao Jian leaned on the window and witnessed a bloody and gruesome scene. The neighboring aunt was pinned down by her zombie son on the ground, her neck ripped open with blood spreading on the messy ground¡­ CH 3 Hao Jian grabbed the edge of the window and lowered her head, stopping herself from seeing anymore of the bloody scene. She plays a lot of games, including horror games like doomsday survival. She¡¯s also seen a lot of bloody pictures, especially when playing from the first-person perspective. After so many years of playing, she¡¯s become accustomed to it, but she still needs time to digest what¡¯s going on when it happens in real life. After the death of the neighboring aunt, the zombie son still hasn¡¯t noticed her existence. She sat on the ground and calmed down, but her mind had already worked its gears to the maximum. ¡°I remember that the neighboring aunt kept bragging that her son had bought a house and car in Focheng. If he came back from Focheng, according to the incubation period of the zombie virus, its been 12 to 48 hours. Its because of him that the aunt died, which means he was infected in the past two days. It takes nine hours to come back from Focheng without traffic jams on the expressway. I was stuck in traffic all the way back that day, not to mention the chaos this past two days. Assuming that some people are aware of the presence of zombies and will prioritize leaving first. I¡¯m afraid that leaving the city and going back home is no longer possible since its already in chaos. A large number of people will come to the countryside next.¡± The system could no longer hold itself back and voiced out. ¡°The host isn¡¯t worried about the influx of infected people?¡± ¡°First of all, I understand what you¡¯re worried about, but the city center that¡¯s an hour away from here can only be regarded as a small 18-tier city, and 70% of the people there relocated to major first-tier cities to make a living. And secondly, this is an overseas Chinese village, There isn¡¯t much but there are many who have migrated to overseas villages.¡± Hao Jian finished speaking before peaking out her head and glanced at the neighbor¡¯s window. The zombie son has lost its interest on the lifeless aunt and began to wander around the house. Hao Jian remembered that when the aunt opened the door for her son, the aunt said that he didn¡¯t look good. She couldn¡¯t see the son clearly because of the dim sky and distance but the aunt probably saw the symptoms of the later stage of zombification1-skin color change. Hao Jian wasn¡¯t sure on how long it would take for these symptoms to appear before complete zombification or whether these symptoms would differ in the human body. ¡°If the host wants to find an answer, she can start a survival mission and increase her level.¡± The system once again began to tempt Hao Jian. ¡°Can you stop reading my thoughts without permission and give me a little privacy?¡± ¡°The host can be rest assured that the system does not understand emotions and the host¡¯s thoughts are nothing but a bunch of data.¡± Hao Jian wanted to ignore it but instead noticed something. ¡°Are most people not aware of the symptoms of zombification? Otherwise, why would someone who has experienced nausea, vomiting, and other unspeakable symptoms choose to go back to their hometown? Not to mention he infected his mother! ¡°Mental stress can cause nausea and vomiting and it could also be easily ignored in a stressful environment. These symptoms area really hard to guard against!¡± Hao Jian said in a serious tone. She picked up the now cold tea in the hall and returned to the window. She looked at her neighbor whose skin has turned to grayish-white, blood in his mouth, hands, and body. She continued observing him while taking a sip of her tea. After finishing her tea, she knocked the window using her glass. After tapping the window a few times, her zombie neighbor finally discovered her existence. Instead of wandering aimlessly, the zombie turned aggressive and rushed towards her, wanting to break through the anti-theft net. Although they were neighbors, the distance between the two houses was more than ten meters. Before Hao Jian made a sound, the zombie wasn¡¯t aware of her. However, she can¡¯t be sure that sound is the only way for zombies to discover humans, and the only way to test these possibilities is to deliberately make zombies notice humans. After having another drink, she filled her thermos with water and stuffed it in her mountaineering bag. At the same time, she cleaned up her current food stocks ¨C two packs of instant noodles, one pack of ham ¨C and her scattered things. Hao Jian returned to the window and found the zombie still having trouble against the anti-theft net. It didn¡¯t take the zombie too long though since it even used its teeth to break free. How could the stainless steel anti-theft net be bitten off just like that? She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It seems that even if they become zombies, they explode in strength that¡¯s incomparable to humans but they won¡¯t be invincible.¡± Just like in movies and games. The zombie has already smashed the anti-theft net and rushed over. She flung her mountaineering bag over her shoulder and went downstairs. After cutting off the power supply, she walked around the kitchen but suddenly remembered that their kitchen knives had been stolen away by thieves earlier. If it weren¡¯t for this, she wouldn¡¯t have given away all their valuable things. Fortunately, she remembered that she still had the shovel she bought in town to remove the weed from her mother¡¯s grave, so she grabbed it and walked out the door. ¡°The system cannot understand what the host is thinking nor the host¡¯s actions.¡± The system¡¯s voice rang again. ¡°You seem to talk to me more frequently recently.¡± Hao Jian retorted back. ¡°According to the instruction requirements after the binding, the system is required to remind the host carefully.¡± The corner of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°So in other words, you need me! If I die or become a zombie, then the benefits you¡¯re suppose to get will be gone. Because of the said benefits, you need to answer me, question, or give me a reminder.¡± The system didn¡¯t respond. Hao Jian was satisfied with herself. After confirming that there were no zombies around, she opened the iron gate and went out. She didn¡¯t know where the Zhisheng2 that made her feel the life in her surroundings had gone. The forest seemed to become more and more silent. Hao Jian felt stunned. She walked around towards the door on the neighbor¡¯s house. She peeked through the iron gate and saw the car with a messy appearance across the courtyard. And behind those closed stainless steel doors were bursts of crashing and chilling screams. She reached out and fiddled around for the lock, after finding out it was unlocked, she opened the gate pretty easily. After entering, she kept an eye for some movement on the door of the house while checking the car door to see if it¡¯s open. There was a pool of dried blood on the passenger seat and a scarlet patch on the fluffy foot pads. There were pillows, backpacks and other things messily stacked on the back seat. The windshield was a little broken with blood stains on it. The car looked like it went through a fierce battle. She went and check the trunk of the car. It had an extra tire and a pile of debris. ¡°Neighbor3 Hao, what are you doing?¡± A rough and somewhat unpleasant voice suddenly sounded outside the courtyard. Hao Jian looked up and found that it was a widower living in one of the houses behind her. In terms of relationships, he was the son of her aunt¡¯s grandmother¡¯s uncle, he was of the same generation as her father. ¡°Are you stealing from Hao Fang¡¯s house?!¡± The uncle¡¯s eyes widened. He then soon heard some knocking behind the door. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is Hao Fang¡¯s mother inside the house? I¡¯m so far away but I heard someone screaming, did something happen?¡± The uncle was about to come closer to Hao Jian but before he could, she pointed the shovel towards the uncle. The uncle¡¯s black, thick eyebrows wrinkled. It was clear that he was very unhappy. ¡°What did you do? Did you steal something?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡± Hao Jian replied with a guilty conscience. ¡°Then what are you doing here? Hao Fang¡¯s mother?¡± The uncle said as he was about to knock on the door. ¡°Don¡¯t knock on the door. Go home and lock the door. Something happened to them.¡± Hao Jian responded. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with them? Neighbor Hao, put it back. What happened to them?¡± The uncle was a little anxious which made him knock on the door harder. The stainless steel door almost got deformed due to his continuous banging. Hao Jian moved away from him and positioned herself on the other side of the window before shouting at him. ¡°You¡¯ll know what I mean if you come over and take a look.¡± The uncle ran up to Hao Jian with doubts. Through the window, one could see the body of the neighboring aunt with the broken neck as well as the zombie son who rushed towards the noise. The uncle was startled upon seeing the corpse and then by the strange and terrifying appearance of the zombie son. ¡°Hey! This, this-¡± The uncle became angry, ¡°Hao Fang killed his mother?!¡± He seemed to be irritated by the scene in front of him. He quickly reached for his trouser pocket and took out the key. He then ran up the door angrily. Hao Jian was taken aback by the uncle¡¯s behavior and called out to him, ¡°Don¡¯t open the door!¡± But the uncle didn¡¯t listen. Hao Jian saw that the key has been inserted into the door and everything was already too late, so she ran away. As the door opened, she could hear the uncle yelling, ¡°What are you doing?! You dare hit me?! Let go of me! Ah-¡° Hao Jian didn¡¯t look back and ran straight to the forest. She didn¡¯t know if there were zombies chasing after her. All she could hear was her ragged breathing and pounding heartbeat. It wasn¡¯t until she couldn¡¯t feel her legs anymore that she slowed down before looking back. The uneven density of trees and bushes blocked her field of view, there were no zombies or people chasing after her. ¡°The host is really heartless.¡± The system commented in her mind. ¡°What heartless?¡±4 ¡°If you didn¡¯t let him see that scene, then maybe he wouldn¡¯t open the door.¡± Hao Jian knew that the system was referring to the uncle so she asked, ¡°You have eyes, didn¡¯t you see it?¡± ¡°This system version 2018 has no eyes, but reads the data in the host¡¯s brain to perceive.¡± Hao Jian hummed a smile and pulling out the thermos and took a sip of water before replying coolly, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t let him see that scene, he would¡¯ve ended the same way.¡± ¡°This system is unable to understand the host, please elaborate.¡± ¡°That uncle has the key of Hao Fang¡¯s house. If they weren¡¯t close to one another, why would the aunt give him a key? Plus, uncle is a widower while aunt has been a widow for many years. Life in the village is boring, it¡¯s normal for old people to get together and do something. I showed him that scene to show him that it was hopeless and he still has a chance to save his life, but love can really be blind.¡± CH 4 In the silent mountains and forests, the sound of Hao Jian¡¯s footsteps echoed in the desolate woodland along with the spanning sounds of dead branches being stepped on. ¡°The Doomsday Survival System is a system that provides a certain survival convenience for the host when the apocalypse comes. For the sake of individuality, first, the system cannot interfere with the host¡¯s way of thinking and behavior, second, the system cannot interfere with the outside world. It can only be used by the host in the form of transactions and use the host as a medium. This mutual relationship is built in order to achieve sustainable development of the system.¡± The voice of system version2018 kept echoing in Hao Jian¡¯s mind. She did not reply but listened quietly. But upon hearing the last sentence, she couldn¡¯t help herself and open her mouth. ¡°Sustainable development? Does your system have that kind of strategy?¡± ¡°The world has adopted numerous documents and strategies revolving around sustainable development. Naturally, the system cannot fall behind.¡± Hao Jian nodded clearly, ¡°By form of transaction, you mean the ¡®open survival mission and level up¡¯ thing you mentioned earlier? That is, you give me some task and I complete said task and I get a reward? And this reward, its convenient that it will allow me to survive in this apocalypse?¡± ¡°The host is so smart and this system is very pleased. How about it, are you ready host?¡± Hao Jian struck the shovel in the mud, took a break and said, ¡°You have forcefully bound me, what else do you want me to do?¡± The system seemed to compromise and replied, ¡°Although the system is bound to the host, it can¡¯t forcibly start the survival mission. Only the host can start the said survival mission and complete its assigned tasks.¡± ¡°Designated tasks that are locked right? And the only way to unlock them is to complete the mission and finish each task in a certain order.¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Hao Jian pondered for a moment before continuing to head up the mountain. After a short while, she placed her mountain bag in front of her. She came to her mother¡¯s grave like she always does and looked around before sitting down on the side after making sure that there was no danger. She had cleaned her mother¡¯s grave a few days ago. The tombstone still had paper money on it that would slightly break free from the stones that held them in place whenever the wind blew, attempting to fly out. In the hot summer, when wind blows in the mountains, they¡¯re supposed to be refreshing but Hao Jian smelled a stench faintly. She frowned upon smelling the faint stench and picked up a broken plank of 30 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide she found nearby. She then slowly engraved words on it. ¡°The host is going to set up a monument for herself so soon?¡± The system¡¯s words made Hao Jian doubt on whether it was speaking its virtual mind or just interpreting a bunch of data. ¡°The programmer who developed you must really have a bad mouth.¡± Hao Jian responded as she rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m setting up a monument for my mother so that she won¡¯t be forgotten in the future. And if I can come back in the future, I won¡¯t forget that my mother was where my mother was buried. Although she¡¯s not sure whether she¡¯ll be able to survive the apocalypse or not, she knew it didn¡¯t matter if she can find her way back to her mother when she¡¯s dead. And even if the simple monument was discovered, no one would know who her mother is. Her mother wasn¡¯t a great person and no one would remember her for it. The monument was erected in vain, but she just wanted to do something for her mother in the end. ¡°The system strongly recommends that the host complete the specified tasks, turn on the survival system and upgrade the host¡¯s level!¡± The system¡¯s voice rang once again. Hao Jian kept working on the monument, but she noticed the slight difference in the system¡¯s words from its usual reminders. She squinted her eyes, ¡°You changed your wording. Does that mean that the deadline of the designated task I¡¯m suppose to complete is close?¡± If the system was a person, it would probably answer ¡®yes¡¯ happily, but it only replied in its usual mechanical voice, ¡°The host is so smart, this system is very pleased.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the designated task?¡± Hao Jian had to admit that she was a little curious, but that didn¡¯t mean that she¡¯ll admit or accept it. ¡°Binding your soul mate.¡± Hao Jian almost choked to death with her own saliva, ¡°Bind what?¡± The system suddenly realized that Hao Jian asked on purpose. After she knew what the assigned task was, she would develop some resistance that would not be conducive to her when deciding to open the survival task, so the system simply stopped answering. ¡°Did your system have any indescribable transactions with Theros1, or know where soul mates are?¡± As a professional gamer, Hao Jian naturally knows what ¡®soul mates¡¯ are. ¡°What is Theros? The system has no information on ¡®Theros''¡± The system replied. This time, it was Hao Jian¡¯s turn to be silent. She didn¡¯t know what the system¡¯s purpose was. After carving the tombstone, she dug a pit in front of the grave and buried the tombstone halfway. While she was tapping the soil to secure the tombstone. the head of the shovel suddenly broke. ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian looked at the decayed wood and the shovel head lying on the ground, reluctant to re-attach them. Since she has no nails, she knew the shovel will soon separate from its body again. Throwing away the shovel, Hao Jian paid respects to her mother again before heading back down the mountain. The road she took wasn¡¯t the one she used when she hiked up, but a mountain road on the other side with less vegetation and some serious soil erosion. It was impossible for her to go back to the village. There were already infected neighbors that turned to zombies. and it wasn¡¯t clear if there has been other people who have been infected. It will only be more dangerous for her to go back, especially without weapons. And there is an abandoned factory building down to the southwest, Hao Jian could try her luck to see if there was any suitable weapons for her to use. The abandoned factory had an aqueduct that the government built for workers to live in. Later, after its construction was complete, the economy boomed that caused the rapid development in the mountains. The successive factories being built piled up debris that caused severe soil erosion. Because of this, a natural disaster occurred and destroyed the aqueduct. The excavation on the mountain disappeared and the factory was eventually abandoned. However, Hao Jian hadn¡¯t been there for many years and she didn¡¯t know if the plant still existed. The southwest side of the mountain had been dug a bit and the original natural curvature of the mountain had turned into a steep and rugged cliff. Even though it¡¯s steep, it wasn¡¯t a high-hanging cliff but had stones and sand where one can easily slip and injure themselves. Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t usually use this road but when she was walking along the cliff to the gentle mountain road, she spotted a figure on a small road more than two meters wide below. From a distance, Hao Jian could only see that the person was wearing a yellow sun protection suit, a pair of sports pants and athletic shoes. Only when she was closer did she realize that the person had a slender figure of a girl. Her long black hair was tied into a bun, and she was carrying a travel backpack on her back. She looked like she was in a hurry. Her balance was unstable and she had to support herself using the wall from time to time, like she had lost her strength but she needed to continue running. Unfortunately, she looked like she had expended all of her energy at that point. She looked back one last time before collapsing on the ground to rest. Hao Jian looked at her in confusion but said nothing. The system couldn¡¯t help it anymore and quickly reminded her, ¡°Congratulations host! Your soul mate Lian Ru Ning has appeared! Please complete the task of binding your love as soon as possible.¡± Hao Jian staggered and almost slipped from where she was at. Fortunately, she quickly held on to a tree beside her. Her eyes stared on her trembling hands and her voice carried a bit of sharpness, ¡°Female?!¡± The system pondered for a moment before promptly responding, ¡°There is no distinction between men and women in love, and Lian Ru Ning is the best match for the host based on the host¡¯s information.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Although the host doubts our doomsday survival system, the system is still very humane. Considering the host¡¯s situation, for the host to experience better convenience and help complete the task, the system will choose the most suitable person to be the host¡¯s partner.¡± ¡°Hao Jian calmed herself down and criticized, ¡°In ancient times, parents order matchmakers to arrange their children and both families had to agree. Now, where one is free to love who they want and marry who they want, you decide unilaterally without asking me. Is asking for my opinion too much?¡± The system dropped its overbearing president act and changed its words ¡°Taking into account the host¡¯s unpredictable mood swings, the system can provide the opportunity to change the selected partner into a male.¡± ¡°This is not a problem of whether they¡¯re a man or a woman at all, but-¡± Hao Jian paused, ¡°Did I fall into your trap? I had no intention to start any survival mission so naturally, I won¡¯t be able to complete this so-called bondage. The task of making love, it doesn¡¯t matter who it is isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Binding your love2 won¡¯t force you to marry.¡± The system grumbled. Hao Jian wasn¡¯t really listening but she was already curious on what the system said. According to the system, the criteria wasn¡¯t based on talent but those who matched the conditions, and only the girl was the best fit for Hao Jian. She knew what was happening to her and she couldn¡¯t help but mumble, ¡°Is it possible that the system can also analyze sexual orientation?¡± Considering that even her thoughts can be interpreted and analyzed by the system, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the system to figure out her sexual orientation from it. It¡¯s just that, it wasn¡¯t bound to Lian Ru Ning, so how does the system know that Lian Ru Ning is available or anyone for that matter. It¡¯s no wonder Hao Jian thinks this way. She spends most of her time playing games, and when something abnormal like the system appears in her body, she could more or less relate her situation about games. Naturally, professional gamers are the best not because of what they see, but because they are good at discovering and analyzing hidden pieces of the game. Whether it¡¯s a bug or a hidden plot, it is a sign of taking the game seriously. The appearance of the system is too strange and there are too many unknown points, Hao Jian still couldn¡¯t dare to go too aggressively. Despite knowing Hao Jian¡¯s thoughts, the system did not interrupt this time. Hao Jian stared at Lian Ru Ning for a long time and suddenly found another figure rushing towards her. The figure¡¯s speed isn¡¯t really fast but it was constant. Its route was too straight, causing a lot of doubts. Lian Ru Ning seemed to have noticed that she hurriedly got up and continued to run forward, as if hiding from the figure. Hao Jian quickly realized that the one chasing Lian Ru Ning seemed to be a zombie who had lost its consciousness as a human being. Thinking that zombies could still chase people so far, Hao Jian suddenly wondered if her zombie neighbors was already chasing her when she was resting. She looked around and found that there were no other zombies that made her slightly relieved. Seeing Lian Ru Ning¡¯s figure disappear before her eyes, she thought about what the system said. She was the ¡®soul mate¡¯ that the system matched for her. Although Hao Jian didn¡¯t know the specific role of ¡®soul mate¡¯, she could still get to know the other party. Having reached a decision, she grabbed the stick that no longer held the shovel head and went to the direction of Lian Ru Ning. CH 5 As a female student in Geological Engineering, it was a normal occurrence to go out in the field. They would go out, practice what they learned and work with a team to survey. This was the case that happened to Lian Ru Ning. After spending a lot of time surveying, she would gradually be physically weaker when she faced the zombies. ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore. . .¡± Running with nothing but pure will, Lian Ru Ning looked at the approaching figure. The choice between life and death danced in her mind, powering her fight or flight response. In the end, her desire to survive overpowered her thoughts to give up and die. She grit her teeth and turned her head towards the mountain. If it was the usual mountain road, Lian Ru Ning may still have a chance, but she barely had any physical strength left. It was clear that she¡¯ll have trouble climbing. Suddenly, her foot slipped that caused her entire body to dive on the mud. The thick gravel scratched her palms during her fall. She was originally still a distance away from the zombie, but because of this, the zombie caught up to her. She turned her head and watched as the nauseating face rush towards her. Feeling the fear, she closed her eyes shut and awaited for death. Just then, she heard screaming followed by bashing sounds that penetrated her ears, she could hear strange cries from the zombie. Lain Ru Ning seemed to have felt something and when she opened her eyes, she saw a figure holding a meter long wooden stick, desperately slamming it on the zombie¡¯s head. The zombie tried to fight back, but the figure was relentless. It attacked again and again, bashing the zombie¡¯s chest before kicking it away. ¡°Climb up quickly!¡± The person yelled at Lian Ru Ning, who regained her senses after a few seconds before finally running up the mountain. The zombie got up from the ground once again and chased the two, fortunately, it was having trouble moving forward due to the steep climb. If it weren¡¯t for this, there was no way the zombie would let its prey get further and further away. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s stamina has reached its limit, and if she were to run any further, she probably won¡¯t be able to move her legs tomorrow. She staggered before falling on the ground, she was dizzy and in the brink of losing consciousness. Hearing the movement behind her, Hao Jian turned her head and called out to Lian Ru Ning with a sense of urgency in her voice, ¡°Get up and continue running.¡± Lian Ru Ning shook her head, her vision was getting dimmer and she felt that the air in her lungs were so cold that it burned. Hao Jian circled back and went to check. After making sure that the zombie won¡¯t be able to catch up to them in the mean time, she no longer forced Lian Ru Ning to get up. When she reached for the water in her backpack, she realized that the blood-stained stick was still on her hand. She was gripping it tightly while her hands were shaking. It was her first time fighting against zombies and her experience told her why the zombies in games and movies were so terrible. The zombie didn¡¯t know what pain and exhaustion was. If she hadn¡¯t tried her best to beat the zombie¡¯s head again and again to stop it from attacking again, she might¡¯ve been caught by it and be infected! Although her experience didn¡¯t affect her heart so much because of the games she¡¯s played, the relief of escaping death still swept through her body. Throwing away the wooden stick, she stabilized her mind and took out her water bottle and shook it to ensure that it still had water, ¡°Are you still alive?¡± Lian Ru Ning moved a bit, and finally her mind calmed down. Although her throat and lungs still burned, they weren¡¯t enough to cause her shock and pass out. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, here, drink some water.¡± Lian Ru Ning saw the water as if she saw the life-saving straw, grabbed it and took a big swig. After a sigh of relief, she drank it once more until it bottomed out before she felt alive again. ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian looked at the empty water bottle, feeling a little distressed about her water. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lian Ru Ning raised her eyes and expressed her heartfelt thanks. However, after finding out that she had finished drinking someone else¡¯s water, she became embarrassed, ¡°I was so thirsty that I drank it accidentally, I. . .¡± Hao Jian was silent for a moment, then placed her water bottle back, ¡°Nevermind, I don¡¯t don¡¯t plan to spend my whole life relying on a bottle of water, besides, I can just refill it after drinking.¡± This was what she told herself. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lian Ru Ning said again. Hao Jian blinked, seeming a little confused. ¡°This is me thanking you for saving me.¡± Lian Ru Ning explained. With her eyes regaining its clarity, a smile flashed in her eyes as she thanked Hao Jian. Her smile reflected in Hao Jian¡¯s eyes, causing ripples in her heart. Suddenly feeling bad, she cried out in her heart, ¡°System, did you make a ghost?¡± The system feeling very innocent, ¡°The system cannot interfere with the host¡¯s actions, nor can it distort the host¡¯s thoughts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re planted in my mind, so I remain skeptical!¡± The system quiet downed, no longer arguing with Hao Jian. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Hao Jian looked into the distance and found the zombie struggling to climb up the mountain and chase after them. However, it stopped on a very steep slope but was unable to climb by a large margin, now trying to walk over the slope in small and broken steps. Without taking her eyes off the zombie, Hao Jian stretched her hands out to help Lian Ru Ning up. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s legs were still weak, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t fall back down because of Hao Jian¡¯s help. When Lian Ru Ning stood up, her eyes inevitably landed on the zombie. Her Heart almost jumped out her chest and she wanted to run away, but before she could, she found herself in the arms of someone and couldn¡¯t move. Hao Jian¡¯s calm voice came to her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t catch up for a while.¡± Lain Ru Ning discovered that the zombie was indeed having trouble climbing the slope despite walking for a few minutes, as Hao Jian said. Staring at the zombie for a while, Lian Ru Ning said in a daze, ¡°Let¡¯s run away if it doesn¡¯t catch up!¡± Hao Jian Naturally didn¡¯t object. She picked up the stick that¡¯s the only thing the could make as her weapon and walked to the opposite direction with Lian Ru Ning. There was a zombie in the southwest so it was impossible for them to go down the mountain from there anymore. While walking, Hao Jian suddenly remembered that the zombie was wearing the same sweatpants Lian Ru Ning was wearing. She couldn¡¯t help but guess, ¡°Do you know that zombie?¡± ¡°That was a zombie?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked rhetorically. After a while, Lian Ru Ning replied, ¡°That was my classmate.¡± Lian Ru Ning was a student of the Department of Geology in the School of Earth Sciences and Geological Engineering of Southern City University. She was supposed to have participated in a summer camp organized by professors of the Department of Geology to study geology in various places. During the 15-day summer camp, a total of six students were assigned to Fangxie Mountain here. And this place is located in the middle of rolling mountains. It took an hour using a car to get to a village. It can be said that the village is located in the middle of nowhere. In addition to it being sparsely populated, it also has extremely poor signal. Fortunately, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s purpose was to learn and the absence of the Internet will not make her uncomfortable. During the day, she and her classmates followed their professor to various activities like rock climbing, surveying rugged rocks, and collecting data. In the evening, they returned to their camp to sort out the information they collected and finish their homework assigned by the professor. Four days ago, she received a call from home. She originally agreed with her family that she would call every three days to report her safety, but the promised call came a bit early. But because of the bad signal, she couldn¡¯t clearly hear what was going on the other line. She became a little uneasy despite having experienced this several times. She planned to enter the village to make a phone call to her parents but the professor said, ¡°It will be over in two days. This car has just enough fuel to drive us to the nearest gas station. So, just bear with it!¡± However, no one could think that when they finished their survey and embark on their journey to return, the car broke down near the village. Seeing that it was getting late, a group of people had to enter the village to spend the night and find someone to repair their car. She found some signal in the village to call her family but found out that she couldn¡¯t connect the call at all, no one also responded when she used the chat application and sent a message. The only thing she can receive was news that several good friends of hers warned her not to return to Southern City three days ago. She had no idea what was going on. She was losing contact on the people around her one after another, slowly making her uneasy. The next day, when the professor came back and said that the car hadn¡¯t been repaired, she became even more anxious. But if the car wasn¡¯t repaired, they couldn¡¯t leave. There was no quick fix. When night came, she woke up because a dog¡¯s barking in the village that made her panic a little. She got up to drink water and saw the professor wandering in the yard alone through the light in front of the door. A male student walked up to the professor and asked, ¡°Professor, why don¡¯t you rest? It¡¯s getting late.¡± All of a sudden, the professor rushed towards the male student and bit down on his neck. The screams of her male classmate overpowered her own screams. The noise woke up their other classmates. They walked out of their rooms one after another and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Help!¡± The male student cried for help. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s other classmates were strong and sturdy that when they went forward and were stunned at what they saw. They pulled the two apart but the professor didn¡¯t stop just because he was pulled away while blood gushed out of the male student¡¯s neck. Frightened and dazed, Lian Ru Ning came back to her senses. She looked at her professor and classmates who were going crazy outside and had a thought in her heart which urged her to leave. So she packed up her things, quietly came out of the room and took advantage of the chaos. Her classmates had no time to mind her as she left, quickly blending into the night. Unfortunately, some of her classmates discovered her unusual behavior and chased after her, ¡°Ru Ning, where are you going? It¡¯s dangerous at night!¡± Her classmate soon caught up to her but fortunately, he just followed her instead of stopping her, ¡°Why are you running?¡± ¡°I want to go home!¡± Lian Ru Ning responded. ¡°The car will be repaired tomorrow. By the way, we don¡¯t know what went wrong with the professor, Ziming is also injured. Let¡¯s go find a doctor nearby!¡± ¡°The professor is not crazy.¡± Lian Ru Ning suddenly thought of the short video that a good friend of hers sent her a few days ago. The people in it were exactly the same as the professor! At that time, she thought it was those fake videos sent by her parents so she didn¡¯t take it to heart. Until now, she felt that things might not be that simple! Her classmate didn¡¯t listen to what she said, but saw a small clinic with its lights still on and hurriedly ran to knock on the door. Lian Ru Ning however didn¡¯t stop and just walked carefully along the road. By the time she saw her classmate again, it had lost its mind and ran towards Lian Ru Ning like crazy. She knew she was no match for such a big man so the only thing she could do was to escape. CH 6 ¡°Shit¡±1 Hao Jian cursed under her breath before she pulled Lian Ru Ning and ran quickly up the mountain. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°There are zombies in the forest three hundred meters ahead.¡± Hao Jian replied nonchalantly. Because Lian Ru Ning had just escaped from danger, the moment she heard the term ¡®zombie¡¯, she felt a chill run down her spine. She turned her head to look back, but she didn¡¯t see anything, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°There seems to be no zombies behind. . .¡± ¡°I can see the enemy from one kilometer away while playing games, and the maximum distance for realistic viewing is around 700 meters.¡± Hao Jian explains despite not making much sense. Lian Ru Ning remained skeptical and asked, ¡°But you said three hundred meters, did he spot us?¡± ¡°You should use ¡®them¡¯. There are three zombies and they¡¯re on their way here. If we continue along that road, we will meet them in two minutes.¡± Lian Ru Ning turned on her usual attitude of ¡®smart and studious¡¯, ¡°How did they discover us?¡± This question stumped Hao Jian, but according to the clues given by the system, she had some guesses, ¡°It is currently impossible to determine how they locate living people. Since vision, hearing, smell, etc. are not the only determining factors.¡± ¡°Then, do they have any weaknesses?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you figured out the answer by now when I was saving you from your classmate?¡± Hao Jian asked rhetorically. Lian Ru Ning pondered for a while before answering, ¡°It seems that he doesn¡¯t feel any pain nor does he know that he¡¯s tired, but he doesn¡¯t have the ability to jump, climb, etc., and he also has no explosive power.¡± ¡°You really are a high-achieving student. With a clever mind, sharp eye, and brilliant summary.¡± Hao Jian nodded. Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t tell whether Hao Jian was complimenting her or was she just being sarcastic. She didn¡¯t think much about it because of her worry for her family, ¡°Did the zombies appear in a the big city in the first place? My classmate was just infected even in this remote village. Aren¡¯t those overcrowded big cities more susceptible to the infection?¡± Hao Jian wrinkled her eyebrows. Judging from the level of the zombie outbreak that the system prompts, the big city is most likely outrun by zombies, and after so many days, it¡¯s hard to say whether there are still people alive in the big city. ¡°Is there a station near here?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. Hao Jian understood what she was thinking and beat her to it, ¡°Public transportation is basically paralyzed in this case.¡± Lian Ru Ning did not give up, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, as long as I have a car, I can drive it myself.¡± Hao Jian remembered the car of her zombie neighbors but considering that there might be a dozen zombies lurking in the village, she didn¡¯t want to risk going back. Lian Ru Ning took out her mobile phone and tried to call her parents. Unfortunately, the calls wouldn¡¯t connect again and again, but she didn¡¯t give up until her phone ran out of battery. She asked Hao Jian, ¡°Do you live here? Do you have a car somewhere? I don¡¯t need you to to it for me. You don¡¯t need to take a risk to get the car. All you have to do is show me the way. I¡¯m going back to Southern City to find my parents and younger siblings.¡± A picture suddenly flashed out of Hao Jian¡¯s mind; a rebellious girl carrying a brown mountaineering bag while saying stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m going to find my dad!¡± She shook her head and pushed the scene out of her mind, then sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there!¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at this stranger who doesn¡¯t even know each other¡¯s names but saved her once, but she was still grateful, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, anyway, one has to live a full life.¡± Hao Jian replied. Although she doesn¡¯t take life seriously because she¡¯s alone, at this time, her life was too worthless. It¡¯s better to give it a go and have no regrets in the end. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to describe the scenery in Hao Jian¡¯s village as beautiful, it¡¯s just that the village itself is empty because of the decreasing population. The two walked on to the road when a speeding car passed by but before Lian Ru Ning could get her hopes up, the other party sped up upon seeing the two girls, leaving Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning bite the dust. ¡°At this time, no one dares to trust strangers easily, and I don¡¯t know how to separate good people from the infected.¡± Hao Jian commented without being surprised. Lian Ru Ning thought that she was too na?ve, but she was a little unconvinced, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I was infected when you saved me?¡± Hao Jian thought that if it weren¡¯t for the system, she might really have ignored her. She smiled and responded, ¡°Then how do you know I¡¯m not infected?¡± Lian Ru Ning dumbly thought for a while and realized that her trust in Hao Jian had no basis. After thinking for a while, she couldn¡¯t understand why she, who had always been wary, believed Hao Jian so easily. In the end, all she could do was convince herself, ¡°Because you saved me.¡± ¡°How come college students are so innocent now?¡± Hao Jian shook her head. Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t take the insult and pouted, ¡°You saved me and I remember your kindness so, even if you¡¯re infected and I¡¯ll be infected by you, I won¡¯t regret trusting and being grateful to you.¡± This girl is obviously contradicting herself but why does she sound so happy? Hao Jian muttered in her heart. Seeing that Hao Jian did not respond, Lian Ru Ning kept quiet as well and wiped her sweat with her sleeve. Under the heat of the sun, the two walked for a long time that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s back is filled with sweat, causing her vest stick against her skin, making her very uncomfortable. She saw that Hao Jian was also carrying a backpack. Lian Ru Ning assumed that Hao Jian¡¯s back was also soaked but she didn¡¯t see her wipe her sweat. Hao Jian stopped and thought about the mess they were in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. She looked up at the distance and saw the scattered buildings and vast fields. She couldn¡¯t feel any trace of life, instead it was filled with silence. Hao Jian wrinkled her brows. Her eyesight was very good. Even though she¡¯s been playing games as a professional all these years, she still managed to prevent her eyes from deteriorating. Railway drivers have an observational distance of 800 meters, and her observational distance wasn¡¯t far from it, so what she can see in the village can¡¯t be wrong. Even though it was subtle, she noticed that the people in the village were walking in an unusual state. Since leaving the house early in the morning, the situation in the village just continued to get worse. Even if they manage to get the car, they still have to find a place to stay. She didn¡¯t know how was the situation outside the village, and she doesn¡¯t know where else to spend the night. It would be better to stay home for a while then leave tomorrow morning. But with this method, it is tantamount to putting themselves in a zombie den. Hao Jian turned her head to Lian Ru Ning and asked, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, what do you want to do?¡± Lian Ru Ning blinked and looked up at the west. The beautiful sunset she praised the other day in the afternoon looked like it was stained red with blood, causing her to panic. She understood what Hao Jian meant after thinking about it. After dark, their range of activities narrowed, but that wasn¡¯t the case for the zombies. Recalling her zombie professor, swaying outside the house in the middle of the night, not being affected by the environment in the slightest. If they stay outdoors, they might be spotted by zombies so it¡¯s better for them to find a safe place to settle down first and talk about what to do afterwards. ¡°Is this you village?¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t say her thoughts, but seeing that Hao Jian was so familiar with the place, she thought she lived here. Hao Jian already decided for her answer and nodded, ¡°My home is fairly sturdy, and thinking about the time it takes to complete the zombification, we shouldn¡¯t have much problem going through the night. The car we want to pick up is parked next door from my house.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t say that the car belonged to her, and she implied that she wanted to take someone else¡¯s car without any guilty conscience. Lian Ru Ning thought that unless something happened to the original owner of the car, Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t say this openly. People said what they should have said and the preparations have been taken. Lain Ru Ning nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Talking to smart people is a piece of cake. The corner of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth twitched as they continued to walk forward. She clenched the wooden stick firmly to prepare for any zombie who will suddenly appear and attack them. The system¡¯s voice that reminds Hao Jian to start the survival mission sounded again, but this time, she wasn¡¯t as indifferent as before. After all, the half-day she spend with Lian Ru Ning was nice and if she really did have a relationship with her, it wouldn¡¯t be too annoying. She didn¡¯t rush to agree, after all, she didn¡¯t have to rely on the system. ¡°Miss Hao, where did you come back from?¡± At this moment, a village uncle who came back from outside the village greeted Hao Jian. ¡°I came back from paying respects to my mother.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t have any intention to ignore the village uncle, after all, she would still want to save the people who can still be saved. ¡°Oh, you are so filial.¡± The village uncle finished speaking and looked at Lian Ru Ning, ¡°This girl is beautiful, is she your friend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The village uncle seemed to be used to Hao Jian¡¯s attitude and didn¡¯t care. He thought of something again and made conversation with Hao Jian, ¡°Hey, do you know Hao Fang?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s eyebrows slightly twitched as she continued to listen to what the village uncle had to say, ¡°That kid doesn¡¯t realize what he did wrong, he bit his mother do death, how bad! He also bit Hao Quan. If Hao Quan wasn¡¯t strong, he wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to escape. After being placed in the car, that kid continued to bite!¡± ¡°Where did they go?¡± ¡°Hao Quan called for help along the way. Everyone was frightened when they saw him covered in blood. Several big men went and helped tie Hao Fang and sent him to the police station in the country.¡± The village uncle continued, somewhat uncomfortable, ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know what happened to that kid, he won¡¯t answer any questions, he just knows how to bite and scratch people he can get a hold of.¡± After listening to the village uncle¡¯s story, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart grew anxious, but Hao Jian didn¡¯t speak, she didn¡¯t even know how to interrupt the village uncle. ¡°Then uncle, you. . . are you just coming back from the police station?¡± Hao Jian was already in a distance from the village uncle when they met and the village uncle also did not approach her. ¡°I just came back from the clinic because that kid grabbed my arm and scratched me.¡± The village uncle explained. He took of his jacket and shirt and revealed his arm that was wrapped with bandages and gauze. Seeing this, Lian Ru Ning took a step back. Hao Jian simply looked at the village uncle with sadness and said, ¡°Uncle, you should go home for now. It¡¯s not safe to be outside these days. Don¡¯t open the door if anyone knocks. How did you get that?¡± The village uncle nodded and explained, ¡°I know, I went to the police station just now and it was chaos there. The clinic is also in chaos because a lot of people wanted to grab medicine.¡± After their conversation, the village uncle said his goodbyes to Hao Jian and returned home. CH 7 Hao Jian walked carefully towards her home with Lian Ru Ning. Along the way, they also spotted some people hiding in their houses while looking at her through their windows. Not only did they not make a sound, they also hurriedly closed the windows. After arriving home without accident, Hao Jian took a careful look in the yard before closing the door of the yard. She locked the door from the inside so she isn¡¯t worried about zombies breaking into her home. Walking all the way from the village entrance, Lian Ru Ning felt like she was underwater, heavily breathing. When she got into Hao Jian¡¯s house, she finally let her guard down and catch her breath at the same time. ¡°The owner of the car you were talking about is that guy named Hao Fang?¡± Lian Ru Ning suddenly asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Hao Jian had no intention of hiding it. Lian Ru Ning wanted to ask something but had no idea how to. From Hao Jian¡¯s attitude, she clearly knows about the village situation, but why didn¡¯t she notify the others in the village? She wasn¡¯t her mother but she had a feeling that Hao Jian was not the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t save those in need. She was had become quite interested in this stranger. ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking that I¡¯m not the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t save those in need. Why don¡¯t you try informing the people in this remote village that Hao Fang turned into a zombie?¡± Hao Jian blinked before going to kitchen and use the kettle to boil water. When she tried to use the kettle, she realized that the electricity in her house was still uninterrupted. She felt that the power supply bureau was different from the communications bureau that there is still flowing electricity despite the chaotic times. She also didn¡¯t want to experience a sudden power failure during live broadcasting while playing and scolded people multiple times in her heart. ¡°Uncle of the power supply bureau, you have to stay strong, don¡¯t lose your momentum during these hard days like the network department!¡± Hao Jian prayed in her heart this nonsense that would only be useful when playing games. Lian Ru Ning stared at Hao Jian strangely after hearing her complaints. Hao Jian is like a roundworm, she tries so hard to hide something but still fail in hiding it. ¡°In the present, there are TVs at home and the messaging apps in mobile phones are also advancing with the times. People living in this village aren¡¯t isolated from the world. Though the news they receive are better than mine.¡± Hao Jian said. People like her who don¡¯t rely on TV and the Internet will eventually live in isolation. People in this village don¡¯t have much for entertainment. They watch TV every day and don¡¯t miss the broadcasting news. Those who hide in the house and run away when they see her, aren¡¯t they the ones who are innocent?! In this case, if it weren¡¯t for the system¡¯s reminder, she would¡¯ve been the one who should be bitten by the zombie. Though it¡¯s important to escape in the morning, how can she not think about it? When Hao Jian mentioned it, Lian Ru Ning remembered the news she received from her mobile phone then suddenly became a little worried, I don¡¯t know how my parents and Ru Meng and Ru Ji are doing. Hao Jian took out the tea leaves from her hiking bag, took out a bowl and made a bowl of tea for Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning looked at the porcelain bowl, a little surprised then gave Hao Jian a weird look. ¡°Except for my cup, there are no other cups intended for guests in the house.¡± Hao Jian added with a smile. Lian Ru Ning looked around the house and realized that it was so empty. Since they went inside the empty hose, she wondered if it was really Hao Jian¡¯s home. But she quickly thought about the conversation Hao Jian had with the village uncle and the information she obtained from Hao Jian when she came over. Hao Jian must have rarely come here often, she isn¡¯t that familiar with the people in the village and she mentioned about her paying respects. Her mother probably passed away. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lian Ru Ning wasn¡¯t picky. When the tea got cooler, she took a big gulp to quench her thirst. Hao Jian then boiled the instant noodles she brought. She looked at Lian Ru Ning and resigned herself to cooking Lian Ru Ning¡¯s portion of the instant noodles. She doesn¡¯t think that there is enough food left for her to be picky about. Lian Ru Ning knew that there was nothing left to eat in her back back during these hard times. It was a bust. She thought for a while, took out a stone from her backpack and handed it to Hao Jian. Hao Jian took a look at the stone and found that it had a two-centimeter diameter with a small sculpture that looked a little bit like a lucky cat. It had no traces of carving. ¡°I picked it up during our geological survey. I think the natural shaping is beautiful so I brought it back.¡± Lian Ru Ning said while showing that the stone had a natural appearance and that it wasn¡¯t carved. ¡°This is a natural gift. Wouldn¡¯t it be too bad to exchange this for a bowl of instant noodles?¡± Hao Jian asked with a smile. ¡°You can have it if you like.¡± Hao Jian kept the stone and went upstairs with Lian Ru Ning once the instant noodles were cooked. She didn¡¯t bother to turn on the lights and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t care. She asked if she could borrow a place where she could charge her phone. She couldn¡¯t wait to contact her parents but she still couldn¡¯t get in touch that continued to make her a little anxious. There was some noise behind the house, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart would always be on edge as she shrank up and listened to the movement. Halfway through the cold bath, Hao Jian heard the said movement and came out. The two met eye-to-eye and without talking, came to a tacit understanding. The noise gradually disappeared. Hao Jian made sure that there were no more movements before turning to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°I¡¯m tired already. Go and take a bath, I¡¯ll keep a lookout for you.¡± Lian Ru Ning was still on edge so she carefully went inside the bathroom. She did not dare to turn on the lights nor did she date to make a lot of noise so, she quickly and quietly washed her body and came out. Hao Jian was using her laptop to serve as the light source of the room, she had no plans to use the light in the room that would reflect to the outside. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t really understand why Hao Jian didn¡¯t turn on the lights, a lot of people saw them when they came from the village entrance after all. ¡°Sleep with me for the night?¡± Hao Jian gave some space on the bed. Lian Ru Ning thought that there should be no other beds in the room and she didn¡¯t have the courage to sleep alone this time, so she thanked Hao Jian softly and sat down by the bed. Her mind was still a mess and she had many questions that haven¡¯t been solved. She wanted to ask but she doesn¡¯t know if Hao Jian would have the answers. Thinking about it, everything had to wait until they could leave tomorrow and look outside to figure it out. Even if she was in a hurry, it would still be useless. In order to relieve the anxiety in her heart, she asked Hao Jian to borrow the light coming from the laptop, she took out a book from her bag and began to read. Hao Jian admired her assiduous behavior, focused on her reading while stealing the light. After girls who study in geological schools are used to hard conditions. ¡± ¡®The Little Wife of the Domineering President¡¯s Family¡¯. . . What is that?¡± Hao Jian muttered as she saw the book cover on the back through the faint light, suddenly realizing that she was looking too hard. Lian Ru Ning was reaching the climax in the story when she felt Hao Jian¡¯s intense stare. She looked at her and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t read too late.¡± Hao Jian shook her head and turned around to rest. She seemed to understand why Lian Ru Ning was chosen to be the partner the system wants to bind her to, it was because Lian Ru Ning had the same interests and hobbies as those who programmed the system. Lian Ru Ning slept uncomfortably, she dreamt that she was being chased by people endlessly. All of a sudden, her original body felt something, forcing her to break free from her dream. As she slightly opened her eyes, she saw Hao Jian, who was next to her, tiptoeing off the bed. Her heart started to beat faster as she saw Hao Jian inching closer. She didn¡¯t know what she was going to do, so she could only watch her actions quietly. Hao Jian went over Lian Ru Ning and walked to the window before returning to the bed, ¡®waking up¡¯ Lian Ru Ning. Just as she was about to talk, Hao Jian whispered a ¡®hush¡¯ and said, ¡°You hide in the empty room next door and don¡¯t make a sound.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart jumped wildly and asked quietly, ¡°Are there zombies?¡± The two deliberately lowered their voices, and their words floated out like the wind. While Lian Ru Ning was whispering in Hao Jian¡¯s ears, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s breath tickled her ears, making her to feel a little uncomfortable itch. ¡°Someone came in over the wall and was planning to pick the lock.¡± Fortunately, Hao Jian was very vigilant and locked the main door long ago. The windows on the first floor were closed and only the window in their room was opened for ventilation. Lian Ru Ning was on the edge upon knowing that there was an enemy already. Following Hao Jian¡¯s instructions, she went to the next room that was in the dark, but she opened a little gap to observe the movement outside. Hao Jian was holding a flashlight as she went down to the first floor, and through the window, she was a tiger-backed strange person standing by the window while peeping. If she hadn¡¯t prepared and was used to these kinds of scare while playing gamed, she would definitely be scared to death. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t bring Lian Ru Ning down with her, otherwise she would not be able to remain calm and silent like Hao Jian. Hao Jian already knew who the man was. Silence echoed the room for a long time until the man outside grabbed the anti-theft net on the window, knocking and pounding it. Hao Jian had no plans to open the window, but seeing that she had no intentions of doing so, the man called out, ¡°Hao Jian!¡± ¡°Uncle Hao Quan.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t remember his name at first, thankfully the uncle village they met earlier reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re at home, open the door for me!¡± ¡°Uncle Hao Quan, it¡¯s already late at night, what is this for?¡± Hao Jian looked at the lock on the door and found that it had been broken. Fortunately, the upper and lower door bolts and ground locks were still fine. It seems that Hao Quan has also learned the unlocking technique from the aunt of the house next door. ¡°You open the door and I¡¯ll tell you, I can¡¯t tell you through this thing!¡± Hao Quan was also starting to calm down. Hao Jian shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for us to be alone. Besides, why can¡¯t you just say it tomorrow?¡± Hao Quan saw that she was determined to not open the door and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t dismantle the anti-theft net with his bare hands. Once Hao Jian became suspicious, she took out a knife, Hao Quan realized that we will lose more than what he can gain if he continued. Before leaving unwillingly, he looked back and left another sentence, ¡°Then I will come back tomorrow, I need to tell you something important!¡± Hao Quan¡¯s movements when climbing over the wall when he left were very nimble, and it seems that he was quite experienced when climbing walls of the house next door. However, Hao Jian wasn¡¯t too interested in how many walls he had climbed. She turned off the flashlight and returned upstairs, staring at the disappearing figure for a while. Lain Ru Ning came out a few minutes after Hao Jian came upstairs. She returned to Hao Jian¡¯s room and saw her lying back on the bed. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Any movement in the dark night is amplified so Lian Ru Ning also heard the conversation between Hao Jian and Hao Quan. ¡°He wants to pull me together with him and die.¡± Hao Jian lightly responded. Lian Ru Ning shuddered immediately. Hao Jian¡¯s words were light and calm, but the meaning of those words were also very obvious; Hao Quan knew that he was infected so he was going to harm Hao Jian! ¡°He is. . .¡± Why? Figure how? Hao Jian pulled her back to the bed saying, ¡°While it¡¯s still early, take a break.¡± In the future, she will have to strengthen her nerves at any time, or she will be feel unstable when she sleeps. Lian Ru Ning laid back, but the knot in her heart remained unsolved and she couldn¡¯t sleep for the night. When Hao Jian saw that she wasn¡¯t sleeping well, she explained, ¡°My zombie neighbor was released by Hao Quan. I was at the scene at the time.¡± ¡°So he won¡¯t give up, what should I do if he comes over tomorrow?¡± Lian Ru Ning had even more trouble sleeping. ¡°We¡¯ll just squat in the corner. We¡¯ll get caught by him if we went out now.¡± Hao Jian sneered, ¡°Once bitten, the zombie virus will have different zombification rates according to the physique of each person. It¡¯s basically between 12 to 48 hours. It has been 17 hours since he was bitten and I have seen symptoms of nausea. According to the appearance of the first symptom of zombification, the time of the other symptoms appear will only decrease. In less than six or seven hours, he will become a complete zombie.¡± Sometimes, a powerful zombie is better to deal with than an unarmed human. CH 8 ¡°So, it turns out your name is Hao Jian!¡± Hao Jian just remembered that they didn¡¯t seem to have introduced one another. ¡°My name is Lian Ru Ning, Lian Nishang, Ryu Yi Ru, Ningmeng¡± Lian Ru Ning introduced herself. Although Hao Jian already know who Lian Ru Ning is, she still pretended she didn¡¯t, ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t your sister called Lian Ru Meng?¡± Lian Ru Ning was surprised, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°You said earlier that you have a younger brother and a younger sister. You said your name ¡®Ning¡¯ in your name. Under normal circumstances, your brother and sister should also have a ¡®Meng¡¯ character.¡± Lian Ru Ning thought it was fun to talk to Hao Jian. She deliberately didn¡¯t think about the potential dangers outside. She smiled and asked, ¡°Then can you guess what my brother¡¯s name is?¡± Seeing that Lian Ru Ning has no intention of sleeping anymore, Hao Jian casually responded, ¡°He should be called Lian Ruji right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, but it¡¯s a civilized way of saying ¡®ji¡¯1 and not ¡®be¡¯ ¡± Lian Ru Ning explained, ¡°But how did you know?¡± She started to doubt whether Hao Jian knew their home. ¡°Well, you intend to test me, so the names of you three siblings must be special. For example, your parents only intended to have one child and name them ¡®Lemon¡¯2 , but they had another child, so they will need another set of names. . . are your younger siblings twins? And do your parents love to eat ¡®lemon chicken¡¯?¡± Lian Ru Ning widened her eyes in disbelief. She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, wondering if Hao Jian really didn¡¯t know her family. ¡°I¡¯m right? Then go to sleep!¡± Even if Hao Jian couldn¡¯t see her face, she could imagine Lian Ru Ning¡¯s shocked expression, and her mood became a little lighter. Lian Ru Ning was silent for a long time before she asked tentatively, ¡°Then why did your parents give you that name?¡± Who would give a child a name like ¡®Jian¡¯. ¡°My name comes from a poem ¡®Yuanyou Ling Dejie, written by Hua Jian.¡± Only then did Lian Ru Ning react and asked, ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you called Hua Jian?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian felt that the conversation would be endless and simply started to pretend sleeping. Lian Ru Ning saw that Hao Jian hadn¡¯t responded for a long time, but Hao Jian started drifting smoothly into her sleep. She felt that Hao Jian¡¯s heart was so big that regardless of the chaos outside, she helped her so that they can sleep peacefully. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes were still open while thinking about their situation for a long time. She was obviously very sleepy, but every time she closes her eyes and was about to fall asleep, she¡¯s awakened by the terrifying dreams her brain is creating. Just so uncomfortably, when she couldn¡¯t sleep at all, the sky outside was starting to brighten. Hao Jian opened her eyes and met Lian Ru Ning eyes and quickly ¡®hushed¡¯. She then got up gently, peeping at the window. Lian Ru Ning followed Hao Jian and walked to the window like her and almost yelled out. Hao Jian quickly covered her mouth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t yell.¡± Hao Jian saw two or three people who were starting to change their skin color but were still conscious. They called out to Hao Quan who was squatting in the corner, ¡°Hao Quan, what are you doing here?¡± Hao Quan suddenly came to his senses and stood up, looking at Hao Jian¡¯s house. The two of them stepped back as they heard Hao Quan¡¯s angry voice, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the Hao girl!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there no one in this house?¡± Someone asked. ¡°She¡¯s inside!¡± Hao Quan responded. ¡°What do you want her for?¡± ¡°She knows what happen to Hao Fang but she won¡¯t tell me. I suspect she¡¯s the one who caused it!¡± Hao Quan said in a gloomy tone, saying things to instigate others. With so many people gathering, Hao Jian couldn¡¯t escape even if she wanted to escape! Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart pounded like crazy and asked in a low voice, ¡°What if they push all the blame to you and force themselves in?¡± The so-called people are so powerful that it¡¯s easy for so many of them to break into Hao Jian¡¯s home, and they are more dangerous than being surrounded by zombies. ¡°Hao Jian, come out.¡± The people outside has already started yelling. As these people called, more people came with the first two standing by the door shouting aggressively. They obviously heard what happen in Hao Fang¡¯s house yesterday and decided to put the blame on Hao Jian. Hao Jian asked Lian Ru Ning to pack up her things and stay in the room, she then walked to the balcony and asked nonchalantly, ¡°Is there anything going on so early in the morning?¡± ¡°Hao Jian, why did you force me to open the door of Hao Fang¡¯s house yesterday?¡± Hao Quan asked bitterly. The corner of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Why did I force you to open the door of his house? Where did you get the key to their house?¡± Hao Quan stopped, then pointed at Hao Jian and said to everyone, ¡°Hao Jian knows why Hao Fang became that monster, but she didn¡¯t warn anyone, now Hao Fang bit us!¡± ¡°Miss Hao, although you often don¡¯t come back, we still have the same surname and the same origin, why are you so cruel?¡± Someone accused dissatisfiedly. ¡°Anyone of you who has never been bitten or scratched, stay away from them. They will soon become the second Hao Fang.¡± Hao Jian reminded. When everyone heard it, they looked at each other with little fear in their eyes, ¡°Your expressions look like Hao Fang yesterday!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense, get her out quickly and ask her what medicine can treat us!¡± Hao Quan pushed started pushing the courtyard door. After Hao Quan¡¯s statement, some people started pushing as well. ¡°You¡¯re breaking into my house without permission, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Hao Jian screamed and ran back into the room. The courtyard door was slammed and collapsed that caused Hao Jian¡¯s head to ache. If this continued, even the main door of the house wouldn¡¯t last long. There is only a wooden stick in her hand and she can¡¯t resist anything!¡± ¡°Host, it¡¯s the seventh day since the zombie outbreak has been raised raised to level 3. For the sake of your mental and physical health, please start the survival mission and raise your level as soon as possible.¡± The voice of the system came out like stitches. Hao Jian paused, watching Lian Ru Ning who had packed up her things. One side of Hao Jian was suspicious of the system while the other side was eager to survive. After deliberating, she asked the system, ¡°The mission. . . how do I start it?¡± ¡°The host is willing?!¡± Although the system¡¯s voice was robotic, it seemed very happy in Hao Jian¡¯s ears. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Please bind your partner!¡± ¡°. . . Bound¡± ¡°Reading the binding love mission. . .¡± The system¡¯s voice paused, and soon a new voice was heard, ¡°Please use no less than three words to practice the host¡¯s confession of love.¡± Hao Jian looked at Lian Ru Ning abruptly, her brows frowned. Lian Ru Ning paid attention to the movement outside and when she heard them pushing the door of the house, her heart became more and more nervous, ¡°What should we do?¡± Hao Jian wondered, why was she embarrassed to confess? Should she just forget about it? ¡°Once the task is started, it cannot be cancelled.¡± The system reminded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡± ¡°The host didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you obligated to remind me?¡± ¡°The system has no obligation to remind the host.¡± Hao Jian was fuming. She didn¡¯t want to ask, and she didn¡¯t have time to ask the system what would happen if she didn¡¯t continue the mission. Anyway, according to the shitty nature of the system, it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing. ¡°Lian Ru Ning, I like you!¡± Hao Jian turned her head and confessed to Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning looked at her with a confused look. trying to figure out if she has a fever. The situation outside is so dangerous and yet Hao Jian was still in the mood to confess, is this her last words? ¡°The binding love mission is (1/3) complete, please use no less than ten words to practice the host¡¯s confession of love.¡± Hao Jian had the urge to hit the system. What kind of mission is this?! Will the next task be a confession in twenty words?! ¡°I have been charmed by you for a long time now and I can¡¯t stop thinking about you!¡± Hao Jian faced at Lian Ru Ning with an expressionless face, but her words carried rich emotions. ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at Hao Jian, suddenly wanting to leave her and run away. ¡°The binding love mission is (2/3) complete, please use no less than twenty words to practice the host¡¯s confession of love.¡± Hao Jian knew it would end up like this, but after confessing twice, she got used to it, ¡°I hope to propose to you, and hold your hands forever. The thought of us not flying together, causes me misery and ruin. . .¡± ¡°It¡¯s less than twenty words.¡± ¡°Period!¡± Hao Jian gritted her teeth as she added the punctuation after the last sentence. System: This is also ok? ¡°The binding love mission is (3/3) complete, Congratulations to the host for completing the binding love mission. The reward for this mission is; one latter and one crowbar.¡± Loading information about soul mate Lian Ru Ning. . . Lian Ru Ning, female, 20 years old, unmarried. Height: 168cm. Weight: 49kg. . . Successfully loaded! Conditions achieved for opening the survival system! The survival system is now activated, the level of information is now loaded. . . Level 0; experience 8 (days survived: 7 + people saved: 1); points 9 (days survived: 7 + people saved: 2) Upgrade conditions were not met. Hao Jian came back to her senses, Lian Ru Ning was looking back at her for a while now. She remembered the measurements of Lian Ru Ning that the system mentioned and eyed her from head to toe. It was unexpected and unnecessary! ¡°You. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning saw that Hao Jian finally stopped making an inexplicable confession. Hao Jian instructed her, ¡°You go up to the rooftop quietly and wait, don¡¯t say anything.¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded, and went out of the room to the stairs. The red brick building of Hao Jian¡¯s house had a foundation meant for a five-story building, but only two floors were built. There was no fence on the rooftop and no one usually goes up. Standing on the rooftop of the building, Lian Ru Ning could see some things nearby, but at this time, except for those who were making trouble in front of Hao Jian¡¯s house, there was no one else around. Lian Ru Ning waited for a while and saw Hao Jian carrying a ladder up. At the same time, she heard Hao Jian¡¯s voice echoing on the second floor. Feeling unsure, she saw Hao Jian quietly lowering the ladder from the top of the building. Behind Hao Jian¡¯s house was the neighbor¡¯s balcony, and the ladder could reach it. ¡°Is there no one on the other side?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°That person hasn¡¯t come back in two years, move away.¡± Hao Jian urged, only to hear Hao Quan cursing at Hao Jian in the yard. Lian Ru Ning had participated in a mountaineering summer camp, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to climb the ladder down to the neighbor¡¯s balcony. When she climbed quietly, she helped Hao Jian put the ladder in place and waited for her to climb over. The two had safely climbed down from the balcony on the second floor of the neighbor¡¯s house. Fortunately, the neighbor¡¯s house did not have a yard and there was a small road next to it. Hao Jian then quickly ran towards the small road together with Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning only heard the door in Hao Jian¡¯s house being broken down and her heart jumped wildly. She asked Hao Jian, ¡°Why was your voice still inside the house?¡± ¡°I recorded an audio of myself and played it.¡± Hao Jian replied. Her heart was also beating like crazy, just like the time when she was scared when she played a first-person horror game for the first time that year. This exciting feeling of being able to escape, it¡¯s really been a long time! ¡°They are all over the neighborhood, how can we escape?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked again, mainly because they weren¡¯t able to take Hao Fang¡¯s car away. CH 9 As the two of them were talking, a gray-skinned figure suddenly rushed out in front of them. Hao Jian didn¡¯t know when she already had the crowbar in her hand and simply swung her hand reflexively. The tip of the crowbar immediately penetrated the head and at the same time Lian Ru Ning yelled ¡°Ah!¡± She looked pale as she watched Hao Jian pulled the crowbar out of the zombie¡¯s head which was already half destroyed, and wiped it on the zombie¡¯s clothes. Hao Jian¡¯s movements were so fast that she hadn¡¯t reacted to Lian Ru Ning¡¯s scream. As she recovered, she quickly covered her mouth and looked around in horror. ¡°A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5; points gained: +10¡± The system prompt sounded. Hao Jian exhaled, fortunately she was able to take out the crowbar from the system and responded quickly enough. ¡°It¡¯s not just Hao Fang who owns a car in the village.¡± Hao Jian said. Before Lian Ru Ning could relax, she looked at the crowbar, ¡°Where did you get the crowbar?¡± ¡°I picked it up from the corner just now.¡± Hao Jian lied casually. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t think much of it, after all, they ran in a hurry and were walking roaming absent-mindedly just now, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that she didn¡¯t see Hao Jian pick up the crowbar. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Hao Quan and the others will chase us once they fin out that we ran away.¡± Hao Jian gripped the crowbar in her hands, ready to counterattack at any time. Lian Ru Ning hurriedly followed Hao Jian¡¯s pace, and the two of them shortly arrived near the Hao¡¯s ancestral hall in the village. They looked at the car parked on the side of the open space, and their hearts were slightly excited. The only problem was that, how can they drive away without the key? Hao Jian looked in front of the cars for a while, recalling the skills she had learned in her mind. But as she thought for a long while, she wasn¡¯t able to remember anyone teaching her some car stealing skills. She thought to herself, That¡¯s right, not everyone is as careless as Hao Fang, leaving the key hanging in the ignition inside the car. Just thinking about it, Lian Ru Ning excitedly pointed to a lady¡¯s motorcycle with a bunch of keys hanging on it. Although it was much worse than expected, it was still better than walking. Hao Jian was about to start the motorcycle when Lian Ru Ning suddenly felt embarrassed and asked, ¡°Are we stealing this?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian¡¯s words were stuck to her throat and she suddenly felt the guilt, enough to make her want to leave the village on foot. Suddenly, Hao Jian¡¯s sensitive ears picked up a zombie-like cry. She quickly pulled Lian Ru Ning to the wall outside the ancestral hall and leaned against it, carefully listening to their surroundings for any movement. She saw a female zombie swaying from the back of the car. After the zombie spotting them, it became excited and rushed towards the two. Lian Ru Ning tried to flee from the wall while Hao Jian gritted her teeth and lifted the crowbar and hit the zombie head on. Hao Jian¡¯s attack hit the female zombie¡¯s neck, it fell on the ground and quickly struggled to get up without minding the pain. Hao Jian didn¡¯t let go of the opportunity and knocked on the zombie¡¯s forehead decisively. She almost exhausted all the strength in her body as she knocked the zombie¡¯s head before finally destroying its brain. Hao Jian was already out of breath. She then pulled Lian Ru Ning and stopped feeling guilty about stealing and drove away. Lain Ru Ning came back to her senses, clutching Hao Jian¡¯s backpack tightly while paying attention to their surroundings for movements. After seeing Hao Jian beating zombies twice, she realized she can¡¯t always rely on others, she also has to learn to defend herself. It is better to go back to South City to find her family after separating from Hao Jian! ¡°This motorcycle belonged to the zombie, now that it¡¯s dead, it technically has no owner now.¡± Hao Jian suddenly said. ¡°Such a coincidence?!¡± Lian Ru Ning said with emotion. Hao Jian thought to herself, If it weren¡¯t for the fear that you would struggle with this, I wouldn¡¯t have to lie. God knows who owns this motorcycle! ¡°A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5; points gained: +10¡± Hao Jian remembered the system¡¯s words in her mind and was calculating again, There is still a big difference between games and reality. It¡¯s okay to deal with a single zombie head on, but more zombies will be difficult. ¡°Hey, Hao Jian stole a car and ran away!¡± Someone started yelling. Lian Ru Ning turned her head and saw that it was the people who broke into Hao Jian¡¯s house chasing them/ However, Hao Jian didn¡¯t stop, but instead increased her speed and drive the motorcycle to forty yards and left those people behind. After leaving the village, on a flat road, the speed rose to fifty yards, driving fast. Lian Ru Ning that the road they took wasn¡¯t the one they used when they entered the village, but she didn¡¯t question it. After all, it¡¯s normal for a village to have more than one entrance. The two temporarily escaped from the village. The problem now is that if they want to go to the county or city, the zombies they will encounter won¡¯t be as few as in the village. Hao Jian was driving while thinking about how to deal with it. At this time, the sun was already out. The warm sun shone down on the two of them, bringing traces of heat and they felt that it was still summer. There are dense green trees on both sides of the road. Without a gust of wind, these trees seem to be still and the silence was frightening. It seems that Lian Ru Ning still wasn¡¯t able to recover. All she knew was that she was attending a summer camp. How did it turn out to be the end of the world when she came out of the mountain? Unlike the two who walked all the way out, there were many cars pulling a large car and people escaping into the mountains. They looked at the two people as if they were looking at fools. But they didn¡¯t want to stop and remind them that it¡¯s the end of the world. They were already busy enough to care about their own lives, why would they care about others? The more one one went towards the county and city, the more people and cars headed to the village in the mountains. When Hao Jian passed by the county clinic, she saw a large blood stain on the glass door, not to mention the chaos outside. The supermarkets in the county were robbed. There are children crying, women screaming, and men fighting. It is very chaotic. Hao Jian turned to Lian Ru Ning and said, ¡°Does it look like there are zombies around?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Actually, they are all human beings.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t get involved. In order to avoid being accidentally injured, she detoured from the small road in front and went behind the houses that leads to another road. The warning light of their vehicle indicated that it was out of gas was blinking for a long time now, and at this time, it was completely out of gas and wouldn¡¯t move. Lian Ru Ning said to Hao Jian, ¡°Thank you for sending me here, I will get a car and go back by myself!¡± She knew that the city would be a hundred times more chaotic than the county. She couldn¡¯t risk Hao Jian. After all, with Hao Jian¡¯s wit and ability, she has many ways to survive. Hao Jian looked at her speechlessly, thinking that if they hadn¡¯t met, or if she didn¡¯t give in by the system¡¯s temptation to make Lian Ru Ning her soul mate then it would only take minutes for her to leave. Now that the two of them were bound together, even if she didn¡¯t really care about her, the system wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Congratulations to the host for triggering the activation conditions for the main quest. Please complete the main quest¡¯s first mission: Send soul mate Lian Ru Ning to Southern City.¡± ¡°Tell me in advance and not leave me guessing!¡± Hao Jian helped her, and now she has to figure out the tasks by herself! ¡°What?¡± Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t understand why she suddenly say that. Only then did Hao Jian realize that she had accidentally say what she thought out loud. She calmed herself down and said, ¡°I also have to go back to Southern City, let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I originally work in Southern City, and I came back because I wanted to pay respects to my mother. Anyway, now that I have finished paying my respects, I have to go back to Southern City because I still have some things there and I need to go back and get them.¡± Hao Jian casually spurred a reason. Lian Ru Ning was dubious, and suddenly remembered Hao Jian¡¯s weird behavior when she confessed three times in a row earlier, wondering if Hao Jian really did fall in love with herself at first sight? Thinking about it, she glanced at Hao Jian secretly and found that she was quite good-looking. She¡¯s tall and has round face, beautiful eyes, and well balanced facial features that was much better than most faces. Hao Jian slightly frowned when Lian Ru Ning kept staring at her. Could it be that her reason was too lame and Lian Ru Ning found her out? If it weren¡¯t for the few people who suddenly rushed out from the side, they would have looked at each other for a long time. The few people who jumped out of the small road originally grabbed food from the supermarket and planned to take them home. When they saw two young girls on the road who exuded the youth of being students, they couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. It¡¯s so chaotic right now, so if they take the girls back, the police won¡¯t have time for them right?! The several people who had the same thought deliberately looked at each other¡¯s eyes and acted together in tune. Hao Jian turned her head and looked at them coldly, she didn¡¯t bother to hide the crowbar in her hand. She hid Lian Ru Ning behind her and whispered, ¡°Pretend to be injured when it becomes necessary.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t pretend to be hurt but Lian Ru Ning nodded in response and observed the people in front of them again. ¡°What are you two little girls doing here? It¡¯s dangerous outside, so come with us in out house to hide first!¡± Someone offered as the other people laughed. ¡°Danger?¡± Hao Jian slightly smiled, pointing the crowbar at them. When several people saw the blood on the crowbar, their hearts dropped as their eyes widened, ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What am I doing? Don¡¯t you know that viruses are going around right now? The blood here is contaminated with the virus. What do you think we¡¯re doing?¡± With Hao Jian¡¯s threat, they naturally knew how powerful the virus was and they stopped coming forward. But they murmured again, ¡°Will you be infected if you touch the blood? Don¡¯t you mean that you¡¯ll only be infected if you¡¯re caught or bitten?¡± ¡°This is so sharp. If it scratched your skin, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll be infected with the virus?¡± Hao Jian smiled and approached them. ¡°But I¡¯m not so sure. Why don¡¯t we try it?¡± Lian Ru Ning behind her cooperated and began to feel sick, pretending to be vomiting and staring at the group with sorrowful eyes. She suddenly grabbed Hao Jian by the shoulder and shouted, ¡°Ah! I accidentally kicked it just now, am I going to be infected?! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, there will be a group with you, you won¡¯t be alone!¡± Hao Jian rushed towards the group with a sinister smile. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t come here!¡± The few people were so scared that turned around and ran. They didn¡¯t care about the food they brought. Now the police should still play a certain role. If this deterioration continues, no organization to maintain order, and society loses order, more and more people will do bad things and carry bad thoughts. ¡°It would be good after this period of time. The situation just happened to be chaotic right now. Of course people still have bad thoughts, but everyone wants to live in the future, so they won¡¯t prioritize anything else.¡± Hao Jian muttered, even she herself is not very clear on what will happen in the future. Hao Jian picked up what was left on the floor; a total of two breads, a bottle of water, and a few packets of sour plums. Hao Jian handed some of the things to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Lunch, put it away.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t the host kill them? The reward for kill humans is 10 experience and 200 points!¡± The system reminded. Hao Jian¡¯s body stiffened and suddenly thought of a grim idea, ¡°The system¡¯s number is 2018, does that mean that there are other people who have been bound to other systems such as 2017 and 2019 and the tasks and rewards are the same?¡± The system didn¡¯t say anything, but Hao Jian didn¡¯t dare to be ignorant of this, ¡°The experience and points for killing them are so high, you deliberately said it, it is impossible to guarantee that no one will kill for the sake of points.¡± She shuddered and felt that this system was really not a good system. She is now on the thief ship, and all she can do now is continue to be vigilant to not be fooled by the system in forcing her to do anything that might endanger the world. The system saw that Hao Jian¡¯s trust value towards the system suddenly fell back to zero and stopped talking. It couldn¡¯t really analyze when Hao Jian is in thinking mode. It can only record the interpreted data and adjust its way of communication with Hao Jian. CH 10 The level of chaos in the county center far exceeded Hao Jian¡¯s expectations. There was an accident involving ten cars crashing against one another in a place where the gasoline smell was prominent. There was another car sandwiched by trucks in its front and behind. Lian Ru Ning was shocked. A few traffic policemen on the provincial highway were still guiding traffic flow diligently, but they obviously know that other roads were also so chaotic and they can¡¯t spare any more people to help. They are doing all they can in due diligence to channel the crowds and traffic, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. The road leading to the city has been blocked by a car accident. Many cars are blocked on the road. There weren¡¯t any more small roads to walk on so people simply abandoned their cars and fled. There were still some who were reluctant to part from their own cars so they shouted to the traffic enforcers, ¡°You guys should call the trailer soon!¡± ¡°Car accidents have occurred everywhere and it may take some time for them to finish. . .¡± The traffic enforcer explained, but even the emergency lane has been blocked and it was very difficult for a trailer to pass through. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hao Jian called. Lian Ru Ning recovered and followed Hao Jian. The sun was shining brightly. Lian Ru Ning wore sunscreen, protective clothes, and a hat, while Hao Jian was exposed to the scorching sun and her lips became a little dry. Lian Ru Ning took out the water bottle in her backpack and gave it to Hao Jian, ¡°Take a sip, I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be on the road.¡± Now, they needed to know the situation in Southern City first before looking for a car. The best way they can gather information about Southern City is for them to locate a government office. But the county¡¯s government office is packed with panicked crowds. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning went there and when they saw the situation, they promptly left. Just as they left, a scream of horror erupted inside, infected zombies appeared and bit the surrounding crows. When a group of people fled in panic, a stampede occurred, causing numerous deaths and injuries. ¡°If it¡¯s like this in an 18th-line mountain village, the situation in Southern City might not be any better.¡± Hao Jian gave Lian Ru Ning her prediction. ¡°I know.¡± Lian Ru Ning responded stubbornly, ¡°Even if my family became zombies, I still have to see them.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t say anything as she took a sip of water. Lian Ru Ning took out the bread they picked up earlier and ate. A piece of bread is naturally not enough to satisfy one¡¯s hunger but it was better than nothing. When they passed by a car parked on the side of the road, a figure suddenly popped up from the back seat inside, hitting the door and window of the car, banging against it. Lian Ru Ning looked through the car window and found that it was only a seven or eight-year-old child zombie. If it hadn¡¯t been acting too cruel, Lian Ru Ning would have thought it was a normal child who was trapped. Unknowingly, Lian Ru Ning grabbed Hao Jian¡¯s clothes. Hao Jian looked back at her and asked, ¡°Afraid?¡± Lian Ru Ning shook her head and Hao Jian stretched out her hand, ¡°Hold it so you don¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡± Lian Ru Ning mumbled. Suddenly, the car window showed signs of it being rolled down and Lian Ru Ning subconsciously grabbed Hao Jian¡¯s hand and stared at the car window. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hands were not as soft as Hao Jian imagined. Because they often exercise and participate in mountain climbing and other ground activities, they had some calluses in their hands. Hao Jian tightened her hold and turned her head to find that the little zombie might have unknowingly pressed the button for the car window. It was lowered enough for the zombie to reach out. ¡°This car can still run.¡± Hao Jian commented as she raised her eyebrows. Lian Ru Ning was became nervous and excited at the same time, ¡°you¡¯re not going to steal the zombie car, are you?¡± ¡°This is not called stealing, this is ¡®picking up¡¯!¡± Hao Jian was speechless. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Lian Ru Ning was no longer conflicted between stealing or picking up. If they had a car, they wouldn¡¯t have to hike. ¡°It might be a bit risky.¡± Hao Jian explained. Lian Ru Ning was no longer afraid, ¡°How?¡± ¡°You open the door from behind and then I will deal with it.¡± The plan was indeed risky. If Hao Jian doesn¡¯t react on time, it will be dangerous. Hao Jian saw Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hesitation and clenched the crowbar tightly. ¡°You only need to make a slight opening so that it can¡¯t completely come out.¡± This proposal was acceptable for Lian Ru Ning. She took a deep breath and pulled the car door from behind. Hao Jian was also ready, waiting for Lian Ru Ning to open the car door. . . ¡®Creek¡¯ The door moved slightly and the little zombie inside suddenly rammed against it, almost pushing the door wide open. Lian Ru Ning quickly pressed back hard and only half of the little zombie¡¯s body came out, ¡°Ah¨C¡° With a muffled sound, Hao Jian¡¯s crowbar hit its head against the door frame. One hit wasn¡¯t enough to destroy its brain so Hao Jian strenuously struck it again until its brain burst. When Lian Ru Ning was sure that the little zombie could no longer move, she then let go and let out another turbid breath. Seeing the dried dark blood and brain bits in the car, her stomach felt sick and helped herself against the car door to throw up. Hao Jian pushed the little zombie out the car and checked the car again and found that there was nothing unusual. She found a spare tire in the trunk while everything else was taken away. She then got in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°We can still drive to the gas station, let¡¯s go!¡± Lian Ru Ning was able to recover and climbed up to the passenger¡¯s seat in front and closed the car door. She clutched the door handle, fearing that there would be more zombies outside that would want to open the door. Hao Jian started the car while Lian Ru Ning looked at the remnants of the trees on the side of the road and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°. . . I am¡± Hao Jian replied. Lian Ru Ning turned her head to look at her, ¡°But you¡¯re too calm.¡± Hao Jian smiled, ¡°Because I don¡¯t have anyone who¡¯ll worry about me.¡± Lian Ru Ning felt a little sour by Hao Jian¡¯s smile. She seemed to say something that shouldn¡¯t have been said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± When Hao Jian wanted to reply, the system¡¯s voice went off, ¡°A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5; points gained: +10. Host Hao Jian currently has 23 experience, 39 points. The host has reached the opening level conditions of [20 experience], please choose if host wishes to upgrade.¡± ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°The host is currently at level 0, and the conditions for opening level 1 are met, please choose if host wishes to upgrade.¡± Hao Jian knew that if she didn¡¯t make a choice, the system¡¯s voice would be ringing endlessly so she chose, ¡°Yes.¡± The host agreed to the upgrade. Obtaining information for opening level 1. . . Successfully obtained! Update successful! The host is currently at level 1, the host has gained access to open the mall and is limited to buying 3 foods per day. Hao Jian felt that the existence of this system is a bit subtle, acting like the ¡°Doomsday Survival System¡± it proclaims to be, which undoubtedly provides the host with things to help with their survival. The form of the system was like someone placed a VR glasses on her and she¡¯s upgrading in the game world. She couldn¡¯t know what the system was all about, and though it was a non-essential method, all she can do is observe the system carefully to see if she could figure out its secrets in the future. Lian Ru Ning took out her mobile phone and looked at it. There was still no signal. Hao Jian¡¯s thoughts pulled away from thinking about the system and turned on the car radio. After searching for a while, she finally heard a faint voice mixed in the static. ¡°There¡¯s a signal?!¡± Lian Ru Ning was very happy and waited for Hao Jian to adjust the frequency and make the audio play clearer. ¡°Citizens, please go back home and close your doors and windows, and don¡¯t go out easily. . .¡± There was only a vague sentence in the broadcast and it was repeated. Lian Ru Ning tried to adjust the frequency again, ¡°There was a serious accident on Shanghang Avenue and the road is currently blocked. Please take a detour. . .¡± ¡°A riot broke our in Shanghang County Hospital-| unrest, please don¡¯t go to public places. . .¡± ¡°Shishixi Road is currently closed, please take a detour. . .¡± As Hao Jian listened to the broadcast, the car turned to the left and drove into a small road. The wheels turned, billowing smoke and dust. Lian Ru Ning gave up, ¡°They¡¯re all local radio stations.¡± ¡°The coverage of FM radio transmitter station is only 50 kilometers.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t cellphones receive the signal?¡± ¡°I remember the others said that mobile phones gather digital signals, which is not the same as the the signal for FM radios. Generally, when something particularly serious occurs, phone signals ban be cut off and shielded, and the only way for communication is by using radios.¡± After hearing this, Lian Ru Ning pulled out a radio walkie-talkie from her backpack. She looked at the confused Hao Jian and explained, ¡°This is a public radio walkie-talkie distributed by out professor to prevent us from losing contact because of the loss of signal in the field. There was two of them, and because I was in charge of taking care of them, they have always been in my backpack.¡± As she explained, she pulled out another one. ¡°Just in case, I¡¯ll give one to you and set it to channel 1.¡± Lian Ru Ning places one by the steering wheel. ¡°Are you preparing for when we separate?¡± Hao Jian asked with a smile. ¡°We can¡¯t always be together.¡± Lian Ru Ning said rationally. Hao Jian smiled and didn¡¯t speak. The car quickly drove from the small road to another provincial road. There were very small cars on this provincial road, and most of them were motorcycles or three-wheeled modified cars. On one side of the road were dilapidated, low-rise houses, while there were fields on the other side. After a while, a gas station appeared in their field of view. There were no staff at the gas station but a few cars were refueling on their own. Hao Jian slowed down and paid attention to their surroundings, planning to wait for the cars to leave before taking their turn to refuel. ¡°The situation doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Lian Ru Ning noticed someone rushing towards the gas station at a weird speed. Hao Jian parked the car on the side of the road, using a few trees and bushes to hide the car, ¡°Pay attention to situation behind you.¡± The two worked together to monitor the surroundings for any movement. Lian Ru Ning was convinced that it was a zombie who rushed to the gas station because it attached a person riding a motorcycle while it was waiting for a refuel. When the rest of the people in the gas station noticed this, they drove away. Their swarming actions caused another big accident. A car crashed with the one in front of it, causing the car ahead to crash against a pillar. ¡°Ah¨C¡± Screams and panic voices was heard one after another, and the gas station fell into chaos. Seeing that there weren¡¯t that many cars left at the gas station, Hao Jian suddenly said, ¡°Grab tight.¡± Lian Ru Ning subconsciously grabbed the handrail on the door as Hao Jian drove the car and slammed it into the zombie who had attacked someone. With a ¡®bang¡¯, the zombie rolled directly from the front of the car to the back. It just got up again without feeling the pain, Hao Jian reversed and trapped the zombie between the car and the tanker. She then grabbed a crowbar, got out of the car and attacked the zombie on its head again and again. Lian Ru Ning was still stabilizing her body from the impact since she didn¡¯t wear any seat belt. The impact caused by Hao Jian¡¯s driving almost had her hit her head while inside. She looked back to check and saw the zombie on the back of the car, and another zombie with its neck half missing and a blood-stained body. ¡°Behind!¡± Lian Ru Ning exclaimed. When the zombie rushed towards Hao Jian, she heard Lian Ru Ning¡¯s reminder. Locating the zombie through the car window, she turned around with a wave. The crowbar fell on the zombie, but it only knocked the zombie back a little bit. When it recovered, it grabbed the crowbar more fiercely. Hao Jian backed up abruptly, her back hitting the back of the car. She kicked the zombie away in a hurry, but it took the opportunity to grab hold of Hao Jian¡¯s trousers. CH 11 Bang!¡¯ A wooden stick attacked the zombie¡¯s legs. It lost its balance and suddenly fell backwards. Hao Jian took the crowbar and adjusted her grip and used the sharp end and slammed it on the zombie. Hao Jian was exhausted when she had killed two zombies at once. She leaned against the tanker and looked at Lian Ru Ning, who was also catching her breath. If Lian Ru Ning hadn¡¯t run out of the car, found a stick and helped her, Hao Jian might have been infected. Thinking about it, she suddenly lifted her trousers and looked at her legs. Finding that there were no scars on the surface, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°Zombies have been killed, experience gained: +10, Points gained: +20.¡± Lian Ru Ning looked around nervously and made sure that there were no other zombies around before asking, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Hao Jian waved her hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the infection time is between 12 to 48 hours? Why did this person turn into a zombie right after being bitten?¡± Lian Ru Ning pointed at the zombie who had lost its face. Hao Jian shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it right now, let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± Lain Ru Ning looked at the small convenience store at the gas station and offered, ¡°Come one, I¡¯ll go inside and find something for us to eat.¡± When they came out of the county, it was close to two o¡¯clock in the afternoon and the clock ticks beyond three o¡¯clock. Even if they only ate a piece of bread each, they would still have to consider their food for the evening and the next day. When given the chance, they should search for it. One should search. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Hao Jian grabbed the walkie-talkies from the car and passed one to her, ¡°Bring it.¡± Although you shouldn¡¯t use walkie-talkies and phone calls when in gas stations under normal circumstances, it¡¯s an emergency and no one¡¯s going to care about it that much anymore. Lian Ru Ning took the walkie-talkie and walked across the car on the opposite side then headed to the convenience store. Seeing her figure entering the store, Hao Jian also took out the gas gun and started to refuel the car. The situation in the convenience store is not much better, many shelves were empty and the ground is full of scattered food. Lian Ru Ning found a box of beverage under a collapsed shelf and several other bags of biscuits, instant noodles, and an inflatable pump for the car. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s voice echoed from the intercom. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart tightened and quietly walked to the door, holding the collected items. She then saw a car slowly stopping outside the gas station. In this situation, she has begun to question humanity and it¡¯s hard to guarantee that the person will not attack them after seeing that Lian Ru Ning has in her hands. ¡°Should I go out directly?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°Check if there¡¯s a back door.¡± Lian Ru Ning only saw an office and a storage room earlier and did not notice any back door. She want back to the storage room and took another look, spotting another door. When she opened it, she saw some debris piled up on a small flat ground and behind the fence was a green field. ¡°I¡¯ll walk around from the back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Hao Jian started the car and drove behind the convenience store, using it to block the vision of the strangers. Lian Ru Ning placed the things in the back seat and sat down in the passenger seat in front. When they started the car, the car that they have been secretly observing also drove in. Without stopping, Hao Jian drove out the of the gas station and drove along the provincial highway to the southwest. Hao Jian glanced at the rearview mirror and said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t need to go to the toilet for the time being because we¡¯re heading straight to Southern City next.¡± Lian Ru Ning had no plans to urinate, but when Hao Jian brought it up, she suddenly had the urge to go to the bathroom. To distract herself, she hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with that zombie earlier, do you have a clue?¡± Seeing that Lian Ru Ning considers her as an all-knowing sage, Hao Jian helplessly replied, ¡°I really don¡¯t have a clue, but I can make an assumption. I don¡¯t know if you noticed that man¡¯s neck just now.¡± Lian Ru Ning recalled, ¡°His neck has lost a large piece of meat, but. . .¡± ¡°Yes, the first time I saw a zombie killing someone was in Hao Fang¡¯s house, but his mother who was killed by him did not turn into a zombie, why?¡± Hao Jian asked, ¡°If the zombie virus entered the human body, calculating the expected time limit, then the person should not turn into a zombie so quickly, but why are there two different endings in the same situation?¡± Lian Ru Ning also thought about it and soon discovered a difference, ¡°Thinking about all the zombies we encountered and the people who were attacked by zombies, where were they injured?¡± Hao Jian followed Lian Ru Ning¡¯s line of thinking and calmly thought for a while before speaking, ¡°Except for Hao Fang¡¯s mother and the people at the gas station, without exception, the parts that the zombies attacked were below the neck.¡± ¡°Does the wound in the neck accelerate the zombification process?¡± Hao Jian shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but my initial guess is that the zombie virus spread through blood. In addition to the varying incubation time that depends on the person¡¯s physique, maybe it¡¯s still related to how the people were attacked?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I remember that Hao Fang bit his mother until she died, her neck was also completely broken. Without a a stent, the brain cannot control the body, right? That man, when we passed, it wasn¡¯t sure that he has lost his life?¡± When Hao Jian mentioned this, Lian Ru Ning also remembered, ¡°The zombie did not cling to the man after attack it, instead, it attacked other living people. Because there are more attractive pray than the one it infected.¡± ¡°So suppose that the man was still breathing after being attacked by the zombie. By that time, his will was probably weak, and because the wound is on the neck, the virus is able to spread faster than when the wound is somewhere else. And the virus robs the people their ability to think. If the virus is strong, the people are weak, and if the people are strong, the virus is weak.¡± ¡°Is that the so-called ¡®difference in personal physique¡¯? Does that mean that there¡¯s a possibility that a human can win against the virus?¡± Hao Jian smiled as she shook her head, ¡°This is just my guess, and as far as I know, there is no one who can withstand the virus at the moment. Even this self-proclaimed protagonist may not have its protagonist aura.¡± ¡°The protagonist?¡± Lian Ru Ning ¡®pushed¡¯ herself against Hao Jian and continued, ¡°But I think you were handsome when you killed those zombies, just like a real protagonist.¡± ¡®Badump¨C¡® Hao Jian¡¯s heart jumped twice before quickly retracting her gaze from Lian Ru Ning and looked straight in front. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have been infected.¡± ¡°You saved me more than once, no matter how many times it wad, it won¡¯t be enough.¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled. The system analyzed Hao Jian¡¯s strange behavior and suggested in a straight forward manner, ¡°Host, kissing your soul mate will increase your experience by 1 and your points by 5, and making love with your soul mate will increase your experience by 20 and your points by 200 each time~¡± Hao Jian almost stepped on the breaks, but fortunately she had good psychological stability and continued driving the car steadily. But Lian Ru Ning felt a little shock and immediately looked at Hao Jian, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong?¡± Hao Jian cleared her throat and solemnly said, ¡°Sit down and fasten your seatbelt. Don¡¯t block my sight.¡± Lian Ru Ning went back to her seat, not fully understanding what happened to Hao Jian all of a sudden. Hao Jian saw Lian Ru Ning staring at her through the rearview mirror, feeling a little hot on her face. But without changing her expression, she said, ¡°It¡¯s hot, I¡¯ll turn on the air conditioner.¡± ¡°Oh¡± The cold air from the air conditioner slowly blew out, dissipating the sultry heat in the car. Lian Ru Ning seemed to be a little tired, so she leaned back on her chair and slowly fell asleep. Hao Jian turned down the air conditioner to prevent Lian Ru Ning from catching a cold. The system just came out and spoke at this time, ¡°The analysis on the host¡¯s relationship with the partner is closer than the host thinks. Even without any information provided by any authoritative organization, this system can still find clues that ordinary people can¡¯t notice and my observations will not shame my name of version 2018.¡± ¡°First, she has a name, don¡¯t always call her ¡®soul mate¡¯ or ¡®partner¡¯, you don¡¯t know if she really is my soul mate!¡± Hao Jian secretly rolled her eyes, ¡°Secondly, aren¡¯t those clues you claim are not provided still given to you?¡± After a systematic analysis on Hao Jian¡¯s words, the system searched for appropriate adjectives in its vocabulary and replied, ¡°First, according to the analysis and comparison of the hormonal changes in the host¡¯s emotions and thoughts, the corresponding interpretation of these information was found in the database. According to the records, the term in the lexicon is interpreted as ¡®jealous¡¯. Second, the clues given to the systems are provided by authoritative organizations. As a fair and honest system, this system will not use any authority to disclose such secrets.¡± It was the first time that Hao Jian found a system that she wasn¡¯t happy about, ¡°Emmmm¡±. Though it should be said that it was her first time encountering the existence of such system since she didn¡¯t know if the other systems were like it. ¡°This system is an independent program and do not share any connections with other systems. The host can be assured that your information will not be leaked to other systems.¡± The system replied. ¡°You have read my thoughts once again without permission. I wonder who was it that vowed that the can¡¯t analyze my thoughts two days ago.¡± ¡°The host did not start the survival mission two days ago, and the host can only read and save the host¡¯s thoughts.¡± ¡°In other words, just like a computer, you¡¯re responsible for collecting information and storing it somewhere. After I started the survival mission, you will behave like a computer. My information will be submitted and processed by a similar central processing unit in your system. The device will send a feedback to your system. When I level up, you¡¯re also upgraded?¡± The system found that Hao Jian¡¯s intellect was so scary that it decided to shut up obediently. CH 12 Lian Ru Ning woke up in the midst of shaking, opened her eyes and looked out the car window, only to see an endless field. In a daze, she thought she had returned to Hao Jian¡¯s village, and remembering the bumpy mountain road almost made her throw up. ¡°Where are we?¡± She looked at Hao Jian, ¡°You¡¯re awake? I don¡¯t know where we are.¡± Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°So why did you go here?¡± ¡°The main road was completely paralyzed and the highway was blocked, so I made a slight detour. However, without directions, I got lost.¡± Hao Jian took it confidently, without any embarassment. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, she was speechless for a while, ¡°So, where are we going now?¡± ¡°When I came in, I saw a signboard that says ¡®Nongjiale¡¯ on it, so I came in for some dinner!¡± Lian Ru Ning rolled down the car window and saw the sunset glowing red and the ground steaming hot from the residual heat. She was able to sleep for more than two hours as she didn¡¯t rest much last night. They encountered so many zombies during the day so she slept for so long due to exhaustion. On the other hand, Hao Jian seemed to have never rested. She thought that they should also find a place to rest when the night falls so Hao Jian didn¡¯t object the idea of it. The car followed a simple billboard into the mountains and forests/ On the road, one could see houses in twos and threes, but they weren¡¯t the size of the village. After passing by a fish pond, the car reached a house made of pure wood. The house looked rather crude, as if the house would collapse if the car hits it. ¡°Is there anyone there?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked around cautiously, she wouldn¡¯t get out of the car until she was sure it was safe. ¡®Beep beep¡ª¡± Hao Jian pressed the car horn. Isn¡¯t she afraid of zombies? Lian Ru Ning thought while looking at Hao Jian¡¯s actions. But she wouldn¡¯t question Hao Jian, their experience these days proved that Hao Jian doesn¡¯t do any reckless actions after all. Someone from the house poked out his head cautiously. Hao Jian opened the door and got out of the car and asked, ¡°Are you still in business?¡± ¡°Where did you come from?¡± The man walked out, but with a hatchet at hand. ¡°After passing through the country road, I came here when I saw the signboard. You¡¯re still doing business, right?¡± The man thought for a while then glanced at Lian Ru Ning then back at her before saying, ¡°Are you here to eat? There¡¯s food.¡± Hao Jian walked over, the man also turned around and put down his hatchet, looking at her carefully and secretly thanking her that she was a living person. Seeing the man¡¯s actions, Hao Jian asked, ¡°We aren¡¯t sick at all. We were just planning to have a meal then leave. You can be rest assured.¡± A middle-aged woman greeted them from the inside and asked, ¡°Are they safe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, they¡¯re only here to eat.¡± The man replied. Lian Ru Ning had gotten out of the car. She saw such a simple environment and asked, ¡°Do you guys live here?¡± ¡°You can tell? I usually do business here. Don¡¯t mind the simple house. Many people just like this environment, so a lot of people come by usually. The man said and pointed a table for them. There is an empty window behind the table and one can directly see the fish pond. There is a wooden bridge over the fish pond, on which one can fish. Lian Ru Ning also likes this kind of leisure time, no wonder there is business in such a remote place. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you eat in a hotel or restaurant outside?¡± Asked the middle-aged woman curiously. Hao Jian smiled and replied, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of the mess that¡¯s going on outside? All the restaurants are closed.¡± The two of them thought about it for a while and became more confused, ¡°Then how do you know we aren¡¯t closed?¡± ¡°I guessed, I just came here to try my luck. I didn¡¯t expect that it would happen.¡± The man laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I originally planned to close the door and go home to guard, but when I thought that there were still so many dishes and fish left to deal with, I couldn¡¯t leave them. No, I planned to go back to the fish market, and pick out some vegetables too, or else they¡¯ll get spoiled if left.¡± ¡°Yeah, when we heard the sound of a car, we were terrified. We hid for a while before we dared to come out.¡± The middle-aged woman also added. ¡°At this time, food is the most important thing, isn¡¯t it? Why are you willing to let us eat?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. The two of them were taken aback and laughed before responding, ¡°These things can¡¯t be stored for a long time. They are either ruined or spoiled if they¡¯re left. If someone needs them, why won¡¯t we take them out and eat them?¡± Lian Ru Ning had almost given up on humanity for some time now, but she seemed to see the kindness in them once again. She turned to share this feeling with Hao Jian, but she neatly placed her ordered dishes, ¡°Trouble¡± When the couple left, Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°They¡¯re really kind, but. . . did you really just try your luck when you came here?¡± Hao Jian thought for a while and whispered, ¡°How can that be?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at her in surprise, ¡°That-¡° ¡°I just got lost while avoiding the paralyzed road and accidentally came to a small town in a neighboring city, and remembered that one of my friends¡¯ hometown was here. According to him, his family opened a farmhouse. I detoured a little bit and eventually found it here.¡± Lian Ru Ning also wondered, ¡°We were lucky to come here, but is your friend away?¡± ¡°It seems that he¡¯s still in Pearl City and it¡¯s not clear whether he¡¯s alive or dead.¡± ¡°Then were they, his parents?¡± ¡°They should be. I always hear him brag about how nice his parents were and I can see it with my own eyes. If there¡¯s a chance to see him, then I will go to him at once! ¡°Then are you not going to tell them that you¡¯re friends with their child?¡± Hao Jian raised her eyebrows and smiled again, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything. Since I can¡¯t help reunite their family, why should I tell them that their child is still in the chaotic Pearl City?¡± Lian Ru Ning thought for a while, and that was indeed the case. Similar to Southern City, Pearl City is more chaotic and more susceptible to infection than here. If they stay here, they may not be in danger and they can wait for their child to come back. But once they learn about the relationship between Hao Jian and their child, they will either go to Pearl City to look for their child, or become more anxious and sad while waiting. The dishes were soon served and Hao Jian looked at them in confusion after noticing the extra dishes. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many people to eat, so you should eat more. No overcharge.¡± The middle-aged woman explained. ¡°In the next few days, there may be a shortage of food. You should think of a way to dry or pickle these vegetables and turn them into preserved food, save it.¡± Hao Jian responded. ¡°This is also a good way.¡± The middle-aged woman smiled. Lian Ru Ning asked tentatively, ¡°Are you the only ones here?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s usually just me and my husband and a relative. But she went home after the accident.¡± ¡°It looks a bit remote here, do you know something that happened outside?¡± ¡°We heard about it when we went to the market to buy ingredients, but it was my son who contacted me before and told me something, so we watched TV and found out that it was really dangerous!¡± ¡°Oh, thank goodness. When we came, we saw many people who were killed without knowing what¡¯s happening outside. However, you said your son, then he. . .¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here. he¡¯s in Pearl City. After hearing that Pearl City also had an accident, the government evacuated the city immediately. He followed to take refuge. As long as he has the opportunity, he will be able to return.¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at Hao Jian happily who pushed food un front of her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? The food is going to get cold.¡± Lian Ru Ning muttered in her heart how Hao Jian heard the news but she didn¡¯t look happy about the safety of her friend. When the middle-aged woman left, Hao Jian asked her first, ¡°Along the way, you listened to the radio and heard everything, do you know where is the emergency evacuation?¡± Lian Ru Ning opened her mouth, dumbly ¡°Looks like there¡¯s none.¡± ¡°No one knows which of the people who took refuge carries the zombie virus. This so-called refuge is simply a joke.¡± Lian Ru Ning understood what Hao Jian meant, ¡°He said this to make his parents feel at ease?!¡± After eating, the couple took out two disposable lunch boxes and gave them to Hao Jian, ¡°Let me see where you¡¯re going. You might be hungry at night, so take these with you to eat on the road.¡± Hao Jian was silent for a moment, took the lunch boxes and passed them to Lian Ru Ning. She then went back to the car and took out the backpack. Lian Ru Ning was a little confused when she saw Hao Jian pulled out three bags of things from her backpack. Wasn¡¯t there no food in her previous backpack? Where did these things come from? Inside are two bags of jerky, one back of compressed biscuits, and two bottled of lemon tea that Lian Ru Ning moved from the gas station convenience store. Hao Jian handed the things to the couple, ¡°This is a gift in return. Save it to eat when times become difficult, these last longer.¡± She didn¡¯t plan to use the privilege the system said she had when she became level 1 ¨C the ability to buy food in their mall (only three servings per day). She took advantage of it because, not only are they in the couple¡¯s favor, but also for You Xiaoxiao¡¯s sake. Hao Jian wanted to help as much as she can. A bag or a catty of dried meat costs 20 points, while compressed biscuits only require 5 points. Even if Hao Jian spent more than half of her accumulated points, she didn¡¯t feel bad about it. ¡°We have something to eat, keep them for yourself!¡± Father and mother You naturally refused to accept the gifts. Hao Jian then returned the lunch box they were given. Seeing that she was really stubborn, father You treated it as an exchange of food and accepted it. Lian Ru Ning ran to the driver¡¯s seat and smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s my turn to drive. You can rest for a while.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t say much. Before sitting down in the passenger¡¯s seat, she said to the couple, ¡°Uncle You, Auntie, goodbye.¡± When the car left, the couple looked at each other, ¡°Did you tell them my last name?¡± Hao Jian put the lunch box on the front dashboard and closed her eyes as she rests her back on the chair. Seeing that she closed her eyes, Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t bother her. What she didn¡¯t expect was that Hao Jian was actually dealing with the system. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the host plan not to use the convenience store provided by the system?¡± The system is a little arrogant. ¡°Well, because I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡± She can find a way to search for food, and she used the privilege provided by the system to exchange food, but she doesn¡¯t know whether the system had set any traps. ¡°But you still used it.¡± Hao Jian decided to ignore the system. She heard a sudden exclamation and the car slowly came to a halt. Hao Jian hurriedly opened her eyes and straightened up, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lian Ru Ning was delighted and quickly took out her mobile phone and showed it to Hao Jian, ¡°I have thought of a way to navigate!¡± ¡°You mean using a map? There¡¯s no Internet.¡± Lian Ru Ning took the phone back and clicked on the map, ¡°I almost forgot, because I often have to go to remote places without Internet, I usually get a good map offline. I have maps for the entire province, and some offline maps of cities you¡¯ve traveled to!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no navigation, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Lian Ru Ning discovered that Hao Jian seemed to experience brain failures occasionally, she smiled and found a compass in her backpack and then handed her mobile phone to Hao Jian, ¡°I can only trouble you to compare the map and the compass. Show me the way.¡± This time, Hao Jian was the one who was stunned. Although she had a good sense of direction, she felt that staring at the map and compass was more tiring than driving. Lain Ru Ning looked at Hao Jian with expectant eyes. Hao Jian looked at the objects in her hand and sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s drive. . .¡± CH 13 When the car entered the county road, Hao Jian endured a heavy vomit and threw the phone and compass aside, she then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. Staring at something in a moving car for a long time will bring discomfort, she can bear without vomiting, she is strong enough. Lian Ru Ning took out a bottle of water and gave it to Hao Jian while paying attention to the road conditions. She was rather embarrassed, ¡°Drink some water, don¡¯t vomit later.¡± Hao Jian responded but didn¡¯t move. When she opened her eyes, the sky was already as dark as thick ink, and a black shadow flashed past the car window. She rolled down the car window and the hot air suddenly poured in. The cold and hot air collided with each other, and the mixture wind blew her face numb. There was a small voice in the car radio and Lian Ru Ning turned off the air conditioner when she saw her movements and said, ¡°The radio station said that the highway is seriously congested and the road traffic is basically paralyzed.¡± ¡°Is there any problem here?¡± ¡°I avoided several blocked sections, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get lost so I didn¡¯t dare to drive so fast. And it¡¯s getting late, I think we need to find a place to rest for the night.¡± Hao Jian let down her hair, brushed it with her hands, re-tied it, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drive and you rest.¡± ¡°You only slept for three hours, be careful of driving fatigue!¡± ¡°That¡¯s better than you driving for more than four hours straight. In this situation, unless you park in the wilderness to rest, it¡¯s not safe anywhere. Moreover, if the county road is also paralyzed, you will inevitably have to go to the village road. An hour¡¯s drive may take two days. If you can wait so long, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Lian Ru Ning struggled a little bit in her heart, and finally felt that she couldn¡¯t wait for two more days. Another day without contact contact with her family will only make her more anxious. And once she returned to Southern City, she had to find them in different places, which would even be more dangerous and difficult. ¡°That¡¯s up tp you.¡± Lian Ru Ning slowly parked the car on the side. Hao Jian got out of the car and exercised for a while then took a look at their surroundings. There are several cars driving on a straight road in the same direction, and this is not surprising. It is strange that there are also very few cars in the opposite direction. ¡°When are there fewer cars on the opposite side?¡± Hao Jian asked as she drove. Lian Ru Ning turned around when she heard the words, and found that there were very few cars as expected. Under normal circumstances, people in the cities will try their best to run to the suburbs. Not only in highways but also national highways, and even county highways, but there is no shortage of cars and people, but the current traffic flow is bit scary. She thought about it and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. The traffic flow was gradually decreasing. There were also cars driving in the reverse direction and robbed the lane here. I always drove on the right, so when did it decrease? I¡¯m not so sure anymore. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Hao Jian only had a vague idea, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. After driving for half an hour, she looked at the sign and drove the car into the county road closer to Nanfang City. And she suddenly caught the flash of thought The outward flow of traffic has decreased. Does it meant that the chaotic period has gradually come to an end? Seven days have passed since the zombie outbreak level three. From the panic at the beginning to the escape from the city, seven days were enough to bring the incident from the climax to the end. Especially in bid cities that are well-informed, they get the news first, and then they reach the counties and townships. So the chaotic period that Hao Jian experienced in the counties and cities were actually a cooling off period in the big cities. And after this chaos, the closer one get to Southern City, the risk factor will increase exponentially. At the same time, the problem facing the survivors is how to avoid the zombies and find a safe place to transfer. Thinking of this, she furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at Lian Ru Ning through the rearview mirror, If the things are as I thought, it doesn¡¯t rule our that her family has been killed or transferred, and finding them is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. ¡°Where do you want to go, do you have a specific goal?¡± Hao Jian asked, adding, ¡°Not the big goal like ¡®Southern City¡¯, it¡¯s better if it¡¯s a specific location.¡± Lian Ru Ning had several locations in her heart, namely her home, the school where her parents work, and the school where her younger sister attends. Her father is a professor at Nanhai University and works in University Town, and her mother is a professor at South City University in the South Campus. Although her sister is a student of Nanhai University, the campus is near her mother¡¯s workplace. It¡¯s summer vacation, so her parents will either be at home or in school attending seminars, and her younger brother is in the end of the Kiogang college entrance examination. According to his character, he won¡¯t be doing any summer work, so he should still be at home. ¡°Let¡¯s head to University Town first.¡± Lian Ru Ning squeezed her palm. Hao Jian raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised, ¡°You don¡¯t want to head home first?¡± In such a situation, most people would think about staying home, so the probability of her family being at home is very high. ¡°My home is in the city, and we need to traverse the city center to get there which is very dangerous. The school my dad teaches at is in University Town which is in the suburbs, so I want to go there first. If we look there and not find them, I¡¯ll go home by myself.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s fear was causing trouble to Hao Jian, so she said, ¡°I live in a place near the center of the city.¡± Lian Ru Ning muttered in her heart How could things be so smooth? At the beginning, Hao Jian said that she worked in Southern City and she had something to come back, so she didn¡¯t doubt it. Is it just a coincidence that now she lives in the city center too! She didn¡¯t suspect that Hao Jian had ulterior motives, but she was worried that Hao Jian would get hurt. Hao Jian¡¯s home is obviously the safest place in the countryside, but she ran back to the most dangerous place with her. . . Could it be that her confession was sincere? Lian Ru Ning thought secretly in her heart again. Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t be blamed for thinking this way, Hao Jian¡¯s behavior is so weird that people can¡¯t forget it even if they want to forget it. And after more than 20 hours of experiencing life and death together, she also had to guess whether Hao Jian had met her somewhere, and thus began to have a crush on her. Hao Jian found that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes looked a little ambiguous. She looked back and thought whether there was something wrong with what she said earlier, otherwise, why did she look like this? ¡°You said that the flow of traffic from the city has decreased. Does it mean that all those who can escape have already escaped, and those who can¡¯t escape is stranded in the city?¡± Hao Jian was stunned for a moment by Lian Ru Ning¡¯s question. She had such a guess but didn¡¯t tell Lian Ru Ning because she felt that even if she told her, it will only add anxiety. But it seemed she underestimated Lian Ru Ning. ¡°Oh? How did you arrive to that conclusion?¡± Hao Jian asked rhetorically without answering directly. ¡°If I were a person who has suffered an accident, there¡¯s a time frame that¡¯s best to be rescued. If I¡¯m not, then I can basically be declared dead. After the zombie virus broke out, there is also the best time to escape. Supermarkets will be robbed by others. When the things in the supermarket are completely plundered, no one will go to the supermarkets anymore and choose to hide in their homes. Can you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Very intuitive.¡± Lian Ru Ning breathed a sigh of relief. She realized that talking with Hao Jian was really easy and effortless, so she said, ¡°So, the best time to escape has passed and fewer people have fled compared to the past. Now, those who are staying in the city are in their homes, or somewhere else with no escape.¡± Hao Jian let out an ¡®um¡¯, and Lian Ru Ning became quiet. She had actually some guesses, but she didn¡¯t say it directly. The street lights on both sides of the county road in front of her suddenly dimmed, and Lian Ru Ning turned her head back. The lights behind her also gradually dimmed, until the little starlight was also extinguished. She mentioned it in her heart and quickly stared into the darkness, as if she wanted to see something inside. Hao Jian turned on the car lights. There was nothing in front of them, but the county road was quietly empty, not even a car. No one seemed to be a little embarrassed in this situation. Lian Ru Ning asked, ¡°Is it impossible for even the power supply bureau to support it?¡± Without electricity, they have to go back from the modern era to the stone age?! ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just that the power plant temporarily cut the power supply. As long as someone is there and the machine doesn¡¯t fail, the power supply will eventually be restored.¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t the communication bureau recover the signal?¡± Lian Ru Ning raised the phone. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised in this respect. You must know that once a serious incident breaks out, the relevant departments will take measures to curb the incident from continuing to ferment. At this time, it¡¯s necessary to block civil communication signals.¡± Lian Ru Ning put down the phone, wit a trace of disappointment. Through the car light, some vehicles parked crookedly on the road appeared ahead. It depends on the situation because a vehicle was driving inn the opposite direction and occupies a lane in the same direction of the city, resulting in a traffic accident. Because there is no traffic officers to handle these cars, they just pile up here, blocking the roads in both sides. Hao Jian had to slow down the car. After looking around, she turned the steering wheel and drove the car to the side of the field. At the end of the ridge are towering buildings, as if they have reached the center of the town. ¡°Ah-¡± Lian Ru Ning let out a soft cry in fright as she looked at the figures rushing towards this side, illuminated by the car¡¯s lights. Hao Jian furrowed her eyebrows, while driving cautiously, avoiding these figures with a reverse disk. It¡¯s just that they follow each other like a shadow, one or two desperately rushing over. ¡®Bang¡ª!¡¯ There was a violent impact, and there was the sound of a body falling to the ground. Hao Jian stepped on the brakes, raised her head and saw the figure climbing up and running towards them. ¡°That, that¡¯s a zombie!¡± Lian Ru Ning screamed. It was difficult to tell whether it was a person or a zombie in the dark with only the car lights, but after the impact, they still stood up like a lonely person, like a zombie. . . ¡®Bang¡ª!¡¯ Lian Ru Ning screamed again, only to see a pale face against the car window, their hands pressed against the car window and yelling at her. She hid back subconsciously, but the seat belt restricted her movement. She immediately released the seat belt and moved closer to Hao Jian. She leaned into Hao Jian¡¯s arms. Hao Jian took a deep breath and held the gear level with her right hand. She changed gears with difficulty and slammed on the accelerator, once again hitting the zombie in front of them and drove forward. The zombie pulled the door handle and suddenly opened a slit when the car was moving. Lian Ru Ning became even more frightened, clutching the door handle tightly and daring not to let it go, until the zombie was thrown away by the car and was left car behind. She rested her back on the chair with lingering fears. ¡°Even the town is so thrilling.¡± Lian Ru Ning commented while sweating. Hao Jian drove the car back to the road. The accident caused the blockage only on a short section of the road. After bypassing that section, they passed by the residential houses of the county, the situation here was better. Many cars were parked in front of the houses, but the road was very clean. But when they saw zombies wandering on the road, they didn¡¯t dare relax their guard. Suddenly, there were some abnormal noises in the car, like the car floor was being scratched by something. Looking at the group of zombies approaching them, Lian Ru Ning immediately asked. ¡°What was that sound?¡± CH 14 Hao Jian also wasn¡¯t sure, ¡°It may be that I bumped into those zombies just now, so some parts are damaged!¡± Lian Ru Ning suddenly felt lite it was going to be cold. Hao Jian sighed, ¡°Leave here first. Please pay attention to the door. It looks like the lock is a little broken even if it looks locked. Don¡¯t let the zombies open the door.¡± The car drove past long before the group of zombies cam around, but the movement of the car was too loud, and it felt that the zombies within a radius were all alarmed. Even if the car did not enter their field of vision, they all moved with the wind. However, zombies have no explosive power, and their speed is far less than half that of humans, and soon, they will no longer be able to see them. Even so, they also know that although zombies are not fast, they don¡¯t get tired and they will always chase the. Everyone knows what happened between the tortoise and the hare, and they will not become arrogant rabbits. The sound of the car is getting louder and louder, and the car was also slowing down. Hao Jian gritted her teeth and asked Lian Ru Ning to open her offline map to see if there was a suitable shelter nearby. ¡°There are town government office buildings, a health clinic, a bank, two elementary schools, and a middle school nearby.¡± ¡°Town government offices and health centers are not safe, but banks and schools are worth considering.¡± ¡°There are more residential houses and supermarkets near the bank.¡± Lian Ru Ning reminded Hao Jian that these types of places are the often filled with a lot of people, and it is also a place where zombies were most likely to wander. In comparison, elementary and middle school students would definitely choose to go home when the incident occurred, so there would be a lot fewer zombies left in schools. ¡°The neighborhood of the school id relatively remote.¡± Lian Ru Ning added. The town¡¯s school is not as good as the city¡¯s school. Generally, this type of school is relatively run-down and the students who attends are those from nearby villages, so it is not too big and the location is not very good. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Hao Jian said. She turned the car to the left and after passing by a dozen residential buildings on the side of the road, a building could be seen standing alone on the side of the field. There is an iron plate in front of it with the words ¡°Xinhe Primary School.¡± engraved on it. There is a building next to the school. According to its style, it looks like a small shop. On the right side of the school is a village road going deep and private houses. This elementary school looks a bit dilapidated, and even the iron gates are rusty and it looks like it hasn¡¯t been repaired for a long time. But the iron door was closed tightly and they didn¡¯t even know if it was locked. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and have a look, you can help pay attention to the situation.¡± Hao Jian grabbed the crowbar and the walkie-walkie before getting out of the car. Lian Ru Ning also got out of the car, holding a flashlight in her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Hao Jian thought for a while, but didn¡¯t refuse. She walked to the iron gate, touched the lock and found that it was locked. looking up above, the entrance of the school was around three meters high and the iron hate is more than two meters high. There are spikes on it to prevent people from climbing over. ¡°It was locked from the inside, there should be someone inside.¡± Hao Jian said. Lian Ru Ning glanced back at the roads and quiet houses that disappeared under the dark night filled with thick ink. She gritted her teeth and shouted inwardly, ¡°Is there anyone there?¡± ¡°Is there anyone. . . anyone. . . anyone. . .¡± Her voice echoed on the empty court and reverberated across the sky at the same time. Finally, there was some movement in the houses, but no one still came out. Hao Jian was taken aback by her shout but she didn¡¯t stop her either. She was instead paying attention to whether there were attracted zombies around. After a while, there was finally a slight movement in the school and they saw a beam of light dangling over. Lian Ru Ning shone the flashlight and saw a petite woman approaching cautiously. Suddenly, Hao Jian roared, ¡°Open the gate!¡± The woman was taken aback and immediately stopped. Lian Ru Ning was confused as to why Hao Jian was suddenly so anxious, but she saw Hao Jian biting the flashlight, raised the crowbar and waved it back. ¡®Ah. . .¡¯ The groan of the zombies sounded in her ears, and she got goosebumps all over her body. She couldn¡¯t help but knock on the gate quickly, ¡°Open the gate!¡± The woman was even more reluctant to open her eyes. Her eyes were on Hao Jian who was fighting with the zombies. She saw Hao Jian calmly knocking zombie heads like breaking watermelon. She felt her stomach churning and suddenly vomited. ¡°Open the door.¡± Hao Jian knocked on the iron gate with the crowbar when the woman vomited. She hesitated for a moment before coming over and open the gate for them. Hao Jian placed the bloody crowbar on the sink and cleaned it. Lian Ru Ning also washed her face with water on the side. The woman stood two meters away from them, looking at them warily. ¡°You can rest assured that we¡¯re not infected.¡± Lian Ru Ning explained. The woman was relieved when she heard Lian Ru Ning. ¡°By the way, my name is Lian Ru Ning, and she¡¯s Hao Jian. I haven¡¯t thanked you yet for opening the gate.¡± Lian Ru Ning said with a smile. ¡°I, my name is Xin Ting.¡± The woman responded weakly. Xin Ting was an intern teacher in the school. Because she was far away from home, she has always lived in the school¡¯s teacher dormitory. She had to stay in school on duty when the zombie virus broke out, so she was never aware of the situation outside. When she discovered the situation in hindsight, she had already missed the time to escape, so she could only continue to stay in school and wait for rescue. She knew the situation outside from Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mouth, and knew that the rescue might never come and suddenly felt a little disappointed. She had always been very timid and fearful. It¡¯s impossible for her to go home like Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning and go through the hordes of zombies. Thinking about it this way, she seems to be trapped here to die. ¡°Uuuuu. . .¡± Xin Ting¡¯s tears fell and Lian Ru Ning suddenly got a little flustered. She knew how it feels losing all hope, as if the whole world had collapsed. If she hadn¡¯t been obsessed with finding her family, she was afraid she would¡¯ve lived like a zombie. She wanted to persuade Xin Ting to cheer up but her timidity was rooted in her bones and she couldn¡¯t instigate Xin Ting to find a goal to live like she did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lian Ru Ning apologized in a low voice. She shouldn¡¯t have told Xin Ting this cruel fact. Xin Ting cried harder and harder. Lain Ru Ning panicked and wanted to ask Hao Jian for help, only to find that she had opened the front cover of the car and was focused on checking the car¡¯s condition. ¡°You can repair cars?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked in surprise. Hao Jian turned her head, ¡°No.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lain Ru Ning paused, erasing the thought of her asking help in comforting Xin Ting. It was impossible for Hao Jian not hearing Xin Ting¡¯s loud cry but she still pretended to fix the car without even knowing how to just so that she would not interfere with Xin Ting¡¯s affairs. Xin Ting heard Hao Jian¡¯s answer and replied weakly while sobbing, ¡°I, I can repair the car¡± Lian Ru Ning was so startled that she didn¡¯t speak for while. Xin Ting wiped away her tears and explained, ¡°Although I¡¯m a teacher, my family runs an auto repair shop. I learned some simple car repair skills.¡± ¡°Then we are really lucky!¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled. Xin Ting sobbed an walked to Hao Jian¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Can you help me?¡± Hao Jian nodded, raised the flashlight to help her with the light and explained the situation. Xin Ting first inspected the chassis and found no abnormalities, she then inspected various ball joints. After inspecting the balance bar connecting rod, she found that there was a problem with the shock absorber strut bearing. ¡°There¡¯s no new shock-absorbing strut bearing that can be used to replace but there is still no big problem with this amount of damage.¡± Xin Ting explained. Hao Jian scratched her head and said, ¡°As long as there is no major problem, let¡¯s go ahead!¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± Lian Ru Ning handed Xin Ting a water bottle to rink and she took it and smiled. ¡°By the way, have you eaten anything?¡± Lian Ru Ning took out the lunchbox that the You couple had packed for them from the car. Xin Ting looked at the lunchbox and swallowed imperceptibly. But her education told her, ¡°No, it¡¯s not easy to find something to eat at this time, eat it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an easy-to-preserve food, eat it before it rots away!¡± Hao Jian also said. Xin Ting took the lunch box hesitantly, looked at them again, and said. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together!¡± Neither Lian Ru Ning nor Hao Jian objected. They have consumed a lot of energy and needed a lot of energy after dinner. Although they were not hungry, they still have a lot of appetite. After eating their meals, Xin Ting glanced at her watch and found that it was already four o¡¯clock in the morning. However, Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian had taken a very short break so they listened to Xin Ting¡¯s suggestion to sleep first in the teacher¡¯s dormitory. Xinhe Primary School is not very big. It only has three-story teaching building, a basketball and a badminton court. Opposite the teaching building is a two-story teacher¡¯s dormitory with a total of seven or eight rooms. ¡°Usually they are assigned to teachers who live far away from here. They don¡¯t have much here but they didn¡¯t take away anything like mattresses when they left, so you can choose a room at will. Go and rest.¡± Lian Ru Ning wasn¡¯t as embarrassed, ¡°Where to sleep isn¡¯t important right now, but want to know if there¡¯s electricity and hot water. . .¡± Xin Ting understood that Lian Ru Ning was already sweating when she was just helping in looking at the car just now. If she didn¡¯t take a shower, she might smell in the morning. ¡°We have been out of power here, but power outages here are common and in order for daily teaching activities to carried out normally, our school owns a generator.¡± ¡°Forget it, if the generator makes too much noise, it will attract zombies.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. After Lian Ru Ning rubbed her body with cold water, she went to rest first. She and Hao Jian agreed to rest one at a time while the other watches the night, in case any zombies come over. She rested for four hours first, and the walkie-walkie was placed next to her pillow so that Hao Jian could wake her up at any time. When Hao Jian was patrolling around the school, she found several one-meter-long wooden sticks. She weighed them in her hand and found a kitchen knife. She sharpened one end of the stick and tried it on a basketball. It was very effective. Hearing the unusual sound of footsteps, Hao Jian became vigilant and aimed the wooden spear behind her. ¡°Ah!¡± Xin Ting exclaimed. If she got any closer, the spear would¡¯ve scratched her face. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Hao Jian withdrew the wooden spear. Her experience these past few days has made her nerves a little more sensitive and her movements sharper. ¡°You, why don¡¯t you rest?¡± Xin Ting was so scared that her heart was still thumping. ¡°I¡¯ll take a rest later,¡± Hao Jian said, and asked questioningly, ¡°On the contrary, how about you, why don¡¯t you take a rest?¡± ¡°I, I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Xin Ting took a deep breath. ¡°As soon as I close my eyes, I see students who just got back from their cleaning duties biting other children of the same age. At that time, the school was in chaos. A few students, teachers on duty. . . Everyone tried to flee desperately. The school that was already ruined became even more desolate after that. I¡¯m scared. . .¡± She wants to escape too, but where can she escape? She was assigned here for an internship. She was hundreds of miles away from home, without transportation, and it was very chaotic outside. How could she escape from here? ¡°Will you stay her too? It¡¯s safe here. There is a small shop at the door, and there¡¯s enough food to support us for a while. There are farmlands nearby and we can also pick some vegetables in the fields to eat.¡± Xin Ting was nervous, enough to make her suggestion. Hao Jian looked at her in silence for a while before saying, ¡°Lian Ru Ning is also scared.¡± Xin Ting looked at her in confusion, only to hear her continue saying, ¡°Lian Ru Ning is also afraid of all this, but she wants to go home and find her family, So even if she feels scared, she bravely stood up, went out, and head to the most dangerous place just for the obsession in her heart. It¡¯s normal to be afraid when you encounter such a thing. But if you shrink back because of fear and retreat blindly without a fight like that, might as well be dead.¡± Xin Ting shook her head and said, ¡°But you don¡¯t even know how terrible it is!¡± ¡°The worst thing that could happen is dying.¡± Hao Jian said lightly. ¡°Do you not cherish life so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t cherish life, but there are many ways to live. You can choose the one that you think is the most meaningful. I chose to leave with her, and it won¡¯t necessarily lead to the loss of my life. Just like if you stay here, it won¡¯t necessarily mean that you¡¯re safe.¡± Xin Ting couldn¡¯t understand, but after five hours, she soberly realized that Hao Jian was right. CH 15 After Lian Ru Ning woke up, she replaced Hao Jian so that she could rest and Xin Ting fell asleep because of sleepiness, but they didn¡¯t sleep for long because Lian Ru Ning had to wake them up. ¡°Zombies are chasing, it¡¯s time to go!¡± The sky was completely bright when Hao Jian slept, but their surroundings were quiet, there was no wind and even the grass and trees did not make a sound. Lian Ru Ning wanted to climb to the top of the teaching building to gain a broader view, but the door was locked so she could only wanted around the classrooms. Behind the teaching building is the township road, and on the edge of the township road are houses of three to four stories high. Lian Ru Ning suddenly found the shadow of zombies in a house on the third floor window. She panicked and forced herself to calm down. A zombie was dangling in the yard, and when it found Lian Ru Ning, it immediately made a sharp cry and slammed itself to the door like a blind person. Lian Ru Ning thought secretly, ¡®Oops!¡¯ She immediately turned and went downstairs to the school gates, looked around, and found that there was already a group of zombies wandering aimlessly in the distance. ¡°Hao Jian, Hao Jian!¡± She called through the intercom. Hao Jian opened her eyes suddenly and sat up from the bed. She took the walkie-talkie to confirm the situation and went to Xin Ting¡¯s room to call her. Xin Ting was also a bit sober and asked, ¡°Zombies found us?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long until they do. It will be difficult to leave the school by then.¡± Hao Jian said that once Xinhe Primary School that only has one entrance is surrounded by zombies, they can only be besieged to death! Xin Ting shook her head subconsciously, ¡°No, I won¡¯t go. We will die as soon as we go out!¡± ¡°But if you stay here, you will die.¡± Hao Jian was not good at persuading her, so she explained thoroughly, ¡°Zombies will surround this place soon. They could break through that rusty school gate or they can¡¯t, either way, you can¡¯t leave. You will only experience hunger over and over again. You will find that you will get hungrier day by day. In the end, the only thing you can do is open the door when you can¡¯t take the hunger anymore and let the zombies eat you.¡± ¡°Ah¨C¡± Xin Ting trembled just imagining the scene and she screamed. Hao Jian furrowed her eyebrows and covered her mouth after yelling for the first time, ¡°Do you want to die faster?!¡± Xin Ting was so frightened that tears burst out, she pushed Hao Jian away, ¡°Why do you care about me? Just leave by yourself. Just ignore me and don¡¯t tell me these things!¡± Hao Jian was slightly surprised. She thought that Xin Ting would complain and resent their presence that led to the current predicament, but Xin Ting was apparently timid but not unreasonable. Perhaps she knew that even if Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning did not show up, she would still face such dilemma, but it was because of her cowardice and her deceiving herself! ¡°Because you saved us.¡± Hao Jian replied. The voice of Lian Ru Ning came from the intercom. Hao Jian replied and grabbed Xin Ting¡¯s arm with a firm and determined tone, ¡°There¡¯s no time for you to keep hesitating. Pack up and follow us immediately!¡± Xin Ting wiped away her tears but they fell again. Although she was crying, she moved very orderly. She got up to find her duffel bag, put two sets of clothes in it and ran to the office to find a medicine box. In addition to gauze, the medicine box contained Chinese medicine, band-aids, alcohol, and disinfectant. Lian Ru Ning saw her appear with it and said, ¡°Now this is a vey precious resource.¡± ¡°The school is small and there are no medical personnel, so intern teachers like me also needs to learn basic first aid knowledge, and the medical kit is also in the office.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie, ¡°The door is about to open.¡± Lian Ru Ning stopped chatting with Xin Ting. According to Hao Jian¡¯s strategy, she was responsible for driving and Hao Jian was responsible for opening the gates. When driving, it was bound to make some noise and attract the group of zombies so she should quickly pick up Hao Jian at the school gate, then drive to the opposite direction from the group of zombies. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t want Hao Jian to do such a dangerous thing, but Hao Jian said, ¡°You have enough sleep. Don¡¯t stop after driving. Keep driving so that I can make up for the rest.¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that what she said was reasonable and couldn¡¯t refute it. Hao Jian grasped the crowbar in her hands and looked ahead. Because of the cry of the zombies in the residential building next door, the group of zombies wandering aimlessly noticed something and were not coming over. They obviously saw Hao Jian who was six hundred meters away, and after a strange cry, they speeded up their pace and rushed over. At this speed, it takes less than five minutes for zombies to rush to Hao Jian and kill her. Hao Jian¡¯s heartbeat suddenly sped up and urged, ¡°The zombies have come around, and there are four minutes to escape!¡± Lian Ru Ning was also very flustered, and at that moment, she found that the car wouldn¡¯t start! Her heart was beating wildly while trying to get the car to start. Seeing this, Xin Ting decisively got off the car and shouted from behind, ¡°I push, you continue to start!¡± Hao Jian also noticed something wrong, but she couldn¡¯t leave. Once the car still wouldn¡¯t start after four minutes, she had to close the gate. It¡¯s another matter in that case. Before she knew it, her hand that was holding the crowbar tightened until her knuckles turned white. ¡°System!¡± She couldn¡¯t help calling the system. ¡°What¡¯s the problem with the host?¡± The system¡¯s voice is always so calm and robotic. ¡°Are there any quick tasks to get us out of danger?¡± Hao Jian had to put her guard down from the system at this critical moment of life and death, and compromised. ¡°The main quest currently opened by the host is: ¡®Deliver Love Lian Ru Ning to Southern City.¡¯ Other than that, no quest has been received!¡± Hao Jian breathed, she never felt so depressed. Sure enough, this system cannot directly intervene in the situation. Seeing that the zombies rushed over and are already two or three hundred meters away, Hao Jian already prepared for the worst. Luckily, Lian Ru Ning finally started the car and shouted to Xin Ting, ¡°Get in the car!¡± Xin Ting quickly climbed into the back seat. Instead of closing the door, she let Lian Ru Ning step on the accelerator and rush forward. Hao Jian also opened the gate completely at that moment and the car rushed out of the school door dozens of meters away. Hao Jian ran over and entered through the open door. The moment Lian Ru Ning saw her sitting down, she immediately turned the steering wheel and turned the car to the opposite direction from which the zombies were chasing. Hao Jian took up the crowbar and closed the car door calmly. The zombies rushed in front of them with more than ten meters in distance. Xin Ting¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Quickly drive!¡± Lian Ru Ning is also very nervous, her palms are sweaty, but the more she experiences something like this, the less she panics. The incoming zombies had already rushed to the side of the car, causing it to make muffled sounds. Fortunately, the zombies didn¡¯t know how to open the door. Lian Ru Ning successfully drove the car away, and the zombies were also left behind. Xin Ting glanced from the rear window, turned her head and led out a sigh of relief. She found that her hands were shaking. She didn¡¯t even sweat in the scorching summer but she felt cold all over her body. The feeling of death is too terrible, but feeling that she was alive was also very wonderful! Lian Ru Ning drove the car and suddenly laughed. Xin Ting was surprised when she saw Lian Ru Ning smile and shed tears. She remembered Hao Jian¡¯s words, ¡°Lian Ru Ning is also afraid of all this, but she still faces it bravely even if she is afraid.¡± Lian Ru Ning was also scared, but she never thought of giving up, so they escaped. Xin Ting suddenly felt emotional. She looked at Hao Jian gratefully, only to find that Hao Jian was silent while pursing her lips, her body was so sweaty, soaking her clothes. Despite being calm, Hao Jian would also feel scared, but she also never thought of dying in vain. She was responsible for every decision she makes. She has the confidence to live, so she will not think about the outcome of death. Suddenly, Xin Ting felt that with two partners like this, she had no reason to back down even if she was afraid. On the bumpy county dirt road, a half-worn car was passing through. There was a crack in its windshield and irregular bloodstains on the front cover. When Lian Ru Ning tried to stabilize her emotions, she ran into a zombie again, and the zombie hit the windshield that caused the glass that had suffered multiple impacts already, crack, as if a few more impacts will shatter it. Hao Jian was sitting in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, and Xin Ting fell asleep in the back seat because of fatigue. Even without a map¡¯s guidance, Lian Ru Ning still found a provincial highway according to the signs and drove in the direction of Nanfang city. In the face of this crisis, she knew that she would never give up the decision to return to Southern City to find her family. She was also very grateful to Hao Jian, who accompanied her through these dangers. At this time, Hao Jian was communicating with the system and the system¡¯s non-interference policy with reality made it very clear to her that she will not have any advantage in their situation of survival during the apocalypse. However, the system said, ¡®The idea of the host is not completely correct. The reason for the emergence of the doomsday survival system is to provide the host with the opportunity to survive. As long as the host completes tasks and collect achievements in accordance with the requirements of the system, there is a chance to gain more help. .¡± After all, the system did not provide her with more information because of her incomplete trust, so the system took measures to induce her into following the requirements of the system while attacking her. Hao Jian does not regret her skeptical attitude towards the system. If she blindly believed in the system and the system uses her to achieve some unknown purpose, wouldn¡¯t she regret it for life? Hao Jian¡¯s heart had already begun to shake, so the system continued, ¡°As long as the host completes the tasks and raises experience levels, she will gain more permissions, which is more conducive to the host¡¯s survival.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already take the task?¡± Hao Jian was quite speechless. ¡°That is the main quest 1. If the host is willing, you can also start side quests, daily quests, and reward quests. . .¡± Hao Jian gritted her teeth, ¡°Then, when I asked you if there are available tasks, why did you say no?¡± ¡°The words the host used when asking were ¡®quick mission¡¯ and ¡®out of danger¡¯. When the level of the host is not up to the requirements, the tasks and conveniences of the relevant permissions will not be activated. The host¡¯s problem is determined to be unqualified after analysis, so there was no corresponding tasks to provide!¡± The system justified. ¡°Your system is. . . very technical.¡± ¡°The host is also very pragmatic.¡± Hao Jian had no temper, ¡°Then I would like to ask the System Version 2018, aside from the main quest 1, are there any tasks that I can complete at present?¡± The system searched for a moment and said, ¡°The current host¡¯s level is too low. If the host wants to upgrade quickly, she can choose the ¡®Affection Task¡¯.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I complete the ¡®Affection Task¡¯?¡± Hao Jian still remembers her three confessions! ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Bind Affection Task¡¯, and it¡¯s just a prelude to the ¡®Affection Task¡¯.¡± Hao Jian was speechless for a while and then asked, ¡°What are these ¡®Affection Tasks¡¯?¡± ¡°There are two kinds of ¡®Affection Tasks¡¯, one is to kiss your partner, which gains 1 experience and 5 points each time. The other is to have sex with your partner, which gains 20 experience and 200 points every time.¡± What Hao Jian first thought of was not the absurdity of the task, but the difference in rewards between these two tasks, ¡°Your rewards have a huge gap, did you deliberately lure us to the last step?!¡± ¡°The tasks are issued by the central system and not determined by host systems.¡± The system said it was innocent. Hao Jian took a look at her experience and points. in the early morning, she killed a zombie, so there was a corresponding bonus point and the number of survival days also added a basic point. Overall, she had 39 experience, and 25 points. Upgrading to level 2 requires 100 experience. If she doesn¡¯t kill zombies and complete the task, it will take her 61 days to gather all the experience. This system. . . Isn¡¯t it enough to let me confess to Lian Ru Ning?! CH 16 From the usual ten-hour driving distance, it took them 26 hours to drive and walked one-third of the distance they covered. But as time passed, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart became more and more anxious. The chaotic period has passed, but a more dangerous period has arrived. Those who survived will face competition for food and resources, even to the point of killing each other. If her family survived by chance, will they be able to save their lives in the face of such a predicament? When the gas station appeared within their sight, they were finally able to take a breath of air-conditioning, the gas station is wonderful! Xin Ting seemed to be relieved and nodded hurriedly. Although Lian Ru Ning is also very nervous, she and Hao Jian have faced this situation too many times in the past two days. Although she really wants to survive, she is prepared to fight without fearing death, so she can bravely stand up and fight side by side with Hao Jian. As for Hao Jian, who had already killed many zombies, she became more and more comfortable with it, from being forced to adapting the situation. She sometimes paralyzes herself and thinks that she is playing a game, so that her adrenal glands will rise, making her bolder. As soon as Hao Jian stepped on the gas pedal, she controlled the speed and rushed directly towards the two zombies in front of them. With a ¡®bang¡¯, a male zombie was quickly caught under the wheel by her, and the other zombie was knocked a few meters away between two scrap cars. She then slowed down and crushed a thinner zombie, hit the brakes, grabbed the crowbar, opened the door and went out of the car, and hit the zombie behind her back and the rising zombies with all her strength. Hao Jian¡¯s actions had been rehearsed many times in her heart, and she did not panic at all. The male zombie was hit by her and hit the rear of the car directly. Although his body had deformed in many places, he felt no pain at all and struggled to rush towards Hao Jian. ¡®Pop!¡¯ Hao Jian¡¯s crowbar was already handy, hitting the zombie¡¯s forehead directly, that caused a missing skull. Xin Ting was so scared that she stayed in the car and didn¡¯t dare to move, until the glass window was smashed by the zombie¡¯s head and some blood stained the window glass. She was so frightened that she used a baseball bat to hit it desperately, screaming, ¡°Ah. Ahhh!¡± The zombie¡¯s head was pushed out of the car window by her baseball bat and there was no movement for a while. She opened her eyes a little and found that Hao Jian looked at her with a faint smile, ¡°You call it again, it¡¯s not just these five zombies.¡± Xin Ting closed her mouth immediately, Hao Jian didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to her, but turned to look at Lian Ru Ning. When Hao Jian crushed the thin zombies under the wheels, it still did not forget to reach out and grab Hao Jian, but he was too far away to reach her. At this time, Lian Ru Ning also plucked up the courage to open the car door and saw that a zombie hand was grabbing her. She slashed it with a knife in a hurry and removed the zombie arm like a carrot. The zombie arm was very fragile, but she didn¡¯t have time to think about it, so she endured the nausea and killed the zombie completely. The blood of the zombie can no longer flow so even if she uses cruel methods, no blood will splash on her body. The moment she looked up, she also found that Hao Jian had killed the male zombie, while Xin Ting seemed to be screaming without noticing it. She looked around nervously, except that the zombie stuck between the waste cars struggled more violently, and the other two zombies that were about to run towards them. No new zombies were found. ¡°When you solve the two zombies, be careful.¡± Hao Jian said to Lian Ru Ning. ¡°You too.¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded, she still had confidence in Hao Jian. The two rushed in one after the other. Hao Jian¡¯s movements became more and more flexible, and the quasi-center of the hitting direction became more and more precise. With Lian Ru Ning killed another zombie next to her, she can also deal with the zombie in front of her with no distraction. After fighting for a while, the two zombies also fell down. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning rested for a while then walked towards the stuck zombie. . . They can¡¯t leave the zombie and not deal with it. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m really useless.¡± At the gas station, Lian Ru Ning found a faucet, and when it was opened, there was still clear water. She washed her hands and cleaned up the blood on the knife, while Hao Jian was doing something else, Xin Ting walked to Lian Ru Ning¡¯s side and apologized for what happened just now. When Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were solving the remaining two zombies, she got out of the car and failed to complete the task Hao Jian gave her. Although they did no blame her at the time, she felt very guilty after seeing them fighting. ¡°Not everyone is born to be like this.¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled slightly, ¡°There were still living people forty-eight hours or twenty-four hours ago. Even if they have become zombies, if they attack us, it is also very difficult to kill them.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t even follow and help you.¡± ¡°You have only been out with us for a short time, so you are still not used to it. After a few days, when you figure it out, you won¡¯t be afraid anymore.¡± Xin Ting wanted to say something and heard a ¡®clam¡¯ from the gas station, like a crash of a gas gun being thrown into the ground for no reason. ¡°Hao Jian!¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart jumped, grabbing a knife and rushing over. After passing the waste cars and their sight not obstructed, she saw two men; one holding a knife and the other holding an axe, each placed on Hao Jian¡¯s neck, while Hao Jian had raised both her hands in a surrender. Hearing the voice of Lian Ru Ning, the two men looked at each other and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want your partner to have trouble, put the knife down and come over!¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hear tightened. After looking at the expressionless Hao Jian and tangles in her heart, she chose to put the knife down and walked towards them. Many bad thoughts flashed in her mind, especially after she and Hao Jian had encountered people who were unkind to them. And between hers and Hao Jian¡¯s life or keeping her virginity, she chose the former. Even if they only knew each other for only three days, she could no longer do such a selfish thing like abandoning Hao Jian for her own safety. ¡°And you!¡± The two men looked at Xin Ting who was behind fiercely, Xin Ting didn¡¯t know where the two people come from and she had never experienced what Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning experienced before, so she wasn¡¯t as worried as Lian Ru Ning was in her heart. She thought that the other side was discussing whether they were humans or zombies. Seeing that they were following obediently, the two men breathed a sigh of relief. The man with the knife released Hao Jian and turned to Lian Ru Ning. He motioned to Lian Ru Ning and said, ¡°Behave and follow us in.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s body was sweaty and her heart pounding, Where do they want them to go in? Are they going to do something? CH 17 This seemingly abandoned gas station convenience store was bigger than the one in Hao¡¯s last time. It had accumulated a lot of garbage and the air was filled with manure that one could almost taste it. The glass walls also had dirty water stains. When looking from the outside, the place looks abandoned and ordinary people would not try to get any resources from here. Hao Jian was held by the men and found that there were several old and young women behind the cargo shelves that stacked a lot of paper boxes and bottle cans. The old woman has a lot of white hair, the young woman looked twenty-five or six years old wearing a ponytail. Their eyes were filled with caution and tension. There was also a little girl about five years old and a little bot about three years old, shrinking in the arms of the two women, quietly watching the new faces appearing. Lian Ru Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relied. She thought that they had encountered people who were trying to take advantage of them. The presence of these young and old people here meant that these people were most likely to be a family. There¡¯s a very small probability that those who have families are wicked people. ¡°Ai Chang- ¡± The old woman opened her mouth. The man holding an ax pushed Hao Jian in front of him, making her stagger a few steps forward to stabilize her figure in the empty space between the man and old woman. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting received similar treatments. The three women without self-defense weapons watched the group vigilantly, wondering what to do next. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re fine, the zombies outside have been cleaned up.¡± Li Chang said, his face couldn¡¯t help but show a smile. Seeing this, Lian Ru Ning hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you residents in this neighborhood? If you¡¯re avoiding zombies, why are we kidnapped?¡± The man with the knife put his weapon away, changed his ferocious face earlier and said with a smile, ¡°This is also compelling. With your skills, if you don¡¯t cooperate with us, wouldn¡¯t you beat us up instead? There are many unknown dangers lurking, so we had to take you in first.¡± Upon hearing this, Lian Ru Ning finally let go of the boulder in her heart. Xin Ting¡¯s nose was sore and she almost cried again. She wiped her eyes and said, ¡°You scared us to death. I thought I was robbed!¡± Only Hao Jian frowned and said nothing. Lian Ru Ning glanced at her and was about to ask her what was wrong, but was interrupted by the old woman. ¡°Just clean it up, my dear grandchildren no need to be afraid.¡± The old woman hugged the two children and coaxed them. ¡°By the way, my name is Li Ge, this is my mother and my brother Li Chang, my wife Liu Shu and two children. I see that you can handle five zombies with ease. Have you trained?¡± The man with the knife walked to the shelf on the side, took out a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and handed it to Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning took the water but did not drink it immediately, instead she replied, ¡°My name is Lian Ru Ning. These are my two friends, Hao Jian and Xin Ting. This happened so suddenly, how could we have been effective? Training is nothing more than meeting more zombies and figuring out a little way to survive.¡± ¡°Then what did you do before?¡± Li Chang asked again. ¡°I¨C ¡± Lian Ru Ning was about to answer smoothly, but Hao Jian rushed in front of her and answered, ¡°We are students and we went out to participate in the summer camp. We happened to encounter these things on the way back.¡± Both Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting glanced at Hao Jian, but didn¡¯t object the stage she set. Li Chang and Li Ge exchanged glances, both of their eyebrows were loosened. Li Chang looked at Lian Ru Ning and said with a smile, ¡°Then you are so courageous! Hey, sit down and drink some water. We just want to ask you about it, the situation outside.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside. We were attacked when we came out of the summer camp. We thought that the people were in a bad condition and ran away. Almost all the roads here were blocked by cars. How about you? It¡¯s easy to come here. What¡¯s the situation here?¡± Hao Jian asked. Li Chang patted his thigh, his face a little sad, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. A few days ago, the group suddenly said that an infectious disease had broken out, so we hurriedly hid in a county with a few people. We thought again and ignored the rumors, but two days ago things went wrong¨C ¡° Li Ge was silent for a while before he took over Li Chang¡¯s words, ¡°My dad was bitten when he went out. We saw it with out own eyes. If it weren¡¯t for the warnings form our group of friends, we would rush to fight the zombies who bit my dad.¡± ¡°We found that the outside world has changed, so we hurriedly took my mother and daughter-in-law and children back to the county, but it was too late. We had no food or a car. Where could we go? We just found out. Once there was no one here, we settled down and then I found you are here.¡± After listening to them, Xin Ting felt sympathetic. After all, she had to escape until there was no other way. She persuaded them with the same feelings to those who came here, ¡°But they won¡¯t stay away for long. Sooner or later, they will get hungry and we don¡¯t know when the zombies will gather here again and you won¡¯t be able to leave when you have to go. . .¡± Li Ge shook his head, ¡°Affected by rumors, many people have dragged their families back to the countryside and some people have passed by before and they have killed many zombies, so it¡¯s relatively safe here.¡± At this time, a tender voice sounded crisply, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so hungry.¡± The sound attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Liu Shu held the five-year-old girl, opened the tattered cardboard box from a corner and took out a bread and a bottle of water and handed them to the little girl. Li Ge touched his head whose hair was only inches long, and asked Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Have you had lunch? Is there anything to eat in the car?¡± Lian Ru Ning shook her head. In reality, since dinner last night, she hasn¡¯t eaten anything except for a drink. She is already so hungry that her chest is pressed against her back. If there are zombies coming later, she can¡¯t guarantee that she will still be able to take a knife against them. Li Ge glanced at Li Chang and took out two packs of biscuits from the side and gave it to them, ¡°We don¡¯t have much food anymore. You can eat these as cushion for your stomachs!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Lian Ru Ning took the cookies and gave one to Hao Jian, but Hao Jian held her belly and waved her hands. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Ge noticed her strangeness and asked hurriedly. Hao Jian asked, ¡°Is there a restroom here?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s next to that utility room.¡¯ Li Ge pointed outside. The toiled and utility room of this gas station are separated from the convenience store, about ten meters apart. Normally, this distance is not far, but now in this extraordinary period, no one knows if they will encounter zombies after going out. After the Li family came here, it was much better to hide in the corner. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the bathroom.¡± Hao Jian got up and Li Chang stopped her. Hao Jian looked at him strangely, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for you to go by yourself, shall I go with you?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s face changed. She looked outside for a while and said. ¡°There are no zombies outside. I will take care of the physiological problem and come back. You- ¡° She didn¡¯t say the rest, but anyone could guess what she meant. After all, it was too abrupt for Li Chang to do this. Li Ge touched Li Chang¡¯s arm, the latter also reflected and did not explain. Lian Ru Ning felt that Hao Jian¡¯s reaction was a little weird. If she still couldn¡¯t respond, they would probably be wasting a few days. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany her. After all, there are some things that are better for girls to solve.¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not good!¡± Li Chang stared at Lian Ru Ning, she was uncomfortable with this look. ¡°Why is it bad?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked rhetorically. Li Ge smiled and pulled Li Chang aside, ¡°We¡¯ll just help by looking after her from here. If you don¡¯t need to go to the bathroom, you can eat something to fill your stomach first!¡± Li Chang¡¯s gaze fell on Xin Ting who was eating and nodded, giving way to Hao Jian ang Lian Ru Ning. At the moments when Hao Jian stepped into the bathroom, Lian Ru Ning heard a soft voice saying, ¡°Be Careful.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart suddenly lit up. The moment Hao Jian asked her to go out, she had already guessed something but she didn¡¯t know what it was, so she wanted to ask Hao Jain for verification. The bathroom door wasn¡¯t closed tightly. Lian Ru Ning stood outside, listening to the sounds coming from the crack of the door. ¡°You really deserve to be innocent college students, you were fooled so easily.¡± Hao Jian said coldly. Lian Ru Ning curled her lips, ¡°How did you find the strange thing?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for our weapons that were still on the ground after we were kidnapped and have not been recovered, I would¡¯ve believed them that they kidnapped us and brought to the convenience store for safety reasons.¡± Lian Ru Ning widened her eyes, yes, their weapons were a threat and thrown away and they have not been recovered! ¡°Secondly, don¡¯t you think their combination is weird?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep guessing, we¡¯re running out of time and if we don¡¯t go back soon, they¡¯ll have doubts.¡± ¡°Li Chang is Li Ge¡¯s brother. He seems to be thirty. According to them, these two brothers live with their parents right? Besides, Li Chang never said that he was already married, he is very likely to be a bachelor.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s voice paused, ¡°Although maliciously speculating that an older leftover man is not friendly, in this world of moral loss, I don¡¯t have much kindness to them. So I¡¯ll just say it straight. Li Chang¡¯s eyes is always leaning towards you, he has targeted you. In order to reduce out guard, he deliberately pretended to be very kind.¡± Goose bumps covered Lian Ru Ning¡¯s entire body, ¡°No, if he¡¯s interested in me, why didn¡¯t he resort to coercive means?¡± ¡°Their family is there and we¡¯re three people, can he force it? So I guess he must first imprison us and control us, and when we have no more room to resist, he will brainwash you and let you follow him with all your heart. In addition, they saw that our combat effectiveness was okay, so they moved to use our minds!¡± Hao Jian wasn¡¯t finished speaking, ¡°I just found out that Li Ge brought you water from the shelf and I didn¡¯t hear the sound of unscrewing a fresh bottle, so the bottle of water is most likely opened. His child was hungry but Liu Shu took out the food from under the covered cardboard boxes, not the food on the shelves that were within reach. . . ¡± Speaking of this, Lian Ru Ning still didn¡¯t understand what was going on. She glanced at the convenience store, only to find that Li Chang¡¯s deep eyes were staring at her. She was so scared that her whole body shivered. ¡°I said that we are college students so that should¡¯ve lowered their guard, but it won¡¯t last long so we have to find a way.¡± CH 18 Li Chang walked out of the convenience store with the axe in his hand and walked to the bathroom. He was about to call Hao Jian, but her heard the door behind him open, and Hao Jian hooked her shoulders and lightly said, ¡°There¡¯s food in it.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s expression did not change and raised her hand to support Hao Jian¡¯s waist. There was a hyena approaching so she didn¡¯t have time to admire Hao Jian¡¯s thin waist. She asked, ¡°Are you having dysmenorrhea?¡± Hao Jian nodded, and Lian Ru Ning replied, ¡°Then go back and rest!¡± Li Chang paused, his eyes narrowed slightly and slowed down his pace. ¡°Brother Li, why did you come out?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked around nervously, ¡°Is there anything unusual?¡± Li Chang smiled slightly, ¡°No. You guys didn¡¯t come back after a long time so I was worried about you and came out. Is she okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that time of the month, Brother Li stop asking.¡± Li Chang said, ¡°Oh¡± and went back to the convenience store with them. Seeing that Hao Jian seemed uncomfortable, Xin Ting came over to care for her. Li Ge gave Hao Jian a bottle of water and said, ¡°If you feel uncomfortable, take a drink!¡± Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°She shouldn¡¯t drink cold water for now.¡± Liu Shu also knew what was going on, so she said her first sentence after all this time, ¡°There¡¯s an electric kettle here, let me boil you some water!¡± ¡°Is there still electricity here?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as Liu Shu left, the three-year-old boy was about to make trouble and Old Lady Li hurriedly pulled him to coax, ¡°Don¡¯t cry or yell, otherwise the zombies will come to catch you!¡± ¡°Mom, that¡¯s a zombie!¡± Li Ge corrected her while tearing the dried meat in his hand into strips before handing them to Old Lady Li. Xin Ting said, ¡°Second Brother Li, you¡¯re so filial!¡± Li Ge smiled, ¡°This is my biological mother. My father is gone. Neither I nor my brother can leave her alone.¡± He glanced at Hao Jian who was lying on the ground and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat something first?¡± Hao Jian slightly opened her eyelids and weakly said, ¡°No, no appetite.¡± Li Chang pursed his lips, ¡°Does it really hurt?¡± ¡°You men don¡¯t understand. If it hurts, you really lose your strength that you just want to faint.¡± Xin Ting said, Lian Ru Ning also echoes, and Liu Shu seemed to feel the same. Seeing that they were all talking, Li Chang and Li Ge didn¡¯t say anything, but persuaded Lian Ru Ning to eat something. She also used the excuse to go to the bathroom, but because Hao Jian and Xin Ting were both there, they didn¡¯t doubt her anymore. But Li Chang still went with Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning closed the bathroom door tightly. It wasn¡¯t as messy as she imagined, but there were yellow stains on the bottom of the water pipe. There is a bucket inside with some mosquitoes flying over it. She looked around inside, suspecting that she had heard it wrong, otherwise Hao Jian would never have said that there was food here. In fact, she asked her to come in and eat, right? But soon she saw a rice ball in the exhaust fan. After she removed the cover, she was worried that Li Chang would hear it, so she turned on the tap to cover up the sounds of her eating. However, where did Hao Jian get the rice ball? Is it possible that she secretly picked it up in the convenience store just now? She didn¡¯t think so much, this rice ball is bigger than her palm is enough to fill her stomach. She will find an excuse to push away the suspicious food later. As for Xin Ting, Hao Jian said that their target is her so they should not attack Xin Ting who has eaten their food for the time being. This day is probably one of the most memorable moments in her life. After all, this is her first time to eat in the bathroom in her life. She may have nightmares about it in the future! Li Chang wasn¡¯t suspicious when Lian Ru Ning hadn¡¯t come out for a long time. After all, he had also seen a woman who hadn¡¯t come out after entering the toilet for half an hour, but he still mumbled, ¡°Women take too long in the bathroom!¡± when he finished muttering, Lian Ru Ning had eaten the rice ball and came out. She rinsed her mouth with water before she went out. but Li Chang didn¡¯t notice anything strange. ¡°There are zombies, let¡¯s go back!¡± Li Chang saw a few zombies gather from a hundred meters away. He was so scared that he quickly pulled Lian Ru Ning and returned to the convenience store. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Ge hurriedly asked, who got anxious by their actions. ¡°Zombies are coming around again.¡± Li Chang was a little anxious. Lian Ru Ning took the opportunity to say, ¡°Why don¡¯t we run away before the zombies chase us?¡± Li Chang retorted without thinking, ¡°No!¡± Lian Ru Ning deliberately looked at them suspiciously, ¡°Then, let¡¯s calm down and exchange what we learned about the zombies?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you face them just now?¡± Li Ge was confused. Lian Ru Ning sat with her legs crossed next to Hao Jian, secretly rolled her eyes, and said, ¡°I just asked about the outside situation. With so many of us trapped in here, we have to do well if we want to be safe. We need to get to know the zombies, and then formulate countermeasures, otherwise we¡¯ll just wait for death here, right?¡± Li Chang and Li Ge exchanged glances, Li Ge nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, how much do you know?¡± Lian Ru Ning thought that this person wasn¡¯t stupid, he was smart. He knew that getting her to talk first was the right move. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t care and answered, ¡°What do these zombies use to find living things is something we don¡¯t understand yet. For example, before we alarm them, they will only wander aimlessly, but they will come closer and closer to us. They won¡¯t aim directly at us until they make a move.¡± ¡°So hiding here is not a long-term solution.¡± Hao Jian also added weakly, After listening to them, Li Ge frowned and started thinking, but Li Chang smiled, ¡°You college students have good brains!¡± Li Ge ignored his brother and asked, ¡°You have beaten a lot of zombies on the way here, have you discovered any of their weaknesses?¡± ¡°When I watched TV, it said that their weakness lies in their brains so I killed two zombies along the way by attacking their brains. Also, don¡¯t get scratched or bitten by them, or you will get infected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar to what we know.¡± Li Ge said. Lian Ru Ning suddenly slapped her thigh and said, ¡°Oh, our weapons are still out there. If there are zombies coming to attack later, what should we do?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here, what are you afraid of?!¡± Li Chang smiled again, but for Lian Ru Ning, his smile is very annoying! If they had the courage to deal with zombies, they would not hide here. They¡¯re here to blackmail. Lian Ru Ning had seen through them, She was already half-believing Hao Jian¡¯s words, but now, although Hao Jian was only a few years older than her, she understands them very well. Thinking about this, Lian Ru Ning was a little confused. Why is it that even though life and death have come, these people still have the mind to do evil? What Hao Jian said in the bathroom echoed in her ears, ¡®Everyone has evil thought in their hearts, but they are usually restrained by morals and laws so they are hidden. Now that the law has lost its binding force, those evil thoughts will rise again and they will do things they didn¡¯t dare to do but want to.¡¯ Li Chang approached Lian Ru Ning and asked with a smile, ¡°Little Sister Lian, do you have a boyfriend?¡± The way Li Chang and Li Ge looked at Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian has become obvious that even Xin Ting noticed something wrong. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heartbeat accelerated sharply. She knew that Li Chang was about to stretch his claws. With this in mind, she must not let him see the strangeness, so she pretended to be said and said, ¡°Yes, but I lost contact with him. I would have listened to him when he said not to attend summer camp if I knew.¡± Li Chang pursed his lips and was about to say something, but Old Lady Li patted him, ¡°Chang, don¡¯t stay here, go and check outside!¡± Li Chang wasn¡¯t satisfied, but he had to listen to Old Lady Li¡¯s words. He took his axe and went to the door with Li Ge to pay attention to the movements outside. Li Ge whispered to him, ¡°Brother, take your time. They haven¡¯t understood the current situation. After they know how good you are, they will take the initiative and give you a hug,¡± What the brothers didn¡¯t know was that, while they were muttering with each other, Lian Ru Ning was chatting with Old Lady Li. Old Lady Li and her husband originally lived in the countryside, but Li Ge and his wife were busy with work and no one left to care for their children, so they moved here. Originally, after her wife had an accident, they were going to move the family back to the countryside, but while they were with their family, chaos occurred. If they went back, they didn¡¯t know how dangerous it would be, but if they didn¡¯t, the nearby residential buildings are already besieged by zombies, and sooner or later they will run out of ammunition and food. It happened that Li Chang wanted to come here to see if there was any food. After picking the lock, he felt that they could hide here, so he brought them over. They have stayed here for almost three days. At the beginning, they also attracted zombies because of their children¡¯s crying, but because of the movement caused by people passing by outside, they attracted most of the zombies away, and the rest were all killed by the Li brothers. Before Hao Jian and the others came, they hid inside and never went out. The children also learned to behave and stopped making noises. If it weren¡¯t for Hao Jian and her group, they might just lock themselves inside and never go out. Old Lady Li whispered to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°A-Chang has been working in the auto repair shop all the time, and the money is sent back to us elders for retirement, so that¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t found a girlfriend in his 30s. Ah, you see, it¡¯s so dangerous outside. Why don¡¯t you stay with us? A-Chang will protect you.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s face went green, but she thought that Old Lady Li is a kind hearted person, but she was also a sly raccoon! Xin Ting widened her eyes when she heard their attempts. She was about to speak when she saw the cold and clear eyes cast by Hao Jian. Hao Jian is alright?! Now Xin Ting has finally figured it out. It turns out that these people are really not good people, but she just let go of her guard! Thinking of human traffickers who were abducting women and children, she became so angry and frightened that she shuddered all over. What was more terrifying than the zombies outside are people who take advantage of the chaos! ¡°I don¡¯t need protection from others, I can protect myself.¡± Now that Old Lady Li has revealed it, Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t need to pretend to be ignorant anymore and made her attitude clear. Hearing what was happening back there, Li Chang also knew what happened. He was a little embarrassed and a bit annoyed that his mother figured out what was in his mind. Hao Jian spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Listen to what I¡¯m about to say. We won¡¯t stay here for long. We should have left as soon as there were no zombies. Now that the zombies are here, it will be difficult to leave. Full of heat, lust, and desire, are you that thirsty? You actually still have the heart to think about these?¡± Li Chang was irritated by her words that he was about to go over with his axe, but before he could, Hao Jian sat up and placed the blade of her Swiss army knife on Old Lady Li¡¯s neck. CH 19 Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian looked at each other and had a tacit understanding. She quickly leaned on Hao Jian¡¯s back to prevent Liu Shu from making any movements. Although Xin Ting hasn¡¯t fully figured out what happened, she naturally believed in Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning more than a stranger. She also grabbed some debris in her hand as a self-defense weapon. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Li Chang called out angrily even if he stopped. Li Ge also came back to his senses. Seeing that his own mother was being held hostage by Hao Jian, he was anxious and angry, and said, ¡°There are zombies outside, are you sure you want to fight with us here?¡± They didn¡¯t know when Hao Jian saw through their plans, but they guessed that Hao Jian has been pretending to be weak just to let them relax their guards and focus on others to give her a chance and secretly use her Swiss Army knife. This multi-functional Swiss Army knife is sold in convenience stores. They only took two. He has one while the other was in Liu Shu¡¯s hand. Thinking about is, he looked at Liu Shu. The latter was also at a loss. She touched her pocket and found it empty. It was obviously stolen when she brought Hao Jian water to drink. Hao Jian sneered, ¡°Heh, did you even have any plans to let us live? If you think about it, I doubt you will always keep us under your control.¡± Although she found through observation that the brothers were indeed filial, the reason why she chose Old Lady Li as a hostage instead of the children to keep the brothers from moving, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t last long. She had to look around and listen intently to their surroundings to figure out their best escape route. ¡°What are you saying?! Let go of my mother!¡± Li Ge shouted. ¡°Okay, you go out and kill the zombies outside, then I will let her go.¡± Li Chang approached them again with an axe, ¡°I don¡¯t think she has the guts to make a move on mother!¡± Suddenly, Old Lady Li wailed. There was a trace of blood coming out of her neck. Li Chang¡¯s eyes were red and stared at Hao Jian angrily and sullenly. Hao Jian looked at him blankly. At this moment, in her mind, the system seemed to be a little excited, ¡°Does the host want to kill? Killing humans will gain you 10 experience and 200 points! The host just exchanged a rice ball and a pack of compression. The cookie cost 15 points, and you only have 10 points left. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider adding more points?¡± Hao Jian ignored the system, but for a moment, she really wanted to poke hard and cut off the beating artery. The sharp point of the knife looked like it was about to pierce Old Lady Li¡¯s neck. Li Chang and Li Ge were anxious, they didn¡¯t dare look away at this innocent-looking woman. ¡°What do you want? I promise I won¡¯t move anymore!¡± Lian Ru Ning touched the goose bumps on her arm and said, ¡°Unless you bring out weapons back, we will all die together!¡± Li Chang and Li Ge both hesitated, there are zombies outside, can they go out? Going out is not a dead end! ¡°What the hell do you think we are? We really didn¡¯t intend to hurt you!¡± Li Chang¡¯s shoulders began to slump to try and gain sympathy from Li Ru Ning, ¡°You¡¯re only three girls and no men, you have no power to bind chickens. It¡¯s hard to survive without protection. Why don¡¯t you stay with us? Isn¡¯t it good for everyone to take care of each other?¡± Lian Ru Ning used to be a kind person, but she was not ignorant. Obviously Li Chen thought that she was a simple student who had never left school. ¡°No wonder you are in your thirties and don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± Hao Jian twitched, ¡°What makes you think that we can only rely on men to protect us?¡± Self-proclaimed timid Xin Ting also interrupted when she heard the words, ¡°That. . . We solved five zombies with out own ability. If it weren¡¯t for you, we might have already continued on our way.¡± ¡°And your original plan was, even if you want to leave here, you will find a woman for Li Chang first then go back to the countryside. So what, when you die you will have no regrets? There are people who think like you, and I¡¯ve seen worse.¡± The knuckled of Li Chang holding the handle of the axe were all white, and he really wanted to kill Hao Jian. Originally, what he was after was Lian Ru Ning, so he would not care about the life or death of the other two. Hao Jian is too stubborn to control while Xin Ting is too cowardly and will only hinder them. Only Lian Ru Ning, who not only looks beautiful and isn¡¯t afraid of zombies, but also doesn¡¯t have the ability to resist him. But now their plans were exposed, he wondered if he was going to abandon his mother¡¯s old life. However, thinking about Hao Jian¡¯s fierceness, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t bring in zombies and have a fight-to-the-death with them. ¡°Why do you have to go to Southern City? The estimated population there is tens of millions. The zombies must be much more there. If you go, you¡¯ll be sheep heading straight to the tiger¡¯s den!¡± Li Ge is still helping Li Chang persuade them. Li Ge knew that they were going to Southern City because he inquired Xin Ting. Of course Xin Ting didn¡¯t know much about Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian, so she didn¡¯t say much. Hao Jian interrupted him, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t bother with your tongue. Now I will give you three options; either give us the axe and the knife and let us go, you destroy the zombies outside and let us go, or we all die together.¡± ¡°I gave you something, what should we do?¡± Li Ge asked angrily. ¡°Who do you think is the cause of this situation?¡± Just as they were negotiating, there was a sudden noise in the shop window. When they looked around, they saw two zombies by the window making strange calls with their mouths. ¡°Ah!¡± The little girl was startled. Seeing that the little boy was about to cry, Liu Shu hurriedly covered their mouths and pulled them into a corner surrounded by shelves. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything and we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Liu Shu comforted the two children. Hao Jian was not in a hurry. She raised her eyebrows, ¡°There¡¯s only two now, but soon, more zombies will be attracted by their calls. Are you sure you want to give up the chance to live?¡± Li Ge thought for a moment then went to ask Li Chang for the axe. Li Chang refused to let go, but Li Ge persuaded him until he let go. Li Ge handed the knife to Hao Jian, ¡°Well, take the knife. If you want to leave, you must teal with the two zombies first. But if you¡¯re afraid that your strength is not enough, I will help you with this axe.¡± Lian Ru Ning took the knife and looked at Hao Jian, but the latter said nothing. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t do anything to you again after we get out of danger this time!¡± Li Ge quickly swore again. Hao Jian let go if Old Lady Li, took the knife, and gave the Swiss Army knife to Lian Ru Ning. She swung down the sharp knife with a length of only ten centimeters and said, ¡°This place is big, but there is no back door and no lounge, so there is only one exit. Now, there¡¯s two zombies surrounding the door. The windows are stained by something that blocks our vision so we don¡¯t know if there are more zombies outside.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Li Chang asked angrily. ¡°We¡¯ll invite them to their funeral,¡± Hao Jian was convinced, ¡°There¡¯s not much in here but there area many cargo shelved and cardboard boxes. Put the cargo shelves in a protective array, wrap our key parts with cardboard boxes, and then open the door to hold those two. The zombies will be brought in and we will use the shelves to restrict their movements, then we will start attacking their weak points.¡± The situation did not allow Li Chang and Li Ge to hesitate any further. The followed Hao Jian¡¯s method suspiciously. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting also wrapped their necks and arms, which are the easiest places to get caught. Li Chang removed a cargo shelf and assembled a half-meter sized shield with iron plates. He negotiated with Li Ge and said, ¡°I will guard them when the time comes. Be careful.¡± Li Ge nodded solemnly. Li Chang glanced at Hao Jian, took another breath, and went over to unlock the door. When the zombies heard the movement, the squeezed in the crack of the door and prepared to extend their hands to the prey. Li Chang¡¯s heart trembled and pressed the against the door to prevent it from opening fast, enough for zombies to run inside. The glass door was slippery and the zombie also had rotten skin. When it squeezed itself into it, a trace was left on the glass door, which was very disgusting. Li Chang was only 30 centimeters apart from the zombie who was stuck halfway up. If he hadn¡¯t blocked it with a shield, he would be caught by the zombie. Li Ge quickly swung his axe and chopped off the zombie¡¯s head. Li Chang breathed a sigh of relief, but another zombie took the opportunity to run in. ¡°It¡¯s coming in!¡± Hao Jian yelled. Li Ge who was relaxed hurriedly swung his axe. They saw the axe fall, but it only hit the zombie¡¯s shoulder. Li Ge¡¯s face turned pale, and he was about to retreat when Hao Jian rushed over from the side, grabbed his axe and Li Chan¡¯s shield, immediately locked the zombie¡¯s movements, and severely chopped down on its head. ¡°. . .¡± Li Chang and Li Ge collapsed on the ground. They couldn¡¯t believe that they were almost killed just now! Lian Ru Ning was used seeing such a scene. She quickly walked to the door to observe and found that there was another zombie¡¯s shadow outside. ¡°Another zombie is here.¡± Hao Jian made a decisive decision and walked outside, ¡°I will kill it. You and Xin Ting will pick up our weapons.¡± Lian Ru Ning followed behind her and just yelled out, ¡°Be careful!¡± When she saw that she had already rushed towards the zombie. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t have much time to worry about Hao Jian. This was a critical moment of life and death. If she didn¡¯t get their weapon back, then they would have to die here. When the head of the zombie that Li Ge had chopped of just now rolled under Xin Ting¡¯s feet, she almost screamed. It is Hao Jian and the others who have figured out a countermeasure, but she was still afraid. It was an uncontrollable fear that comes from the bones. When Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning both rushed out, she also wanted to go out, but she realized that her legs were a little weak. She saw Li Chand who collapsed on the ground, Li Ge who was about to stand up to help Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, and the old and weak women and children hiding in the corner, covering their mouths and dared not to make a sound. This short half-day allowed her to experience the threat of death and the ugliness of human nature. If she still fails to change, then she will not be able to keep up with Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s pace and will be affected by Li Chang and Li Ge. She will think that she¡¯s a weak woman who needs a man to survive. So she rushed out. ¡°A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5 , points gained: +10¡± ¡°A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5, points gained: +10¡± ¡°Saved people once, experience gained: +1, points gained: +2¡± Hao Jian killed the zombies, but two more zombies ran towards them without delay, and behind them, more zombies also rushed when they heard movements. ¡°Hao Jian!¡± Lian Ru Ning handed the crowbar to Hao Jian while she grabbed a paring knife and chopped off at the approaching zombies. It was like an explosion of emotions that has accumulated for a long time, and it was like and enlightenment that was born after death. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s movements became more determined and fierce than before. Li Ge secretly rejoiced in the back that his brother hadn¡¯t had time to do anything against Lian Ru Ning, otherwise, their fate would¡¯ve been the same as these zombies! He didn¡¯t have time to be in a daze anymore. While Hao Jian and the others were dealing with the zombies, he had to figure out the way forward. As Hao Jian said, there will never be a shortage of zombies here. After eating the things in the convenience store, they have to wait to die. Unless. . . ¡°Brother, let Mom and the others come out, let¡¯s drive back to the countryside!¡± Li Ge whispered to Li Chang who came out. Li Chang wondered, ¡°Where will we get the car?¡± Li Ge smiled, ¡°We promised to let them go, but we didn¡¯t promise not to grab their things, didn¡¯t we?¡± CH 20 ¡°A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5, points gained: +10¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning killed were killing zombies separately, and they were almost exhausted. These zombies are obviously freshly turned, their bones have not reached to the point of osteoporosis and they consume more physical energy than before. Originally, Hao Jian had just battled with five zombies this morning using her wits, they then killed two more in the convenience store just now, and they had to face three more zombies when they came out. At this moment, Xin Ting screamed, ¡°What are you doing?! Ah!¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning heard Xin Ting and quickly turned their heads, but they saw her pulling the door while Li Chang got out of the driver¡¯s seat, knocked Xin Ting¡¯s arm with a baseball bat and shouted fiercely, ¡°Let go or you will be killed!¡± Xin Ting felt so much pain that she wanted to scream, but she was afraid of attracting more zombies, so she could only grit her teeth and swallow her screams back into her stomach. Unfortunately, her current state was in no condition to continue her struggle, so she let go of her hand. Hao Jian knew that Li Ge and the others were going to grab the car. She rushed over but was a step too late. Li Chang had already returned to the car, started it, and drove away. She only touched t he car door, staggered, and was almost run over. The car drove out of the gas station and hit two zombies. Hao Jian chased him out the gas station, but her speed was naturally not comparable to that of the car. She could only watch it go away while attracting the attention of a large number of zombies that was chasing the car. Lian Ru Ning went over to help Xin Ting. She saw that she had a backpack hanging on her arm while her left hand was supporting her right arm, and her face was crying. ¡°Sorry I let them take the car.¡± Xin Ting blamed herself. At that time, she thought that more zombies would come and it would be impossible to kill them all alone, so the best way would be to divide the labor and cooperate. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning would deal with the zombies and she will continue with the car that has not been refueled so that they would be ready to go anytime. It¡¯s just that Li Ge suddenly covered her mouth from being and pinned her down. She was already petite, so she wasn¡¯t able to go against a strong opponent like Li Ge. She could only watch Li Chang carry Old Lady Li, Liu Shu, and the children into the back seat of the car. It was only when Li Chang got into the driver¡¯s seat that Li Ge released her. It was then the scene that Hao Jian and the others saw. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mood got complicated, but she wasn¡¯t blaming Xin Ting, she just didn¡¯t expect Li Ge and the others to be so cruel. Hao Jian returned to them, panting, ¡°Go back to the convenience store first to check on her injured arm.¡± The three returned to the convenience store. Hao Jian closed the door tightly and blocked the doors using the shelved again before checking on Xin Ting¡¯s arm confidently. Lian Ru Ning knows a little first aid. Before she joined the summer camp, the professor specially invited people to teach them how to deal with fractures in the open air. ¡°There¡¯s good news and bad news.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. ¡°Wh-what?¡± Although Xin Ting stopped crying, she was still sobbing. ¡°The good news is that your arm is not broken, the bad news is that you may have injured your bones and would need medical attention. There was a little medicine in my backpack, but the backpack was in the car.¡± Hao Jian pointed to the backpack beside Xin Ting, ¡°How about that?¡± ¡°. . . ¡± Lian Ru Ning was embarrassed. Xin Ting said, ¡°I thought at the time that there were so many things in the car that I couldn¡¯t let them take away so I grabbed a backpack, but I only had time to grab one. . .¡± ¡°That¡¯s a blessing in misfortune.¡± Lian Ru Ning said, expertly finding some medicine in her backpack and applying it to Xin Ting. ¡°However, we don¡¯t have much resources. They have eaten all the things that can be eaten in the convenience store, and they have taken away all that can¡¯t be eaten.¡± Xin Ting said desperately. Hao Jian¡¯s backpack was still in the car. Her ID card, bank card, clothing, mobile phone, and walkie-talkie were all gone, including the supplies that Xin Ting brought from school. Except for the crowbar that Li Chang and the other¡¯s didn¡¯t like, the axe held in Hao Jian¡¯s hand at the time, and the fruit knife in Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hand, and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s backpack. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t speak any more. They had encountered too much this day and there were no words to express her inner anger, disappointment, and helplessness. She was even more confused and didn¡¯t know where to go next. Hao Jian didn¡¯t go and comfort Xin Ting either but she sat on the side, ¡°Now the sun is going down. Let¡¯s stay here and hide for the night and we will think of a solution tomorrow.¡± Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting had no objections regarding Hao Jian¡¯s words and decisions. If Hao Jian had not keenly discovered many details and went out to kill zombies relentlessly, they were afraid that things wouldn¡¯t end so well for them. This was probably the most desolate and thrilling day they¡¯ve had so far. Lian Ru Ning took out a bottle of lemon tea with from her backpack, opened the lid, and gave it to Hao Jian, ¡°All you¡¯re drinking is your saliva. You haven¡¯t drunk water today, you will collapse at this rate.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t speak and took a big sip after receiving it. At this time, she wouldn¡¯t care whether Lian Ru Ning also drank from the same bottle. At this time, she was feeling something in her heart and asked the system, ¡°Dialogue system, is this considered as kissing with my partner?¡± ¡°In what way are you kissing?¡± The system¡¯s voice had no emotion. ¡°Here. I touched the mouth of the bottle that she had drunk, it¡¯s an indirect kiss! Indirect kissing is also a form of kissing. Do I get experience and points bonus?¡± If the system could show real emotions, it will most definitely give her a blank stare, ¡°I give you a grain of rice and you make a meal out of it!¡± ¡°System, you really are a logical ghost.¡± Hao Jian teased. ¡°Host, why do you suddenly care about experience and points so much?¡± The system asked back. Hao Jian glanced back at Lian Ru Ning with a tired expression. Before today, she didn¡¯t care much about the experience, points, and upgrades of the system. In her opinion, the privilege that can only redeem three foods a day does not seem to have much effect in helping her solve her troubles. But thinking that they are still too weak in this chaotic world, they not only need to guard against zombies, but also against humans with ulterior motives to survive. Lian Ru Ning felt angry and disgusted at Li Chang, but he wasn¡¯t an opponent that she can go against. Because of this, she felt powerless and at the same time more eager to gain strength. Earlier in the afternoon, Hao Jian killed three more zombies and saved Li Ge, according to the system which gained her additional 1 experience and 2 points. Now, her experience has reached 55, and she had accumulated additional 32 points. Now she has a total of 42 points, which is enough for her to exchange four rice balls, or eight packs or compressed biscuits. Even if there¡¯s no food here, she is not worried that they will starve to death. What she cares about more is how to increase more experience that will allow her to upgrade her system earlier and open more privileges offered by the system. As for her doubts about the system, she also saw an opportunity. If she continued to upgrade, then she could slowly discover the secrets of the system and its origin would surely be clear one day. It seems that Hao Jian¡¯s emotional changes have been detected and the system said, ¡°If you are willing to kill people, the upgrade speed will be as fast as riding a rocket.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s eyes narrowed and her dialogue with the system became a little cold, ¡°Never encourage me to kill. I don¡¯t need to kill people to gain experience. I can gain experience through zombies enough to level up.¡± The system stopped talking. Although Hao Jian is influenced by the reality of things and has the motivation to use the system, she still doesn¡¯t want to believe it blindly! Lian Ru Ning searched the convenience store for food that Li Chang hadn¡¯t had time to take away. During this period, she found two bottles of water, but one of them was given by Li Ge, while the other had white deposits. She unscrewed the lid and sniffed and she didn¡¯t notice anything, but she found a small bottle of brain spirit tablets in the garbage. Naolingsu tablets have a sleeping effect. Although it is a prescription drug, it is easy to get it. At this point, Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t even think about whether this bottle of water really had sleeping pills in it since she didn¡¯t dare to drink it anyway. After looking around, she still found a lot of food forgotten by Li Chang and the others, including a few packets of snacks, several buckets of instant noodles with broken packages, and several bottles of unopened water. She went to wash the kettle and prepared to boil hot water to solve their dinner problem. She took another bottle and gave it to Xin Ting and told her, ¡°You should eat something and then rest early to recover from injuries. Hao Jian and I will take turns to watch the night.¡± Xin Ting said, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, let me help you watch the night, you¡¯re all tired out today!¡± ¡°You may need professional help if you overdo your arm. You have to rest before it comes to that, otherwise you will have sequelae1 and your hands will be useless.¡± ¡°I still have my left arm and it¡¯s no different from my right.¡± Xin Ting still blames herself for not helping them today. ¡°This is your first day leaving the school and facing the outside, you haven¡¯t adapted yet. When you adapt, you won¡¯t be so underestimated. Well, we can¡¯t be overwhelmed by the setbacks in front of us. Let¡¯s rest for the night. We can always think of a way tomorrow!¡± With Lian Ru Ning¡¯s encouragement, Xin Ting¡¯s mood improved a lot. After filling her stomach, she want to rest in the corner. When Lian Ru Ning was boiling water, she saw Hao Jian who had closed eyes and wondered if she was asleep. Thinking of her calmness and determination today, some longing arose in her heart. ¡°Hao Jian, are you asleep?¡± She asked quietly. After Hao Jian had her conversation with the system, she opened her eyes and found that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s face was only twenty centimeters away from hers. Her forehead was sweaty and her lips were a little dry, but if she kissed it, it might be very soft. ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian silently moved her eyes away. She was afraid that she was brainwashed by the system and actually had the idea of kissing in person! The system wasn¡¯t happy, ¡°I didn¡¯t brainwash you. I said that the best partner was chosen based on the host¡¯s information. In theory, you will emit sec pheromones to attract each other. It is your own initiative. Your actions, not the system¡¯s intervention.¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t notice Hao Jian¡¯s abnormality. She thought that Hao Jian kept silent because she suffered a setback. She sat down next to her and comforted her, ¡°There is always a way to get past a mountain. I believe we can get out of this predicament.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian glanced at her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to instill spiritual sayings on me, I¡¯m not that vulnerable.¡± Lian Ru Ning was embarrassed again, but she was very curious, ¡°How come you seem to be so calm at all times?¡± ¡°Do you feel like falling in love with me?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning pondered. This person looks like an iceberg, how can she say something so cheezy? CH 21 It was impossible for Hao Jian to kiss Lian Ru Ning. Only by killing zombies can she gain the experience she needs to upgrade the system. Lian Ru Ning left to cook instant noodles, so Hao Jian took out the small stone sculpture Lian Ru Ning gave her from her pants pocket. At first, she threw the phone back in the car because of its weight. She only carried the small stone sculpture and the smart watch she was wearing in her trouser pocket. She thought optimistically, even though she no longer has her possessions, she at least still had these two things. Lian Ru Ning brought the cooked instant noodles to her. When she saw that the small stone sculpture in her hand, some strange emotions arose in her heart. She asked, ¡°You kept it?¡± ¡°I bought it with a pack of instant noodles anyway, so I¡¯m keeping it as a souvenir.¡± Hao Jian curled her lips, put it away, and reached out to pick up the instant noodles. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mood gradually improved. She sat down beside Hao Jian and ate the instant noodles, occasionally looking around to see if there were any zombies approaching. ¡°What now?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. Hao Jian paused. In fact, she noticed that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s constant comfort to Xin Ting was actually her comforting herself. Compared to Hao Jian who was carrying the task given by the system, and Xin Ting who¡¯s just in it to survive, Lian Ru Ning had a goal in mind. She eagerly wants to return to Southern City to find her family, but she¡¯s faced with a desperate situation in front of her. She felt very frustrated, so she used comforting words on Xin Ting to make herself look less vulnerable. ¡°Do you still have your phone?¡± Hao Jian asked back. ¡°Have.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s phone was inside her backpack. Except for the walkie-talkie, most of her belongings were with them. ¡°Give me.¡± Hao Jian checked the offline map using Lian Ru Ning¡¯s phone. She suddenly remembered something and searched inside the convenience store to look for it. After a while, she asked Lian Ru Ning to look for maps, including the national traffic atlas as well as for provinces and the city. Hao Jian then took a pen and drew a circle on it and said, ¡°Look at the gas station around it, either a car repair shop or a 4S shop. There are low houses around it, which shows that the population is low here. It¡¯s not too dense. Moreover, Li Chang and the others said that after the incident, many people rushed back to the countryside, so now the number of zombies here should be relatively small.¡± ¡°From today¡¯s situation, there are indeed not many zombies here.¡± A glimmer of hope rose inside Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart. ¡°There are several shops selling second-hand cars just a few hundred meters ahead. We can go there to try out luck and see if there¡¯s a car that can be driven. Then there is a viaduct two kilometers past the shop, with farmland surrounding it. There will definitely be fewer zombies wandering there than there are on this road now.¡± Although the second-hand car shop may be robbed of all cars after the chaos, even if they¡¯ll pick up a battery car, it¡¯s still better than walking all the way. ¡°So. . . ¡± Hao Jian stared at Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Are you ready, can you handle it tomorrow?¡± Although it¡¯s only a few hundred meters on the map, there may be hundred of zombies within this distance. This seems to be a short road on weekdays, but there are many terrifying and unknown dangers lurking, is she confident? Lian Ru Ning took a deep breath, and finally nodded solemnly. Hao Jian gave the axe to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°The axe is more lethal than the fruit knife. You carry it, and I will use the crowbar so Xin Ting will use the fruit knife. As for the remaining Swiss Army knife, hide it on your body for self-defense.¡± After distributing the weapons, the sky was completely dark. They didn¡¯t dare to turn on the lights, so they could only use the weakest light of their flashlights when moving about in the convenience store. ¡°You sleep first, then change with me.¡± Hao Jian said to Lian Ru Ning. ¡°Will you be alright?¡± Lian Ru Ning was worried. No matter when it was Hao Jian who asked her to rest first so she could rest later, there would always be changes in the middle of the night that will reduce Hao Jian¡¯s rest time. ¡°Yes. I have something to do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early, let me help you!¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t say any more, she collected everything available in the convenience store. For most people, the oil, grains, beverages, and other food are the first thing they look for in convenience stores so there are barely any of these things left. But things like car lubricants, simple repair kits, auto parts, daily necessities, and other things that are not so important, are things fewer people look for. Hao Jian cut open the mouth and bottom of a beverage bottle and used it as a knee pad to protect her forearm. The defensive power of the plastic bottle is better than that of a cardboard suit. Although it becomes a little hot after being wrapped, it¡¯s still better than losing one¡¯s life. She also found a pair of work gloves. She and Lian Ru Ning each wore a paid. As for Xin Ting, she is currently a person with low combat effectiveness and would not suit her current weapon. Some cloth bags can be found in the convenience store. Although they have been trampled on many times and stained with drinks, they cans till hold a lot of things. Lian Ru Ning caught a glimpse of Hao Jian putting up the condom on the counter. Her face turned red and asked, whispering, ¡°Why do you even want this?¡± Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t think of how condoms would help them along the way. ¡°Condoms have many uses aside from sexual intercourse, and they are very convenient to carry, don¡¯t take up much space, and barely weighs anything. . .¡± Hao Jian turned to look at her and said narrowly, ¡°You¡¯re thinking who I¡¯ll use this with, right??¡± Lian Ru Ning is pretty sure that she didn¡¯t listen and that Hao Jian was just teasing her! Her face flushed, but fortunately, Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t let Hao Jian see it in the dim environment. ¡°Who¡¯s thinking about what!¡± She said angrily and turned to leave. Hao Jian didn¡¯t make any noise after cleaning up these things because she noticed that there were zombies wandering outside again. However, there was a scream from somewhere, which attracted the attention of these zombies. In populous counties and cities, there is never any place to make noise. Just the noise of babies crying in the middle of the night, the noise of under-minded children, or the noise caused by people who didn¡¯t know that they have been infected with the zombie virus. It can be very lively during the night. Hao Jian came to a conclusion based on her observations over the past few days; although the method on how zombies find living creatures is unknown, their attention is more likely to be attracted by noisy living creatures than quiet living creatures. Although she can¡¯t guarantee that this conclusion is accurate, it can help her judge the environment better. At about nine o¡¯clock, Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and fell asleep. She woke up past one in the morning due to a nightmare. She gave a soft cry in panic, looking for any trace of Hao Jian. ¡°Have a nightmare?¡± Hao Jian touched Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning felt relieved, she nodded, and remembered that Hao Jian couldn¡¯t have seen it and asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± Hao Jian glanced at her smart watch and answered her. ¡°You should be very tired. You should rest. I¡¯ll get up and watch for the night.¡± At this time, Xin Ting also woke up and said, ¡°I will accompany you to watch the night together!¡± In fact, Xin Ting didn¡¯t fall asleep at all when it was dark. She heard Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning talking and could see their movements, but she did not speak because she felt that she was a superfluous person. Soon after, she became too tired and fell asleep. Just now, she was awakened by Lian Ru Ning, who was sleeping next to her. Hearing Lian Ru Ning¡¯s proposal, she tried her best to prove that she was not a superfluous person. ¡°If you¡¯ve had enough rest, you can.¡± Hao Jian said before going to sleep. Lian Ru Ning glanced at her and asked Xin Ting in a low voice, ¡°Does your arm still hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as painful as it was at the beginning, so I take care of things.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself. You can hurt your muscled and bones if you do. Don¡¯t hold heavy objects in your hands.¡± Xin Ting was silent for a moment and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m so lucky that I met you first and not Li Chang and the others.¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t say anything and Xin Ting didn¡¯t want to attract zombies, so she stayed quietly. In the hot summer, even the air is sticky. In a small convenience store, there are no other vents except the crack in the door that allows the air to circulate. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s sweat has soaked her clothes, and when they dry, they emit a sweaty smell. Xin Ting didn¡¯t dare go out. If she wanted to relieve herself, she could only solve it in the corner. After they lasted for four hours, the sky gradually faded from black o blue, and then silently faded to blue. Hao Jian woke up when she heard the alarm clock on her watch. She saw the sleepy Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting. She equipped herself first, and then checked the situation outside through the window. There are two or three zombies wandering outside. The nearest is at the outer gas pipe, but as long as they go out, the zombies will surely be able to find them. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting also got up and loosened their muscles and bones, they then equipped themselves from head to toe. Hao Jian said, ¡°We¡¯re going out, and we have to face the zombies outside directly anyway, so. . .¡± ¡°No need to say anymore, we know what¡¯s going to happen. If we don¡¯t succeed, it¡¯s over!¡± Lian Ru Ning grasped the axe in her hand tightly. ¡°Xin Ting, please observe the environment.¡± Hao Jian looked at Xin Ting who was carrying a backpack, a fruit knife, and a wrench. Xin Ting¡¯s heart was hot. She didn¡¯t expect that she would be trusted, so she nodded vigorously, watching the surrounding situation intently with her eyes. Before moving the shelf and opening the door, Hao Jian took a deep breath and spit it out again, ¡°Remember, if you can¡¯t beat it, you can run. The speed of zombies is not necessarily faster than that of people. If they can¡¯t run, they will go higher, go everywhere.¡± According to her existing information on zombies, zombies are not as powerful as those in games. Not to mention flying away, even jumping is a bit difficult, But they can¡¯t take it lightly, what if zombies evolve? Although the sound of Hao Jian and the others moving inside the store was small, there were zombies wandering around, so after Hao Jian opened the door, the nearest zombie was only two meters away. Hao Jian had become accustomed to such thrilling scene and quickly knocked through the zombie¡¯s brain with the gesture of hitting a home run. Xin Ting was so scared that she almost screamed subconsciously, but she but her lip tightly and stopped herself from speaking. ¡°Quick!¡± Lian Ru Ning reminded Xin Ting as she saw zombies running from a distance. ¡°A distance of ten meters in the direction of ten o¡¯clock, and another at the distance of twenty meters and ten meters at two o¡¯clock respectively.¡± Xin Ting instructed immediately. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were also directly facing the zombies in the ten o¡¯clock direction, rushing towards them, Compared to dealing with the zombies who were alone, Hao Jian chose to work with Lian Ru Ning to solve the nearest zombies first. Their tacit understanding got better and better. Hao Jian went down and knocked down the zombie while Lian Ru Ning quickly stepped forward to bring down the axe, solving the zombie in a few seconds. Xin Ting gave the distance and location of the remaining zombies again, and Hao Jian and the others could rush to the zombie at ten o¡¯clock without spending time looking for them. CH 22 ¡°Killed zombies: +5; experience gained: +25; points gained: +50¡± Hao Jian and the others killed a total of seven zombies when they came out of the gas station. One of them was killed by Lian Ru Ning and helped Hao Jian kill another three, but the one who dealt the fatal blow to these three zombies was Lian Ru Ning. The system included these kills when calculating the rewards. Hao Jian silently wrote down the calculation method of this reward. Now she has 81 experience and 91 points. There is no need to worry about food issues, she just wants to upgrade as soon as possible. Thinking about upgrading, she asked the system, ¡°Does your mall function only provide food?¡± ¡°Of course not. As long as the host works hard in upgrading, there are more items and functions waiting for the host to unlock!¡± Hao Jian then said, ¡°It seems that as long as it is a question that encourages me to upgrade or complete a task, you have the authority to answer me!¡± Compared to their other problems, the system always said that it had no authority to answer, Hao Jian seemed to have guessed some of the rules. Even if it may be just the tip of the iceberg, it is a new discovery. The system feels that it is about to shut down and doesn¡¯t know if the host¡¯s prying is a good or bad thing. Even though the system can detect the host¡¯s thoughts, the host can actually reverse it! It took Hao Jian and the others about three to four hundred meters from the gas station to the store that sells second-hand cars for nearly half an hour. Unfortunately, the second-hand car shop and the shop that sells electric cars next to it has no signs of useable cars. ¡°Go to the viaduct as planned!¡± Hao Jian¡¯s expression was not relaxed. Although they did not find the car, there is still good news for them on the road. They found a lot of zombie remains on the road, indicating that there are still some people who are able to fight against zombies nearby. This reduced the number of zombies they encountered. When they searched for several more stores, they met a group of people, most of which were young men with weapons ranging from kitchen knives to sticks. But they didn¡¯t seem to be a team. They looked to be together out of necessity. The two sides were full of vigilance, but they didn¡¯t mean to provoke a conflict. After all, no one knew whether the other party was infected with the zombie virus. Whether it is Hao Jian or Lian Ru Ning, they actually look embarrassed. Their clothes were a little dirty, and a lot of zombie blood and broken bones were stained on the crowbar and axe, and one of Xin Ting¡¯s arm was still injured. If it hadn¡¯t been for Lian Ru Ning¡¯s identity and initiative to show that they were good people, they would have been hiding far away. After inquiring, they found out that they were all residents in this neighborhood, because they were running out of food at home and it was not safe at night, so they decided to come out during the day to search for food. Because of their actions, Hao Jian and the others did not encounter many zombies along the way. They also told Hao Jian, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about cars around here, all the cars have been robbed!¡± In fact, although the population of this town is not as good as that of the county center and urban area, there are still tens of thousands of people. On July 23, when the zombie outbreak level rose to the third level, chaos has already occurred in the town. Quite a few people keenly smelled the danger and bought good supplies early and returned to their hometown. When the rumors spread on July 24, another group of people returned to their hometowns, and the market order began to be chaotic. On July 26, zombies appeared in their sight. When they discovered that the news had been blocked, they also sensed the crisis. At this time, the market order was completely out of control. It is no surprise that the people vying for survival supplies have been robbed of their surrounding cars, from trucks to battery cars. Not even a single wheel is left. After looting everything here, they all rushed back to their hometowns. Only those who have no houses in the countryside and no relatives or friends to live in continue to stay in the residential buildings. After hiding for two days, they had eaten everything they could eat, so they chose to search for the remaining supplies, or leave, or continue to wait for rescue. Xin Ting asked, ¡°Why is there no one to grab the convenience store at the gas station?¡± They frowned and said, ¡°On the 24th, the gas station employees stopped working one after another. On the 25th, their employees took away a lot of things and locked the door. You also know that the windows and doors are all explosion-proof glass and it¡¯s not easy to get in. not to mention that there are zombies wandering over there. No one wants to take the risk without knowing whether there are still supplies inside.¡± After they knew that Hao Jian and the others came out of the convenience store, they did have the idea of robbing them of their supplies, but before that, Lian Ru Ning opened the backpack immediately and took out all the food. Seeing that they were also pitiful, they left some snacks for each of them. The goals of the two parties were different, so they separated after exchanging some information. Xin Ting has some regrets about their food, so Lian Ru Ning tried to cheer her up, ¡°At any rate, we still have snickers. High-calorie food can support me a longer.¡± ¡°But they have searched the neighborhood, how can we solve our food?¡± Hao Jian finished her talk with the system and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this for the time being. It¡¯s such a big place, you can always find food.¡± They killed two more zombies in the short distance just now, so only two zombies were left and she would gather up to 100 experience points for upgrades. As for the level 2 permissions, the system still did not disclose half of them. As the sun rises, the temperature gets higher and higher, and the asphalt pavement gradually became hotter. Compared to the hundreds of meters that took nearly half an hour in the morning, their way t the viaduct was much smoother. It was because there were some people who came out of the viaduct just now, clearing many zombies first. Hao Jian was a little depressed, thinking that the monsters which are her source for experience to upgrade has been robbed, but soon she thought that she almost got influenced again. It was, in fact, the best situation that she hadn¡¯t encountered a zombie! They did not find any cars along the way, but saw many cars that were scrapped due to traffic accidents parked on the road. The door of the shop by the roadside was a mess. Either the lock was picked or the shutter door was torn down. Hao Jian and the others didn¡¯t waste time to search, because useful materials might have been cleaned up by the surviving residents a long time ago. It was almost noon, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning killed another zombie separately and finally stood on the viaduct. The view above the viaduct is very wide, from the left and right are vast fields and scattered houses. A highway traverses, staggering and crossing the viaduct one by one. There are many zombies wandering in the fields, and there are many zombies who have been hungry for several days in front of the houses. Obviously, the movement inside attracted the zombies. On highway below, it seems that there have been many very tragic traffic accidents, but there was no congestion. After all, it is very far from the entrance and exit, and the general congestion is mostly in the sections before and after the intersection. ¡°It seems that too many people have poured into the countryside and the number of people infected with the virus has also increased. Now, the countryside is not necessarily safer than here.¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°That seems to have to go first.¡± Lian Ru Ning licked her dry lips. They had already drunk the water just now, so they had to find some water to drink first, or they would have heatstroke sooner or later because of dehydration. After they got off the viaduct, they walked for a while, and when they saw the zombies in the field seem to be running towards them. In order not to get caught up by the zombies, they had to run ahead again. At an intersection, Hao Jian recalled the map. She remembered that there was a river nearby, and the river was the bank. This is already regarded as the junction between counties. There are more farmland on both sides of the river and relatively fewer people. So she took Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting and turned into the fork road. After crossing some low houses, she saw the river behind. Xin Ting saw that the surroundings were very quiet. There was no sound the zombies make when walking, there were no buildings blocking the view, and there was no transportation to block the way. Finally, she asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± After observing the environment, Lian Ru Ning understood why Hao Jian had brought them here. The river is five or six meters wide, and the water level is several meters above the embankment. It seems to be caused by excessive sand pumping. Because the embankment is more than one meter higher than the ground level, and the road surface is full of potholes, judging front he lush weeds and reeds, there are few cars passing by, and not many people usually walk here. Because of these, this road will be much safer. Xin Ting admired and was curious, ¡°You know so much.¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled, ¡°I am from the school of Geology and Engineering, and I usually do some field work on these.¡± After that, she looked at Hao Jian and felt that Hao Jian had brought them into consideration. Thinking of this, Lian Ru Ning realized that although the two of them had developed a good understanding in the past few dats, she didn¡¯t seem to know Hao Jian. Apart from knowing her name and bereaved mother, she didn¡¯t even know what she did. At that time, they had just met and were in a dangerous situation, so Lian Ru Ning hadn¡¯t bothered to understand Hao Jian. Of course, although she couldn¡¯t think through what Hao Jian confessed to her, she didn¡¯t take it to heart. After all, if Hao Jian really fell in love with her at first sight, her attitude should not be like this. So what if Hao Jian accompanied her back to Southern City. She though, could there be other reasons for this? Feeling Lian Ru Ning¡¯s gaze, Hao Jian turned her head and looked at her, ¡°You keep looking at me. Could it be that you¡¯re moved by my confession and feel that you¡¯re falling in love with me?¡± Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting staggered, almost tripping over the pit under their feet. Lian Ru Ning was very sure that Hao Jian¡¯s confession to her was just empty words, and she had no such thoughts at all! Xin Ting was surprised, ¡°You turned out to be. . . ¡° Lian Ru Ning rolled her eyes at Hao Jian then looked at Xin Ting and raised her eyebrows, ¡°Woman, I¡¯ll give you another chance to reorganize the language.¡± This old classic line of the overbearing president Mary Su gave Hao Jian a familiar feeling/ She hurriedly called out to the system, ¡°You¡¯re the one who chose my partner. Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re like-minded? You all like to read the overbearing president¡¯s post?¡± The system ignored her, but Xin Ting on the other hand was overwhelmed. Seeing her laughing, Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well. They seem to have not laughed so openly for a long time. In the Past few days, which moment hasn¡¯t been spend in panic, fear, and suffering? Seeing that Hao Jian¡¯s face also has a smile directed towards Lian Ru Ning, the strange feeling in her heart seemed to be more obvious. CH 23 There are several roads in Heba leading to nearby villages, but Hao Jian and the others did not rush forward. After all, it¡¯s only the ninth day of the third level of the zombie outbreak and the materials are already scarce, so even if they manage to reach the village, no one is most likely willing to take them in. When they passed a very high section of reeds, they suddenly heard the sound of some rustling next to them. They immediately became vigilant and concentrated their attention on whether zombies were rushing out of the surrounding area. At this moment, a shadow suddenly appeared in the reeds and Hao Jian instinctively knocked it over without thinking much about it. The thing she knocked slammed to the ground. When they looked at it properly, it was a zombie dog. The black dog had obvious bite marks on its body and its abdomen was empty, with only a bloody patch. Hao Jian wasn¡¯t able to kill it, so it got up again ang rushed towards them. This zombie dog can move much faster than a zombie and its teeth and claws are sharp enough to easily cut through the skin and cause wound infection, so they¡¯re more difficult to deal with than a zombie. ¡°Hao Jian, be careful!¡± Seeing the zombie dog heading towards Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning hurried forward. She swung her axe at the zombie¡¯s neck, but because of the zombie¡¯s agility, she only shopped its body, and because of the zombification of the dog, she was able to cut the zombie dog into two. Despite being cut into two, the zombie dog still didn¡¯t feel any pain and immediately moved its upper body using its front legs. However, after its speed slowed down, Hao Jian was also able to control its movements easier and killed it with one more blow. ¡°A zombie dog has been killed, experience gained: 5+, points gained: 10+¡± ¡°The host is currently at level 1 and the conditions for opening level 2 are met. Please choose whether to upgrade.¡± The system¡¯s prompt notification surprised Hao Jian a little, ¡°Is killing zombie animals and killing zombies have the same rewards?¡± ¡°Zombie animals can also spread zombie viruses across species, so the system determines that the reward for killing zombie animals is equivalent to killing zombies,¡± The system explained, ¡°Please choose whether to upgrade, host.¡± Hao Jian naturally chose to upgrade. The host agreed to upgrade. Gathering information about unlocking level 2. . . Successfully obtained! Upgrade successful! The host is currently level 2 and has the right to open the exchange. You can buy 10 foods per day; you can by 3 over-the-counter medicines every day; level rewards are: 1 pack of spicy strips, and a Gurkha army knife. Experience required for the next level: 500 ¡°. . . What the hell? Hot strips?¡± She understood all the other words, but she didn¡¯t understand hot strips. ¡°Spicy bar is the basic reward.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I receive these level rewards at level 1?¡± ¡°Host, what do you think are rewards for such a dish as level 1? What kind of bicycle foes the host want for such a dish?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the boss, why do you want to talk like me?¡± Hao Jian played with it. The system analysis showed that Hao Jian was in a good mood, so it took the opportunity to instigate her, ¡°Does the host want to get rid of the identity of the rookie? Actively kill the zombies and communicate with the love interest in depths of the soul. You can quickly gain upgrade experience and allow you to embark on the pinnacle of life!¡± Hao Jian, ¡°What kind of system are you?¡± ¡°Doomsday survival system.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you were a pimping system.¡± System, ¡°. . .¡± After letting the system deflate again, Hao Jian focused on the new permissions, ¡°What is the use of redeeming permissions?¡± The system decided to leave Hao Jian in the cold, leaving her with a mechanical voice, ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, even animals can get infected and attack living people!¡± While Hao Jian was teasing the system, Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting were also studying the zombie dog. Lian Ru Ning discovered that after she and Hao Jian came out, they didn¡¯t seem to see zombie animals and even when they spent the long night everywhere, they didn¡¯t fear the barking of dogs or cats. Because Lian Ru Ning grew up in the city since she was a child, she was used to nights without dogs barking. She didn¡¯t notice anything strange at first, until she met this zombie dog. She thought for a while, took a photo of the zombie dog and studied it slowly when it was safe. For fear of another zombie dog or zombie cat coming out of the reeds, they were very careful along the way. Before long, a temple appeared in their field of vision. Facing the river, the temple was surrounded by a large open space and farmland. The nearest house is also two to three hundred meters away. More than fifty meters ahead, they could see a road, but because of the high altitude, they couldn¡¯t see the situation above. They stopped. They saw that the wooden door of the temple in front is closed and there seemed to be two zombies grabbing the door. In response, they exchanged glances, ¡°Someone¡¯s inside!¡± Killing zombies, or detour. It was a difficult decision for them. Hao Jian would definitely go around if it were in the past, after all, she never considered herself to be a good person. But she needs to experience to upgrade now, and there are not many zombies there, which makes her a little shaken. Lian Ru Ning also hesitated a little because no one knew what was behind the door. What if they solved the zombies and some people like Li Chang and Li Ge came out of the temple? After hesitating for a moment, they made a decision. They have already learned their lesson, so they just need to be vigilant this time. There aren¡¯t many zombies outside, but the people inside are afraid to come out and deal with the zombies. Either the number is small, or the courage and strength are weak, making their threat not as great as the Li family. Hao Jian and the other dismantled a fishing net used by others for protection from a nearby field and used it as a hunting tool. While they were doing these things for a while, another zombie came out of the village not far away. ¡°You continue, I will deal with the zombie first.¡± Hao Jian wanted to find an opportunity to take out the Gurkha army knife to test it out. Hao Jian is no stranger to the Gurkha Army Knife because it is also known as ¡°Nepal Army Knife¡± or ¡°Dog Leg Knife¡± in many games, and it is also known as the most mechanically recognized knife in the world. Hao Jian, who had never touched it in reality, was very interested in it. She took out this army knife under the cover of the trees. The Gurkha army knife is 35 ¨C 48 centimeters in length. The blade is curved inward, like a dog leg. When it was unsheathed, the sunlight reflected a sharp light on it, which showed that the army knife was really sharp. It is much lighter than a crowbar. Of course, Hao Jian still used the crowbar to deal with the zombies. After killing it, she took the corpse of the zombie to test out the Gurkha Army knife. After testing it, she found that she could still use the army knife to save at least half of her current energy! She was very satisfied with the result and stopped staying any longer. She hurried back to Lian Ru Ning and the others. Seeing that Hao Jian came back safely and had an extra knife at hand, Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t question her. She didn¡¯t understand these weapons and thought that it was another knife that Hao Jian picked up. Hao Jian waited for a while and didn¡¯t see Lian Ru Ning ask about the knife¡¯s origin. She was worried whether Lian Ru Ning had discovered something, fortunately, Xin Ting asked, ¡°The shape of this knife looks strange, where did it come from?¡± ¡°It was inserted in a zombie. I found it easy to use so I took it.¡± The reason why Hao Jian didn¡¯t say that she picked it up mainly because there will always be people in the world who recognize this army knife, and how could an ordinary village lose such a knife? If she says that she found it on the zombies, it can also be used as an excuse to say that some people passing failed to kill with the zombies and the knife was left behind. Sure enough, Xin Ting didn¡¯t think much about it. In order to avoid attracting more zombies, they still need to fight quickly. Using the well-made rounds-up tools, they first attracted the two zombies in front of the temple. Xin Ting and Lian Ru Ning were responsible for restricting their actions while Hao Jian went up to annihilate them. Hao Jian went up to the zombies with the knife at hand. Using her strength when handling the crowbar to chop down the zombie¡¯s neck, it was immediately cut in half. In the eyes of Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting, her skill became more agile and her attacks were more accurate. She raised the knife and brought it down without a trace of emotion. With the addition of these two zombies, Hao Jian dealt with a total of eleven zombies and a zombie dog today. Her arm was already sore and she could imagine how much it would hurt tomorrow. Putting away the tools, they walked to the door of the temple and listened carefully. There seemed to be no other movement inside. Hao Jian knocked on the door, but her grip around the knife tightened. There was no movement inside for a while, Hao Jian wanted to speak but suddenly saw an eye in the crack of the door. Hao Jian is accustomed to this kind of picture in the game, but she still couldn¡¯t help but want to curse, ¡°Open the door!¡± ¡°Are you human?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from inside. Seeing that it was a man, both Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting became alert. Hao Jian rolled her eyes, ¡°Do you think we are primates or something?¡± ¡°There are no zombies out there, right?¡± The man asked chastely again. ¡°Can¡¯t you open the door? We can go if you won¡¯t open the door. We don¡¯t have the time to waste our breaths with you here.¡± After Hao Jian finished speaking, he opened the door neatly. Behind the door was a man wearing a vest, a few meters tall but full of muscles. He was in his twenties, with scumbag on his haggard face. Seeing several people with Hao Jian, his emotions became excited, ¡°You¡¯re all women? How come you¡¯re so powerful. You can actually deal with so many zombies!¡± ¡°Many?¡± These words made Hao Jian dumb founded, ¡°How can a woman?¡± ¡°No, very good, so amazing!¡± The man exclaimed. ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting were very awkward. Hao Jian looked inside the temple. In this temple of more than 100 square meters, a fierce idol was facing them at the gate, and there were small idols on the left and right. Except for the incense burner in the center, which was still standing, all the altars were overthrown to the ground, and there was a mess inside. ¡°You¡¯re alone?!¡± Hao Jian looked at the man¡¯s eyes and became weird. This man seemed to be full of muscles and strength, but he couldn¡¯t even deal with two zombies? But thinking that there seemed to be no weapons inside, she was relieved. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± The man nodded quickly, ¡°By the way, my name is Peng Mao. I don¡¯t know the names of my three female heroes?¡± ¡°Female heroes?¡± Xin Ting was amused by him. Peng Mao rubbed his palms, feeling very embarrassed, ¡°You have courage and strategy, you are heroines!¡± Hao Jian raised her hand to stop him from praising them, ¡°What¡¯s the situation here?¡± Speaking of this, Peng Mao couldn¡¯t help but wipe a tear, pulling Hao Jian and the others to talk about his tragic experience. CH 24 Peng Mao, a native of Jiangshi, is only 26 years old this year, Although he doesn¡¯t look tall, he¡¯s a fitness coach. Recently, their company opened a new gym opposite the county¡¯s government office. As he couldn¡¯t get any clients, he was arranged to come here. He was busy here for many days with the business opening and buying classes for the members. When he had the time, he saw a large number of people flooding into the township. And because someone made trouble in front of the county¡¯s government office, he was worried that it would affect him, so he hid in the gym and didn¡¯t come out. Later, his younger brother came to look for him and he knew that an unknown virus had spread everywhere. He also knew that the infected people would turn to become zombies and that their father was killed. The brothers lost their mother when they were still a child and their father worked hard to raise them. He also stayed and worked in his hometown for his filial piety, but his father¡¯s gone? He was sad for a while, and then they saw danger approaching the gym before they had the chance to run away. On the way they met a group of people headed by a man named Ding Gu-nian. They weren¡¯t as confused or scared as the others and fought bravely against the zombies. Peng Mao and his younger brother Peng Sheng felt very safe to follow them, but when they came to this village, they were attacked by a large number of zombies. ¡°So they don¡¯t think you have much combat power and thought you were a burden if you follow them, so they just threw you here?¡± Hao Jian understood. Peng Mao complained aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯m just a fitness coach, not a terminator!¡± The corner of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°What about your brother?¡± Speaking of Peng Sheng, his eyes became red and said, ¡°He felt that I was useless and couldn¡¯t shelter him so he left with the group! The reason why he went to the countryside to look for me was actually because he wanted to take refuge! He wasn¡¯t worried about me at all!¡± Xin Ting frowned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you brothers?¡± ¡°Yes, but I would rather that we aren¡¯t brothers!¡± Peng Mao was very disappointed, ¡°He would rather be the younger brother of those people than go with me. He has no dignity!¡± ¡°In the face of desperation, who will choose dignity over death? Most people will of course avoid the latter!¡± Lian Ru Ning walked over. When Peng Mao told what happened to him, Hao Jian and the others took turns to watch around the temple. Otherwise, if everyone stayed in the temple, Peng Mao might be beseiged. ¡°How¡¯s the situation outside?¡± Hao Jian was no longer interested in Peng Mao¡¯s affairs. She is going to watch and take a rest. ¡°There are no zombies.¡± ¡°It seems that Ding Gu-nian¡¯s group has decent combat effectiveness. Although they can¡¯t completely eliminate the huge group of zombies, at least there are a lot fewer zombies in the village and its surroundings.¡± Peng Mao said, ¡°I think you guys are also quite good, and you know how to equip yourself!¡± Hao Jian already left, but Lian Ru Ning only smiled and didn¡¯t answer. Only Xin Ting agreed and said, ¡°Hao Jian is really brave and very powerful. . .¡± She selectively told Peng Mao about some of the things that happened along the way. Peng Mao admired her and his favorability for Xin Ting soared, ¡°Actually, your companions are very great, but you are also very brave. With your cooperation, they were able to kill so many zombies, right?¡± Xin Ting shyly replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± They full-blown chatting could not continue because their stomachs were already grumbling. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting only ate a snickers, but Peng Mao hadn¡¯t eaten anything since last night. After he was abandoned, he planned to find a place to stay for the night. Unfortunately, he met a zombie and was chased by it. After running away for survival, he was exhausted and there was only this place around, so he hid in. Had it not been for the excitement in his heart when he aw a living person, he would¡¯ve already fainted from hunger. Lian Ru Ning thought for a while, ¡°I went to the ground to see if there are any edible vegetables or fruits.¡± ¡°There is no need to look for it. Ding Gu-nian and the others monopolized the mango trees around here. They said that they didn¡¯t know if the vegetables in the field were infected with the virus so they didn¡¯t eat it.¡± Peng Mao said. Lian Ru Ning frowned and turned her gaze to Hao Jian¡¯s direction who was wandering outside. She quickly closed her eyes and reflected, Why do I want to find her for answers whenever I face a problem? I can¡¯t always depend on her and trouble her anymore! Hao Jian seemed to feel something and turned her head to look over. After a while, she walked straight back and asked, ¡°Do you have cash on you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The three of them were all dumbfounded by her question. ¡°If you have cash, I¡¯ll find someone in the village and buy some food for us.¡± Hao Jian only said that to fool them. The system had just told her the features of ¡®exchange authority.¡¯ The so-called ¡®exchange authority¡¯ can actually use cash to exchange points at a ratio of 10:1. That is, ten dollars in cash can be exchanged for 1 point, but she can only use real cash. Digital money like those stored in the bank can¡¯t be used for exchange. After learning this ration, Hao Jian couldn¡¯t find any words to express her feelings and it took her a long time to say, :A pack of compressed biscuits costs 50 yuan, a rice ball costs 100 yuan, and a catty of dried meat is two hundred yuan?¡± 1 ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that the scarcity of survival materials has caused the demand to exceed supply, leading to price increases, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Then you must not know market regulation.¡± ¡°Our central system stipulates that prices will not fall but they will also not rise again. Isn¡¯t this market regulation?¡± This system makes sense and Hao Jian couldn¡¯t refute it. Although she has accumulated 165 points, enough for her to buy a dozen rice balls, she didn¡¯t want to raise a group of people for nothing. Which was why she went to them for cash. Originally, she had a lot of cash on her body, but the backpack was taken away by Chang Li and the others in the car. Unfortunately, she lost all her money. She asked whether the system can exchange valuables such as gold and silver. The system also gave the exchange ratio: 100 grams of silver for 3 points, and 1 gram of gold for 3 points. All in all, gold and silver can be exchanged, but compared to the exchange ratio of cash,, the rate for gold and silver is simply horribly low. Originally, one gram of silver costs two or three yuan, and one hundred grams of silver is more than 300 yuan, which should be converted to 30 points, but is only exchanged for 3 points. The exchange ratio of gold isn¡¯t much better than that of silver. The price for one gram of pure gold was originally more than 330 yuan, But now, its depreciation value is worse than silver. After living for so many years, she knew that gold could maintain its value, but she had never heard of it depreciating so badly. Hao Jian summed up another rule of the system. Instead of spending time to earn money, it is better to fight monsters and upgrade. If such system comes form a game company, it would be very popular with non-RMB players. Peng Mao took out the only 80 yuan he had, and Hao Jian said, ¡°Why do you go out without cash?¡± Peng Mao was also very aggrieved, ¡°Now I use mobile phones to pay, who still brings cash? This 80 yuan is still enough for me to go to the market to buy food!¡± Hao Jian glanced at the food list on the shelf, and even a pack of spicy strips cost five points. She decided to sell him the package of spicy strips that was given as a reward for a 40% discount and gave him another pack of compressed biscuits for the remaining money. Xin Ting took out two pieces of 100 yuan from her person. Although it wasn¡¯t much, Hao Jian decided to buy some medicine for her because of her efforts to help deal with the zombies. She can now buy three over-the-counter medicines a day and the price of the medicine is basically 20 to 30 points. Xin Ting¡¯s arm was injured and she didn¡¯t know if it was serious, so it¡¯s best to take some medicine that promotes blood circulation and removed blood stasis. Lian Ru Ning also took out 500 yuan. She thought about it and walked to Hao Jian, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t object either, but said to Xin Ting and Peng Mao, ¡°The both of you will stay here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to help look-out for the surroundings!¡± Xin Ting immediately replied. Although she felt that Peng Mao was not a bad person, she had already suffered a loss. She didn¡¯t dare to judge a person¡¯s character easily from the first impression. She was afraid of being alone with men. Peng Mao didn¡¯t know what she thought and got up quickly, ¡°I. . . I don¡¯t have any weapons in my hands. It¡¯s dangerous to stay here alone. Just like Miss Xin, let me help you outside!¡± In fact, he saw the two weapons on Hao Jian and wanted to ask her for one, but he thought that Hao Jian also thought that he had no combat power, and holding a weapon would only be a waste on him, so he didn¡¯t speak. It was Xin Ting who gave him the fruit knife, and she used the knife left by Li Ge. She felt that her injured arm could not exert the power of the fruit knife. She kept a small knife to protect her body. Hao Jian no longer stalled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± The season was perfect for maturing mangoes, litchi, and other fruits. There are many small orchards in the village that was filled with mango and litchi trees. It¡¯s just that the fruit trees that were originally fruitful, looked like locusts crossing the border. The trunks were bare, the branches were broken to pieces, and the there was no fruit in sight. ¡°They thought it was too troublesome to pick one by one, so they chopped off the whole section.¡± Peng Mao explained. Why didn¡¯t they just uproot the tree and take it away altogether? This is too much. By picking the fruit, it can grow again in the coming year. If they did this, it would¡¯ve lasted until the future generations!¡± Xin Ting said angrily. ¡°They are thinking about the end. It¡¯s not certain whether there is a future for mankind. Why bother to think about future generations?¡± Xin Ting couldn¡¯t refute. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning walked ahead, communicating with voices that only they could hear. ¡°Are you still watching Peng Mao?¡± Lian Ru Ning understood in her heart about Hao Jian¡¯s refusal to give up her crowbar to Peng Mao. ¡°His words are only one-sided. Who knows if it is because he betrayed the team that there is no one around him? The human heart is sinister. In this world, I don¡¯t believe it that there are still honest people around.¡± Lian Ru Ning was curious about the environment in which Hao Jian grew up in that made her this cynical. She looked at her and asked, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian glanced back at her. If the system hadn¡¯t asked me to bind you, I wouldn¡¯t have the slightest care if you died in front of me. She couldn¡¯t say this, of course. And after a few days of getting along, she wasn¡¯t as different as she thought. ¡°Except you.¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled brightly, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not someone else. You¡¯re mine ¨C¡± Hao Jian paused. CH 25.1 Lian Ru Ning stared at Hao Jian and her confession flashed in her mind. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart became nervous and vaguely expectant. Hao Jian took out the five hundred yuan she received and raised it, ¡°Sugar momma!¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t say whether what she felt was disappointment or anything, the only thing she knew was that, she wasn¡¯t satisfied with the answer. Hao Jian smiles, ¡°My money was robbed by the Li family. In the days to come, I still have to rely on cash.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain whether people will sell food or not.¡± ¡°Not everyone will lose hope in the future. I believe that a considerable number of people still hope that the proper authorities can save them and restore order. At this time, their stored money, coins, gold, silver, and jewelry will be useful. . . So when we buy at ten times the price, they will not be unmoved.¡± They soon arrive at the entrance of the village. At a glance, most houses inside are three-storied small buildings, but most of them do not have a yard, so every household has closed the door. Although the windows are installed with anti-theft nets, there¡¯s still a small opening. Some people have broken windows, and there are still a lot of blood stains on the doors and windows, which are obviously the result of cruel fights. Hao Jian asked Xin Ting and Peng Mao to search for vacant houses near the village to see if they could find some useful materials. She and Lian Ru Ning knocked on someone¡¯s window. After they knocked on a few households, when no one responded, they moved on to the next one. Hao Jian wasn¡¯t bothered, her goal wasn¡¯t to buy food from these people anyway. When the sun was slanting to the west, a family was finally willing to open the window and talk to her. Hao Jian took the opportunity and told Lian Ru Ning, ¡°You go and see how Xin Ting and the others are doing.¡± ¡°Will you be alright alone?¡± Hao Jian glanced at the man of the family and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine by myself.¡± Although Lian Ru Ning wasn¡¯t at ease, she also knows that Hao Jian is a person who doesn¡¯t leave her weapons or armor, so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the others for the mean time. If you encounter any situation, just call for us.¡± After Lian Ru Ning left, Hao Jian asked the family about food, but they didn¡¯t have any extra food to sell. After knowing that they came from the outside, he wanted to get some information form Hao Jian. Hao Jian didn¡¯t hope that she could buy food from them, so he asked if he had a backpack. This time he agreed, since a dilapidated shoulder bag cost more than two hundred yuan. The villager also knew that the bag wasn¡¯t food or a necessity for survival, so he didn¡¯t ask a sky-high price. Hao Jian asked for the bag and left. Later, she bought food from the mall and place it inside, saying that she bought it from the family. Taking into account the conditions of the villagers, she gave up foods such as bread, rice balls, and eggs that were worth ten points. She only chose food like a catty of dried vegetables that was worth five points and a pack of instant noodles worth ten points. As soon as she packed her things into her shoulder bag, she looked for Lian Ru Ning once again, ¡°Peng Mao and Xin Ting found an empty house. Although the glass window was broken, the security net is still intact and the door is still okay.¡± Hao Jian ignored the prying glances around them and followed Lian Ru Ning to the house to check it out. There was a headless zombie lying in front and beside the door of the house. The stainless steel door still had traces after a fight, so it can be said that someone has been here. Hao Jian was afraid that there might not be many survival supplies availble. Peng Mao and Xin Ting have searched the two-story house, but the only kitchenware they found was a leaky aluminum pot, and a heavy pressure cooker. There were also a few tableware and chopsticks, but the knives were gone. Hao Jian went and took a look. Although the room was full of mess, it was still safer than a temple with little vision. On the top of the building, you can observe the surroundings. If they ever find something, they can also evacuate quickly. The important thing is that there is water for bathing. In such an environment, no one would care about hygiene, even if they didn¡¯t take a bath for three days. But they killed so many zombies, and they would inevitably be splashed with zombie blood. They were worried about whether there would be any harm to them if they didn¡¯t wash it after a day. Moreover, after a few days of sweating, their whole body was stinking. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t even dare to get too close to Hao Jian, fearing that the latter might smell her body. Hao Jian learned form the system that some people have studied the zombie virus or ¡®Q Virus¡¯, and said that it cannot survive in the air, but the corpse of the zombie contains decomposed toxic substances that could pollute land and water sources. Although it will not turn humans into zombies, it will still cause some physical discomfort. Therefore, it is best not to touch surface water, but tap water that has undergone disinfection and other processes is relatively safe. Although such a process cannot eliminate the zombie virus implanted in the human body, it can eliminate the toxic substances from the zombie¡¯s blood. Hao Jian said, ¡°Aside from the paralysis of the network signal, electricity and water in some places seem to be still operating. It seems that the country has already reacted. If there are people operating in power plants and water plants, or other related organizations, they must be relatively safe. Considering that we haven¡¯t proper authorities appear for so many days, they must have been assigned to protect these important factories. Thinking about this, Hao Jian said to Lian Ru Ning who was in a daze, ¡°No need to worry, mankind is not completely doomed and your family is still alive.¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that Hao Jian¡¯s words seemed to have some magic power. After hearing what she said, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart calmed down a lot and she also believed that her family was still alive, waiting for their reunion! Suddenly, she snickered before laughing and said, ¡°It¡¯s strange, you can still comfort people!¡± Hao Jian leaned into Lian Ru Ning¡¯s ear. Her voice was different from her usual cold and flat tone. It was instead full of magnetic beauty, ¡°I can do a lot more to comfort you.¡± Lian Ru Ning thought of some very yellow pictures after hearing Hao Jian, causing her face to slowly become hot. Worried about being misunderstood by Xin Ting and the others, she hurriedly backed away, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and have a look.¡± Seeing her running away, Hao Jian asked the system, ¡°The partner you chose for me is the same as me?¡± ¡°The system can¡¯t know. Although your partner is perfect fit for the host, humans have perceptual emotions and their choices are often not the best for themselves.¡± ¡°To be blunt, although she fits well with me, she may like men or people other than me.¡± Hao Jian said. The system does not deny, ¡°Therefore, it is not easy to have a deep soul connection with your partner. Because of this, the rewards for completing the love mission is high.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Hao Jian smiled. Now most people in the village use gas and natural gas for cooking, but the old people with stoves liked to cook in the old way. Fortunately, the gas tank in the house wasn¡¯t empty and wasn¡¯t taken. Hao Jian understood the minds of the robbers. They can take away knives as weapons, use cooking pots for armor or use them when cooking in the wild. Although the pressure cooker and gas tank were good, they were also bulky, so they were abandoned. Because of these pots, they have the opportunity to boil water and eat the dried Vegetables and instant noodles that Hao Jian brought out. Of course, after learning that the tap water could be boiled for drinking, the four bottles of mineral water in Hao Jian¡¯s bag wasn¡¯t used. She instead prepared them to use for emergency. The four of them were divided into two groups. Hao Jian and Peng Mao worked in a group. When Lian Ru Ning went to take a bath and Xin Ting was preparing the instant noodles, Hao Jian was on the lookout in the roof upstairs while Peng Mao watched at the door. The reason for this arrangement was what Hao Jian said to Peng Mao, ¡°Although you have no combat effectiveness, your muscles can still scare people.¡± When the three women teamed up, they were still targeted by Li Chang. No matter how skilled they were, they looked weak in the first impression of others. This stereotype will cause them a lot of unnecessary trouble. Hao Jian also thought about it. Instead of guarding Peng Mao, it is better to make the best use of everything and have him act as a fa?ade. If Peng Mao wants to part ways with them after today, they will not lose. It took Xin Ting ten minutes to cook the noodles. Peng Mao, who was staring at the door in the living room, was distracted when he smelled the aroma and wandered into the kitchen. In the past, if these fried foods were given to him by others, he would not eat them. But he had been hungry for a long time and didn¡¯t care if it was bad, as long as he could eat. When he saw Xin Ting preparing to take away a bowl of noodles with lots of noodles and dried vegetables, he was taken aback for a moment and wondered, ¡°Is that bowl for me?¡± Xin Ting looked at him and smiled embarrassedly, ¡°This is Hao Jian¡¯s¡± ¡°But. . . ¡± Peng Mao looked at the other three same bowls. He wanted to say that he was a man with a big appetite. ¡°Hao Jian has exhausted a lot of physical strength these days, so she has to eat more. And she was the one who got us food. We are so lucky, wouldn¡¯t you say that she should eat more?¡± ¡°Hmm. . .¡± Peng Mao was lost. He himself wasn¡¯t a ¡®fighting force.¡¯ It¡¯s normal for Xin Ting to treat them differently. Moreover, they eat the same amount. He should be satisfied to even be able to take a bite. Lian Ru Ning, who came out of the shower, heard their conversation and felt a strange feeling in her heart. She stepped forward and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it to her. Your hand is still hurting!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you!¡¯ Lian Ru Ning went to the top of the building and saw Hao Jian leaning on the railing with her back faced the setting sun, her gaze swept across the village path indifferently. She had easygoing expression, as if she was just looking at the scenery form the top of the building. Several poems appeared in Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t mind the romantic atmosphere. A refreshing breeze came from behind, and Hao Jian smelled the scent that seemed like nothing before looking back. After her shower, Lian Ru Ning had her hair loose and her long-sleeved shirt was wet because of her hair, though she didn¡¯t notice it. She washed her hair, face, and every inch of skin on her body, as if she was reborn. Had it not been for the soreness in her palm, she would have thought that the previous fays had been nothing more than a nightmare. ¡°Hey, Xin Ting has prepared the biggest bowl for you.¡± Lian Ru Ning handed out the bowl. Hao Jian took it, sat down cross-legged, and started eating. Lian Ru Ning squatted down beside her, looking at the gorgeous sunset, ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I saw the sunset before, and it looked like a setting sun full of blood. But I don¡¯t see it anymore.¡± Hao Jian also looked up at the sun and said, ¡°This is a good thing. It shows that you are mentally prepared to face the catastrophe.¡± ¡°I should thank you, you are a good person.¡± Hao Jian moved for a while. Why did she feel that she had been issued a ¡®good guy card¡¯ for some reason? However, Lian Ru Ning simply praised Hao Jian. She asked, ¡°What do you do in Southern City? You seem to have a lot of experience.¡± After asking, she was still a little worried about whether her question was too abrupt for Hao Jian. Hao Jian didn¡¯t mind her asking these things. They had experienced life and death together, which could be called a companionship and she had nothing to hide. ¡°After I dropped out of school, I worked a few jobs. Later, I was caught by You Xiaoxiao, the son of the couple who runs a farmhouse. He is also a game streamer. Seeing that I play games well, he encouraged me to become a game streamer.¡± Hao Jian paused, ¡°Speaking of which, you are still my junior sister!¡± Lian Ru Ning was surprised, ¡°Are you from Southern City University too?¡± Hao Jian smiled, ¡°Yes, but I am majoring in Sociology and Anthropology, The campus is in the sea area of Nanfang City. However, I have only studied for half a year, and I didn¡¯t even have time to get acquainted with my classmates.¡± Being able to afford a well-known school like Southern City is enough to prove that Hao Jian is also a smart girl herself. ¡°Then. . . Why did you drop out of school?¡± ¡°Because my mother became sick. She was very ill. She needed money to treat her illness and she needed someone to take care of her.¡± Lian Ru Ning heard Hao Jian mentioned that she was only paying homage to her mother when she came home, so Hao Jian could think of her later situation without mentioning her. As for why Hao Jian¡¯s father didn¡¯t show up, she didn¡¯t ask. The answer would not be very good after all. ¡°Sorry, my question made you uncomfortable.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. ¡°Why do you think so? I don¡¯t think this is something that cannot be mentioned. Although it is indeed a sad past, my mother has been dead for four years. My sadness has faded.¡± Hao Jian finished her last bite of noodles, ¡°At first, I would be sad and at a loss. Later, I found a way to survive. In order to survive, I don¡¯t have time to immerse myself in grief.¡± Four years ago, Hao Jian lost the most important person in her life, all alone. Some relatives were willing to lend her money to continue her university, but she refused. After her relatives heard that she was a game streamer, they all said that she was depraved. Whenever she was mentioned to others, they were ¡®sorrowful¡¯ that she was such a smart girl who indulged in the game, depraved, and did unscrupulous work. But she knew that the reason why they were willing to lend her money to study at university was just to control her future life. If they were really king, they would not say that there was no money when her mother needed money for her medical treatment. Hao Jian didn¡¯t resent her relatives, her mother¡¯s illness might not be cured even if she invested millions in it after all. They didn¡¯t want to throw money into a bottomless pit, and she understood that. And they were willing to lend her money to finish university because her tuition is within their affordability and her future after graduation can make them reap considerable rewards. She wants to be good enough to make her mother happy and at ease. Now no one will be disappointed because she is not good enough, so why doesn¡¯t she let herself be more easygoing? After thinking about this, she gave up and dropped school. Lian Ru Ning suddenly understood why Hao Jian was not sad or happy about everything she encountered now. This was her attitude towards life. Doing nothing and wanting nothing, leaving life and death out of the way, so you can be particularly be brave. ¡°Hao Jian, are we friends?¡± She asked. ¡°Girlfriend or. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning stared at her, ¡°You always molest me like this, I will let you know that ¡®the price of chaos¡¯ is!¡± Hao Jian wasn¡¯t bothered by Lian Ru Ning¡¯s anger, on the contrary, she thought she was very cute. Hao Jian pursed her lips and smiled. Suddenly she heard movement from downstairs. She got up and looked down, she eyes suddenly darkened and told Lian Ru Ning, ¡°People are coming from downstairs. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re coming from. I¡¯ll go down. You stay and watch from here.¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded. Before Hao Jian left, she took her hand and cheered, ¡°You be careful.¡± CH 25.2 When Lian Ru Ning went to Hao Jian, Peng Mao and Xin Ting also sat down to chat together. Although Xin Ting mentioned some of their experiences before, Peng Mao still knows very little about them, so he asked Xin Ting, ¡°Where are you going next?¡± Xin Ting thought for a while and felt that there is nothing wrong with telling him about their plans to go to Southern City, so she told him the truth. ¡°Then your parents are in Southern City?¡± Xin Ting was taken aback and she shook her head, ¡°I grew up in Yangshi City, so my parents are in Yangshi City. The reason why I was a teacher in a township school is because I was studying at the normal university when the position opened in the market. It was an arrangement for an internship in an elementary school.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about them?¡± ¡°Yang City is a small city between the third of fourth tier, and my family is in the town. Compared to the city, it is quite safe. Not to mention my dad is brave and powerful as Hao Jian. He will protect my mother¡¯s safety.¡± Peng Mao did not expect that although Xin Ting was timid, she was very trusting and optimistic towards her parents. ¡°From here to Yangshi, you have to pass through the Southern City, so you are going home?!¡± Peng Mao said. Xin Ting was silent. In fact, she didn¡¯t have a clear goal for where she was going. At the beginning, she left Xinhe Elementary School only because of the siege of a group of zombies. After leaving there, she didn¡¯t have the courage to go alone, so she confusedly followed Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning on the road. Until she came here, she still had time to calm down and think about the way forward. ¡°What about you?¡± Xin Ting asked rhetorically. Peng Mao thought for a while, ¡°Before I met you, I thought I was bound to die. How could I plan a way forward? But I heard from Ding Gu-nian¡¯s group that there might be corresponding rescue measures in the military area. If I go there, I might be lucky. The nearest military base is in Southern City. Why don¡¯t I go to Southern City with you!¡± Xin Ting didn¡¯t know whether Peng Mao was trustworthy. She wanted to ask Hao Jian before giving him an answer. She didn¡¯t tell him the truth, instead she told him, ¡°You have found a direction to live your life, that¡¯s great. You can talk to Hao Jian about it later, she always had an idea and can arrange it properly.¡± Peng Mao said, ¡°She really is amazing. You all seem to trust Hao Jian. Although she looks tall and thing, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so explosive. Is she an athlete?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what she does. . .¡± At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Xin Ting was taken aback and Peng Mao listened for a moment. The sound outside the door knocked three times and after a while, it rang three times again. Not like the sound of a zombie grabbing the door. He was about to open the door when Hao Jian went downstairs. ¡°The three people outside, they have knives in the hands, be careful!¡± Hao Jian whispered. Peng Mao was startled and asked hurriedly, ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have anything but knives, so they may be villagers here.¡± The ground lock of the house was actually broken, so Hao Jian and the others used sofas to block the door. They were still very vigilant for fear of a strong attack. ¡°Who?¡± Peng Mao asked under Hao Jian¡¯s instructions. ¡°We should be the ones asking you that. Who are you and why are in the third child¡¯s house?¡± Peng Mao also understood and immediately cursed in a low voice, ¡°Damn, these people are here to blackmail!¡± They obviously saw the zombies outside the door, and they didn¡¯t come early or late. They waited for them to settle in before coming over when the sun went down. They didn¡¯t want to know who they were, but they want to use the house for shelter and threaten Hao Jian¡¯s group for benefits. ¡°What to do?¡± Peng Mao asked. They knew that the zombies in this village had been temporarily wiped out, so they dared to come out. If they provoke them, it is difficult to guarantee that the whole village will not come out, and they will have no where to go. Hao Jian cursed, ¡°Tsk, I really can¡¯t underestimate people¡¯s desperation.¡± Hao Jian asked Peng Mao to say in a deep voice, ¡°We don¡¯t know the third child. We just passed by. Seeing that there is no one here, we came to spend the night.¡± There was a moment of silence outside the door until the voice said again, ¡°This is no good. This is my brother¡¯s house. How can we let strangers in casually? Come out!¡¯ ¡°Isn¡¯t your brother dead? If you value your brother so much, why don¡¯t you collect the body for their family? You see how pitiful they are lying outside.¡± Hao Jian said. Peng Mao felt that something bad was going to happen and Hao Jian¡¯s tone was too disrespectful. If she offends the other party, it really won¡¯t be pretty! The other party was really anxious and knocked on the door directly using the knife, ¡°Damn you robbers! Quickly open the door, otherwise things will not look good!¡± ¡°Go ahead and try!¡± Hao Jian patted Peng Mao on the shoulder. Peng Mao looked at her blankly. It took him a while to understand what she meant so he said fiercely, ¡°If you have the ability to smash the door open, then do it. This door has not been broken for a while anyway, but the zombies will come by smelling the wind. Let¡¯s see who will survive in the end!¡± The people outside the door were to threatened that they became really timid. They had been watching from their homes for a while, and then they saw through the windows that they were cooking noodles. Considering that there is not much food in the village, they thought of robbing Hao Jian¡¯s group. But as Peng Mao said, they couldn¡¯t open this door for a while, but zombies would appear at any time.¡± Between continuing to find food and saving themselves, they retreated, but they were unwilling to let them leave like this. ¡°Okay, we will let you stay for one night. Don¡¯t you dare come out tomorrow!¡± The other party said the cruel words and left. After hearing nothing, Peng Mao breathes a sigh of relief, but he was still very worried, ¡°What if they block us tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them by that time,¡± Hao Jian waved her hand and said to Xin Ting, ¡°Go and let Lian Ru Ning come down, they already know that we were watching them from above.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to be on watch?¡± Xin Ting asked. ¡°Watch, but you will have to guard later. It is most appropriate to be on watch when they are blinded by the dark lights.¡± After speaking, Hao Jian went to the family¡¯s bedroom and found a set of relatively clean clothes to change after taking a bath. Of course, she couldn¡¯t wear other people¡¯s underwear as her own. When Lian Ru Ning came down, there was a lot of movement. As Hao Jian said, only if people surrounding them know that there is no one on top of the building will they show their true colors. After she came down, the sky was completely dark. Among the four, she hadn¡¯t eaten anything yet. She held the bowl of cold noodles and ate them all. After she finished eating, Hao Jian came out of the shower. She was wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt with a Scottish skirt that only covered two-thirds of her thighs. Her calves were straight and slender and she also had slender legs. While she was wiping her wet long hair, water droplets rolled from her neck to her collarbone, painting an indescribable beauty. ¡°This house has three bedrooms. Except for the one on the first floor, there are two upstairs. Let¡¯s allocate the work tonight.¡± Hao Jian said, ¡°There must be someone watching the night and the bedroom on the first floor must be the one who will keep an eye on the movement outside.¡± Lian RU Ning agrees, ¡°I think the bedroom on the first floor is best for two people. One person can be on guard immediately when there is movement outside, and the other person can go and notify the people upstairs.¡± ¡°That way, those who will watch on the third floor and those resting on the second floor will rotate and the two on the first floor will also rotate.¡± Peng Mao added. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning looked at each other. The latter said, ¡°Then I will be with Hao Jian, and you will be with Xin Ting.¡± Peng Mao and Xin Ting¡¯s combat effectiveness is not high and the work of watching on the roof is just right for them. Hao Jian has always been wary. She must stay on the first floor. As for Lian Ru Ning, it is purely from her ability to deal with danger. As a result, Peng Mao and Xin Ting had no objection. Although there is electricity here, the people surrounding them didn¡¯t turn on the lights. If they turn them on, it would be tantamount to exposing themselves to danger. Fortunately, this family still had a lamp and the flashlights were all searched. The lamp needs electricity, so it was not taken away. When it was a little later, Peng Mao sneaked up to the top of the building according to their original plan. Xin Ting wanted to replace Peng Mao so she had to rest early. After Hao Jian inspected the house, she returned to the bedroom after confirming that there were no omissions. Due to the hot weather, Lian Ru Ning abandoned the bed and the sheets on the ground. She can also use the height of the bed to block the view from the window at the same time. When Hao Jian came in, Lian Ru Ning laid on the ground, subconsciously shining it with a lamp. As soon as she looked up, she saw under the skirt which scared her to quickly move back the light of the desk lamp. ¡°You¡ª¡± She opened her mouth. Hao Jian sat down beside her and looked at her suspiciously. ¡°There are a lot of pants in the closet, why did you choose a skirt?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°Wearing a skirt is more convenient than wearing pants. Of course, I also prepared a pair of pants, which I will change in tomorrow morning.¡± Hao Jian explained. Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°Well, I understand. After all, I heard that the soldiers in Scotland wear kilts without underwear.¡± After that, her cheeks burned like fire and she regretted why she had to say something like that. She didn¡¯t know if Hao Jian would be embarrassed! Obviously, Hao Jian would not be embarrassed. She lay on her side next to Lian Ru Ning, looking at her with a smile, ¡°My underwear is being washed. You¡¯ve seen it all, so why are you shy?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning covered her face, ¡°I didn¡¯t see it.¡± Hao Jian chuckled and changed the subject, ¡°You go to bed first?¡± ¡°You, you go to sleep first!¡± Hao Jian did not object, so she laid down and fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Lain Ru Ning dimmed the light, and the faint light hit Hao Jian¡¯s face. Some of her beauty revealed in the dimness. Somehow, she wondered how Li Chang would take her so blindly. If she was Li Chang, she would definitely choose Hao Jian. After a while, she was surprised by her own thoughts What am I thinking about?! ¡°Ru Ning, Ru Ning, wake up.¡± In her sleep, Lian Ru Ning heard someone calling her softly. She thought about it ignorantly and suddenly woke up, but saw Xin Ting squatting beside her. She was taken aback and hurriedly looked around. Hao Jian was not lying beside her and the curtain at the window opened a slight gap, revealing a ray of dark light. ¡°Where is Hao Jian? What time is it?¡± She asked hurriedly. ¡°Half past four. Hao Jian and Peng Mao are making arrangements to leave, so get up and prepare!¡± Xin Ting said. Lian Ru Ning breathed a sigh of relief, but she was also very embarrassed. She fell asleep without knowing it last night. She slept for seven hours. She didn¡¯t know when Hao Jian woke up, but she didn¡¯t wake her up. She packed up her things and walked out of the bedroom. She saw Hao Jian using a condom to tie a lot of stones around Peng Mao¡¯s waist as a rope. She also used a condom to make a slingshot, ¡°This is a long-range attack weapon, you take it with you.¡± She has changed into pants, her hiking shoes are still under her feet, the shoulder bag she bought yesterday is on her back, a crowbar and her knife are pinned to her waist. She still looked so sassy and heroic. ¡°The early morning is the easiest time for them to relax their vigilance. We can only leave at this time if we don¡¯t want to face them. And there are already shadows of zombies outside. We will take advantage of the number of zombies that we can deal and leave as soon as possible!¡± Hao Jian said to Lian Ru Ning. ¡°Well, I have already packed up.¡± Lian Ru Ning threw away some useless things in her backpack and learned from Hao Jian to tie her hair into balls. But she didn¡¯t have a rubber band, so she used a condom. Only then did she have to admit that Hao Jian was really know leadable and could even think of using condoms like this. The four opened the door lightly and looked around. The village was still silent, and there were no people watching. ¡°There is a road next to the temple that can cross the city to the suburbs, so we have to go back to the temple. The road is a little bit far from the temple, so we have to be careful. If you run into danger, run away. If you get lost, go along the river. Go.¡± Hao Jian reminded. The rest nodded their heads heavily. They didn¡¯t go far, and the zombies behind them chased them. In the dim environment, they could only see the outline of the zombies. Hao Jian lifted the crowbar and knocked it along that outline, but she didn¡¯t hit the vital point of the zombie. The zombie hit the wall and the went up and hit it again. It wasn¡¯t until the system prompt sounded in her mind that she was sure that the zombie has lost its function. Because of the movement made by her here and the calls made by the zombies before, some movement was heard in the surrounding houses. ¡°Go!¡± Hao Jian stopped delaying and ran ahead first. Another shadow shot out from behind a house. Hao Jian heard the voice and discerned that it was not a living person, so she did not hesitate to attack. It was useless to use a crowbar, so she used her Gurkha army knife. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away, hurry up!¡± Yesterday¡¯s man¡¯s voice came from behind. Hao Jian¡¯s words echoed in their hearts, their movement accelerated. When they ran out of the village, the sky was already blue. Although it was only faint blue, their visual range has improved. Seeing them running away, those who chased them were also worried that they would encounter zombies so they could only stop and curse bitterly, ¡°Damn, they got away!¡± ¡°Why chase them?¡± Someone asked. ¡°They have food on them!¡± ¡°I saw that they were going to buy from Ade.¡± One replied. ¡°Ade said t hat he never sold food to them at all. He only sold a broken backpack and they were willing to spend two hundred yuan to but a broken backpack. There must be valuable things on them!¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be too good for us to rob?¡± The leader was very angry, ¡°In this world, everyone is robbing, so what¡¯s wrong with us doing it? They are going to die anyway, why can¡¯t they give us their valuable things?¡± The man murmured again, ¡°Now there¡¯s a lack of food everywhere, what can I do if I have money?¡± The leader said, ¡°Who said that money can¡¯t do anything? You didn¡¯t know the last time that group of people could give us food as long as we had money?!¡± They argued s they walked back to the village and someone behind them murmured, ¡°Hey, those three girls are so good-looking. It would be nice if they could stay.¡± Another person laughed and cursed, ¡°It¡¯s not your to say, right? Your family is fierce!¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t mention it, she didn¡¯t know what was going on last night. When we did it, she became nauseated and vomited, and she looked sick. I lost all interest in her.¡± ¡°Nausea and vomiting? According to them, she has never touched zombies. Isn¡¯t she there?¡± ¡°I asked her to take medicine. She was pregnant at this time. It was really terrible. The food at home won¡¯t last for a few days. I don¡¯t want to add another mouth!¡± The person talking to him flashed his eyes and whispered, ¡°I have food.¡± ¡°You?¡± This person understood what he meant in an instant, and his heart burst into anger. But after another thought, in this world, survival is more important than anything. Hao Jian and the rest who were far away from the village naturally didn¡¯t know the nastiness among the villagers. They didn¡¯t know whether they passed the embankment yesterday and attracted the zombies here. They met a few more zombies on the road. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning have seen why Ding Gu-nian¡¯s group disliked Peng Mao. It¡¯s because even if he throws stones, he doesn¡¯t do much damage to the zombies. Hao Jian couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She took a bag of stones and then used all her strength to throw it at the zombie who was running towards them. The big bag of stones hit the zombies head. Although it didn¡¯t feel any pain, it still fell unbalanced to the ground. Before the zombie got up, Hao Jian had already carried the knife and killed it. ¡°Wow!¡± For the first time, Peng Mao clearly saw Hao Jian¡¯s heroic figure killing a zombie. Lian Ru Ning gritted her teeth, ¡°What are you saying ¡®wow¡¯? If you have time to marvel, it¡¯s better to help Hao Jian defend the rear!¡± Peng Mao ran over in shame, holding the wooden stick he had picked up on the ground and slammed it up at another zombie. There was a river beside the zombie and rolled down after being hit by him. After falling in, it couldn¡¯t climb back up anymore. He also used this wooden stick to successfully poke a zombie who¡¯s abdomen had been hollowed on the ground, allowing Xin Ting to come forward and use the fruit knife to deal with it. Looking at the zombies that were completely motionless, Peng Mao was very excited. He patted Xin Ting on the shoulder, ¡°I did it!¡± Xin Ting also slowly recovered. She actually slashed the zombie like crazy just know. Of course, if Peng Mao hadn¡¯t restricted the movement of the zombie, she would have no chance to approach it. ¡°Well, you did it!¡± Xin Ting encouraged. Peng Mao wanted to tell Hao Jian and the others that he was also a combative person, but he saw the zombie corpses around along the way. His mood of showing off suddenly disappeared. The two of them came along and killed so many zombies I have ever seen. Xin Ting and I Teamed up to deal with a zombie, what is there to be happy about? ¡°There are more zombies, indicating that we are not far from the main road.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t see Peng Mao¡¯s joy, but she analyzed Lian Ru Ning¡¯s condition. The avenue she was talking about was the road leading to the highway intersection in this city. It was more than ten kilometers away from the city center, surrounded by farmland. There was also a flower market. A few kilometers ahead is the Civic Park and Conference Center. ¡°Although a lot of properties have been built over there, it is usually very desolate. Only candidates for Subject 3 will practice cars here. . . ¡± Peng Mao is still very familiar with the environment over there. ¡°But this road is a highway intersection and the highway after the national highway is down. It is bound to be traffic jam. Maybe before the road is cleared, there will be zombies biting people.¡± As soon as they finished speaking, they saw several cars parked in nearby fields and river slopes, including cars and busses. All of them rolled over or deformed. The situation is not so good before they reach the avenue, what more if they arrive in the avenue itself. CH 26 How tragic. Xin Ting saw the corpses around the overturned bus and couldn¡¯t help but vomit yesterday¡¯s food. Most of what she ate had almost been digested so all that came out was some water. Peng Mao also stares blankly, ¡°Why, why did no one come to rescue them?¡± Those were people rather than zombies. It was obvious that the passenger car overturned, rushed over the guardrail and rolled down the slope of the river. Maybe there are still people alive, but no one cares about the life and death of other people aside from themselves. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes became wet. Compared to watching living people turn into zombies, she is even more unable to accept the corpses of innocent civilians. Hao Jian did not speak and picked a wild flower from the side of the road. She became silent for a moment a threw it down the corpse on the slope. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She said, ¡°This is already a world that can be called ¡®hell.¡¯ If you want to leave hell alive, you can only move on.¡± As one of the most populous countries in the world and a province in the first echelon in terms of population, the spread of zombie virus was fast. Once chaos occurs, the number of deaths caused by accidents will also sharply rise. Hao Jian can¡¯t estimate how many people are still alive, but she feels that many people have died in the car accidents on the road. Some cars may have accidents due to a zombie virus outbreak, and some may be fighting to get away from the dangerous virus. Once an accident occurs, subsequent cars are likely to block roads. Nervous and impatient people are then likely to be impulsive and cause more accidents. Of course, there will not be too many zombies in the blocked road because once people knew that there is a jam ahead or zombies, they will no longer sit around and wait for death. They would rather walk and flee. Therefore, in Hao Jian¡¯s vision, she can guess that there will be many zombies around the congested road. Despite the danger, they still need to explore the congested road because there are so many cars that can be used there. Peng Mao said, ¡°But good cars are stuck in the middle of the road. Even if we find them, we won¡¯t be able to drive them out!¡± Hao Jian glanced at Xin Ting, ¡°Xin Ting is here, don¡¯t worry.¡± Xin Ting¡¯s heart throbbed. She felt so good in being trusted! Seeing Peng Mao a little puzzled, Lian Ru Ning explained, ¡°Xin Ting can repair cars. We don¡¯t have to go to the middle. We can just find a car that¡¯s not badly damaged.¡± Peng Mao exclaimed, ¡°Really, you are so amazing!¡± ¡°. . . ¡± Why do they feel that Peng Mao¡¯s gay? ¡°By the way. . . ¡± Hao Jian looked at Peng Mao, ¡°Are you sure you want to follow us? I thought we should part ways today.¡± Peng Mao¡¯s heart tightened and said, ¡°I know I have no fighting capability, but I have nowhere to go. And you actually need me too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t but gold on your own face.¡± Hao Jian said ruthlessly, as if the friendliness she had previously treated him was false. But Peng Mao was not discouraged. He wanted to try and prove his worth. He was considered a useless person for Ding Gu-nian and the others, but for Hao Jian and the others, he can at least block some unkind eyes for them. ¡°Because I am useful to you, you chose to let me talk to the villagers yesterday evening, didn¡¯t you?¡± Peng Mao pointed out. Hao Jian raised her eyebrow and glanced at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite smart.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s thoughts were not revealed to anyone, but Peng Mao saw her intentions so he had quite a perceptive mind. ¡°No wonder you are the fifth scum.¡± Hao Jian replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± Peng Mao breathed a sigh of relief. Hao Jian agreed to have him, even if it was only for the mean time. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting were still a little unsure. ¡°Imagine, if he was by our side at the beginning, would Li Chang stare at you?¡± Hao Jian flicked Lian Ru Ning¡¯s forehead with her index finger. The latter was holding her slightly numbed forehead and realized what Hao Jian meant. ¡°Paper tigers can still scare people away.¡± Hao Jian added. Peng Mao curled his eyebrows, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to say that I¡¯m a paper tiger?¡± Xin Ting covered her mouth and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a very appropriate description.¡± Peng Mao¡¯s words slipped from his mouth and he changed his words, ¡°Well, I admit it.¡± The atmosphere was more active and relaxed than before, and in this relaxed atmosphere, they stood at the intersection of Jiangcheng Avenue marked on the map. The intersection that was originally five or six meters wide was blocked by a few overturned cars. You can see that the guardrail of the river has also been washed away and the bottom is like a car recycling yard. The stone fences on both sides of Jiangcheng Avenue showed signs of severe impact and scratching. Several cars were parked on the side in opposite directions with auto parts scattered all around. Many cars were parked in front of the nearby flower market. The roller shutter door of the market was half open and there were a lot of bumps and blood stains on it. On the opposite side of the avenue are green belts and farmland. There are some home life squares and agricultural and sideline products trading centers towards the highway. ¡°To the left is the city center, and to the right is the highway intersection.¡± Peng Mao said. ¡°People in the city center wants to leave the city center, while the cars at the highway intersection want to leave using the highway. The guardrail in the middle of the road is not high and the cars on the opposite side can go retrograde, so when there is a lot of traffic, accidents happen like this.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s words were not nonsense, but the countless wrecks lying on the avenue showed them this fact. Although there are zombies in the area, they are all on the congested road a few hundred meters away. Even if they come over, they will not pose much threat. Hao Jian said, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up the nearest road first. Xin Ting, you can check which cars are available. As for Peng Mao, you can keep track of the surroundings with your slingshot.¡± There was no objection with Hao Jian¡¯s division of labor so she went with their familiar formation and cleaned up all the immediate zombies. In the process of killing zombies again and again, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s attacks have become more and more precise. It took her three to four round to kill a single zombie, but now, she can take care of a zombie with two moves with most of its nerves are severed. Although the vital part of a zombie is in the head, the nerve hidden in the neck is an important hub for the brain to convey instructions to the body. Once the brain loses this hub, even if the brain continue to send out instructions to attack living creatures, it has no limbs to move. Therefore, for Lian Ru Ning, whose weapons and strength are not enough to break the head, attacking their necks is an effective way. When Hao Jian used a crowbar to deal with the zombies, she consumed a lot of physical strength, so after using the Gurkha army knife, she also changed her fighting style. Instead of using brute force, she used the sharpness of the knife and skillfully slit zombie necks. One trick to ¡®see the blood to seal the throat¡¯ to the zombies. However, she is different from Lian Ru Ning¡¯s method. Instead of cutting off the nerves, she directly cut off the cervical spine so that the zombie¡¯s brain has nothing to support it, resulting to its body not longer attacking people. Many zombies also appeared in the flower market, but after being reminded by Peng Mao and the others, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were able to easily deal with them. In the end, Hao Jian didn¡¯t know how many zombies she had dealt with. She only knew that she had already walked into the flower market. The flower market has three venues. Because the layout of the market is not a separate area, the situation inside can be seen at a glance from the door. The market was full of corpses, withered flowers, and trees all over the floor, still exuding bursts of stench. Hao Jian got in through the half-opened rolling door and provided some light to the market. She saw a figure slowly walking towards her that had strange movement. It could be judged as a zombie, but it didn¡¯t have the speed that other zombies should have. She held the army knife and walked over. Just as she was about to deal with it mercilessly, her expression turned weird. Lian Ru Ning was behind her and was about to remind Hao Jian, but when she saw that her hand had lifted the knife and fell, the zombie fell to the ground, unable to get up again. Lian Ru Ning breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Why did you just now ¨C¡° Before she could finish her question, she looked at the zombie and was shocked upon what she saw. The zombie on the ground was slow because it was an old woman that had limited mobility before it turned into a zombie. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were very familiar with the old woman, it was the mother of Li Chang and Li Ge. . . ¡°Why is she here?¡± Lian Ru Ning murmured. She couldn¡¯t say what explain what she was feeling. Although she hated what Li Chang¡¯s family did, seeing someone after separation as a zombie in a place like this was something she didn¡¯t expect. She was a little dazed. She wasn¡¯t pitying Mrs. Li, but she had a little more knowledge of the cruelty of reality. There was no expression on Hao Jian¡¯s face, ¡°There¡¯s no way that she was left behind like this, which means that the car is also nearby.¡± As soon as she fell silent, she instinctively sensed a trace of danger. She raised her army knife and swung out to the side and back again kicked her foot at the same time. The zombie who was only cut on its arm by Hao Jian was kicked to the ground by her. She quickly took out the crowbar and knocked its forehead. Lian Ru Ning had also recovered, remembering the glimpse she saw, the zombie seemed to be Li Chang. ¡°Sure enough ¨C¡± She sighed secretly and grabbed Hao Jian¡¯s hand, ¡°It¡¯s dead, save some energy!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t kill him while he was still human, but he¡¯s now a zombie. I will avenge you!¡± Hao Jian said. Lian Ru Ning hadn¡¯t noticed that Hao Jian had such a cautious side before. The melancholy just disappeared and she couldn¡¯t help but happily reply, ¡°Are you sure you are not venting yourself? Obviously you¡¯re always on guard, but you still take advantage of them. Did they hurt your pride?¡± Hao Jian stopped and turned her face away from Lian Ru Ning and pouted so that she couldn¡¯t see. At this time, Xin Ting¡¯s scream suddenly came from outside. They exchanged glances and immediately rushed out. They thought Xin Ting and the others were in danger, but she didn¡¯t expect that she was looking at a broken car by the side of the road in horror. The car was very familiar, and they quickly recognized it. It was the car that Li Chang and his family robbed from them. They saw that the car that was initially damaged was even more dilapidated. The front cover was lifted, the windshield was broken in half, and the right rear door glass seemed to have been smashed by something. There was a lot of glass inside the car and there were bloodstains on the seat and the door. The doors of the car were all open. There was a small corpse lying beside the wheel and he was holding an intercom in his hand. ¡°The girl, Li Ge and his wife are gone.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too bad.¡± Peng Mao leaned over, ¡°Why, do you know each other?¡± ¡°This is the family who stole our car.¡± Peng Mao¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Heaven recycles, retribution is unhappy!¡± Hao Jian retrieved two walkie-talkies from the boy¡¯s hand and from the driver¡¯s seat. She also retrieved her mobile phone and wallet in the back seat. The cash inside was gone but the bank card and ID were still there. As for the backpacks, both hers and Xin Ting¡¯s backpacks were gone. They obviously threw them away. ¡°Can the car still be used?¡± Hao Jian asked Xin Ting. Xin Ting recovered and shook her head, ¡°I found a car that can be driven but it¡¯s out of gas so I came to see if there are still some cars that can provide some gas. . . ¡° ¡°Then you keep looking, let¡¯s push all the cars in the way aside and clear a way.¡± Fortunately, the section on their side is not completely blocked, as long as the section from here to the Civic Avenue is cleared, they will have a smoother way. CH 27 As the sun rose, the surrounding temperature also rises. Peng Mao was sweating profusely while pushing a car, sweat dripping down uncontrollably. He had exhausted all of his strength but the car still didn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°No matter how Chinese people like to buy cars, isn¡¯t it good to travel ecofriendly? Now it¡¯s causing traffic congestion, so you don¡¯t want to lose heart.¡± ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s sour!¡± Hao Jian went to help him push it together. Although her arm was in so much pain that it was about to cramp, she gritted her teeth and held it back. In fact, aside from her, Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting both had sore arms but because they had not killed many zombies in the previous two days, it wasn¡¯t obvious. However, the number of zombies they killed yesterday had doubles, making the pain in their arms more obvious today. It wasn¡¯t until noon that they cleared a trail of about 1.5 meters ¨C just enough for a car to drive out. During this period, scattered zombies appeared to attach them, but they were able to clean them all up. ¡°Take a rest.¡± Hao Jian was already sweating and her clothes and hair hadn¡¯t been dried before. The bath they took last night was for nothing. Xin Ting took out the instant noodles she cooked last night from her backpack. Hao Jian said that if it was cooked in the morning, it would definitely arouse the vigilance of the villagers, so she cooked it last night. After letting it cool, she poured out the soup into a bowl before sealing it with a condom. Although it was overnight and the sealing tools were a bit unappetizing, they had no leeway of being fussy in this environment. It was already good that they have food. While they were eating, they suddenly heard a sound of an engine coming from somewhere. When they looked around, they spot two motorcycles that jumped out of the Civic Avenue, more than fifty meters away. The zombies that followed them were ten meters behind like a pack of dogs chasing a cat. Their total numbers were unclear and can¡¯t be counted by the naked eye. ¡°Fuck!¡± The four of them were shocked. They didn¡¯t know what was wrong with the drivers. Why did they provoke so many zombies? Although Hao Jian and the others has the ability to kill zombies, they can¡¯t kill so many at the same time! ¡°Get in the car!¡± Hao Jian shouted as she quickly got into the driver¡¯s seat. Lian Ru Ning hurriedly sat in the passenger seat, while Peng Mao and Xin Ting didn¡¯t care that the bowl of noodles hadn¡¯t been eaten yet. They even threw the bowl of noodles in the spur of the moment. They grabbed their weapons and climbed back into the car. In such a short time, the zombies at the intersection of Civic Avenue found them across the road. Although there is a guardrail isolation belt in the middle, after so many car accidents, some guardrails have fallen down a long time ago and these zombies flooded from this opening. ¡°Quick, quick!¡± Peng Mao suddenly patted the driver¡¯s seat, urging Hao Jian. Hao Jian was not afraid of danger and calmly drove the car. She then immediately accelerated that knocked the zombies stuck in front of them. Before the zombies caught up, they passed the intersection of Civic Avenue. Although there are still zombies chasing them, their speed wasn¡¯t as fast as cars. Soon, the chasing figures were getting smaller and smaller. They finally escaped the crisis temporarily! Lian Ru Ning was so nervous that her hands were sweating. She turned her head, fastened her seat belt, and raised her eyes to see that the windshield in front of them was stained with a broken body of a zombie. She could barely see something one hundred meters ahead, ¡°Be careful ahead!¡± Hao Jian slowed down in time to get around the obstacle and then turned the wiper on to clean the part of the windshield that blocked her sight. Fortunately, she just remembered that there was an obstacle in front of them, otherwise they would¡¯ve crashed. The four of them who had escaped several times let out a sigh of relief and laid back on their chairs, wiping a lot of sweat. Peng Mao felt that his urine was threatening to leak just now, but fortunately, the sky was endless. When he recovered, he felt that the road they were on felt a little familiar, ¡°This seems to be the road to the city?¡± ¡°I know, but you see that the car just came out from the Civic Avenue. So, if something happened there, we can¡¯t go back anymore. I remember there is still a way to go west. Although it has to pass through the city, it is only a few kilometers away, as long as it passes this area.¡± ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re raising a death flag?¡± Peng Mao suddenly asked. ¡°. . .¡± Looking at the road conditions ahead and the ¡®significant number¡¯ of zombies, Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but interrupt the weird silence, ¡°Don¡¯t be a crow¡¯s mouth.¡± Peng Mao was a little wronged. He wasn¡¯t obviously trying to raise jinx anything, but everyone present was consistently criticizing him. He had no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit. Because people in the city want to flee, there are fewer vehicles on the roads towards the city. However, because of the accidents that occurred during the chaos, the road conditions varied. There were street lights that were smashed across the road, there were cars that were parked on the side of the road, there were rubbish spilled on the ground after a trash truck rolled over, and there were zombies wandering around. . . It was impossible for them to get out of the car to clear the roadblock, so Hao Jian simply drove the car to the opposite road and drove in the opposite direction. In the afternoon sun, the temperature in the car was rapidly rising due to the broken air-conditioning system. They felt like inside a bid steamer. In order to prevent the zombies from using the car windows to invade, they can only roll about one centimeter of the window for some air. Hao Jian¡¯s wild driving style made everyone a little worried because she no longer knew how many zombies had been hit on the road. Even Xin Ting was worried that this fragile car would be damaged by her. ¡°The scenery here is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked out the window and sighed lightly. There are lush woods on both sides of this section of the road. Flowerbeds were built on the sidewalks and planted with rhododendrons. The scent of birds and flowers in spring and the singing of cicadas in summer appeared in her mind. ¡°There is a forest park nearby. There are many animals in it. Although it is called a forest part, it is the only zoo here.¡± Peng Mao said again. As soon as the words fell silent, a leopard jumped out in front of them. Hao Jian didn¡¯t have time to brake, so she ran over it. ¡°. . . Is the leopard an animal under national protection?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s level one.¡± Lian Ru Ning solemnly nodded. Hao Jian pursed her lips and Peng Mao patted the seat again, ¡°Hurry up and drive, it¡¯s chasing us!¡± Hao Jian glanced at the rearview mirror and found that the leopard who had just been hit by her was chasing them unscathed, as if it wouldn¡¯t give up until they¡¯ll get caught. Not to mention its speed was much faster compared to the zombies! ¡°It¡¯s not a level one protected animal now?¡± Hao Jian breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Fuck, are you still in the mood to think about that?!¡± Seeing that the leopard had touched the rear of the car, Peng Mao couldn¡¯t help but explode. ¡°Do you have impatient blood running through your body?¡± Hao Jian asked but the accelerator under her feet had been stepped to the brim. ¡°. . .¡± Do you still have time to talk while driving? Lian Ru Ning clutched the door handle tightly. She was pretty sure that Hao Jian was playing a racing game now. Knowing that, she prepared herself that her heart was about to jump out. Fortunately, there were not many obstacles in this road. After they threw off the possible zombie leopard in the shortest time, their speed dropped again. Xin Ting couldn¡¯t help it, and he held up the front seat and threw up into the sky. She hadn¡¯t had time to finish the noodles at noon but her stomach was empty when she vomited. Peng Mao quickly brought her a bottle of water, ¡°You drink some water and then take a break. If you get sick, you should close your eyes and go to sleep. I will wake you up as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Xin Ting took the water but did not close her eyes to rest. Once they left the forest part, they could see the tall buildings ahead of them, full of modern atmosphere. The area of green plants there also dropped sharply. Only some plants that were planted on both sides of the road could be seen. A spacious, straight road separated the side from where they were like a moat ¨C separating two worlds. There were only broken cars parked on the side of the road where cars pass through on weekdays. Even though the traffic lights are still flashing conscientiously, they seem to be playing a one-man show. There was no anger on the road, only a lot of zombies walked through. They had no time to feel that the formerly prosperous area had reached the desolate state it is today because of the leopard that caught up again. ¡°Turn left, go straight to the left, and you will reach the Nanjiang Highway in the suburbs through a viaduct.¡± Peng Mao instructed. Nanjiang Highway is a national highway from Nanshi, a county-level city in Jiangshi. There are several intersections over there that connect provincial and county roads leading to Nanfangcheng. Although they have to take a long detour, it is better than being trapped in the downtown area of Jiangshi. Their movement attracted not only the leopard behind them, but also the zombies ahead. Now they finally understand how bold the people on those two motorcycles are. Under such circumstances, how can they not be the target?! There was an obvious crack in the car window but they were all sweating. Their adrenaline was soaring. Seeing that they are getting closer and closer to the viaduct, they are likely able to escape. Unfortunately, they see a sign standing crookedly in front of them; ¡®Construction ahead, please go around.¡¯ They saw a gap of almost one meter wide on the bridge body at the turn of the viaduct. A car was stuck in the middle with its head facing down. No matter how they looked at it, driving through the viaduct was a dead end. Peng Mao then remembered, ¡°I read the news a few days ago that said that a large truck in motion suddenly lost control and hit the bridge pier. Cracks appeared on the bridge because of it.¡± Hao Jian pursed her lips. She steered the car and drove to the right. ¡°Can it crack so badly with just one hit?¡± Lian Ru Ning was surprised. ¡°Perhaps everyone was trying to escape and didn¡¯t pay attention on the road conditions, including some overweight cars that caused the bridge to break!¡± Peng Mao shrugged his shoulders. He did not expect the situation of the viaduct. The intersection to turn back has passed long ago, and the zombies behind were pressing harder. They could only drive where there was a way. However, this road can only lead to the urban area, and they are going to the most dangerous place. ¡°Point out the way.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t give up. Lian Ru Ning turned on her mobile phone silently. Although this area is also an urban area, it is only on the fringe of the urban area. There are only some newly developed real estate, parks, and schools. If someone wants to avoid the city center and choose another way out of the city, one has to drive another seven kilometers. ¡°The first exit road is at least five or six kilometers in a more prosperous area. There are many shopping malls, real estate and residential buildings over there. After five to six kilometers is the express line. The second exit road has to follow this road that runs for more than ten kilometers and enters another section of Nanjian highway.¡± They passed row upon row of tall buildings until a river appeared in front of them. The river was wider than the river they had encountered before, and the water looked very clear. The surface of the river reflected the blue sky like a mirror. There is a Jiangxin island in the middle of the river. The only bridge is blocked by a green truck and behind it are rows of fences welded with iron thorns. The surroundings of the island are surrounded by barbed wire, and only the tents and the figures of people patrolling inside can be vaguely seen. ¡°There is a guard! That should be a place for temporary refuge!¡± Peng Mao was a little excited. Hao Jian looked at Lian Ru Ning, who also turned to look at her. After a while, Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and ask about the news. The guards must be more updated than us.¡± ¡°Ok¡± Peng Mao and Xin Ting also had no objections. It would be better to say that when they saw the guards, they felt more stable in their hearts. Since two layers of dams were built along the river, it was easy for the car to drive up from the side of the road. But they had a little trouble in driving the car to the next dam, so Hao Jian parked the car at the nearest place. She took advantage of the moment where no leopards or zombies could be seen and quickly withdrew to the bridge. There are many corpses of zombies lying on the dam, and there are many empty bullet casings scattered around. There were even holes on the surrounding signboards. ¡°It stands to reason that if there are more people here, the more zombies will be attracted. But why are there no zombies around here?¡± Hao Jian muttered suspiciously. Lian Ru Ning hears Hao Jian¡¯s words and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all cleaned up!¡± Hao Jian put this question away for the time being. When they walked to the bridge, they carefully got under the truck. As soon as they got up to stand, the temporary doors of Jiangxin island opened and a few people quickly came out. The armed guardsmen aimed their guns at them. Hao Jian and the others raised their hands together and Peng Mao shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, we are alive!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you add a prefix?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°What prefix?¡± ¡°Grandmaster, don¡¯t shoot.¡± ¡°. . .¡± They whispered here, and a serious black-faced man came over and asked with a strong voice, ¡°Who are you?¡± Peng Mao stepped forward and introduced himself through the fence, ¡°I am from Jiangshi, my name is Peng Mao. We have fled to this side. Don¡¯t worry, we weren¡¯t bitten by zombies nor are we infected.¡± The man didn¡¯t change his face, ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to be infected or not!¡± He waved his hand and four guardsmen moved to the fence, surrounded them, aimed their guns at them, and urged them to move forward. Peng Mao and the others walked in front of the man. The man stretched out his gloved hand, pinching Peng Mao¡¯s chin in the middle and carefully observed his appearance. ¡°The complexion are normal, there is no trauma, no bleeding. Measure his body temperature.¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were also looked at by him in the same way. Although they were uncomfortable with this move, they also understood that the other party was observing their external appearance. Only Xin Ting was isolated. They were nervous because of the bandaging. No matter how Peng Mao and the others explains, the man remained unmoved. ¡°Is it the injury caused by the zombies? Someone will check it. You need to separate and be observed for forty-eight hours.¡± After the guards took away their backpacks, they were escorted into this Jiangxin Island while Xin Ting was escorted to the other side alone. CH 28 Behind the iron gate were tents like small hills. Many people hid inside and watched the newcomers ¨C Hao Jian and the others. The people inside were on guard until Hao Jian and her group were isolated in a room surrounded by iron fences, only then did their eyes relaxed. There was only the stinking straw mat and food residues inside the iron fence. Thinking that they will have to spend forty-eight hours there, Lian Ru Ning regretted, ¡°I have been delayed for so many days, and if I delay here for another two days, I really can¡¯t afford to wait.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I believe your family can also find this kind of refuge.¡± Peng Mao comforted. Hao Jian didn¡¯t speak, she was observing the environment here. Just now, she observed the cross-section of Jiangxin Islang using her periphery vision and found that it wasn¡¯t very large. According to the size of the tent, it could only accommodate no more than 10,000 tents at most. In addition to the surrounding protective engineering and public activity space, there are around 8,000 tents currently inside. However, many people at inside didn¡¯t have tents. There were large sheds built using wood or steel, and covered with straw mats as resting places. There are only seven or eight guards patrolling the surrounding area, plus the number of guards guarding the gate just now. There are ten or so guards, it¡¯s still too much even if they have one less member. Withdrawing her gaze, Hao Jian knocked on the fence, causing the guards guarding them to frown, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I want to talk to your superiors.¡± The guard did not scold or reject her, but said, ¡°I will tell him, but I can¡¯t guarantee that he will have time to see you.¡± Peng Mao leaned over, ¡°They are pretty good at talking.¡± Hao Jian said, ¡°What, do you think we¡¯re criminals? We¡¯re ordinary people. The reason why they lock us is just to ensure the safety of other people.¡± After a while, the black-faced man came over and stopped a meter away. His face was somewhat intriguing, ¡°You¡¯re looking for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hao Jian nodded earnestly, ¡°Could you please discuss with us? Don¡¯t isolate us for so long.¡± ¡°. . .¡± The black-faced man¡¯s sullen expression couldn¡¯t help but turn grim, ¡°Many people used to talk to us like this, but. . . it resulted to blood, so it is stipulated in the regulations. Please follow them.¡± Although he refused Hao Jian¡¯s request, he didn¡¯t leave. He fully respected Hao Jian, and Hao Jian no longer circled with him, ¡°If I want to exchange information about zombies with you, do you think it¡¯s appropriate to communicate here?¡± The man¡¯s expression remained the same, but the guards next to him raised their eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Then please follow me.¡± The man next to the guard opened the door after his instruction, but they only released her. Peng Mao and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t argue, because the two believed that Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. After Hao Jian followed the black-faced man, the guard curiously asked, :Hey, who are you? How did you find this place?¡± Peng Mao met someone who could listen to him express his depression, he couldn¡¯t help but pour a lot of bitterness on the guard team member and he heard the team member admire, ¡°Your luck and ability are very good. I was able to wander outside for many days.¡± ¡°Then can you let us out and chat in another place?¡± Peng Mao asked pitifully. The guards suddenly had a chill for some reason and he really couldn¡¯t look directly at a muscular man acting like a baby in front of him. ¡°No. It¡¯s because you have been in contact with zombies many times so you should be isolated and observed.¡± Peng Mao curled his lips and sat back on the straw mat. Hao Jian followed the black-faced man into a large tent. There were a few tables where machinery and documents piled up. Two guards were working. When they saw the black-faced man, they got up and saluted. ¡°Sit down!¡± The black-faced man pointed to a stool beside him. Hao Jian saw her Gurkha army knife and their backpacks on the table in front of the black-faced man. She knew that he had doubts about her origins. Sure enough, the black-faced man said, ¡°My name is An Minghui. I am an adjutant of the Jiangxin Island Refuge Base Guard. I happen to have some questions to ask Miss Hao. If the ID on the above is correct, you are Miss Hao. Right?¡± ¡°Yes. Hao Jian, the market opener.¡± ¡°Ms. Hao said that she wanted to exchange information about zombies with us. I wonder what Ms. Hao does?¡± ¡°A game streamer.¡± An Minghui picked up the army knife and played with it, ¡°So, Miss Hao knows what kind of knife this is and how to use it, so can I take the liberty to ask where this knife came from?¡± There was silence for a moment before the man continued, ¡°Miss Hao, don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t doubt your special identity, but I want to know whether the information you know is worthy of our attention.¡± ¡°I recognize this knife, and I know how to use it. After all, it is one of the best melee weapons in games. But unfortunately, I have no other identity except civilian status. As for how I got the knife, I picked it up. You can ask my companions.¡± Both Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting thought her knife was picked up and that the village was t he place where Ding Gu-nian¡¯s group passed by. She was able to fake the origin of the knife to them. An Minghui did not fully believe her words, but the man gave her the benefit of the doubt, ¡°Then what information about zombies do you know as a civilian? You must know that the news that can be circulated on the internet is already known by the government.¡± Hao Jian smiled, ¡°I dare not make an axe in front of national power, so I got a few simple discoveries based on my observations. Zombie viruses can be transmitted through body fluids, such as blood, wounds, and sexual intercourse. Individuals have different physiques and the incubation period is different, but when a person is infected, their vital characteristics will also affect the infection.¡± A hint of surprise flashes in An Minghui¡¯s eyes, ¡°Normal people can guess that if they are scratched or bitten by an infected person, they may turn into zombies themselves. The method of transmitting the virus through sex was only discovered a few days ago by experts after many studies and observation. However, as far as I know, the signal at that time has been interrupted. Only the communications here can be used. Therefore, there should be no news and radio broadcasts. You said you only knew that there was an evacuation base here, but we haven¡¯t encountered people in this city, so how did you know?¡± ¡°Then, can I ask why the signal was interrupted? Because of the interruption of the signal, many news will not be communicated and more people have died because of it. If the concealment of the truth was originally to not cause panic, the damage is obvious. you can no longer control this situation, and even millions of people become zombies everyday. After a while, 100 million living people will be considered a good number.¡± An Mingui replied, ¡°We¡¯re being asked the same question everyday. Among the next two thousand survivors, there are only 6,000 families. In other words, if you count as a family of three, at least every family has one missing family member. Do you think we deliberately watched the people¡¯s wives and families break up and die? No. You must know that the official reason for blocking the signal is to ensure that there is no other force in the country to cause trouble, in addition to the destruction of the signal tower. Otherwise. . . .¡± The meaning of this unfinished sentence is obvious. Seeing Hao Jian thinking, An Minghui added, ¡°When I discovered that the situation was beyond the control of conventional forces, we were already issued relevant orders to choose a safer place and establish an evacuation base. We have two teams. We were arranged to come to Jiangxin Island, while the others searched and rescued the survivors everyday and moved them to a safe place.¡± He paused, ¡°However, a city, a small city like Jiangshi, has a population of several million, but out team members are only a few hundred people. We also have people who die everyday and become zombies to attack out former teammates. . . ¡° Speaking of what seemed to be some resentment at the end, he saw Hao Jian staring at him. He then recovered and apologized, ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t tell you this.¡± Hao Jian shook her head, ¡°It seems that you were forced by the survivors too hard.¡± When this happens, the people must first be held accountable to the government agencies, and then to eliminate danger and rescue victims. They believe in national power and rely on national power, so when their relatives die and their interests are damaged, they will naturally vent their anger to the members of the guards. An Mingui will not tell Hao Jian what the official order is, but he revealed that the reason why it was broadcasted that there were no evacuation bases was because these bases weren¡¯t very large and had insufficient resources. If people listened to the radio, they would flock to those places. The sudden increase in the number of people will lead to omissions, and infected individuals may also be mixed in, causing more serious consequences. Even the outskirts will gather a large number of zombies before the personnel have been placed, not to mention that the situation isn¡¯t optimistic. So the way they chose was to persuade the people to was to hide at home, and then the guards would make adjustments according to the situation of the refuge bases, so that the team members would clean out the zombies in the city everyday, and at the same time convey measures to prevent infection and promote self-rescue to the residents hiding in their homes. However, it is precisely because the public knows that after having sex with an infected person will also infect them, they will have to manually solve their frustrations. ¡°Okay, I have said everything that should be said, does Miss Hao want to add something?¡± Most of Hao Jian¡¯s news was obtained from the system, and the information revealed by the system was based on human discovery. Therefore, the news that Hao Jian knew was already known by officials. The difference was whether they had time to filter the news and convey them to the common people. There are still a few pieces of information that she and Lian Ru Ning discovered through observation. She sorted what she knew and told An Minghui. An Mingui felt that Hao Jian is indeed smarter than most people. at least many of them are obtained from the official news, and Hao Jian can actually find out through observation without news. It can be seen that she is not only smart, but also very cautious and meticulous. And those who can come here from the opening of the market will at least not be timid when dealing with Zombies. Courageous and strategic are the talents they desperately need in this period. ¡°Miss Hao, might as well join us.¡± An Minghui offered. Hao Jian replied without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t stay here.¡± ¡°You just asked me so much and you¡¯re leaving again? Where did you want to go?¡± ¡°Southern City.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t intend to hide it either, after all, An Minghui might know the situation in Southern City.¡± An Minghui said, ¡°Then you are really brave, The situation in Nanfang City today is more critical than Jiangshi. If you can come here from the opening of the market because of luck and strength, you must have tent times more luck and strength than you do now if you want to continue south. With a knife and a crowbar, you can¡¯t even break through the outskirts of Southern City.¡± An Minghui is telling the truth, because it was where the virus first appeared, and even if there are guards everywhere to wipe the zombies out, the base of the zombies is large. Unless they always get a headshot, they can only waste bullets. In this case, the guards who fought on the front line also suffered numerous casualties. Therefore, the superiors also gave orders to abandon the city center, seal off that area, and try their best to rescue those who escaped from that hell. ¡°I have a reason to go.¡± Of course, the reason Hao Jian pointed out was not a system task. After all, the system did not say that there was any punishment for task failure. But she is a person who fulfills her promises. Since she agreed to Lian Ru Ning, she will definitely do it unless she is dead. CH 29 An Minghui returned the things he confiscated from Hao Jian and the others. Hao Jian said unexpectedly, ¡°This is, you believe we¡¯re not infected by the virus?¡± ¡°We confiscated your things to make sure that there are no dangerous goods inside. Since you don¡¯t plan to stay here for a long time, we naturally don¡¯t need these anymore. But we still have to trouble you to stay in the isolated observation area to let others see that we¡¯re enforcing the rules.¡± Hao Jian suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°By they way, where are the refugee bases in Jiangshi?¡± ¡°When choosing a place for the camp, it must be a relatively safe place. Because Jiangxin Island is surrounded by rivers, even if zombies can swim over, it is easy to clean them up. Therefore, places like gymnasiums, schools, and conference centers that are closed areas and have a wide viewpoint can be used as temporary shelters.¡± ¡°School? I think schools in the countryside don¡¯t seem to have many people.¡± ¡°How can the countryside be the same as in the city? Every household in the countryside is equivalent to a single-family residential building that has at least 70 to 80 families. Some people whose home environment doesn¡¯t have precautionary measures are transferred to refuges. Schools have teaching buildings and playgrounds, plus the surrounding walls. They¡¯re enough to accommodate people who have no shelter.¡± ¡°Then how do you guarantee your food?¡± AN Minghui was silent. Although crops have just been harvested last month, there are now very few rice farmers. The food in this city is mainly bought from other places. The food on the market was robbed as early as when the people started to panic. The country has grain storages to store grain for emergencies, but the granary is not here and it needs manpower and a long time to transport grains from the granaries, which is not only time-consuming but also dangerous. Besides, the current environment does not support farming. After eating a meal, no one knowns then the next one comes along. However, it is impossible for them to tell the people about these things. An Minghui would not even tell Hao Jian and only said, ¡°Anyway, the country has a way, don¡¯t worry.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t ask much, but said, ¡°You just said that the conference center is also a refuge point. . . Although Peng Mao said that a new commercial center is going to be built there, it still belongs to the suburbs. It stand to reason that the zombies over there will be lesser than the city. It¡¯s right to have closed areas, but when we passed over there just now, we found that there were a lot of zombies nearby. An Minghui said, ¡°From the past few days, panic broke out the city. Some people hid, and some people were busy fleeing the city. So I think there should be many zombies in the suburbs. As for meetings. There are team members to guard the center so don¡¯t worry.¡± Since An Minghui said so, Hao Jian didn¡¯t worry about it anymore.¡± After she went back, An Minghui asked them to replace the straw mats in the fence, cleaned them up, and gave each of them a piece of food. The door wasn¡¯t locked anymore. ¡°Hey, what did you talk about? Why did it take so long?¡± Peng Mao asked. Hao Jian ignored him, but said to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°The reason why we didn¡¯t hear of any shelters on the radio was also their arrangement. But it¡¯s certain that the guards all over the country received orders for the construction of shelters. According to the information, there are such refuge points in Southern City that are in larger scale compared to here.¡± After listening to Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning also understood what she meant. Compared to the previous reason that the used to convince herself and the officers regarding her family¡¯s survival, it was much more reassuring to hear. Although there are still no news from her family, she knows that there is an evacuation point. Maybe her family moved to the evacuation point? Hao Jian didn¡¯t tell Lian Ru Ning about the lockdown of the city center. The downtown area of South City is very large, and at least half of the three districts belong to the city center. Lian Ru Ning mentioned that her home is in the urban area, and even the campus where her mother teaches and the campus of Nanhai University School of Fine Arts where her brother his studying belong to the area very close to the city center, so telling her about the situation will only worry her even more. ¡°We will rest here for one night to recharge and leave tomorrow morning.¡± Hao Jian instructed. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t object but Peng Mao hesitated. Hao Jian figured out what he was thinking and said, ¡°You are from Jiangshi. Now that you¡¯re safe, there is no need to follow us. I will also ask Xin Ting tomorrow morning that her arm needs medical treatment. It will only get worse afterwards if she continues to push herself.¡± Peng Mao didn¡¯t say a word and Hao Jian took it as an agreement. After eating, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning pondered about leaving tomorrow. ¡°Adjutant An Minghui said that their other team would go out nearby to search and rescue trapped citizens every morning. The zombies gathered here were cleaned up by them, so we can follow their lead when they leave tomorrow morning. Lian Ru Ning was a little lost and a little lucky. Although their team may have changed from four to two, at least there won¡¯t be more people going in danger because they want to accompany her back to Southern City. As they were talking, gunshots were suddenly heard nearby. The gunshots didn¡¯t just rang, but continued one after another. People who are familiar with or strangers to gunshots were startled. Many onlookers ran out of their tents. Everyone¡¯s expressions were a mixture of worry and fear since the presence of these sounds meant that there were zombies nearby. They are all survivors who escaped from the hands of zombies. Fear towards them have been buried in their bones. Hao Jian saw a group of people coming down from the embankment through the barb-wired fence. They were clearing the zombies on and behind the embankment. Hao Jian guessed that the group of people who went out in the morning came back. Sure enough, after a while, the door opened again. Several guards in team uniforms cam in with a few embarrassed people who were locked in the fence next to Hao Jian and the others. The guards walked into a tent while undressing. ¡°Why are they taking off their clothes?¡± Peng Mao became familiar with the guards and asked them casually. ¡°It¡¯s to check for trauma and disinfect.¡± Peng Mao stared, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they check us like that?¡± ¡°They have to go out on duty everyday, how can they be like you? Moreover, people who come from outside can¡¯t tell whether they have been infected with the zombie virus by simply looking at the wound.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Peng Mao was puzzled, but Hao Jian understood. The newcomers next to them said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Having sex can also spread the virus.¡± ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t know this in the movie!¡± Peng Mao was shocked. ¡°You believe in movies so much, who don¡¯t you live in the movies?¡± The man gave him a blank look. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t interrupt. They saw An Minghui hurriedly walked into the tent. After a while, he walked out again and came straight to Hao Jian, ¡°Miss Hao, is it convenient to have a talk?¡± Hao Jian went out and followed him to a place far away from the crowd. An Minghui frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. You said there was something abnormal on Civic Avenue?¡± Hao Jian understood what he was asking, ¡°What happened to the refuge point over there?¡± An Minghui was silent, seeming to debate to tell her or not. After a while, he said, ¡°The Jiang City Rescue and Evacuation Headquarters is in the Conference Center, and the Civic Park opposite the Conference Center is also the largest refuge point in Jiang City. . .¡± ¡°Are there any special places in Civic Park that can be used as a refuge point?¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s called a park, it¡¯s actually a place full of lakes. It has seven or eight islands in the lake. The area of each island is about the same size as here. Bridges connect each island. Behind it is a large forest, and this terrain is conducive to setting levels.¡± ¡°It invaded by zombies?¡± An Minghui shook his head, ¡°Although our refuge site is not big, there are related equipment to get in touch with the headquarters, but I don¡¯t know what happened. We suddenly couldn¡¯t get in touch with that side, so I thought to ask you. Do you know anything or remember some details?¡± ¡°We also took a quick glance. Originally, we had to leave Jiangshi from Civic Avenue. It is precisely because of the large number of zombies pouring out that we were forced to come here.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± An Minghui sighed. The system that never appeared was suddenly online and Hao Jian was shocked as soon as she heard it, ¡°Congratulations to the host for triggering the hidden mission ¨C help An Minghui go to the conference center to investigate!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Hao Jian subconsciously opened her mouth. An Minghui who was about to leave heard this and looked back at her, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Hao Jian pursed her lips, until the voice in her mind stopped. She then reluctantly said, ¡°Are you planning to send someone to the conference center to investigate? If you¡¯re still looking for candidates. . . what about me?¡± An Minghui blinked. Unexpectedly she changed her words temporarily and she was still forced to look like this. He said, ¡°I do plan to sent people there to investigate about the situation, but out daily tasks can¡¯t be stopped so I planned to recruit some people from the public to take charge of our daily work while our team members go to the conference center.¡± ¡°I am not very interested in searching and rescuing survivors everyday.¡± ¡°Searching and rescuing survivors is a sacred and difficult task.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not underestimating that kind of work. On the contrary, I admire and respect all of you who are risking their lives to save people.¡± An Minghui looked at her weirdly, ¡°Then you and I have to be thankful that you didn¡¯t join the guard, otherwise someone like you who doesn¡¯t obey orders will be a headache. Not to mention you won¡¯t have good fruit.¡± He changed the conversation, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving tomorrow morning? Why are you so interested in the center all of a sudden?¡± ¡°To understand what happened there and then go to other places in the future to better prevent things like this and deal with it, right?¡± ¡°You can follow along, but our equipment will not be borrowed and our people will not necessarily take you into consideration when the time comes.¡± ¡°I just want to take the ride and won¡¯t bother you. Since I made this decisions, I have already put my life and death out of the picture and if I die, there is nothing to resent.¡± When the system notified Hao Jian about the hidden mission, Hao Jian was indeed caught off guard. Ever since she got this system, it had only announced one main task, ¡®Send partner Lian Ru Ning to Southern City.¡¯ The system mentioned that there are main tasks, side tasks, daily tasks, and reward tasks, but didn¡¯t mention anything about hidden tasks. The system¡¯s voice had no emotion but with a hint of contempt, it said, ¡°I said it¡¯s a hidden task, how can I casually mention it?¡± ¡°You mean couldn¡¯t. You didn¡¯t know that there was a hidden mission, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°. . .¡± The system snorted, ¡°The task is issued by the central system, of course this system doesn¡¯t know!¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°Then what is the reason for triggering this hidden mission? When I passed by the Civic Avenue earlier, it wasn¡¯t triggered, which means that the location is not the key for triggering the mission. The same for the activation of the Main Mission. It also wasn¡¯t determined by the location.¡± When the main quest was activated, it triggered because Lian Ru Ning said that she was going back to Southern City. And this hidden mission was triggered when An Minghui decided to explore the situation at the conference center. These two tasks have one thing in common. ¡°So like side quests and reward quests, the key to triggering them is to find relevant characters when the right event occurs? The main quest is related to Lian Ru Ning. She is my love, so it is the key to triggering the main quest. This is normal, but what about An Minghui? Is he and important person?¡± The system has long known that Hao Jian¡¯s mind is sharp so it wasn¡¯t a surprise, ¡°Please figure it out yourself.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t deny, that is to say. . .¡± Hao Jian sneered, ¡°You, or the central system behind you can control the overall situation. It at least knows everyone well and it can even predict what character can play, right?¡± The system chose to pretend to be dead without detecting and analyzing that the thought behind Hao Jian¡¯s previous sentence was actually such an idea. After a long time, it said, ¡°The host¡¯s question is not within the scope of the system¡¯s understanding and the system doesn¡¯t have the relevant authority to obtain answers.¡± Hao Jian knew that the system was hiding something but chose not to press the issue. In fact, she doesn¡¯t have to do the hidden task and there will be no punishment even if she doesn¡¯t do it. However, unlike the Main Mission, which only announced the mission but didn¡¯t include the reward, this hidden mission threw out a very considerable reward that made Hao Jian agree. ¡®Hidden Mission: Help An Minghui go to the conference center to investigate! Completing the mission rewards 100 experience and 500 points¡¯ The experience she can gain in this task is equal to her killing 20 zombies which is equivalent to 50 points. Now, her experience is 228, and her points are 279. Originally, her points were only in double digits, but they came back only because she was killing more than 20 zombies today. Of course, points are not as important as experience to her. If she can complete the task and kill 30 to 40 zombies, she will be able to rise to level 3 soon. As the system mentioned, the higher the level, the more permissions are available. The closer they are to Southern City, the more threats and reason they need to ensure their lives. She returned to the isolation area and met Lian Ru Ning¡¯s inquisitive gaze. She suddenly regretted that she had decided to do the hidden mission without discussing it with her ¡°Love¡± CH 30 After Hao Jian came back, Peng Mao couldn¡¯t wait to ask her, ¡°What did you talk to him, why did he come looking for you over and over again?¡± Hao Jian looked at him with a faint smile, ¡°There is no gossip to tell you, so stop asking about it!¡± Peng Mao was a little disappointed, but Lian Ru Ning curled the corners of her mouth. When Hao Jian was found by An Minghui, Peng Mao chatted with the guards nearby to ask whether An Minghui had a girlfriend, and the answer was no. So, Peng Mao¡¯s brain became open-minded and listened attentively. Lian Ru Ning, on the other hand, was a little unhappy. Hao Jian turned to look at Lian Ru Ning without speaking. She saw her figure being reflected to a pair of amber eyes, making her a little confused. ¡°What are you looking at? There¡¯s no gossip, so do you have any business with me?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked away, appearing like a calm river on the outside. ¡°There is indeed a business matter. The Conference Center and the Civic Park on the Civic Boulevard that we passed by at noon are actually refuge points. They can¡¯t contact them so they want to send someone to investigate the situation.¡± Peng Mao hurriedly asked, ¡°What happened over there? Is it related to the group of zombies we met at noon?¡± ¡°Well, aside from what happened with those two motorcycle riders and the current intelligence, something big must have happened, otherwise there should still be some contact. In order to prevent the same thing from happening here, someone must be sent to investigate clearly and prevent the slightest failure.¡± ¡°Is it not safe since they have guards stationed there?¡± ¡°There is no place that can be said to be 100% safe because there are often many factors and occurrence of hidden dangers.¡± Lian Ru Ning, who listened quietly said, ¡°Are you determined to go?¡± Hao Jian seems to have never experienced having a guilty conscience like this, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Then I will go with you.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s voice was very calm but firm. Hao Jian didn¡¯t seem to expect that she would be so decisive, and looked at Lian Ru Ning with slight surprise. Lian Ru Ning suddenly chuckled, ¡°Do you think that I don¡¯t want you to go, or feel that I¡¯m like an arrow and don¡¯t want to delay here for too long so I will insist on returning to Southern City alone tomorrow?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning muttered dissatisfiedly, ¡°Am I really so selfish in your mind?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s focus became a bit strange, ¡°Do you care about your image in my mind?¡± Lian Ru Ning was afraid that she would suddenly say something that could be misunderstood and quickly stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me if I fell in love with you anymore!¡± Peng Mao, who heard the conversation between the two on the side and the newcomers next door, opened their eyes wide ¡°Is it popular among girls nowadays to play this way?¡± Hao Jian smiles, ¡°I was still thinking about how to trap you here until I come back, and we will return to Southern City together.¡± Lian Ru Ning stared at Hao Jian suspiciously ¡®Why is this person black-bellied?¡¯1 The ¡®black-bellied¡¯ person continued, ¡°But since you¡¯re willing to wait for me, then I don¡¯t have to look for Adjutant An. However, you still have to stay here tomorrow and I will go to the center with them.¡± Although the first half of Hao Jian¡¯s sentence was very ambiguous, Lian Ru Ning had no time to think about it and said, ¡°I¡¯m not discussing with you. You have shown your bravery and fearlessness along the way, so it¡¯s my turn to show you how fearless I can be. If you dare to leave me behind, I will ignore you for life and treat you like a stranger.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Hao Jian turned her head. Although she didn¡¯t look at Lian Ru Ning, it was the first time that the system thought that they looked perfect for eachother. Regardless of their tacit understanding or temperament, Lian Ru Ning was quite to Hao Jian¡¯s taste. Compared to a girl who is only protected by others and is as delicate as a doll. she still prefers this kind of courage and brave person. An Minghui selected two of his mean to go to the Conference Center with him tomorrow to investigate, but Yi Gao ¨C the commander of the Jiangxin Island Refuge ¨C said, ¡°I will go with them tomorrow. Someone must stay and guard here.¡± Yi Gao was the leader of the first group and An Minghui was the leader of the second group, so the two were arranged as the chief and adjutant of the Jiangxin Island Refuge. On weekdays, Yi Gao is responsible for leading the team to carry out search and rescue work while An Minghui is responsible for the safety of the evacuation area and handling various affairs. It was natural for Yi Gao to believe that he is still taking the lead in the investigation. An Minghui knew that Yi Gao is also good at what he does, but this time his attitude is frim, ¡°The usual search and rescue work cannot be interrupted. This time, going to the conference center is just a sudden task. I should be the one to take the lead and investigate. You can¡¯t go.¡± Yi Gao looked solemn but eventually nodded, ¡°But the number of people is too small. Not to mention that the situation over there may not be optimistic. You need to take two more people!¡± They had two teams at the Jiangxin Island Refuge with 20 guards, but now, there are only 15 guards left, so An Minghui said, ¡°No. In order to prevent emergencies, there should be more people left behind. Not to mention that the search and rescue work on weekdays also need manpower. If I bring too many people, there won¡¯t be enough staff left behind. I also have found some foreign aid, which is enough.¡± ¡°Foreign aid?¡± Yi Gao was puzzled. An Minghui asked Hao Jian earlier to find him. Yi Gao saw a tall and thin girl coming in, and he subconsciously showed a disapproving look. An Minghui smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her. She came here from the open market with her bare hands, which shows that she¡¯s capable.¡± Yi Gao¡¯s expression improved, but he still had concerns. ¡°But we can¡¯t let the people do such dangerous things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only this time. You don¡¯t hesitate to cherish the lives of our teammates and the people! If the danger in the conference center is not investigated, what if the same thing happens here? But it¡¯s not just me or just a handful of people, but the thousands or even tens of thousands of people here will be in danger.¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°. . .¡± An Minghui glanced at Yi Gao who was expressionless who couldn¡¯t say a word to refute Hao Jian¡¯s words. ¡°Further more, if you just give and sacrifice blindly, you don¡¯t expect the people to be moved and support your actions, don¡¯t you?¡± Yi Gao turned to look at An Minghui, ¡°Where did you find such a sharp-tongued person?¡± ¡°We just happen to meet.¡± AN Minghui smiled. Yi Gao looked at Hao Jian again, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I invite you to join the conference center investigation team.¡±2 Hao Jian thought for a while, ¡°I have a friend who will also go with us by then. Of course, she is also mentally prepared to deal with the critical situation and danger when the time comes.¡± ¡°Then you can discuss countermeasures. I will prepare tomorrow¡¯s action!¡± Yi Gao walked out. An Minghui learned that Lian Ru Ning would also act together with them tomorrow, so she was brought to him. His two teammates were gathered to discuss their plans together. One of the two is a member of the escort who likes to chat with Peng Mao named Liu Feng. When he introduced himself, his smile was very bright, ¡°Just call me Da Liu.¡± ¡°You are younger than us, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hao Jian smiled. The age of these guards were generally only 19 to 20 years old and it hasn¡¯t been long since they joined the force. An Minghui said, ¡°He came in at the age of eighteen. He¡¯s 21 this year. He¡¯s a veteran, otherwise I would not look for him.¡± Another member of the escort, ¡®A Tao,¡¯ was a little cold, but An Minghui said that among them, he was the best scout. Unfortunately, before he could join the reconnaissance team, a crisis occured. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not gossip too much.¡± An Minghui returned to his serious expression and took out a men and a map of Jian City.¡± This map was more detailed than the maps on the market and it even contains handwritten data. It is also clear at a glance the distance between Jiangxin Island and the conference center, the routes between them, and which areas have high risk factors. ¡°Jiangxin Island and the conference center are both in the suburbs, which can avoid the city center with a higher. But considering the road conditions, we have to choose a smaller road.¡± An Minghui explained ¡°Then you can¡¯t drive a truck, let¡¯s drive a motorcycle!¡± Liu Feng suggested, ¡°There is a Bian San in the truck.¡± ¡°What is Bian San?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked Hao Jian quietly. Hao Jian pondered for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s the kind of three-wheeled motorcycle with a cart on the side¡± As she described it, Lian Ru Ning understood, ¡°What about us?¡± An Minghui just mentioned them and said, ¡°Cars are not easy to find, but motorcycles are still easy to find. We have them here.¡± He also took out the floor plan of the conference center and the citizen park, ¡°There is a square in front of the conference center, and the building is surrounded by walls on three sides. Aside for the gate connecting to the square, there is only one back door. . .¡± The design of the conference center is still quite new in the country. It has two buildings. The building facing the south is connected to the square. Its left and right sides are integrated walls. The hall in the middle has a door leading directly to the back. And the main building. It is known from the floor plan that it was built in an antique building. Such a building can be visited as a scenic spot on weekdays, and in the event of a crisis, it can also be used as a place for defense and refuge. After all, its wall is high enough and combat power can be mainly arranged at the two doors. The defense point of the Civic Park that¡¯s diagonally opposite is the bridge, mainly relying on the same method as Jiangxin Island. Not to mentions that the two are close, if there is a change on one side, the other side can support it. However, after An Minghui and the others lost contact with the conference center, there was no response from the Civic Park. This was what they were worried about the most. ¡°There are nearly 100,000 refugees over there!¡± An Minghui said. As they worked out a preliminary plan, there was a sudden uproar outside. They looked at each other and went to check the situation. It turned out that Yi Gao accepted An Minghui¡¯d proposal and recruited some people who will go out with them tomorrow for the search and rescue work. Some people became dissatisfied, ¡°You are the guards. It is your responsibility and obligation to protect the people. Why do you want us to do such a dangerous thing?¡± These people¡¯s reactions reminded Yi Gao to think of Hao Jian, the woman who had a completely different attitude when faced with such proposal. But he couldn¡¯t repeat Hao Jian¡¯s words and endured his anger, ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you, but asking capable people to assist us.¡± ¡°You have enough manpower these days, why would you suddenly ask us to help? You want to use words like our safety to threaten us to work for you. Right?¡± Someone also agreed, ¡°Yes, besides, it is safe for those people to stay at home honestly. Why do you want to move them somewhere again?¡± Others said, ¡°It¡¯s too small here. There is simply not enough space to accommodate so many people!¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, can we not help the search and rescue? Why do we have to save the lives of people we don¡¯t know?¡± The selfish faces of these people made Yi Gao¡¯s temperament violent. At the beginning, he never thought of asking these people for help, because starting from the setting up of refuges and receiving survivors, their selfish views never stopped. But as An Minghui said, now the situation is severe, and it¡¯s not the time for them to fight alone and be heroes. He has to look for foreign aid. Liu Feng was so angry, ¡°Our brothers sacrificed themselves in order to save them, to find food for them, to prepare tents and mats for them to sleep in, but they were not grateful at all!¡± An Minghui held him down, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡± He knew that Yi Gao is also very angry, but Yi Gao knows that if the situation is not handled properly, it will lead to a catastrophe. Yi Gao couldn¡¯t tell the people what happened in the conference center. If he suppressed them using violence, it would also result to hidden dangers. After being silent for a while, Yi Gao blankly said to the people standing in the crowd who were saying bad things, ¡°We don¡¯t have enough food here. Starting tomorrow, we will cancel breakfast and only have lunch and dinner. The portion for rations will also be reduced.¡± After he said this, there was a lot of complaints that even the people who had thought that were just watching on the sidelines also reacted. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have enough food? Are you not the guards? You have a lot of food, don¡¯t you? Couldn¡¯t it be you who ate them?¡± The questioning person said. ¡°Are you threatening us? You really want to use us to die!¡± Said the conspiracy theorist. Yi Gao thought that he and his teammates risk their lives everyday to clean up the surrounding zombies, searching for survivors and finding food. For this reason, how many of his men were bitten and sacrificed to the zombies? Where did these people come from and demanding things with confidence? His eyes were red when he though about it. He clenched his fists and tried so hard to not pull out the gun from his belt. He was about to speak but Hao Jian walked over and said to him, ¡°I say, let them leave here!¡± The people surrounding them listened to her and stared at her, ¡°Who are you?¡± Hao Jian pulled out her army knife and said, ¡°I¡¯m a common citizen just like you. The guards here have principles and beliefs. They will not do anything to you who¡¯re trying to make trouble, but I¡¯m different. The zombies I killed on the way here are not the same as them. They eliminated hundreds, while I only killed forty to fifty zombies. I don¡¯t mind dealing with people either. . . ¡° She threatened blanatly, causing those who didn¡¯t have any armor to take a step back. Yi Gao, An Minghui and the others didn¡¯t respond either. They just looked at her. ¡°What do you want to do? Do you dare to take advantage of us here?!¡± One of the men asked arrogantly. Hao Jian pointed her knife at them and said coldly, ¡°You know that you¡¯re only safe because the guards are protecting you, right? For me, I can¡¯t fully enjoy the protection that others have exchanged for their lives, but people like you who still don¡¯t know how to be grateful after all this are no different from parasites. If pest like you dies, then so be it. What¡¯s there to be regretful about? If it should be killed, I will kill it. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Lian Ru Ning gazed at Hao Jian¡¯s back and felt that her domineering side was very similar to the boss in the domineering president she had read ¨C too charming! CH 31 Aren¡¯t you going to do something about this?!¡± The crowd questioned Yi Gao Yi Gao shrugged, ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything yet. I don¡¯t have the right to control what she says.¡± He looked like he was going to wait for Hao Jian to kill someone before doing something. If it were still the era before the virus outbreak, he would surely be beaten to death, but the surrounding guards were happy. They were angry at the people and if they didn¡¯t vent out, they would really be suffocated. At this time, a few people in the crowd finally squeezed out and said something, ¡°Everyone be quiet. Chief Yi and his men also have their difficulties. Those who don¡¯t want to join, don¡¯t sign up. Go back obediently and eat and die. No one will force you, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Their words resonated with some people. Those who took the lead in inciting emotions just now shrank while those who spouted provocative words were also overwhelmed. Although these people with conscience were slow to come out, it also gave Yi Gao a reason to support them. ¡°The people who will volunteer for the search and rescue work will be provided with three meals a day. The serving size remains the same while those who will perform well can enjoy preferential treatment.¡± Yi Gao announced. ¡°What kind of preferential treatment?¡± Someone asked. ¡°They will be prioritized when using the resources, from electricity, water, and other good resources.¡± The rewards that seemed useless in the past became extremely tempting this time. They knew that the public facilities of in refuge centers are limited. In order to save space, the toilets they use are manually flushed while the wastes needs to be drained in the ditch. There are only about twenty shower rooms. For refuge centers with tens of thousands of people, even if they fall in line, 24 hours won¡¯t be enough. And although there is river water all around, they¡¯re afraid that the zombie virus will be carried through the water so didn¡¯t carelessly use it. Their water resources became extremely limited because of this. Basically, a person can only take a bath every three days and there is only one bucket of water per bath. As for electricity, it is basically a public priority especially for night lighting. For ordinary people, even if they wait in line for three days, the amount of power they get can only charge 50% for their mobile phones. Although some people feel uncomfortable with such a harsh living environment, they can¡¯t leave because they have food and are safe from the zombies. Compared to staying at their homes with the risk of starvation or being killed by zombies when they come knocking on their doorstep, their current environment is nothing unbearable for the sake of their survival. But after they came here, they saw that everyone was the same and their hearts were naturally balanced. No one was above anyone. If someone can enjoy preferential treatment, how can they let this opportunity slip by? So in just one afternoon, hundreds of people signed up. The only problem was, Yi Gao only needed 21 people, and these 21 people will be divided into three groups to go out with them to clean up the zombies. Since returning from the outside requires 48 hours of observation, only one group will go out everyday while the remaining two groups are responsible for the safety and order of the camp. These 21 people must be physically fit and willing to give their life. Because of this risk, there were a lot of people who were discouraged and eventually only those who were willing to sacrifice their life remained. Seeing that the matter was resolved, An Minghui couldn¡¯t help but ask Hao Jian, ¡°You are so bold. Don¡¯t you worry that those people will hate you?¡± ¡°Do you think that zombies can be wiped out within a year?¡± Hao Jian suddenly asked a question that the bull¡¯s head is not right. An Minghui said, ¡°It depends on when the antiviral antidote will be developed. Why do you suddenly ask this?¡± ¡°Because I think that no matter whether an antidote can be developed within a year, the order will not be restored within five years after the zombie apocalypse.¡± An Minghui pondered, ¡°Zombie apocalypse. It¡¯s quite an appropriate way to describe it.¡± Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t describe this era like that if the situation improves, but because of the emergence of the system that made the situation even more severe than they thought. ¡°So we need to use desperate means during desperate times. With your usual set of rules, you can maintain order for a period of time, but it will eventually become ineffective.¡± An Minghui smiled, ¡°No one knows about the future. When the day comes, the situation will change and so will the rules.¡± An Minghui had his men arrange a tent for Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning to arrange a tent for them to rest so that they would have energy and strength tomorrow. Everyone also prepared a basin of water, ¡°It¡¯s especially prepared for you for the sake of your courage. Although a basin of water may seem useless, you can use it to wipe your body.¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had already deliberately ignored the hygiene situation, but since the other side thought of them in this way, they didn¡¯t need to be hypocritical. After wiping her body, Hao Jian went to visit Xin Ting. Xin Ting¡¯s situation was actually similar to theirs, but after her arm was checked and confirmed that it didn¡¯t have any wounds, they gave her some medicated oil to rub. However, Xin Ting has been using the medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis given to her by Hao Jian which may be the cause of the good impression. She felt that the effect of this medicine seemed to be very good. Her injuries reduced a lot. ¡°They didn¡¯t embarrass you, did they?¡± Hao Jian asked her. ¡°No, how did you come out?¡± Xin Ting craned her neck, ¡°Where¡¯s Peng Mao and Ru Ning?¡± ¡°They¡¯re resting. I came here to tell you something.¡± Xin Ting was a little nervous and her sixth sense told her that it¡¯s always bad news when people say such things. But this is Hao Jian, maybe it would be good news? ¡°Tomorrow, I have to go out with Lian Ru Ning, and your arms are not good yes, so please stay here with Peng Mao!¡± Xin Ting breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that. If we come back alive, we will still leave again while you and Peng Mao will stay here. After all, it¡¯s safer here.¡± Xin Ting was very sure that the meaning of ¡®stay here¡¯ in Hao Jian¡¯s sentence was different from what she meant in her earlier sentence. She subconsciously opposed, ¡°Are you going to leave me?¡± After she finished speaking, she also felt that what she said was a bit wrong, so Xin Ting explained, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re planning to go to Southern City with only you and Ru Ning?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying and facing zombies? Here, there are more than 10,000 people with you and there are guards to protect you. It¡¯s far safer to stay here than to follow us.¡± Xin Ting opened her mouth, trying to say something but nothing came out. Upon seeing this, Hao Jian left. If she had been alone in the past, she would not have gone out of her way to explain to other people. In every decision she had to make, the right to choose was in her hands. However, in the past few days, she also regarded Xin Ting as a companion, so she felt the responsibility to inform her. Back at the tent, Lian Ru Ning was sitting on the lawn while looking up at the night sky. This Jiangxin Island was originally a place for sightseeing. The lawn was naturally indispensable. Although it¡¯s almost withered by being trampled on before, the drizzle that happened a few days ago made the grass grow tenaciously. Hao Jian said, ¡°Are you feeding the mosquitoes outside?¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m wearing long sleeves. Hey, sit down and watch the stars with me!¡± Hao Jian sat down beside her but remembered a question. She then asked the system in her mind, ¡°Can mosquitoes spread viruses?¡± ¡°The host¡¯s question is exactly what existing experts are studying now. According to preliminary studies, animals in the arthropod phylum are very sensitive to Q viruses and once the virus have infected their bodies, they will die. So they don¡¯t have the ability to carry the Q virus and infect humans.¡± Hao Jian asked once again, ¡°Does that meant that humans can use the sensitivity of arthropods to Q virus to develop relevant drugs or materials to detect people who are infected with the virus?¡± ¡°Correct¡± It¡¯s a pity that Hao Jian didn¡¯t study this area, otherwise she would join the research after discovering an appropriate research direction. While talking to the system, Hao Jian also listened to Lian Ru Ning and talked about the differences in the night sky everywhere. Her multitasking skills have reached the point of perfection that even Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. ¡°it¡¯s rare to see so many stars. Although it¡¯s less than what I saw when I participated in the summer camp, the night sky here in the city hasn¡¯t been so bright for a long time!¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°Perhaps, after the disaster, no one ¡®s been driving, the factories stopped working, and the biggest source of pollution became zombies. So the world naturally recovered and took back the scenery that was once hidden by humans!¡± ¡°When I was young, my parents said that people become stars once they die. Now, they make a little sense. There are tens of millions of people who die every day these days, and now there are more stars in the sky. . . What our ancestors say may not be nonsense.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t feel so sentimental about Lian Ru Ning¡¯s statement. She got up and headed to the tent, ¡°I¡¯m a little sleepy, don¡¯t you want to rest?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that Hao Jian was pretty dense sometimes, but considering that Hao Jian doesn¡¯t always have enough time to sleep, it¡¯s rare for her to be able to sleep this long so she didn¡¯t say anything. The tent was so small that it barely allowed two people to sleep. It was cramped and suffocating, not to mention that the both of them felt very bored. Lian Ru Ning wanted to change to short sleeves altogether, but she was a little embarrassed to see Hao Jian, so she turned her head and asked Hao Jian, ¡°I want to change to short sleeves, can you. . .¡± Hao Jian closed her eyes, ¡°I won¡¯t look at it. There is no light in the tent so I can¡¯t see anything properly. Besides, you¡¯ve already seen my body completely, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s only fair if I see yours too?¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s face flushed and she stared at Hao Jian, only to find that Hao Jian talked about her and had turned towards her to confront her. She immediately changed her clothes and laid down while facing Hao Jian. She then remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Hao Jian so she turned her back towards Hao Jian. It happened that Hao Jian also turned around when she felt some movement. Her hand the accidentally rested on Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hand. The latter only felt that the back of her hand was covered with a cool palm, as if something had spread from her hand all the way to her heart. Hao Jian was about to move her hand away, but Lian Ru Ning held on, a little embarrassed, ¡°Your hands are cold and comfortable.¡± ¡®Comfortable? Then you should hold it longer!¡¯ Hao Jian thought. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t know what she was thinking just now. She actually said something like this to Hao Jian, but in this hot weather, there were no fans and air conditioners. Hao Jian¡¯s hands her the coolest objects she could touch. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Hao Jian opened her eyes and looked at Lian Ru Ning with a faint smile, ¡°Do you like listening? Or do you like me teasing you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Lian Ru Ning immediately argues, ¡°I just think that you¡¯re usually energetic!¡± She¡¯s known Hao Jian for only a short time, but those few days allowed her to know Hao Jian better. Before, Hao Jian gave her the impression of smart, blunt, calm, and independent. She also seemed more mature than her actual age and sometimes too perfect for a person. But it is because she can laugh, tell cold jokes or swear words that Lian Ru Ning could see Hao Jian more real, and she feels that Hao Jian is actually just an ordinary person. Hao Jian simply chuckled quietly. CH 32 The sky was bright and grey when An Minghui summoned his mean Liu Feng, A Tao, Hao Jian, and Lian Ru Ning. He gave Hao Jian an official wireless dispatch console and a tactical vest. He also confirmed once again if everyone in his team knew their course of action before setting off. In Jiangxin Island, Yi Gao presided over the work left behind. Although Yi Gao had recruited many volunteers, these people have not been systematically trained after all so the dangerous work is still done by the guards who go out. There were six guards and seven volunteers who went out. The guards were divided into two groups. One team took two people to carry out the work of clearing zombies and the search and rescue for ordinary people. After they cleaned up the zombies that had gathered on the dam, they escorted An Minghui and the others on the way. An Minghui, Liu Feng, and A Tao drove the three-wheeled motorcycle. An Minghui was sitting on the side, dealing with the zombies on the right while A Tao was dealing with the ones on their left. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning drove the Yamaha motorcycles picked up by Yi Gao to follow them. After all, the threats on the sides were being cleaned up by An Minghui¡¯s group. There was no need for either of them to do anything. They felt that hot weapons were still better than cold ones. At least with hot weapons, they don¡¯t have to risk the zombies getting close, but they still need to pay attention to accuracy. If it can¡¯t hit the zombie¡¯s head in one go, they¡¯ll only be wasting their bullets. An Minghui did not give them hot weapons because they knew Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were only ordinary citizens and that they had never held a hot weapon. If they weren¡¯t careful, they would only hurt themselves. He also can¡¯t guarantee that Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives. If they do receive a hot weapon, how much threat will they pose to the common people. An Minghui have to clear the path in front of them. They cleared the way for a smoother ride and they soon entered the main road. An Minghui heard Hao Jian mention the leopard yesterday so he was worried that the animals in the forest park would come out and make trouble. It was why he deliberately avoided that road. It was inevitable for them to take the long way, but because of the small road, the chances of them encountering zombies were greatly reduced. It took them nearly two hours to get to the conference center on the usual half-hour trip. However, they did not go to the conference center immediately, but chose to go into the forest opposite to the conference center. This area was originally mountainous and forested that was later developed. Many forests were cleared and the mountain opposite to the conference center was dug in half while the ladder wall was repaired. Although the mountain wasn¡¯t high, one can still see the surroundings of the conference center. An Minghui and A Tao were in charge of reconnaissance while Liu Feng, Hao Jian, and Lian Ru Ning were in charge of guarding the surroundings. Hao Jian found that there was no prompt to complete the task when they arrived at the conference center, so she thought that the focus of this hidden task was not to ¡®help¡¯ An Minghui arrive to the conference center, but to ¡®investigate¡¯ the refuge base inside the conference center. Presumably, the task won¡¯t be complete until the results of the investigation comes out. After a while, a noise came from their walkie-talkie. Hao Jian and the others noticed something abnormal, so they turned their attention to the place where An Minghui and A Tao were investigating, ¡°What happened?¡± A Tao replied, ¡°The signal has been disturbed.¡± An Minghui explained, ¡°I just wanted to inform you to come over, but it turns out that your response is not clear. Our signal is encrypted but it¡¯s still jammed. This means that the interruption was caused by someone. This is probably the reason why they can¡¯t contact us escorts or the headquarters.¡± He gave the telescope in his hand to Hao Jian who had raised her eyes and frowned. According to An Minghui, the square in front of the conference center was actually equipped with protective fences. But there were many zombies wandering in the square at this time and the remains of many refuge guards were lying on the ground. They didn¡¯t become zombies which means that there were not attacked to the death by zombies. ¡°The situation is not optimistic.¡± An Minghui said solemnly. He had guessed this possibility but this is the worst case. He didn¡¯t want to believe it but reality is so cruel. Looking at the Civic Park, no guards were seen and there were still zombies running about, showing a similar situation in the square. ¡°Is it a thug or an evil force?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I need to investigate inside.¡± An Minghui said to Hao Jian, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here, you should go back!¡± Hao Jian also hesitated. After all, although the rewards were tempting, it wasn¡¯t certain whether she will still live to enjoy the rewards if she went deeper. She glanced at Lian Ru Ning, who was also contemplating. After a while, Hao Jian replied, ¡°There are too many zombies there and it¡¯s very dangerous. We will help you distract them. You find a suitable time to go in.¡± An Minghui groaned for a moment. He then drew the gun on his waist and handed it to Hao Jian, saying, ¡°There are only a few bullets in it. Use it only when necessary to save your life. Go back and tell Yi Gao what¡¯s going on here, you don¡¯t have to worry about the rest.¡± Hao Jian took the hand gun. Unlike the model gun, it was a bit heavier and feels much better than a model gun. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have a gun, yet you easily gave it to me. How do you know I know how to use this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for a person who has never touched a gun to get a headshot. Except for luck, of course. And I gave you this gun for emergency. If you can¡¯t hit it at close range, then perhaps I¡¯ve been overestimating your ability.¡± Hao Jian smiled, put away the pistol and walked down the mountain with Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning then asked, ¡°Do you really know how to use it?¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°This is the first time I have touched a real gun, but You Xiaoxiao and the others are military fans. They have studied these hot weapons. They have discussed in groups, and I have friends who have migrated to the United States post video explanations. So, in theory, yes. I think I can use it just fine.¡± ¡°Then if we can safely get away, teach me! Even if it¡¯s just theoretical knowledge, it may be useful in this world.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The zombies in the square of the conference center were wandering aimlessly. Suddenly, they keenly heard the rumbling noise coming from nowhere. The zombies gathered towards the source of the sound one after another, only to see a motorcycle rushing out from the sky. Of course, they weren¡¯t interested in cars, but the two living people riding them aroused the violence within their natures and rushed towards their prey one after another. Their speed wasn¡¯t as fast, as if they were deliberately waiting for them to approach. Seeing that the zombies in front are approaching them, they suddenly jumped a very far distance. Fortunately, the zombies didn¡¯t feel emotions. They were only relentless to catch their prey. There were strange noises coming from their mouths, as if they were summoning nearby zombies and seemed to vent their anger for failing to catch up with their prey. Lian Ru Ning looked at the zombies chasing them from behind and on their sides. Goose bumps appeared all over her body and they suddenly understood the situation of the motorcycle riders they met that day. Lian Ru Ning asked, ¡°You said that the person we met yesterday was also from the escort. Did they do something like this? Drawing away the zombies so that their teammates can act?¡± ¡°What you said makes sense. It seems that when we arrived at the flower market yesterday, something happened here in the conference center. It should be a nearby refuge that found the problem so they sent someone out to investigate. . .¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they notify the Jiangxin Island refuge base?¡± Lian Ru Ning had a bad feeling in her heart. Hao Jian was silent for a moment and said, ¡°There may be an ambush in the conference center!¡± This guess was similar to An Minghui¡¯s guess, but they came from two completely different concepts. If someone in the conference center interferes with the official communication signal, then their purpose could be to block the communication between the conference center and the outside world. The reason for this is not clear but the people from other refuge bases found out the loss of communication will send someone to investigate. If they deliberately drew others here, they can use the communication equipment to create doubts, but the others will inevitably turn vigilant this way. But if they stay silent and quietly set up an ambush in the conference center, then the others must not know that is is actually full of crises. When a group of people come, they will kill the wave and the news will not be passed on. So An Minghui previously guessed that there were dangerous elements inside, but didn¡¯t guess the purpose of the dangerous elements. They might have set up traps and are waiting for them to step in. Hao Jian calculated that An Minghui and the others should have been around the conference center and that she didn¡¯t need to continue attracting the zombies to her side. After all, the introduction of so many zombies into the city would be a disaster for others. While driving, she asked Lian Ru Ning to tune to the signal connected to Jiangxin Island, constantly confirming the signal jamming range surrounding the conference center. Finally, in a village nine kilometers away, they got in touch with Yi Gao. They reported on the surroundings of the conference center and explained their theories. Yi Gao was silent for a while and said, ¡°You come back. I will send someone to support them!¡± Hao Jian thought for a while, ¡°Chief Yi, are you sure that the Jiangxin Island will not become the next Civic Park after sending a large number of people?¡± Yi Gao went silent. At this time, someone nearby reported, ¡°Sir, I have contacted the First Evacuation Command Post.¡± Hao Jian couldn¡¯t hear the rest of the words clearly and after a while, Yi Gao said, ¡°We have already contacted the other shelters and they have also dispatched personnel. Come back!¡± There was no sound from the radio for a long time, but Hao Jian didn¡¯t move. Lian Ru Ning looked at her and seemed to understand her thoughts so she said, ¡°Go if you want, I¡¯ll be with you!¡± Hao Jian has been accompanying her on her adventures, why can¡¯t she give back once? Hao Jian pursed her lips and explained, ¡°I don¡¯t want to take a risk, but I always think there is some important information there.¡± Hao Jian was thinking about this along the way while they were escaping. Why did the system treat this task as a hidden mission and even knew that An Minghui may be an important person. If she ignores it, will she miss more important clues? As a senior game anchor, she has a set of refined skills of reasoning and in-depth critical thinking when it comes to game information and clues. How else can she survive by playing games? There are hundreds of thousands of game anchors, but apart from a small number of people who can be seen by the platform to sign contracts, the remaining 80% are rarely famous and are transparent. She got where she is today, not only because she¡¯s a female anchor, but also because of how good she plays. It is precisely because of her attitude towards the game that she has a group of diehard fans. Despite knowing that this is reality, she still thinks about the connection between these tasks and the characters with the attitude she was when playing games. There may be some key tasks in the future that she can¡¯t trigger if she missed this mission. ¡°Think about it, how does bicycles becomes motorcycles¡± Hao Jian said. Lian Ru Ning let out a laugh as she held her waist, ¡°Okay.¡± CH 33 Hao Jian bypassed the way they came and took another half an hour to reach the area where the conference center could be seen. She didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of those in the conference center with her motorcycle so she stopped in the woods one or two hundred meters away. Hao Jian gave Lian Ru Ning the crowbar, while she was holding the army knife and an ax. She also hid the handgun she received in her tactical vest. Although they led most of the zombies away, there were still some zombies wandering in this forest. When Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning met them, they naturally ran over. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning both rubbed the medicinal wine last night and their arms weren¡¯t as sore today. They were actually more powerful than they were a few days ago. The remaining zombies naturally pose no threat to them. Hao Jian ignored the rewards reminder for killing the zombies sent out in her mind. She and Lian Ru Ning focused on approaching the conference center slowly. They didn¡¯t intend to use the front door, of course, so they lurked towards the back door. The back door of the conference center is different from the front entrance. It didn¡¯t have the same view compared to the front entrance. The front door is integrated with the lobby and the main building¡¯s exterior walls were made of glass, providing a wide view. The back door, on the other hand, is connected to the garden of the conference center through retractable doors. The retractable door is relatively low. Because there are usually people stationed there, there is no worry that someone will climb over it. But in this kind of chaotic period, most people will not guard the area, allowing Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning to easily climb over. Of course, unless guardrails were added, or video surveillance that can detect their infiltration in time, it was their best method in sneaking in. Sure enough, iron nets were added to the back entrance of the building. There were faint remnants of zombies on it. Unfortunately, the iron net is broken underneath and there is a hole where an adult can fit through. Hao Jian wasn¡¯t sure whether the hole was made by An Minghui and the other, or if it was destroyed by the dangerous elements in order to invade the conference center. But as long as it is convenient for them to sneak in. she chose to push the issue aside. They found a corpse in the guard room. Judging from the scar on its neck, it should have been not long when he died. Hao Jian judged that it was probably An Minghui ¡®s doing when they snuck in. Lian Ru Ning suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s another room here.¡± Hao Jian got up and walked in. She found that it was a monitoring room, but it could only monitor the area around the front and back entrances. It seemed that it doesn¡¯t have capabilities to surveillance the two main buildings. ¡°Adjutant An and the others should have gone in.¡± Hao Jian said, admiring them from the bottom of her heart. If things were different, they might not be able to sneak under the noses of these people. There are actually no trees in the back garden of the conference center. Instead, there are large tracts of grass surrounded by common bushes, and there are not many places for people to hide. The two of them clung to the bushes and quietly approached the main building. They also saw the remains of many guards lying on the ground as they made their way to the main building. ¡°Their guns are gone. It seems that they were taken away.¡± Hao Jian said, ¡°At least there are many people in this group who has guns. Be careful.¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded solemnly, not to mention how nervous she was. As they approached the main building, two men holding rifles suddenly appeared inside. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were shocked, but they heard them shouting, ¡°Hey, you two!¡± The two of them froze and many messy thoughts flashed in their minds. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s palms kept sweating. Suddenly, Hao Jian took her hand and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. They didn¡¯t use the guns and point them at us.¡± Only then did Lian Ru Ning observe the two men who were approaching the, They were not tall and had tactical vests, but the base were ordinary t-shirts despite being guards. The boots they wore didn¡¯t match their size, making their walking posture a bit strange. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± One of the men asked. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart was about to jump to her throat, but Hao Jian calmly opened her mouth, ¡°We were bored inside so we went out to take a walk.¡± Another person said in the same way, ¡°It¡¯s really boring inside. It¡¯s not as comfortable as when we came out on patrol. But if you¡¯re bored, you can¡¯t forget your responsibilities. Go back and do your jobs!¡± They saw that Lian Ru Ning was weak and was timid, Hao Jian was even more unremarkable. Because Hao Jian¡¯s words were in line with their problems, they all believed her words. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had to bite the bullet and walk inside. The two men were not hostile to them, but if Hao Jian hadn¡¯t found that the bodies of the guards had been picked up and the tactical vest that ordinary citizens don¡¯t usually wear appeared on them, she might have lowered her attitude towards them. She must be wary. ¡°Hao Jian, why did you say ¡®inside¡¯?¡± Lian Ru Ning quietly asked. Hao Jian also calmed her nervous heart and replied, ¡°They treated us as accomplices, but I think they don¡¯t have that many real accomplices. Since they¡¯re not that many so they should be gathered in the major places like the conference room, or hall.¡± Lian Ru Ning understood that her eyes were filled with admiration and brightness as she looked at Hao Jian. Although they may have regarded them as accomplices, she was still worried if they¡¯re exposed. She immediately turned her mind to overdrive, thinking about how to deal with it. With these two people leading the way, they successfully entered the main building of the conference center and the two men talked without reserve, ¡°Those people haven¡¯t been let go?¡± Another person sneered and replied, ¡°No. They¡¯re really well-trained. They almost broke my bones so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be let go that easily.¡± ¡°Let me say, they are all asking for trouble. They¡¯re not even cooperating?! But Xiangzhu1 really is capable, even these refuge sites can be snatched!¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning exchanged glances. They both understood the puzzle in each other¡¯s eyes, ¡°What the hell?¡± They are not unfamiliar with the term, ¡°Fragrant Master¡¯. After all, didn¡¯t Wei Xiabao walk the rivers and lakes under the title of ¡®Fragrant Master¡¯ from the beginning? But this is not the world of marial arts, and an organization with such a name is not normal in any way. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had preliminary guesses about the identities of the mentioned people in their minds. After walking for a while, they arrived at a door and opened it, ¡°No matter which group you were in before, there¡¯s temporary shortage of manpower here, so let¡¯s go in and help!¡± The two walked in but were shocked by the sight in front of them. The hall inside, which could hold thousands of people, was full of people. There were some who were dressed like the two men who were patrolling, and a man on the main stage was speaking passionately. They were a little bit confused about what was going on before them. The two men soon left and they randomly found two empty seats and sat down. Lian Ru Ning took advantage of the surrounding guards not paying attention and took out her phone to secretly take a video. They were a little far from the main platform but everyone around them were listening attentively. No one made any noise, making the speaker¡¯s voice particularly clear. After listening for a while, Hao Jian immediately concluded in her heart that this really was a cult organization. The organization¡¯s name is ¡®Wugui¡¯2 which meant that there is no guilt. Hao Jian could hear that a large number of brainwashing speeches that the speaker was saying were mixed with ¡®Tao De Jing¡¯3 and other classics. Lian Ru Ning asked in a low voice, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°In addition to playing games, I usually spend most of my time reading. I have read all these classics,¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°This cult is a mixed religion.¡± ¡°What mixed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mixed with Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other doctrines in it.¡± Lian Ru Ning was supposed to be in a heavy heart, but after Hao Jian explained, she almost laughed out loud. The main point of the speaker¡¯s speech is that the zombie crisis that erupted was actually a disease caused by an official experiment. He preached that human beings a re evil and this crisis was deliberately caused by the gods to punish the wicked. Only those who trust them physically and mentally can be exempt form the heaven and save them from guilt. Hao Jian suddenly caught a glimpse of someone coming over and she quickly hid Lian Ru Ning¡¯s phone. Just after finishing all this, the man approached them and angrily said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you two? I waited for you for a long time to change the guard shifts, yet here you are lazily sitting here!¡± ¡°. . .?¡± Although the two of them were a little dazed, they didn¡¯t show it. Hao Jian reacted quickly and smiled before saying, ¡°We were so fascinated by the baptism that we forgot the time, sorry!¡± The man¡¯s face improved slightly, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m going to release the water, you guard it. Don¡¯t make trouble!¡± After speaking, he walked away. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning stood and patrolled around the hall instead of the man. Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t they recognize us?¡± Hao Jian pondered for a moment and glanced at their attires before saying, ¡± First, these cult members are only ordinary people and their attires are different from guards, which are similar to ours. Second, they seem to have extreme confidence in their organization and believe that they will not be invaded. Third, most people think that the people who came to investigate must be officials, not ordinary people like us. Fourth, their organization should not be very mature yet and the recruitment of members is so fast that they have not fully recognized their own people.¡± Lian Ru Ning breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°But we don¡¯t have a gun in hand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for them to have a gun and I guess that although their members are women, their status will not be too high. At least they will not be given any hot weapons.¡± ¡°The question now is, how did they get here?¡± Hao Jian never understood this question. If these people are all armed with swords and axes, how are they able to fight a guard with hot weapons and extraordinary skills? Seeing that it was almost noon, a man hurriedly walked to the main stage and whispered something to the speaker, the speaker then announced to everyone, ¡°Now it¡¯s lunch time. God says that innocent people cannot be blamed, so food will be delivered later. But everyone must sincerely pray to God before they can eat. Those who are not sincere must continue to be baptized.¡± He left after speaking, and the other two patrols guarded the left and right doors respectively. They also said to Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, ¡°You guard the upper door.¡± Hao Jian asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡± The man whispered, ¡°There is an invasion by foreigners. In order to ensure that the believers are safe, you must guard the entrance and exit to prevent anyone from entering or leaving.¡± Hao Jian thought that if they were this guarded at this time, it means that An Minghui and his team was just discovered instead of earlier and that they are still alive. Hao Jian breathed a sigh of relief since she was nervous for An Minghui and his team. Once these people discovered them, it will be difficult to get out of the tiger¡¯s mouth with just the three of them. While she was wondering if she could sneak out, she suddenly saw a woman stand up from the crows. Judging from its appearance, she looked like a woman. The man guarding the other door shouted and asked, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you pray to God?¡± ¡°I need to go to the bathroom. Even if I want to pray to God, I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t want to watch his children suffer from these mundane things.¡± The woman reasoned. ¡°. . .¡± The two men didn¡¯t expect her to say this. Although they felt something was wrong, they couldn¡¯t say anything because many people wanted to go to the bathroom as well. The only thing they could do was scold the people, ¡°Shut up! Come one by one. Whoever is not obedient, they will meet God!¡± They scolded them as such and everyone did calm down. It was obvious that there were already some who had already gone to meet God before. ¡°You, take her there!¡± The man pointed at Hao Jian. Hao Jian gave Lian Ru Ning a look and immediately led the woman out. There was a little chaos outside, and many people rushed to somewhere. One of them saw Hao Jian and asked. Fortunately, Hao Jian was calm enough when answering that the person didn¡¯t doubt her. Although the person was gone, Hao Jian was a little bit troubled because she didn¡¯t even know where the bathroom was. When she discretely looked around for the restroom sign, she suddenly felt something on her back around her waist, ¡°Turn left ahead, don¡¯t make a noise.¡± CH 34 In the bathroom on the first floor of Building B in the conference center, water ran flowed from the tap. Hao Jian sat on the toilet seat, holding her head with both hands, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m a good citizen.¡± ¡°What sister?¡± The woman was displeased. With the handgun which came from Hao Jian on her hand, she opened the magazine and took a look, frowning in disappointment. ¡°Then. . . Miss?¡± Hao Jian said. The system observed like watching a play, ¡°Tsk, tsk. I didn¡¯t expect for the host to have soft side. Too soft.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± When Hao Jian was scolding the system, she was also scolding the woman in her heart. Hao Jian didn¡¯t expect to meet an expert. She thought her skill at stealing a knife would be considered great, but she didn¡¯t expect that the gun she hid in her tactical vest would be stolen without her knowing. ¡°How did you know I have a gun?¡± Hao Jian wasn¡¯t nervous because she already judged from the opponent¡¯s familiarity with guns that this woman is a professional like a trained guard member. She also threatened Hao Jian who came in the center to gather intelligence just like An Minghui. The woman looked at her teasingly, ¡°You¡¯re not fat but your waist is a little thick. Others may not be able to tell, but you can¡¯t hide it from me.¡± ¡°Then, can you tell who I am?¡± The woman frowned, ¡°Where did you get these things?¡± ¡°It was given to me. What¡¯s your purpose?¡± The woman glared at her, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m playing around with you, answering a question with another question?¡± Hao Jian sighed, ¡°Just tell me what is the purpose of a young lady like you. If we delay here any more, the people outside will find it strange.¡± The woman took a look outside, ¡°I remember you, you\re the one who drove away at the intersection on citizen¡¯s road yesterday.¡± Hao Jian quickly understood, ¡°Are you one of the people who drove the motorcycle yesterday?!¡± The woman didn¡¯t know if it was possible, ¡°I think you don¡¯t even know where the bathroom is, yet you¡¯re her. Did someone help you get in?¡± Hao Jian actually doesn¡¯t trust her 100%. Who knows if she¡¯s a member if ¡®Wugui¡¯ and came here to test her if she¡¯s one of the guard members or not. ¡°You¡¯re quite alert. My name is Chen Zhen, a member of the security team that was once stationed in Civic Park.¡± ¡°My name is Hao Jian. I¡¯m just an ordinary citizen. Can I ask, what¡¯s the situation here?¡± Chen Zhen suddenly made motion to silence her. As soon as Hao Jian closed her mouth, she heard the door open and what sounded like footsteps. Chen Zhen opened the door of the cubicle and took a quiet look before walking out. Hao Jian was affected by the sound of the water and heard nothing. Suddenly, Chen Zhen pushed the cubicle door open again but was now wearing a tactical vest with some messy things hanging on it. Hao Jian stretched out her head and saw a woman lying on the ground with a twisted neck. Her chest wasn¡¯t moving either. After tidying her clothes, Chen Zhen glanced at Hao Jian, ¡°Don¡¯t look. It¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°These are all believers who have been brainwashed. I don¡¯t know how much of my teammates¡¯ blood has been stained in her hands.¡± Hao Jian felt that she was not far from completing the hidden mission. At this time, Chen Zhen didn¡¯t have much time to talk to Hao Jian, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. You¡¯ll have to find a way to make it through when you go back.¡± Her cold-blooded temperament made Hao Jian¡¯s scalp go numb, ¡°You took my gun away. What should I use to protect myself?¡± ¡°You were able to sneak in. Can¡¯t you be resourceful?¡± Hao Jian then asked, ¡°Then about what happened here, can you tell me?¡± Chen Zhen sighed then answered, ¡°It¡¯s complicated to say, so I¡¯ll make it short. The group of people outside is a cult organization called ¡®Wugui¡¯. I won¡¯t tell you the origin of this organization, you should be able to get some information through what happened earlier. Under the banner of God condemning sins, they actually wanted to take advantage of the chaos and become a separate force and oppose the justice camp. Their methods are also very cruel. In order to prevent the cry of children and babies from attracting zombies, they kill all babies up to 8 years old and drown newborn babies, not long after they¡¯re born. In addition, they dislike that the elderly were slow in moving and consume too much food, so they sent them to see their ¡®God¡¯ one after another.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s heart sank. No wonder she didn¡¯t see any old people or child in the hall. ¡°They were active even before the zombies appeared, but they acted secretly so the officials never discovered them. Later, they even spread rumors and caused panic when the zombies appeared, attracting a large number of blind followers. These believers have been thoroughly brainwashed. In order to survive, they start with their loved ones and lurked among the refugees. They then took advantage of the vulnerability of the refugees and preached ¡®Wugui¡¯ philosophies. They also preached rumors to make the people who don¡¯t know the truth attack us. We were already exhausted enough, guarding against the growing number of zombies near the Citizen Park. Those people used our rule that we don¡¯t attack ordinary citizens to break through our line of defense. Many people died, either from their hands or were killed by zombies. Traitors also appeared in the conference center, so back up didn¡¯t receive any warning. A few of my teammates and I were not there at the time, so we immediately went to the conference center to check on them after receiving the news, but a large number of zombies gathered in the conference center. My teammate and I drove the motorcycle to attract the zombies away. Unexpectedly. . . When we hot out of the trap and rushed back to the conference center, we saw corpses all over the field. Some were the believers of ¡®Wugui¡¯, but most of them were my teammates.¡± After Chen Zhen recounted what happened during the past two days, two lines of tears rolled down her eyes. She opened her eyes that emitted killing intent, ¡°They used ordinary people to disarm my teammates and killed them to take their equipment away. They left the bodies of my teammates just lying on the square, exposed to the sun. . . I will never let these people go!¡± ¡°I found out that the commander-in-chief are still alive, and I¡¯m going to save them.¡± Chen Zhen said before leaving. Hao Jian clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t forgive these sinful people! However, the system still did not give any prompt about whether she completed the hidden mission, so she wondered on whether she still had to find An Minghui, ensure his safety and pass the news about what¡¯s going on for the mission to be considered complete? The reason why ¡®Wugui¡¯ can have such a great ability is that apart from using the people¡¯s vulnerability to brainwash them, their forces have probably infiltrated all parts of the country. She suddenly understood what those people meant by ¡®Fragrance Master.¡¯ He¡¯s presumably the boss who led the planning of this incident. In Martial Arts, Xiangzhu can only be regarded as a small boss, so ¡®Wugui¡¯ must be a huge cult organization. She also understood why this task was a hidden mission. If she didn¡¯t come to figure out what was going on, then she would most likely encounter this organization elsewhere, and because she didn¡¯t know anything about it, she would be very passive towards the cult. After sorting out the information, Hao Jian looked at herself in the mirror. She thought about something and slammed her head against the mirror. The mirror shattered, her forehead was also injured. Blood ran from her wound that quickly dripped down to her chin and into her clothes. After a while, she shook her head and cleared her consciousness before walking to the hall. She opened the door and the man guarding it was shocked. He fixed his eyes and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°There was a guilty person. She stunned me and snatched my knife before running away. I just woke up. Go and catch her!¡± Hao Jian was holding her forehead, looking like so much in pain. The man said angrily to the other man, ¡°They really don¡¯t give up in coming back to save people. Go after them!¡± After his companion left, he turned to Hao Jian and said disdainfully, ¡°Women are troublesome. They don¡¯t have any power. Because of this, they let people run away!¡± He asked Lian Ru Ning to take care of Hao Jian. When Lian Ru Ning saw Hao Jian, who was covered in blood, her heart was a little flustered. She immediately asked Hao Jian to rest her on her body while she covered Hao Jian¡¯s wound with her hand, ¡°What did you do? You¡¯re injured. Are there bandages and hemostatic drugs. . .¡± The man¡¯s ears became calloused by her nagging, ¡°There are some in the infirmary. Please, bring her over there!¡± Lian Ru Ning noticed that Hao Jian squeezed her hand, so she helped Hao Jian go out. Although they also met a lot of people this time, they didn¡¯t pay attention to them, because many of them also had color on their bodies. They also all went to the same place, so they guessed that they might end up in the infirmary if they follow. But Hao Jian didn¡¯t plan to go to the infirmary. They stopped at a corner of the wall. ¡°How are you?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked hurriedly. Hao Jian waved her hand and took out a small can of styptic powder in the pocked of the tactical vest, ¡°I have medicine.¡± She bought this from the mall before she hit her head. Although there was only a small can that¡¯s the size of a thumb, it still cost her 30 points, which was 10 points more expensive than Xin Ting¡¯s medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis! However, this product comes with a few gauze and bandages, so she doesn¡¯t need to look for some cloth to wrap her wound. When Lian Ru Ning bandaged her, Hao Jian¡¯s appearance kept tugging her heart. This was the first time she had seen her injured since she first met her, but she was fortunate that it was not caused by a zombie. ¡°Who was it that gave you such a cruel hand?¡± ¡°It was An Minghui¡¯s teammate, but it wasn¡¯t her who did this. I did this to myself to conceal from the people of this organization.¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at her in astonishment. After a while, she said, ¡°You are so cruel to yourself. Aren¡¯t you afraid of a concussion, or you losing consciousness, or worse, become stupid?!¡± Hao Jian smiled, ¡°I was always injured before so I know the severity and their consequences. Don¡¯t look at my injury just because it¡¯s bleeding so much. It only looks bad because there are many capillaries on the face. In fact, I didn¡¯t have a concussion or damage my brain. These wounds are because of the glass that cut my skin.¡± Lian Ru Ning glared at her thinking why she still had the nerve to laugh at this moment! But there was no use to blame her. After a long silence, she returned the army knife that Hao Jian secretly gave her before leaving and said. ¡°We¡¯re out now, what should we do next?¡± ¡°I have to find An Minghui.¡± Although Lian Ru Ning was puzzled, she didn¡¯t ask too much. She said, ¡°But the ¡®Wugui¡¯ people are looking for them everywhere. Can you find him?¡± Hao Jian pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Do you still remember the ¡®Xiangzhu¡¯ that they mentioned?¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded. ¡°As far as I know, the commander-in-chief of the guard members has fallen into their hands. They should be using him for something so I doubt they would kill him, but they should be torturing him. An Minghui¡¯s goal is bound to be him, so as long as we find the location of the commander-in-chief, we should be able to see them.¡± ¡°But this is such a big place and there are so many meeting rooms and multi-function rooms. How do you know where they are?¡± ¡°If you were the Xiangzhu, what would you do when you heard that someone broke in?¡± Lian Ru Ning understood in an instant, ¡°He should be personally guarding the important hostages, and at the same time sending a large number of people to guard around.¡± Hao Jian smiled, ¡°Yes. The place where there¡¯s the most guards should be the place!¡± CH 35 Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t know the location of the ¡®Xiangzhu¡¯ for the time being. They searched and searched until they arrived at the canteen of the conference center. Now that the people of ¡®Wugui¡¯ are still searching for An Minghui and the others, they naturally have no time to eat lunch. They can use this loophole to do something. The fat chef sitting in the kitchen saw them through the window and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°She was injured by those wicked people who didn¡¯t give up and came back to save their people. I helped her to rest and see if she can have anything to eat on the way.¡± The fat chef just wanted them to go back, wait, and follow the rules, but he suddenly realized that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s charming appearance. His heart was shaken and asked, ¡°Which group are you in? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning have a ¡®thump¡¯ in their hearts. Luckily, they heard him say again, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re hungry, so sit down. I will give you some noodles first.¡± A glimmer of doubt flashed through their hearts, but they soon understood that the fat chef was purely interested in Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t roll her eyes, instead, she shyly and nervously said, ¡°Well, this is not good. Now that it¡¯s so messy outside, Xiangzhu and the others haven¡¯t eaten yet!¡± The fat chef didn¡¯t realize that there were such stunning beauties in the organization. Thinking that sooner or later, the girls in front of him would have to eventually dedicate themselves to their Xiangzhu, it would be better for him to play with Lian Ru Ning as soon as possible. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Xiangzhu is in charge out those doors, but in this kitchen, I have the final say!¡± ¡°Let us help you work, so that the other¡¯s can¡¯t say anything.¡± Hao Jian suddenly proposed. The fat chef¡¯s heart moved. Although Hao Jian had injured her head, she still looks good. If he could have a threesome, he should. He seemed to have earned it anyway. There are not many chefs in the cafeteria. There are only two people. In addition to the fat chef in front of them, there is also another chef that had an unhappy expression. The kitchen was a little messy, with piles of yellowed vegetables and fruits on the ground , rotten meat products, and rice worms. And the food they were talking about was actually mixing these things together. No matter how disgusting is the appearance, the people here don¡¯t care as long as they can eat. As for the people in this organization, the fat chef is in charge of most of the delicious foods; such as canned goods and noodles that have not yet expired. ¡°I¡¯m busy here. Go and rest. It¡¯s not time for them to eat yet anyway.¡± The fat chef said to the other chef. The chef glanced at them, ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t play for too long.¡± The fat chef showed a wretched smile. When the unhappy chef left, Lian Ru Ning caught Hao Jian¡¯s eyes and pretended to be excited, ¡°Can I really eat first?¡± The fat chef approached her with a grin ¡°Of course, but you still have to cook something for the assholes first.¡± ¡°Assholes?¡± The fat chef curled his lips, ¡°Those who don¡¯t work, don¡¯t get to eat.¡± He also wanted to take the opportunity to touch Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hand, but Lian Ru Ning pretended to be ignorant and avoided his touch and changed the subject again, leading him away. Hao Jian poured the powerful tranquilizer she bought from the mall into the pot and stirred it until nothing was noticeable. Due to the purchase restrictions, she couldn¡¯t buy a large amount of tranquilizers. But fortunately, there is a special soothing medicine in the mall. Even if it¡¯s mixed with a lot of water, its medicinal effect is still effective. Although it required 300 points, she can no longer be stingy with her points if she wants to achieve her goal. When she finished doing this, she went to find Lian Ru Ning. The fat chef was forcing her into a corner when Hao Jian found her, while Lian Ru Ning desperately pushed against the fat chef¡¯s grubby hands. ¡°What are you pretending for? You followed me in, isn¡¯t that tacit approval?¡± The fat chef laughed lewdly. Hao Jian got angry, drew out her axe from the vest and fiercely hit the fat chef¡¯s head. Even if she used the back end of the axe and his head didn¡¯t split, due to Hao Jian¡¯s strength, the chef would still suffer a concussion. He also didn¡¯t have time to make a sound before he fell to the ground as Hao Jian stepped forward and gave him another hit. Lian Ru Ning calmed down, ¡°Is he dead?¡± Hao Jian restrained her desire to hit the fat chef the third time and coldly said, ¡°Not dead.¡± If he died, the system would have notified her. Lian Ru Ning grabbed the kitchen knife in the kitchen, thinking on whether to kill him or not. But after some contemplation, she still didn¡¯t have the guts to kill the living, so she gave up. Hao Jian knew that she couldn¡¯t let her guard down, so she tied the fat chef up and moved all the yellowing dishes and meat to cover his body before cleaning herself. At this moment, someone came to the cafeteria. Hao Jian instructed Lian Ru Ning to do a few things. When Hao Jian left, Lian Ru Ning¡¯s face flushed, but she knew that if they didn¡¯t want to gather any unwanted attention to themselves, it was the only way to go. ¡°Who are you, where¡¯s Big Fat?¡± A ¡®Wugui¡¯ member came. Hao Jian looked embarrassed and was struggling to say something. The man then heard a woman moaning from the kitchen. He suddenly realized what was happening and smirked, ¡°Nevermind who you are, are you ready to cook for us?¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s ready. . . Have the evil people who came to rescue the guilty been caught?¡± The visitor then said contemptuously, ¡°I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re hiding, but we¡¯ll find them sooner or later.¡± He then glanced at Hao Jian again, ¡°Later, after Big Fat is finished, you send food to Xiangzhu and the others!¡± Hao Jian was surprised and delighted, ¡°Can I deliver food to Xiangzhu? I just received my baptism yesterday, am I not qualified?¡± He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just meal delivery, what qualifications do you need? Oh, by the way, Xiangzhu is in the VIP room on the fifth floor. Prepare a few more portions, there are still several people who want to eat!¡± The information he gave was enough. Hao Jian took his name from the side and waited for a while after he took his bowl of noodles. In less than ten minutes, he finished his bowl of noodles and intended to ask for another bowl. When he reached the counter, he suddenly paused and turned around, push the door open and walked in, ¡°Since when did Big Fat last that long?¡± Just then, he began to experience dizziness and nausea. His eyes that was looking at Hao Jian¡¯s figure started to blur and his hands and feet gradually became weak. He was horrified as he suddenly realized that Hao Jian wasn¡¯t someone who ¡®just received their baptism yesterday¡¯ at all. He pointed at Hao Jian, but before he could speak, he was dragged towards the back of the kitchen by Hao Jian while covering his mouth. He didn¡¯t have the strength to resist and fell asleep as soon as he was laid on the ground. Although Hao Jian doesn¡¯t know how long the tranquilizers in the mall will last, it seems that the medicine she bought from the mall had the same effect. It had the ability to relax the muscles and promote blood circulation, having an excellent effect. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mouth was dry from moaning too much, and when she saw Hao Jian enter, she immediately stopped making such shameful cries. Hao Jian brought her a bottle of water and said, ¡°Those screams were quite realistic.¡± Lian Ru Ning almost choked on the water in her mouth. She stared at Hao Jian with a red face, ¡°You say it sounds real, have you tried it?¡± ¡°Do I have to experience it to say that it sounded real?¡± Hao Jian rhetorically asked. ¡°You¡ª ¡± Lian Ru Ning instantly understood what Hao Jian meant but she couldn¡¯t expose her, otherwise, Hao Jian would certainly ask her why she understood. Hao Jian chuckled, ¡°Later on, we will distribute the food to the ¡®Wugui¡¯ members, and then I will send some over to their Xiangzhu.¡± Lian Ru Ning also got serious from their playfulness just now, ¡°The food. . . did you do something?¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t touch it.¡± Although Lian Ru Ning wondered what tampering she did, it wasn¡¯t the time to delve deeper into it, so she simply did what Hao Jian said. Hao Jian wanted to wait for the other chef to come back to get rid of him as well, but no matter how long she waited, no one came. At this time, more and more people came to the cafeteria. They saw that there have been noodles set up in the counter, so they took it upon themselves to take one serving and eat it. They gobbled it up and didn¡¯t even think about why the two chefs weren¡¯t present. Suddenly, someone shouted from outside, ¡°There are many guards outside, come out and help!¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning glanced at each other, knowing that the manpower from other refugee camps who were meant to be sent here that Yi Gao mention had arrived, so there was no need for them to follow the original plan. There was an uproar in the cafeteria, and some people nervously said, ¡°Ah, how many of them are there? We won¡¯t be able to do anything good against them if we face them head-on!¡± ¡°Yeah, we were only able to kill them last time because they were unprepared.¡± A lean man fired a few shots at the ceiling, scaring everyone around him into silence. The one who stood then shouted, ¡°Damn it, you think you can get away with hiding here at this time? Why didn¡¯t I see you get scared when I killed that group of guards? I¡¯ll give you a ride if you don¡¯t go out!¡± The rest of the people immediately went out in a panic. Not long after they left, they suddenly turned back and the lean man threatened them, ¡°What are you doing? Pretending to be sick so you can¡¯t go?¡± ¡°No, ah, I feel a little uncomfortable. . .¡± They then passed out as soon as they finished speaking. The lean man saw his people fall one after another, and finally noticed the anomaly. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the chance to think about what was going on and collapsed on the ground. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, who were curled up below the counter, poked their head out and peered from the window. Seeing that the people were all down, they quickly walked out. Hao Jian then stripped the few people who had guns, gave Lian Ru Ning a handgun while she carried a rifle gun. Lian Ru Ning held the gun, ¡°I can¡¯t use this!¡± Hao Jian briefly instructed, ¡°You don¡¯t really have to use it. Just use it to intimidate them when necessary.¡± At this time, the sound of gunshots rang out from the hall, and the people who were being brainwashed scrambled as they ran out. Some were screaming in fear, others crashing against one another like headless flies, while others ran upstairs one after another. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning glanced at each other and mixed into the chaotic crows. They they grabbed a woman and asked, ¡°What happened inside?¡± When the woman saw their outfits, her voice trembled, ¡°Someone shot and killed someone inside, and your companions were killed!¡± Hao Jian wondered how this woman could know that they had a companion inside, and suddenly realized that the woman was probably walking about the people from ¡®Wugui¡¯ In addition to this hall, there were also many ordinary people pouring out of the second floor meeting hall. Hao Jian thought of the fact that the conference center and civic park had housed tens of thousands of evacuees, and there should be many more aside from those who died at the hands of zombies and the ¡®Wugui¡¯ Although the ¡®Wugui¡¯ methods are cruel, it can be seen that they are very ambitious. If they want to form a force that can compete with the official army, it is necessary to brainwash more people. So the two thousand people in the hall just now many only be a part of it. Judging that there¡¯s another hall on the second floor, there should be more halls like this. An Minghui lack the sufficient manpower, so they haven¡¯t moved to those halls for the time being. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning exchanged glances, and ran towards those halls respectively. The original refugees who had no power were guaranteed manpower in the eyes of ¡®Wugui¡¯. They could brainwash them through various means, force them to join ¡®Wugui¡¯ and then have them to confront the guards. They can also use these people as blackmail to force the officials to retreat when the guards come and surround them. Although they discovered that someone had infiltrated, they never expected that those people would use the pawns in their hands to disrupt their actions. Thousands of people poured out of the hall. They knew that there were zombies outside, so they didn¡¯t dare to run outside. most of them went upstairs to look for a place to hide, and a few went into the restrooms and other places. Some of those who ran upstairs found a random place to hide in, while others inadvertently rushed towards the place where the ¡®Wugui¡¯ men were guarding, but were viciously chased out by the ¡®Wugui¡¯ people. In this way, there was no need for An Minghui and his team to look through the meeting rooms one after another to know the situation above. The conference center that was once the command center was stationed on the third or fourth floor of Building A, and the fifth floor of Building B was made as the dispatch center where various equipment were placed, contacting superiors, and commanding various evacuation bases. However, the traitors blocked the signal without their knowledge and the place was quickly captured. The ¡®Wugui¡¯ people moved all kinds of equipment and hid the commander-in-chief and the others elsewhere. Therefore, An Minghui, Chen Zhen, and the others couldn¡¯t rely on their previous information to determine which room is the communication equipment room, or Xiangzhu¡¯s or their commander-in-chief¡¯s hiding place. Although An Minghui had caught someone to extract a confession, the other party didn¡¯t seem to be a key figure, so they were discovered by surveillance after asking three questions. So An Minghui and the others came up with the idea of using these people to lead them and take the initiative to tell them where Xiangzhu and their commander-in-chief were hiding. After scaring the people on one of the third floor hall of refugees, Hao Jian headed to the next conference center. There aren¡¯t many assembly halls on the third floor. The rooms on her left and right were meeting rooms that can only hold about two hundred people. She wasn¡¯t sure whether there were people inside, so she had to check them out. Just then, she suddenly saw a familiar face among the crows that was running away in a panic. The other party seemed to have seen her, and his eyes widened with both shock and anger, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s eyes ran cold, ¡°Li Ge. I should be the one asking you this, right?¡± CH 36 Li Ge wore the same outfit as Hao Jian, but Hao Jian was sure that he couldn¡¯t have come to save people like her, so he¡¯s most likely a part of ¡®Wugui¡¯. When she came to this conclusion, she quickly blended into the crowd and ran away while Li Ge started shouting at the same time she reacted, ¡°That woman was injured by a zombie! She¡¯s carrying a zombie virus!¡± His voice drew the attention of his accomplices and caused some people to panic. However, Hao Jian¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared in the corridor while Li Ge angrily chased after her, trying to locate Hao Jian. When he reached the entrance of the corridor, he thought about going upstairs, after all, there were fewer people upstairs than downstairs and Hao Jian¡¯s figure couldn¡¯t have disappeared so quickly. As soon as he ran up to the fourth floor, he heard the sound of the door on his right. He held his gun up and carefully searched the conference rooms one by one. There was nothing unusual with the first two rooms, but when her searched the third room, another door suddenly opened. He subconsciously looked at the door, but a hand suddenly stretched from behind and pinned him to the ground. The hand not only took his gun, but a fist hit him hard on the temple, knocking his lights out. He was dragged inside and when he came back to his senses, Hao Jian was sitting across from him, holding a gun in her hand with its black muzzle aimed at him. He struggled and found himself tied up in a chair. When he was about to scream, a cold muzzle was pressed against his temple. Only then did he realize that Hao Jian had a helper and it was definitely not just any ordinary person. ¡°This is a VIP room. The sound insulation is very good, but if you try to make even a little noise, I will immediately send you to your god.¡± The voice was very unfamiliar and Li Ge was sure that it wasn¡¯t Lian Ru Ning or Xin Ting. Hao Jian met Chen Zhen while escaping and Chen Zhen dragged her directly to the fourth floor. The two worked together. When Hao Jian made a noise from the back door to attract Li Ge¡¯s attention, Chen Zhen would hide behind the door and sneak up on him. Chen Zhen had more combat skills than Hao Jian, including how to subdue armed men. She is very proficient. Chen Zhen pulled a chair and sat down beside him with a gun still pointed at his head. She looked at Li Ge with contempt, ¡°I recognize you. You fled to the civic park with your wife and daughter. When you found that your wife was bitten by a zombie, you killed her with your own hands.¡± Hao Jian raised her eyebrows, thinking of the fate of his son, Mrs. Li, and Li Chang. Li Ge pressed his lips, ¡°She, she¡¯s hopeless. I didn¡¯t want to be infected by her!¡± Chen Zhen¡¯s face was grim as she slammed the butt of her gun on his face hard. She then gagged him with something and smashed him fiercely some more, ¡°What about your daughter? How young was she? She saw you as the only person she could rely on. She trusted you, but you pushed her down the river and droned her with your own hands in front of the cult. How confused and helpless was she when she looked at you? How desperate she was for you to save her?!¡± A trace of sorrow flashed in Hao Jian¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t feel too angry. How many people treat their children as their private property. Not to mention in the chaotic times, they can hurt their children in order to survive. Even in the peaceful age, there are people who can drown many baby girls in order to have a son? Although Li Ge seems to be a filial son, but when he lost his mother, son, brother, and killed his wife who wasn¡¯t a zombie yet, his heart had already changed. It would be no surprise for him to kill his own daughter as well. Li Ge was beaten by Chen Zhen. With a bruised nose and swollen face, tears streaming down his cheeks, he sobbed, spit some blood in his mouth and argued, ¡°It was ¡®Wugui¡¯. . . It was the cult that forced me. If I didn¡¯t kill her, they would have killed me! I¡¯m the only one who survived with great difficulty, there is absolutely no reason for me to give up my life- !¡± Hearing this, Hao Jian stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach, ¡°Then who gave you the right to give up your daughter¡¯s life?¡± Li Ge naturally had a lot of excuses for his justification and Hao Jian didn¡¯t really want to continue talking to him and asked, ¡°When why did you want to kill me?¡± It is reasonable to say that Li Ge didn¡¯t know that she had gone to the refugee camp in Jiangxin island. Where did his hatred for her come from that he would kill her the moment they reunited? Li Ge stared at Hao Jain with swollen eyes, revealing some resentment in his eyes, ¡°Because it¡¯s not fair! Why can you live, but my loved ones had to die?!¡± Hao Jian and Chen Zhen both looked at him with confused eyes, Hao Jian said, ¡°Just because you took our car, you thought that we should have died in the convenience store. But now, we did not only survive, we¡¯re also doing well. So, you felt life is unfair in your heart, or you want to reduce your guilt towards killing your wife and daughter. That¡¯s why you went and looked for me to vent?¡± Li Ge¡¯s behavior is unreasonable, however, for a person whose heart has been twisted, he will not feel that his logic is wrong. Hao Jian had nothing more to say to him and said, ¡°It¡¯s your turn to force a confession.¡± Chen Zhen pressed Li Ge if he knew the location of the ¡®Xiangzhu¡¯, but Li Ge naturally didn¡¯t know, so Chen Zhen thought for a while and strangled him to death with her skills. The corners of Hao Jian¡¯s eyes twitched, but she didn¡¯t become a saint. Chen Zhen hated the members of the cult and hates everyone who blindly joined ¡®Wugui¡¯, especially those who were instructed by them to hurt her teammates. Even if she got something out of Li Ge, she wouldn¡¯t let him go. Chen Zhen took the gun from Hao Jian again, leaving her with only the handgun that she used to intimidate Li Ge. It was the same handgun that she snatched from her! Hao Jian opened the magazine and saw that there were no bullets in it. ¡°You¡¯re a bandit, right? You take everything I have!¡± Chen Zhen glanced at her and tossed another pistol at her, ¡°There are still a few bullets inside, and don¡¯t say I¡¯m unkind. You can¡¯t kill people using the gun, you¡¯ll only waste the bullets.¡± Hao Jian was speechless. Chen Zhen said, ¡°Just now, I went to the monitoring room and cut off the surveillance and now that the people outside have come to support, there will be a lot less people who can defend. Later, I will go to the fifth floor to find their ¡®Xiangzhu¡¯. You go to the signal dispatch room, or the communication equipment room and cut off the signal first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between cutting the signal now and not cutting it off?¡± ¡°We have another means to communicate, but if the jamming equipment here doesn¡¯t stop all day, all signals will be interfered by it.¡± Hao Jian understood. ¡°Then where is the signal dispatching room?¡± Hao Jian thought that since Chen Zhen had been to the monitoring room, she must know where the signal dispatch room was. Chen Zhen replied, ¡°The VIP meeting rooms are generally not monitored, but I noticed that there are several non-VIP conference rooms on the fourth and fifth floors of this building and on the third and fourth floors on Block A that has no surveillance footage. I was in a hurry and did not have time to check them one by one, so I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± Hao Jian sighed slightly. She¡¯ll have to check the rooms one by one. After Chen Zhen left, she began to search this floor according to the rooms indicated by Chen Zhen. There is no assembly hall on this floor. It¡¯s mostly VIP rooms but there are more than 20 total meeting rooms here, and only eight of those meeting rooms had no surveillance footage reported to her by Chen Zhen. She carefully thought about it again. The signal dispatch room must not have few equipment and there should be strange noises coming from inside. But the soundproofing of the conference rooms here is good, so she couldn¡¯t hear anything when pressing against the door to listen. She was glad that Chen Zhen had cut the surveillance, otherwise, her sneaky appearance would have been discovered long ago. At this time, the corner of her eye suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure flashing out of the side. She then subconsciously dodged to the side, just in time to avoid the attack that would have landed on her head. The two of them had a face-to-face meeting, and while a little awkward, they each breathed a sigh of relief. Hao Jian even had a fluke of surviving, ¡°A Tao?!¡± A Tao was surprised, ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t bother about him almost injuring her just now, ¡°Where¡¯s Adjutant An?¡± ¡°He¡¯s cleaning up the traitors, ¡± A Tao paused, ¡°Why did you come back?¡± ¡°To help you guys.¡± A Tao replied, ¡°Thank you. Was it you who did to those people in the cafeteria?¡± It finally dawned on Hao Jian that A Tao must have been in the cafeteria. She also understood why the other chef didn¡¯t show up anymore. He probably met A Tao when he was out wandering and was killed! ¡°I didn¡¯t kill the people, but I made them unconscious.¡± It a while for A Tao to digest Hao Jian¡¯s sorrowful words and said no more. He sneaked with Hao Jian on the walls since his purpose was also the signal dispatch room and he has long detected the location of the room. Hao Jian only needed to follow behind him and observe the surrounding situation for him. The two of them soon reached a conference room, the third room from the end of the hallway. A Tao gestured to Hao Jian and she went and knocked on the door, ¡°Open up. Team Leader Wei asked me to bring you food.¡± Fortunately, she had kept an eye on the cafeteria and got the information of the leaders of ¡®Wugui¡¯ which came in handy at this time. When the doorknob moved, A Tao signaled Hao Jian to retreat. When the door fully opened, A Tao began to open fire. Hao Jian was accustomed to sounds of gunshots while playing games, but she was till shocked by the sight in front of her. Seeing multiple bullet shells falling on the ground, her adrenaline spiked. Suddenly, A Tao¡¯s serious face grimaced and then rushed in. Hao Jian glanced outside the door and saw two still warm bodies lying on the ground. They wore uniforms of the escort team and they also had the team member¡¯s numbers. She suddenly realized that this was the reason why A Tao looked sullen. It was because they were traitors who betrayed their organization and joined ¡®Wugui¡¯, right? The sound of a fight came from inside and Hao Jian found at the door that a member of ¡®Wugui¡¯ heard the gunshots and rushed here. She took off one of the traitor¡¯s gun and fired several shots at the people who were running over. But reality is always different from the fame. She didn¡¯t hit any vital points and only shot them in their waists and legs at most. The people who came were so frightened that they shrank back into the hallway while she dashed into the signal dispatch room. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded. . .¡± Hao Jian reminded. She though to herself that if she really did end here, she should be considered to have died with some value. But then again, she wouldn¡¯t be willing. She still had so many tasks left to complete. How could she die at the hands of these people? And A Tao seems to have solved the traitors and held his gun, ¡°You hide inside and cut off the signal. You leave this place to me.¡± Hao Jian saw the blood seeping out from his uniform around his waist and wrinkled her eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯re injured!¡± A Tao grunted in pain, his forehead was covered with a layer of sweat and pushed Hao Jian, ¡°Forget about me. The mission is more important.¡± Hao Jian no longer wasted time and focused on the communication equipment. There were several equipment cabinets in the conference room that were bigger than her. These cabinets were closed, and although she tried smashing the glass, it wouldn¡¯t break. She had to manually rummage through the traitor¡¯s body for the key and it took her a while to find it. The panel inside the equipment cabinet not only had many red and green lights, but also many switches. Although Hao Jian didn¡¯t understand these devices, it was still a simple matter for her to cut off the signal. Amidst the rain of bullets and gunpowder outside, she scrambles to cut all the equipment wires, she also did the same thing to the transmitter equipment. Since it was a little difficult to destroy it, she used her gun to do the job. ¡°Done!¡± Hao Jian said. A Tao retreated, ¡°They have fewer people. I¡¯ll cover you. You can can escape through the back door, there¡¯s an escape route there.¡± Hao Jian saw a lot of blood dripping onto the floor from where A Tao was standing. She pursed her lips and without knowing why, her heart was suddenly very sad. The situation did not allow her to waste time. She did not hesitate to go towards the back door, ¡°I will wait for you at the door with Adjutant An and the others.¡± Time seemed to pass quickly that it felt like a century long. A Tao¡¯s unsmiling face finally revealed a smile, ¡°Yeah.¡± When A Tao shot those people and forced them back into the room to hide, Hao Jian opened the back door and ran towards the escape route as if the wind was at her feed. Her heart had never been in such awe and desperate to live than at this very moment. They system read Hao Jian¡¯s emotional changes. It compared it to the data it gathered 11 days ago, when it first bound with her as host. It found that at that time, although Hao Jian did not despise her own life, her will to live wasn¡¯t that strong. Even when she met her love interest and needed to complete her missions, she had never been as eager to live as she was at this moment. It told what it analyzed to Hao Jian, who had just taken refuge in a bathroom on the third floor. She could, of course, go straight up to the fifth floor, but they generally search towards the most important places so they would go up to the fifth floor to search first. If she escaped to the fifth floor, it would be like sending herself into the wolf¡¯s den. ¡°People¡¯s thoughts change depending on the encounter, and I¡¯m also human.¡± Hao Jian replied to the system, then took out the wireless dispatch radio hidden on her body and turned to the band given to her by A Tao. CH 37 After Hao Jian confirmed that the escort team had gained the upper hand, she came out of the bathroom. By this time, she had let her hair down, removed the bandages, and used her long hair to hide her face. She took off her tactical vest and hid her wireless dispatch radio and axe in the bathroom. She only hid her handgun and army knife on her waist. She pretended to be panicking and quickly found the crowd of people who were also looking for a place to hide. She blended in with the crowd since she appeared to be an ordinary citizen. The members of ¡®Wugui¡¯ who passed by in a hurry had no time to pay attention to these ordinary people, allowing Hao Jian to arrive to Block A without any problems. When she and Lian Ru Ning separated, they had agreed that she would lead the crowd in Block B and create chaos to distract ¡®Wugui¡¯ while Lian Ru Ning would go to Block A ¨C which had less people. But when she saw the zombies tearing at the living from a far, her temples thumped. It was obvious that the supporting escort team blew their way in here and left a big hole in the back. The commotion attracted the zombies as they entered through the hole and were soon gathering again. She didn¡¯t have time to kill the zombies, after all, her main concern is to fins Lian Ru Ning first and then locate An Minghui and reunite with them. ¡°Tsk, I finally know why the rewards for this mission are so high. If this mission has a grade then this task is undoubtedly on the ¡®SSS¡¯ level.¡± Hao Jian complained to the system. The system uttered a ¡®meh¡¯ with its robotic voice and said, ¡°The host still has too little experience.¡± ¡°Are you afraid that I won¡¯t accept any more missions in the future if you hit me like this?¡± ¡°The system has detected that the host¡¯s will to live is greater than ever before. In order to survive, the host will make a reasonable choice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so confident.¡± Hao Jian also encountered a lot of zombies along the way. She drew her army knife out from her body and slashed around, as if she was just cutting the big bones of a pig. Her actions to solve the crisis around her were so sophisticated that some people simply followed her to seek refuge. As soon as she walked to the passage connecting with Block A, she could seethe glass door had long been shattered and many zombies were pouring in from there. Hai Jian was worried about Lian Ru Ning, but she couldn¡¯t go upstairs under the noses of so many zombies. Fortunately, the conference center is so large that it was built with eight elevators in mind, and in addition to the escalator in the middle, there are escape routes on both sides of the building. She ran to the glass doors on both sides before the zombies came after her. She smashed the lock open with her knife and headed up the stairs. She glanced at the zombies chasing after her. Although they had long lost their bounce and explosive power due to tissue necrosis, it seemed that not all of them ere like that. There were at least one out of three zombies that could climb and catch up. Without much delay, she ran straight up to the second floor and grabbed another ordinary person who was planning to go downstairs, ¡°There are zombies downstairs. Go back to the hall and hide.¡± The man was so scared that his legs and stomach shook, his calves trembling with fright. Hao Jian grabbed his clothes, almost dragging him down, ¡°I ask you, has a girl with a gun come here?¡± ¡°You let me go! What girl, I don¡¯t know!¡± The man shouted. Hao Jian pulled his clothes, dragging him towards her up the stairs, ¡°If you don¡¯t answer me honestly, I will send you to your god now!¡± She didn¡¯t care if these people have really converted to ¡®Wugui¡¯ or not. She wouldn¡¯t pity these people when they chose to believe in the absurd principles of ¡®Wugui¡¯ and attacked the guards who were protecting them. In her heart, these group of people are hopeless. The man saw Hao Jian¡¯s cold eyes and a bloody knife in her hand. The man¡¯s heart loudly thumped and his perfunctory disappeared, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! She suddenly barged in and started shooting. Everyone was terrified. When the ¡®Wugui¡¯ people wanted to catch her, she ran upstairs.¡± Hao Jian ran upstairs after their conversation. According to Chen Zhen, there is no great hall on the third floor of Block A. The third and fourth floors may also be where the Fragrant Master ¡®Wugui¡¯ is hiding, which was no less dangerous than the fourth and fifth floors of Block B. After she came up, she searched the two conference rooms without seeing Lian Ru Ning respond. When she got to the center, she saw the elevator open and two zombies cam out of it. They looked especially excited upon seeing her presence. Hao Jian gad to give up her again and head straight up to the fourth floor. Lian Ru Ning is at least so far unharmed, otherwise the system would have reminded her that her mission had failed. The system saw that she actually used the ruled to confirm the life and death of Lian Ru Ning and it didn¡¯t know what to say. The host is too cunning. It simply can¡¯t analyze her thinking in a fixed way at all. ¡°See if she¡¯s in here!¡± Hao Jian heard someone yell from the stairway. She poked her head out and took a look. At the fourth door stood two fierce looking members of ¡®Wugui¡¯ who kept banging on the door, but it was tightly locked from the inside. When they weren¡¯t paying attention, Hao Jian took out her pistol, which only had a few bullets left, and fired several shots at them. One of them was shot in the waist while the other was shot in his arm. The two men were taken by surprise by the sound of the gunshots and the pain from their wounds spread rapidly, causing them to fall on the ground, covering their wounds. The man with the wounded arm grabbed the gun that fell on the ground to deal with Hao Jian. However, when they fell on the ground, Hao Jian had already rushed over and kicked their weapons away. Although their bodies were relatively strong, they haven¡¯t received any special training. The pain from the gunshot wounds made them unable to react properly while Hao Jian relentlessly sent ¡®God¡¯s blessing¡¯ to their most vulnerable brother without mercy. They were in so much pain that they almost passed out, and under the torture of their wounds, they weren¡¯t able to hold out for so long and fell unconscious. Hao Jian pounded on the door, ¡°Lian Ru Ning, are you in there?¡± She waited for a while but didn¡¯t hear any movement. Remembering that these two people weren¡¯t sure if there was anyone inside, she was ready to leave. At that moment, the door suddenly opened and Hao Jian had just recognized Lian Ru Ning as she jumped and tightly hugged Hao Jian. Her movements were so swift and violent that Hao Jian thought she had been zombified and couldn¡¯t resist biting when she saw a living person. However, Lian Ru Ning just hugged her tightly and showed no signs of biting her. ¡°You¡¯re okay, that¡¯s great!¡± Hao Jian felt that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s body was trembling and after thinking about it, why was she relieved? Although she used the system¡¯s rules to guess that Lian Ru Ning was okay, it was still a guess after all. Before she could see Lian Ru Ning in person, she wouldn¡¯t dare guarantee that her guess was right. Hao Jian reached out and wrapped her arms around Lian Ru Ning. Feeling the rising and falling of the other party¡¯s chest, confirming her heartbeat. ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine. I said that I would reunite with you when I¡¯m done, and I do what I say,¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes were sore. When she was being chased, she almost thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape their pursuit, but she didn¡¯t regret making a decision to come here. She wanted to live, go back to southern city, find her family, and see Hao Jian again ¨C the person who saved her when they first met and then held her hand all the way to escape the zombies¡¯ pursuit. The person who seems a bit unfriendly, but was actually gentle and would say flirty things to relieve their inner tension. The person who said that she didn¡¯t care about life, but would never think of giving up until the last moment. In the midst of panic, all she could think of was actually Hao Jian¡¯s strengths, and even when she was forced into a desperate situation, she tapped into her the deepest emotions in he heart. . . She seems to have fallen in love with Hao Jian. At this moment, when she heard Hao Jian¡¯s voice, she even thought that she was simply hallucinating because she was stimulated by the sound of gunfire. And yet, as she slowly opened the door that could determine her life or death, she saw that familiar face. The hug between Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t last long because they heard some gunshots in the hallway, and immediately dashed inside another door. In order to not make any noise, their movements were very light. The two of them stayed by the wall, holding their breaths while paying attention to the situation outside. Suddenly, someone outside the door said, ¡°Still alive.¡± Two gunshots rang out immediately afterwards and their heartbeats thumped quickly. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Lian Ru Ning mouthed to Hao Jian without sound. Hao Jian shook her head and heard the door of the conference room next door being opened, and the voice rang out again, ¡°Nothing here.¡± The two people¡¯s heartbeats quickened, and the their intertwining hands were held even tighter. The doorknob moved, and Hao Jian¡¯s army knife was already ready. As soon as the door opened, a gun was pointed at Hao Jian¡¯s head, but she didn¡¯t swing the knife. Of course it wasn¡¯t because of her slow speed, but when the door opened, she suddenly thought of the words and the sound of the gun. She already guessed who the other party was, and she was right. As the light poured in from the doorway, she saw the familiar escort uniform and there was no reason to strike. The other party stared at Hao Jian for a moment before putting the gun down, ¡°It¡¯s you guys! Why didn¡¯t you guys go back?¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning sighed heavily. The other party wasn¡¯t a stranger but a member of the escort team of Jiangxin Island Refuge base. Hao Jian vaguely remembered that his name was Kong Ying Sheng, one of the team members who went out to do search and rescue work. Lian Ru Ning almost fell limp to the ground. Hao Jian supported her and asked, ¡°You¡¯re one of the people who came to support?¡± Kong Ying Sheng nodded, ¡°Chief Yi briefed us on the situation here and asked us to suspend the search and rescue work and fully support Adjutant An.¡± ¡°Then, how much do you know about the situation here?¡± Kong Ying Sheng was silent for a while and said, ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t know much about it. Not long ago, someone used out special waveband to transmit a message out-¡± He paused and turned to Hao Jian with a strange look, ¡°Why do I feel like it sounded a little bit like you?¡± Hao Jian thought of A Tao, and her heart became heavier. She asked, ¡°Have you found the location of Xiangzhu?¡± ¡°No news out yet. There are too many enemies and many of our teammates have been injured. I¡¯m also searching now.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s temples suddenly throbbed, ¡°Adjutant An and Chen Zhen should have been on the fifth floor of Block B to look for them. So if there hasn¡¯t been any news so far, they either got into an accident. . . or the leader of ¡®Wugui¡¯ is not here at all!¡± Lian Ru Ning was surprised, ¡°If they¡¯re not here, then where are they?¡± Hao Jian frowned, ¡°No, when the guards came for support, the conference center was already in chaos. We all fell into the misconception that where the defense is best, that¡¯s where they would hide, but would they still rely on their faithful believers who have no professional training to deal with an elite escort team?¡± Lian Ru Ning suddenly thought, ¡°Could they have taken advantage of the confusion and blended into the crowd?¡± Both Hao Jian and Kong Ying Sheng both lit up. The people of this cult would not be filled with the kind of loving and righteous people, so it was very possible that the ¡®Xiangzhu¡¯ had abandoned their faithful believers and fled for his own life. But finding someone this way is like finding a needle in a haystack. The conference center has been invaded by zombies and even if they could eliminate the forces of ¡®Wugui¡¯ there was no way to find someone they had never met among thousands of people. At this time, Kong Ying Sheng¡¯s wireless dispatch radio also came out with a low voice, ¡°The cult leader ¡®Xiangzhu¡¯ is pretending to be an ordinary person to blend into the crowd, everyone must pay attention.¡± Hao Jian heard that it was An Minghui¡¯s voice. he had rescued the remaining hostages. Because these teammates were holding various confidential information, the people of ¡®Wugui¡¯ didn¡¯t kill them like the other members of the escort team. But in order to force them to join ¡®Wugui¡¯, they were also tortured enough. Hao Jian asked Kong Ying Sheng if she could borrow the radio and said, ¡°Adjutant An, did A Tao go to see you?¡± It took a long time for a reply to arrive, ¡°I found him.¡± An Minghui¡¯s voice was lower than earlier. It seemed to have a hint of uncontrollable pain. Hao Jian understood what he meant. Kong Ying Sheng looked at Hao Jian, ¡°What happened to A Tao?¡± Hao Jian returned the wireless radio to him but didn¡¯t speak. She picked up a chair and sat down. Kong Ying Sheng also sensed the truth from her silence and An Minghui¡¯s words and punched the wall filled with sadness and anger. Hao Jian didn¡¯t stay sad for too long because she suddenly found some papers scattered on the floor and a very cartoonish photo frame by her feet. If such a conference room was not used for other purposes, hoc could there be such a photo? So she went over and picked up the frame and took a look. On it was a family photo of three. On the left stood a man in an guard uniform holding a five-year-old girl in his arms, while standing on the right is a plainly dressed woman. Hao Jian suddenly asked, ¡°Xiao Ning, do you think this man looks familiar?¡± Lian Ru Ning froze because of Hao Jian¡¯s new nickname for herself, but she soon came back to her senses. She walked over to look at the man on the photo and thought carefully. There was indeed a vague memory in her mind. Kong Ying Shen walked over and the moment he saw the photo, he said, ¡°Where have you seen him before? He¡¯s the commander-in-chief we¡¯re trying to find!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar scene surfaced in the minds of Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning at the same time. The two looked at each other and blurted out, ¡°The infirmary!¡± CH 38 After Hao Jian hurt her forehead, Lian Ru Ning wanted to take her to the infirmary to get bandaged, Although they didn¡¯t end up going to the infirmary, they did meet quite a few people on the way who were injured and needed to go to the infirmary to get fixed up. One of them was carried by two people. They had a hard time walking because the man seemed to have passed out. His white T-shirt was stained with blood and anyone who saw it would think that he was seriously injured. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning thought that they were injured by An Minghui and they originally didn¡¯t care if the ¡®Wugui¡¯ man was either dead or alive. They were only attracted by the blood on his clothes which made them take a look. But when they thought about it carefully, in order to distinguish their own people, they all wore a similar attire, but why was that person wearing a white T-shirt? Looking at the photo again, they figured it out, ¡°The infirmary is in the corner, and anyone who comes with the purpose of saving lives will not notice that kind of location at first. They want to divert everyone¡¯s attention on the two main buildings so that they can take advantage of the opportunity to sneak out!¡± Kong Ying Sheng immediately said through the wireless dispatch radio, ¡°I just learned that the commander-in-chief is likely to be held hostage by the Xiangzhu in the infirmary. Please send personnel to the infirmary for reinforcements!¡± As he reported, he also ran out the room and Lian Ru Ning asked, ¡°Should we follow?¡± Hao Jian glanced at the deformed army knife after smashing the lock and let out a breath, ¡°This time, we won¡¯t be of any use.¡± Lian Ru Ning was silent for a while and asked, ¡°What does ¡®Xiao Ning¡¯ mean?¡± Hao Jian tilted her head, ¡°Isn¡¯t your name Lian Ru Ning? Or do you think ¡®Xiao Ning¡¯1 isn¡¯t intimate enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡ª¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart was pounding once again, ¡°It¡¯s intimate, but my parents also call me that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re younger than me.¡± ¡°How much younger?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°You¡¯re only twenty, I¡¯m twenty-three, so wouldn¡¯t you say you¡¯re younger than me?¡± Hao Jian thought about it, ¡°You¡¯re still half my junior sister. If you don¡¯t dislike it, why don¡¯t I call you little sister?¡± No one has ever called her that. most of the school¡¯s senior bothers and sisters call her ¡®little sister Lian¡¯2 . But seeing that Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t reject the nickname, Hao Jian smiled and stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Little sister.¡± Lian Ru Ning was stunned, ¡°Where to?¡± Hao Jian opened the door and looked at the setting sun from the floor-to-ceiling glass in front of them, ¡°To do the mission.¡± Although ¡®Wugui¡¯ had taken advantage of the post-apocalyptic rhetoric and attracted many members and believers, its foundation is still relatively weak. When planning the ¡®Citizen Park and Conference Center Incident¡¯, they had the advantage that the officials were temporarily unprepared. However, when their information leaked out and were confronted by the fierce members of the escort team, how could the members who weren¡¯t familiar with firearms be a match for an elite guard? Even if they were outnumbered, they would have been defeated by the other side. The invasion of the zombies caused the loss of half of the members of ¡®Wugui¡¯, not to mention the members who were annihilated by the escort team. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning went back to the bathroom on the third floor of Block B and took out her axe and wireless radio. After giving it some thought, she decided to head upstairs. At this time, the battlefield had shifted to the area around the infirmary, so the main building was relatively safe apart from the zombies ¨C yes, in Hao Jian and the others¡¯ perspective, humans are more terrifying than zombies. She didn¡¯t find the remains of A Tao in the signal control room. She went another floor along the blood trail and found A Tao¡¯s cold remains in a VIP meeting room. His body was covered with the escort team¡¯s uniform. It was obvious that he couldn¡¯t hold on when he came up to find An Minghui. When An Minghui found him, he covered A Tao with the team uniform that symbolizes their identity and glory. At that moment, the system put a prompt in her mind. Hidden Task: Help An Minghui go to the conference center to investigate [Complete] Gained experience: 100; gained points: 500 The host has accumulated 507 experience and has 806 remaining points! The host¡¯s experience points has reached the 500 experience cap required to upgrade to level 3. Please choose whether to upgrade. Hao Jian knew that An Minghui must have rescued their commander-in-chief. She closed her eyes. Why didn¡¯t she upgrade sooner? What if her upgraded authority could have saved A Tao¡¯s life earlier? She didn¡¯t think too deeply but looked at the records of experience and points she had gained, only to find that she had killed over thirty zombies today and had saved more than a dozen people. Among the people she knocked down, none had actually died after losing too much blood? ¡°It wasn¡¯t the host who gave the fatal blow.¡± The system explained in a rare moment. ¡°In other words, someone ¡®made up for it¡¯ later on. . .¡± Hao Jian¡¯s heart seemed to have relaxed a little, only to weigh down a bit. Although she resented the system for instigating her to kill, it was also an unnecessary action during those times. However, in today¡¯s situation, even if the system didn¡¯t instigate her, she would really not care about the other party¡¯s life. But because her aim was not to kill, she had not cared about the death of the people she had knocked down. ¡°I¡¯ll practice my marksmanship next time!¡± She muttered. The system asked her again if she wanted to upgrade and she chose ¡®Yes.¡¯ After upgrading to level 2, it took her two days to level up again, which should be considered fast. But without the rewards of the hidden mission, she might have to spend a few more days to make such progress. The host agrees to upgrade. Getting information about opening level 3. . . Acquired successfully! Upgrade successful! The host is currently at level 3. Obtained permission to open the map. Increased maximum purchase of goods; 50 servings of food per day; 10 non-prescription drugs per day; 10 household items per day. Weapon special corner [Open]: 1 cold weapon purchase per day. Map [open]: Visualization range of 1km radius. Base rewards received: 1 pack of spicy shrimps; 1 set of military binoculars; 1 set of solar charger. Experience required for the next level: 1000 Before Hao Jian had the time to look at the new functions, she was shocked by the experience points required for level 4, ¡°You guys are growing exponentially, huh? I have a rough idea about your system. Level 5 should then require at least 2,000 points, right?!¡± The system didn¡¯t say anything and Hao Jian knew that there was no point in nitpicking it for protest. After all, the experience points and tasks are issued by the central system. She turned her attention to the newly available function, ¡°Are the ¡®map function¡¯ and ¡®map visualization range¡¯ be what I think they are?¡± The system can naturally monitor her thinking process, so it answered, ¡°It is exactly what the host thinks. As long as the host thinks of using the map, it will show an area within a radius of 1km with the host in the center. The data will be sent to the back of the host¡¯s brain and will not block the host¡¯s vision. It can also provide the host with a clear and accurate map.¡± Hao Jian listened to it expressionlessly before replying, ¡°It¡¯s a bit useless.¡± According to the system, even if there¡¯s a map, there is no orientation and navigation. Not to mention that it only provides a vision of 1 kilometer. If she drives a little faster, her naked eyes may see the actual situation before she can look at the map. But having the map is better than not having one, so it¡¯s only a little useless. ¡°If the host works hard in upgrading, there will be bicycles, cars, and airplanes.¡± The system encouraged. Hao Hao Jian twitched the corners of her mouth. Of course she would not think that there would really be an airplane or a rocket as a reward, because those words are buzzwords before the outbreak of the zombie virus. Before she could pay attention to the rest of the features, Lian Ru Ning came looking for her, ¡°There are more and more zombies gathering. They¡¯re calling us to retreat.¡± Hao Jian nodded and followed Lian Ru Ning downstairs. Most of the zombies below were attracted by the gunshots produced by the escort team. Only the people who were bitten by the zombies on their necks and were zombifying rapidly, blurring their reason and craving for the living, rushed towards them. Hao Jian ignored them and took Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hand before running towards the evacuation point. Some of the people who came to support them came from the square while others broke in from the back door. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s motorcycles were at the back door so they chose to retreat towards that direction. But when they killed the zombies along the way to the parking lot, they found that their vehicle was missing. Recalling that they didn¡¯t pullout the keys and so many people had escaped from the conference center, their vehicle should have been stolen away. ¡°. . .¡± The two who lost their vehicle for the second time were a bit speechless. Just as the two were about to take the ¡¯11 bus¡¯3, An Minghui drove the ¡®Bian San¡¯ and stopped beside them, ¡°Get in!¡± Seeing that the zombies chasing them were catching up, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had no time to think about why An Minghui was alone. They immediately got in the side car. After An Minghui drove far away, Hao Jian, who was sitting beside him, divided her attention and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Liu Feng?¡± The car shook slightly and An Minghui said, ¡°He was bitten and killed himself.¡± In order to not force himself and his teammates to attack each other, Liu Feng chose to kill himself. But before he did, he desperately killed as much zombies as he could before he ran out of ammunition. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes were gloomy, Liu Feng¡¯s hobby was talking with other people and gossiping, but a very heroic figure appeared and burned a mark in her memory. Of the five people who travelled, only three of them survived. No matter whether it was A Tao or Liu Feng, they were both real heroes. Hao Jian also didn¡¯t ask why he didn¡¯t bring their remains. It was because they couldn¡¯t be buried in Jiangxin island, thus covering them with their team uniforms is another form of being ¡®buried with honors¡¯. Perhaps one day, they¡¯ll return to the conference center and have the time to properly bury Liu Feng and A Tao. They were silent the entire ride. When they returned to Jiangxin Island refuge base, the sun had already sunk halfway below the horizon. Seeing Yi Gao and the others standing by the door, An Minghui¡¯s tears fell. He handed the dog tags4 of A Tao and Liu Feng to Yi Gao, who stared at them for a long time before patting An Minghui on the shoulder, ¡°You have completed your mission honorably, welcome home!¡± Yi Gao let An Minghui in for disinfection and a check up. He then looked at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, his gaze stopped on Hao Jian¡¯s forehead for a moment. Although it was only for a moment, Hao Jian still noticed it. ¡°I won¡¯t ask why you guys didn¡¯t come back. In the first place, if it weren¡¯t for the both of you, maybe our losses would have been worse.¡± Yi Gao said. Kong Ying Shen had already returned a step ahead of An Minghui and the others. He had reported the basic situation to Yi Gao using the wireless dispatch radio before and then in detail when he returned. Yi Gao had taken into heart Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s contribution. ¡°Go in and wash your wounds!¡± Yi Gao said to Hao Jian. ¡°Not worried that I¡¯m infected?¡± Yi Gao froze for a moment and smiled faintly, ¡°Today¡¯s events made me understand that you¡¯re not someone who would hide the truth whether you were bitten by a zombie.¡± ¡°Thank you for your trust.¡± ¡°You deserve trust.¡± CH 39 Hao Jian went in to clean her wound and after Lian Ru Ning finished disinfecting her, she went to stitch her wound, but when Lian Ru Ning saw Hao Jian¡¯s wound open, her heart still jumped. Hao Jian saw her holding the needle and thread for a long time and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t dare to start?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked solemnly, ¡°You bear with it.¡± At this time where anesthetics are scarce, Hao Jian naturally didn¡¯t use anesthetics for her injury. Hao Jian¡¯s wound was stitched with a very clear sense of pain. However, Yi Gao still provided her with a tetanus shot, ¡°If a talent like you loses her life because of tetanus, it would be a great loss for us.¡± He came to Hao Jian not only for her injection, but also for the things he needed to understand in detail. Lian Ru Ning suddenly remembered the video she had secretly taken and gave him her phone, ¡°This is their brainwashing speech.¡± Yi Gao praised, ¡°I can¡¯t fully understand it just by listening to others, but with this video, I¡¯ll be able to understand how their cult works easier. You guys did a great job.¡± He was about to take the phone to his study when he turned back and asked, ¡°I heard that Old An has offered you an olive branch, are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider joining the escort team?¡± Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian looked at each other, smiled, then shook their heads, ¡°After I have settled a matter on my mind, I¡¯ll consider joining the guard.¡± Yi Gao then said nothing more. Not long after Yi Gao left, Peng Mao and Xin Ting hurried over, ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± They have been waiting for them the entire day. Although they wanted to ask Yi Gao for information, Yi Gao was too busy to answer them. Only the other team members who knew a little about what happened informed them briefly about the situation in the conference center. They learned what happened to Hao Jian and the two of them were afraid that they wouldn¡¯t return. They were very remorseful, ¡°I¡¯m such a coward and a weakling! Why didn¡¯t I go with them in the first place?!¡± Even two skinny girls were more courageous than him, a big man. Others say that he has no fighting ability, a paper tiger. He really thinks that he belongs to the protected party. Where does he get the face to take other people people¡¯s protection for granted? Thinking of this, Peng Mao slapped himself hard. When he learned that Yi Gao had sent people to support the conference center, he also plucked the courage to sign up, but Yi Gao said, ¡°There can¡¯t be any changes in the personnel of this refuge camp. I¡¯ve already asked my teammates who are on duty outside to support them.¡± He and Xin Ting stayed tormented for a day and kept wondering whether they really wanted to stay in the refuge camp and accept the protection of the escort team and sacrifice their lives for them. Although they haven¡¯t figured out anything yet, when they received their rations, they quietly put away half of it. . . Later, they finally heard the movement of someone coming back. They nervously ran over to see but did not see the figure of either Hao Jian or Lian Ru Ning, causing their hearts to tighten. They wanted to aske the escort team who came back, but they seem to have more important things to do and had no time to pay attention to them. Not to mention that those who went out to support, the remaining members of the refuge camp, also received strict instructions to strengthen their patrol and pay attention to the situation of the evacuees. They couldn¡¯t find anyone to ask questions to. Fortunately, when the sun went down, they heard the news that Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had returned. They rushed over to confirm that they had indeed returned unharmed. . . they¡¯re injured. At least Hao Jian¡¯s head was wrapped in bandages! ¡°You guys¨C¡± Peng Mao just opened his mouth but Xin Ting has been crying with joy, ¡°Great, you guys are okay!¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re lucky to have come back alive.¡± Hao Jian replied. ¡°When we heard about the situation at the conference center, we were so worried that we couldn¡¯t eat!¡± Peng Mao hurriedly expressed his concern. Hao Jian asked, ¡°Where did you guys hear about this? Do many people already know about the conference center?¡± She was worried whether there were people from ¡®Wugui¡¯ hiding in Jiangxin island and will take advantage of the incident to spread rumors and cause panic among the crowd. But Peng Mao said, ¡°I asked the escort team members about this. They heard that we know each other so they told us and asked us not to spread it. The other people in the island doesn¡¯t know.¡± Xin Ting also added, ¡°What happened over there?¡± Peng Mao asked again, ¡°Where¡¯s Liu Feng and the others?¡± Hao Jian sighed lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later. I¡¯m very hungry now, is there any food?¡± The two of them took out the food they had hidden at noon like they were treasures, but before Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning could enjoy their food, Yi Gao called them over to the council. When they arrived in the big tent, they saw some food on the table. All the food were the ones prepared for the escort team for emergency operations. The cooked quickly in a few minutes but they didn¡¯t taste very good. In addition to Yi Gao and An Minghui, there were several other people here. Among them are Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, and the man they saw in the picture sitting on the main seat, the commander-in-chief of the Jiang City Rescue and Refuge Work Headquarters, Yu Jiyou. Yu Jiyou¡¯s complexion was pale and his body was wounded in many places, so he was bandaged. Yi Gao and An Minghui advised him to take a rest firs, but he didn¡¯t want to. Instead, he wanted to sit here and report to them what happened at the conference center. Seeing Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, Yu Jiyou nodded, ¡°Women are not afraid of men and women are not afraid of other women! You have enough guts to barge in into the enemy camp, you are tough without losing your delicate mind, able to observe the subtleties and act carefully. You have helped us a lot! If we weren¡¯t in a time of crisis, I would have reported to my superiors and gave you guys an award!¡± Although Yu Jiyou is the chief commander of Jiang City Escort, he still has more authority than Yi Gao, An Minghui and the others. But he is not pretending. He truly appreciated the keen incite that the two could find out from the smallest details that the Xiangzhu had taken him hostage in the infirmary. He didn¡¯t care about his own life, he just wanted the escort team to catch the Xiangzhu. So when he was held hostage, he was determined to have the reinforcements attack. The Xiangzhu was bluffed by him and didn¡¯t have time to kill him before we was counter-attacked. He was willing to retreat only when he learned that the remaining escort team members were safely evacuated. After all, in his opinion, those few escort team members were more valuable than him. Although Hao Jian and the others had already gotten part of the truth from Chen Zhen, hearing Yu Jiyou¡¯s personal report only made them realize how tragic the situation was. The traitors blocked the signal, so they weren¡¯t able to receive a warning from the Civic Park. They just thought that Civic Park was lost, so when a group of people came to the conference c enter, he could only order a large number of people to maintain order. However, the crowd was too large and there were zombies surrounding them. Amidst the panicked crowd, the ¡®Wugui¡¯ people took the opportunity to approach the escort team and cut them down. They took their weapons and attacked the inside of the conference center. The reason why they kept Yu Jiyou alive was to use him as a pupped and his prestige to give orders to all escorts in the refuge camps. They even wanted to hoodwink his superiors and let him infiltrate into the upper echelons and obtain information for ¡®Wugui¡¯. But Yu Jiyou didn¡¯t give in. They tortured him and used the people to threaten him until An Minghui and the others came to his rescue. He was then held hostage in the infirmary out of desire to escape. As for the Xiangzhu and some of the ¡®Wugui¡¯ people, some of them were taken away to different refuge camps to force a confession. They temporarily evacuated the conference center and after integrating all information would they organize their manpower to retake the conference center and reactive their equipment there. Fortunately, the technicians were saved. With them, they can also contact higher officials and report the matter. Only then did Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning learn from their mouths that they had abandoned the conference center. In other words, those who were hiding in the conference center was on their own to survive. At least from the overall situation, their first purpose is not to search and rescue people, but to collect and understand the enemies they¡¯re facing, analyze the situation, and securing the safety of the evacuees in the remaining refuge base would be the most important. From a selfish point of vie, these people are actually the accomplices of ¡®Wugui¡¯, they were instigated and encouraged by people with ulterior motives and they do not know how to distinguish the truth from falsehood. If they only wanted to survive, they could have warned the escort team when they made a move to the conference center. But they didn¡¯t. They just rushed and crowded in, scattering the formation of the escort team, so that when they were killed by ¡®Wugui¡¯ members, there was no teammate to help them. All members of the escort team who learned the truth were angry and very disappointed with those people. In this atmosphere, they were extremely reluctant to go back to search and rescue the survivors. Yi Gao said, ¡°According to the information that came back from the refuge cam in the 1st middle school, the Xiangzhu¡¯s name is Lei Mu, a native of Teng City. According to Lei Mu¡¯s confession, ¡®Wugui¡¯ is a cult that existed long before the Q virus outbreak, but at that time, they were only selling drugs and engaged in pyramid schemes under the name of religion. However, not long after the discovery of the first Q virus infection in China, the people of ¡®Wugui¡¯ smelled the opportunity for profit and began to mix in ¡®eschatology¡¯1. In just five days, they have absorbed a lot of believers. They went around collecting money and robbing, using the money they got and the materials in their hands to strengthen themselves.¡± Lei Mu, because he didn¡¯t have much presence in the organization¨C ¡° Yi Gao paused for a moment and explained the organizational structure of ¡®Wugui¡¯ first, ¡°There are five levels of ¡®Wugui¡¯; the general church, the grand church, the sub-cathedral, the small sub-cathedral, and the teaching point. The head of the general church is the Godfather, under which are the High Priest, the Left and Right Guardians. Then the head of the Grand Church is the Grand Master, the Priests and the nine Deacons. The head of the Sub-cathedral is the Hall Master, and from this level onwards there are the Deputy Hall Master and the Fragrance Master, and the Fragrance Master is in charge of the affairs of each small sub-cathedral. As for the backbone below the incense lord, there are chiefs, group leaders, and great believers, and the rest are the faithful who have no power or status.¡± ¡°This, I thought I had traveled to the martial arts world!¡± A member of the escort team said. ¡°Their teachings are all extracted from Chinese classics, and mixed with the blood of the religions over in Europe and America to make their religion different from the four.¡± An Minghui said indifferently. His mood hadn¡¯t fully adjusted yet and he naturally did not have a good impression when it came to ¡®Wugui¡¯. Not only that he had no good thoughts about them, he also hated cult organizations very much. Hao Jian had been quietly listening. At this time, she asked, ¡°According to Lei Mu¡¯s words, the original purpose of ¡®Wugui¡¯ was just to make money, so why is it so arrogant now?¡± Yi Gao gave her a look, nodded and continued, ¡°Lei Mu said that he couldn¡¯t be useful in the branch church so he thought that a small city like Jiang City would be a good place for him to develop followers and gain prestige. So he brought a group of his men to Jian City and even used the principles of the escort team to come up with methods that would allow him to be quickly valued by his superiors.¡± ¡°it seems that this cult is very large.¡± Yu Jiyou said. ¡°In the past, because they acted very stealthily and cheated people, they did not attract any official¡¯s attention. However, with the emergence of eschatology, people¡¯s panic, blindness, and the expansion of evil thoughts have increased their opportunities to grow.¡± ¡°A small sect has cost us a lot of losses. If we let them grow and develop, they will become a big problem in the future!¡± Yu Jiyou said, ¡°We must report this to our superiors as soon as possible, so that all the branches can be on the alert.¡± In the chaotic world, people are restless and are easily exploited, so even if they know the existence of ¡®Wugui¡¯, they haven¡¯t found the cultists lurking among the crowd for the time being. What¡¯s more, their brainwashing techniques are really good, otherwise, no one in the escort team would have betrayed their team! Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had nothing to contribute when the escort team started to make plans. They went back to their tents to rest after eating, after all, they were in a state of high concentration and tension. After escaping death for several times, they were already very exhausted. Based on their contributions, they also enjoyed a chance to take a bath, making Peng Mao and Xin Ting envious. Of course, they were only envious, after all, they placed their lives on the line in exchange for these perks. There is no place to be jealous. After taking a shower, Hao Jian remembered the level rewards she had received and the newly opened weapon special. The level rewards were binoculars and a solar charger. These two things can come in handy but weren¡¯t new, so she focused on the weapons function. She saw two more columns available in the mall, which originally only listed food and prescription drugs, namely household goods and weapons. The weapons column was divided into ¡®cold weapons¡¯ and ¡®hot weapons¡¯, but the hot weapons were still gray and cannot be opened. Her eyes were on the cold weapons, and before she could see that weapons were available, she was surprised with the price, ¡°This is too. . .¡± CH 40 Cheap, too cheap! The price of cold weapons are as cheap as cabbage, and some are even cheaper than food! The swiss army knife costs only 5 points, the survival knife costs only 10 points, the machete and the axe both cost only 15 points, and the more expensive ones are crossbows, swords, long knives, and so on. These cold weapons also have different names, although there is a little difference in price, but the difference is not large. Hao Jian didn¡¯t stay shocked for too long. Her thoughts fluctuated only for a moment and she quickly calmed down. She found a small detail in the mall; in the food section, vegetarian and flour-based food are relatively cheap, and meat is the most expensive. The price for prescribed medicines are relatively stable and have not changed much. But weapons that are most necessary for human beings at the moment has very low prices? If we follow the system¡¯s argument that ¡®things are expensive due to the scarcity of resources,¡¯ does that mean that meat has been scarce but there are still many prescribed medicine and weapons? She also has some doubts regarding the prescribed medicine. She is clearly referring to over-the-counter medicine, but some medicine, such as the tranquilizers she used today, were more powerful than sleeping pills. What kind of medicine is currently available that can have such an effect? There is another question, where did all this food, prescribed medicine, and weaponry come from? She didn¡¯t dwell on why she can buy something in an intangible mall and then get the real thing out of nowhere, because the answers are definitely not in the level that she can understand at the moment. As the system said, she has no ¡®authority¡¯ yet. But she would be more interested in the source of these things. If these things come from the same place and space dimension as the system, take food for example. Are they also scarce in food, or are they just determined by the current situation of the world in which Hao Jian lives? The system is destined to not respond to Hao Jian¡¯s questions, and Hao Jian has no intention of asking either. After all, it will certainly play dead when encountering such questions. When Lian Ru Ning returned from her bath, Hao Jian pressed her doubts to the bottom of her heart and asked, ¡°How is your physical strength?¡± Lian Ru Ning was a little confused, ¡°Huh?¡± Hao Jian pointed to her hair, ¡°Do you still have the strength to help me wash my hair? Little sister?¡± Lian Ru Ning always felt that when Hao Jian calls her ¡®Little Sister¡¯, her voice would be a little slower, with a lazy and ambiguous tone. She thought for a while and replied, ¡°. . . Yeah, I still have some strength for this.¡± Hao Jian went to the guards to borrow a long bench while Lian Ru Ning came back with half a bucket of water. Although Peng Mao wanted to help them, he was sent away by Hao Jian. Hao Jian laid down on the bench while Lian Ru Ning reached out to help her remove the bandages but the gauze that wrapped around her wound wasn¡¯t taken off. A part of Hao Jian¡¯s wound extended to her hairline, so Lian Ru Ning carefully avoided that part as she stroked her long hair. Hao Jian had just washed her hair the night before and although she was soaked in sweat, it wasn¡¯t too dirty and her hair wasn¡¯t tangled. Lian Ru Ning used her fingers to brush Hao Jian¡¯s hair to the tips. ¡°There¡¯s not much water, so I can only wash it once.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. ¡°Once is fine.¡± The sunset has long disappeared and the darkness enveloped the earth. Only the stars shined on the sky. The sound in Jiangxin Island was very noisy, but it did not affect the two people hiding in the corner while washing their hair. It was as if it was the only peaceful place on the Island. ¡°Let¡¯s set off tomorrow!¡± Hao Jian raised her head to look at Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes. Lian Ru Ning pressed her head back, ¡°Don¡¯t move around. You¡¯ll have a hard time if your wound accidentally gets water later!¡± Hao Jian muttered, ¡°Long hair is still a bit troublesome, water is scarce, and shampoo is not always available.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Lian Ru Ning said with a smile. Hao Jian raised an eyebrow, ¡°Do you like it?¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s wet hands flinched, making the water almost getting on Hao Jian¡¯s wound. She glared at Hao Jian but the latter didn¡¯t see it at all while chuckling lightly, her voice deliberately lowered, ¡°Anyway, no matter whether little sister has long hair or short hair, I like it all.¡± The words were like a discharge of electricity, causing Lian Ru Ning hair to stand. However, before she had time to think about it, she suddenly remembered Hao Jian¡¯s flirty words and suddenly calmed down ¨C she was afraid that she was thinking too much by taking Hao Jian¡¯s ambiguous words seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t you need another day off?¡± She turned the topic back to Hao Jian¡¯s question at the beginning. ¡°It makes no difference if it¡¯s a day early or late.¡± A shadow was cast next to them and saw An Minghui coming over, ¡°Not staying for another day? I¡¯ll teach you how to use a gun.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t get many chances to touch a gun.¡± Hao Jian replied. ¡°Although not much, there are still opportunities, right? A small branch of the cult has caused such a mess in Jiang City. You may face more challenges when you arrive in the southern city. Don¡¯t hold yourself back when learning new skills. After learning, although you may not get a headshot using guns, at least you¡¯ll make better use of them.¡± ¡°Adjutant An has said so, we can¡¯t be insensitive.¡± Hao Jian smiled. Lian Ru Ning had originally figured out that she no longer needs to focus on going home to look for their loved ones. She has to occasionally pay attention to what¡¯s going on to their surroundings. Moreover, after the conference center incident, she also developed a desire to know more about how to use firearms, so naturally she wouldn¡¯t object. After Hao Jian washed her hair, she deliberately sat on the bridge, feeling the wind blowing for a while. Next to her was the defensive walls and she could even hear the screaming zombies that were stopped by the tricks on the embankment. An Minghui took two cans of beer out and asked her, ¡°Drink? It¡¯s from the brewery in my hometown.¡± Hao Jian took the bear and looked at him against the faint light, ¡°Hometown, Qing City?¡± ¡°Yes. Da Liu and I are both from Qing City, and A Tao is from Ji City.¡± Hao Jian noticed that An Minghui¡¯s mood was a little abnormal, but it was normal to think that although he had many teammates before, probably none of them dies like A Tao and Liu Feng, who were stabbed in the back by the people they were desperately trying to protect! ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± An Minghui suddenly said, ¡°In such a chaotic world, the previous rules are not quite appropriate anymore. Humans are allowed to evolve. If they¡¯re not allowed to fumble, they will not really think.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± An Minghui grimaced, ¡°At least let them know that even without us, they can still live without relying on a cult. In the end of they day, those people will only be brainwashed by the cult if they¡¯re weal and afraid of death from the bottom of their hearts. Many of them are even just influenced by the atmosphere without knowing that they can actually deal with the zombies.¡± Hao Jian breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, An Minghui was not stimulated to lose his reason and implement a rough policy in the refuge base. But it seems that she underestimated An Minghui. He is at least a very noble escort member that will not be crooked no matter what. The reason why An Minghui chose to say these things to Hao Jian was because he could not confide in Yi Gao or Yu Jiyou, they weren¡¯t the right people to listen to him in this conversation. But Hao Jian is different. She is a smart person and can understand what he means. not to mention that she would leave the base soon, just like a drifting bottle ¨C hiding secrets without the guarantee of returning to him. ¡°Interesting,¡± Hao Jian laughed. The iron gate inside the refuge base suddenly opened. An Minghui took a look and said to Hao Jian, ¡°It seems that someone¡¯s looking for you. I¡¯ll go back first and come here with Miss Lian tomorrow at 5:00 in the morning. I¡¯ll teach you how to use guns.¡± Hao Jian nodded. Xin Ting, who was by the door, walked over quickly once she saw An Minghui go back, ¡°Hao Jian, I want to. . .¡± Seeing her hesitating, Hao Jian picked up her words, ¡°You want to come to Southern City with us?¡± Xin Ting¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°You, how did you know?¡± ¡°Peng Mao just came over and told me that he wasn¡¯t comfortable with us two girls going alone, so he wanted to follow to protect us.¡± Although it was more likely that Hao Jian and Lian Ry Ning would be the ones protecting Peng Mao, he was seriously determined, He was from Jian City, but he no longer had a home or family in Jian City. Because all he has is looks, even his younger brother looks down on him. If he keeps on hiding in Jiangxin Island, he would completely lose his fighting spirit. Because he was worried that Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning would leave early tomorrow morning, he hurried over to find Hao Jian. Xin Ting opened her mouth, ¡°Although I¡¯m scared, I don¡¯t want to stay here. If possible, I want to go with you. Although I don¡¯t have much combat power, I can help you guys keep an eye on the surroundings, just like before!¡± Hao Jian was happy, ¡°Why are you both assuming such a weak posture? You know we don¡¯t need you guys to fight for us.¡± Xin Ting lowered her head, Hao Jian¡¯s words were unforgiving. Hao Jian brushed her hair with her hand, ¡°We¡¯re treating you as a companion. You did not rely on anyone to get to this point. You came here with your own courage to get out of the school on you own, so be more confident.¡± Xin Ting suddenly looked up at her, after a moment, a little stiffened, ¡°Then I want to go with you tomorrow, will you dislike me?¡± Hao Jian put on a hesitant look, seeing Xin Ting feeling anxious again, ¡®Didn¡¯t I say I want her to be more confident?¡¯ Hao Jian suddenly raised her chin, ¡°I can¡¯t represent everyone.¡± Lian Ru Ning and Peng Mao were looking secretly by the door, and only when they saw Hao Jian notice them did they come out. Hao Jian said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to little sister.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart jumped again, secretly cursing Hao Jian for teasing her more and more! It was obvious that everyone would always unconsciously follow her, but it turned out that she was the one in charge of everything. Of course, she also didn¡¯t know that Hao Jian did have to follow her. Who made the task like this? Lian Ru Ning walked towards Xin Ting¡¯s side and smiled, ¡°Of course we won¡¯t dislike you! I was worried that without you guys, Hao Jian and I would be bored on the road!¡± After speaking, worrying that Hao Jian might say something along the lines of; ¡®No, I won¡¯t be bored,¡¯ she immediately sent a warning look over. Hao Jian couldn¡¯t understand the expression in her eyes and asked the system, ¡°What did little sister mean?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the hose boast to have a tacit understanding with the partner? What does she mean, you don¡¯t have any idea in your heart?¡± CH 41 The next morning, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning got up, washed up, changed their clothes, tied their hair, and went to the bridge to gather. Both An Minghui and Yi Gao were there, along with a few volunteers who had been recruited earlier. Hao Jian asked, ¡°Not going to start search and rescue work today?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s search and rescue work is suspended. At noon, people from other shelters will come to discuss important matters.¡± Yi Gao replied. The guards of each refuge base must be very busy and are facing many challenges, but Hao Jian will leave here tomorrow. What happens next has nothing to do with her. An Minghui first taught them the structure of the gun and then theoretical knowledge of gun precautions and posture before giving them each of a practice gun ¨C ¡°First, practice with this gun. The real gun shot is a little loud but there is no earplugs here, so you have to adapt in shooting guns without earplugs.¡± The target that An Minghui arranged for them to practice on was the zombies that had to be cleaned up every day, the ones that had gathered in the dam. But the bridge has been blocked by the truck and the zombies can only go over the truck or crawl underneath it. However, whether it is the height of the truck or the climbing action, it is somewhat difficult for these zombies. Occasionally, some zombies happen to crawl under the truck, but before they could get close to the protective guardrail, they were killed. An Minghui also doesn¡¯t want the to go to the dam to shoot, so they can only find a safe position on the bridge. The entire bridge is more than 80 meters long, and the outermost guardrail is 15 to 16 meters away from the dam, so they have to shoot at a moving target with a distance of more than 15 meters there. ¡°There are very few bullets, so if more than three out of ten shots fall short, then you don¡¯t have to learn. Those who pass will be replaced with real bullets and be officially trained.¡± An Minghui said seriously. Someone whispered, ¡°This is too harsh, we are not professionals!¡± ¡°If you were professionals, would you still be here?!¡± An Minghui¡¯s eyes became very scary all of a sudden. ¡°You remember, learning marksmanship will give you one more self-defense skill. If you don¡¯t learn it well, when the time comes, the one who dies will be you!¡± The crowd went silent. Lian Ru Ning whispered to Hao Jian, ¡°Adjutant An may have been an instructor.¡± Hao Jian laughed and pointed her gun to the zombies on the shore. With a ¡®bang¡¯, the zombie¡¯s stomach immediately oozed out. The crowd saw her shoot, worrying about lagging behind as they looked for targets to shoot. Hao Jian successfully shot eight times while Lian Ru Ning shot a lot because she took a lot of targets and finally got seven shots. Three people who only got four or five shots were expelled by An Minghui without mercy and then pointed at Lian Ru Ning indignantly, ¡°If we had shot that slowly, it wouldn¡¯t be like this!¡± An Minghui glared at them, ¡°There are only so many bullets, and if you don¡¯t have enough bullets because you start shooting indiscriminately before aiming at the target, the zombies will not provide you with more bullets when you face them!¡± Those three people went back dissatisfied and the remaining people continued training, but An Minghui also said, ¡°Before, the requirement is effective damage, but now I require speed. If your movements are slow, you may be bitten to the bone!¡± Lian Ru Ning blushed slightly. She felt that An Minghui was biased towards her just now, but he wouldn¡¯t be partial the second time. She had to work hard so that she can have a better chance of survival in such a society. It wasn¡¯t until noon that the members of the guards from other shelters arrived one after another, and the class called ¡®devil training¡¯ stopped. Lian Ru Ning felt that both her arms were going to be ruined because of raising the gun for a long time that her arms began to sore. She was even more exhausted because of muscle pain. In addition to her, several other people were also slow, so An Minghui simply let them hold their guns for an hour, rest for ten minutes before start training again. In those ten minutes, except for drinking water, they never even went to the toilet because the water they drank turned into sweat. Although Hao Jian¡¯s marksmanship improved very quickly, she didn¡¯t escape the pain. Taking advantage of the suspension of training, she went to the mall and bought some medicated oil to soothe her muscles. When Lian Ru Ning sat beside her, Hao Jian passed the ointment to her, but Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength.¡± ¡°Shall I help you?¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded, and when Hao Jian pulled her sleeve up, she suddenly got goosebumps and her ears quietly flushed. Upon seeing this, Hao Jian glanced at her and showed a slight smile as she poured the medicinal oil on her palm and rubbed it on Lian Ru Ning¡¯s arm. Her mind was communicating with the system, ¡°Does this count as communicating with our souls?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know that I had a problem with understanding the host before this?¡± ¡°. . . Then you don¡¯t understand. This massage and tunic are one of the traditional Chinese medicine treatment methods that have been passed down for thousand of years. The essence of it is that the massager will infuse their spirit and soul into tit so that the receiver can enjoy the pleasure that reaches the depths of the soul. This pushing and pulling can be much more delicate, the force should be moderate. To ensure that it works, each acupuncture point must be accurate. It¡¯s quite laborious bit it¡¯s also working to the depths of my soul. Can you deny that this is not deep soul communication?¡± ¡°. . . I have never seen such a brazen host.¡± ¡°Why, did you meet many hosts before me? Or is it that there are actually just a lot of systems and hosts in this time and space?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what my words mean?¡± The system continued to play dumb. Hao Jian sneered with a ¡®heh¡¯. She always felt that the system was very ridiculous. At first, when she didn¡¯t have any desire to use the system, it was very anxious. Later, when she had recognized it, it started to quarrel with her. It being ridiculous is only a superficial statement. She would rather say that as long as it is conducive in making her use the system, it answers her questions quickly with with the right attitude. And any questions that would involve it¡¯s origin, it would remain silent. ¡°The child has hardened its wings.¡± The system replied to Hao Jian. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid that my wings will fold for you?¡± The system suddenly replied without thinking, ¡°Host, you can do it!¡± Then it fell silent. Hao Jian felt that the system was a little puzzling, but after returning to her senses, she realized that Lian Ru Ning was looking at her with a strange look. She withdrew her hand without changing her face and couldn¡¯t help but be a little confused as to why her skill of mental multitasking had disappeared. When she was talking to the system, she was helping Lian Ru Ning soothe her muscles in her upper arm. The system jumped out an retorted, ¡°It¡¯s clear that you, the host, want to take advantage of the opportunity to flirt.¡± ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m not a pervert!¡± Hao Jian looked at Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Little sister¡¯s arm is too slippery.¡± ¡°Thank you, I thought you would say that the medicine oil is too slippery.¡± Hao Jian ¡®brightened up¡¯ and said, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t think badly about her but said, ¡°You have something on your mind? Why else would you be so distracted?¡± This is very rare! Hao Jian pretended to be deep, ¡°I was thinking what I should do if my child has hardened its wings?¡± ¡°. . .??¡± Lian Ru Ning found that she actually didn¡¯t understand Hao Jian at all. This person became more and more confusing. Still, she pondered for a moment and said seriously, ¡°Pluck all the feathers of the wings. Even if they¡¯re hard, they can¡¯t fly.¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± Hao Jian said and at the same time to the system, ¡°Look, the love partner you chose for me is trying to teach me how to prevent you from flying!¡± ¡°. . .¡± Just when the system was about to ask ¡®what about the host being too skinny¡¯ someone found Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning who were about to have lunch. Hao Jian looked at Chen Zhen in a guard uniform and said in surprise, ¡°I thought you had died there!¡± Chen Zhen¡¯s corner of her mouth twitched, ¡°Why so damaging. Are you avenging me for taking your gun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s goof that you have self-awareness.¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at Chen Zhen and quickly remembered that she was the one who asked Hao Jian to take her to the bathroom. Hao Jian had already told her about Chen Zhen, so she extended her hand, ¡°Miss Chen, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you!¡± Chen Zhen had a lot of respect towards Lian Ru Ning who had helped the escort team and shook hands with her. As for Hao Jian, she took out a hand gun and threw it over, ¡°Although I don¡¯t owe you, I¡¯ll return it to you. I heard that you trained today so it¡¯s not a waste to give it to you.¡± Hao Jian raised her eyebrows, removed the magazine and took a look. It was full of 15 bullets. ¡°This is a generous gift.¡± Chen Zhen knew that Hao Jian was just being polite with her and didn¡¯t say anything, but said, ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to Southern City?¡± ¡°How come you all know about it?¡± ¡°After we got out of the conference center, our various refuge camps strengthened contact and communication and kept abreast of the movements of the remaining ¡®Wugui¡¯ organization. I originally wanted to recruit you guys to join. . . but Chief Yi told me that you have other plans.¡± ¡°You care about use going back to Southern City and not just wanting to recruit us, right?¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°I want to ask you to find someone for me, but you don¡¯t need to spend time and effort on purpose. But if you meet an escort team, just ask around about it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°His name is Huang Sheng. He was on duty with the raiding party in the Southern City before the crisis broke out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have an official communication method?¡± Chen Zhen replied, ¡°That is for official business, not for finding someone for us. There are so many escort team members and everyone is thousands of miles away from home and cannot go back. If the official communication can be used to find relatives, the line would have been crowded. Hao Jian thought about it and nodded. Chen Zhen took out a ring, ¡°If you can find him, help me return this ring to him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lian Ru Ning was puzzled instead. ¡°He¡¯s a dedicated man. . .¡± Chen Zhen¡¯s expression was a little bit reluctant but soon became determined, ¡°He¡¯ll understand what I mean.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about us losing it?¡± ¡°If you lose it, that¡¯s also an answer.¡± After Chen Zhen left, Lian Ru Ning was still a little confused, ¡°Since she knows that the other party is a devoted person, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s moving on, there is no question of a broken relationship, so why would she do this?¡± Hao Jian looked at the ring for a long time before saying, ¡°They haven¡¯t been in touch for a long time and no one knows if the other person is still alive or dead. Instead of worrying about each other¡¯s well-being, it¡¯s better to make a decision in your heart as early as possible. Even if both sides are still alive, but as long as they have not been able to remove this heavy burden, they have no chance of meeting again. Maybe she did this to avoid something, or perhaps it¡¯s to let the other person give up on her so that she could find another loved one.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s a person who valued love and righteousness, not someone who would run away.¡± ¡°Who can say anything about emotions exactly? Especially in this chaotic world, when feelings conflict with the burden of heavy responsibility, how many feelings have to be tested and tortured.¡± ¡°You can see so thoroughly, is there any emotional experience?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked seeming inadvertently. Hao Jian grinned, ¡°My experience doesn¡¯t come from me. It¡¯s my parents.¡± This was the first time Hao Jian mentioned her father and Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but perk up her ears. CH 42 Hao Jian¡¯s father, Hao Kan, and her mother, Chen Xiuzhu, were high school classmates. Hao Kan was tall, versatile, and as handsome as his name suggests. He was the popular school boy that was paired with the school flower at the time. Although Chen Xiuzhu is of average birth and appearance, her family education is very good and is also known as a very talented girl. Like the beginning of a very cliched story, these two people see eye to eye. At that age, they were at the time of spring and they lacked the correct sex education guidance. So when they were about to take the college entrance examination, they played around and created life. At the time, there was no abortion and the two families felt ashamed so they got married in a hurry. However, after the new marriage law came out and the legal age for marriage was changed, the both of them failed to obtain a marriage certificate. They could only invite relatives and friends to have a banquet. Soon after the marriage, the collage entrance examination followed after. Chen Xiuzhu¡¯s mental condition was not very good due to her pregnancy. In addition, due to her physical conditions, her examination performance failed. In the end, her plan to originally go to Southern City University didn¡¯t follow through ang could only choose a city school while Hao Kan went to the College of Geology of Ocean University. At the College of Geology, Hao Kan joined the mountaineering club and has been fascinated by the climbing ever since. Whenever he was on vacation, he would go climbing with the members of the club. From gentle slopes to the steep peaks full of crisis and challenges. He has reached the summit of Jade Everest, which is more then 6,100 meters high. He has also successfully climbed the summit of Mount Everest, so he is very famous. Finally, she challenged Mount McKinley ¨C the highest peak in North America, and Aconcagua ¨C the highest peak in South America. . . . As Hao Jian remembered, when people around her talked about her father, they all praised him with a thumbs up. Whenever she sees him in TV or newspaper, he would either be the leader of a team climbing a certain famous peak, or being a commander-in-chief of a mountaineering team. Whenever he came home, he would bring a lot of medals and many mountain models to Hao Jian. He would also tell her stories about his climbing experiences, making her both nervous and excited. But because he was often away from home and wasn¡¯t able to provide much for their home for a year, the burden of raising the family fell on Chen Xiuzhu¡¯s shoulders. She did not complain because whenever she sees her husband telling her daughter his stories, her daughter¡¯s eyes would light up. Seeing this picture, she felt that no matter how hard or tiring it was, it was still worth it. Later, when Hao Kan¡¯s parents died one after another, he blamed Chen Xiazhu for not taking care of his parents. The two broke out into their first argument ever since they were married for so long. Hao Kan then packed up his things and left home the next day. At this time, Hao Jian was already in high school and she had already understood a lot of things she didn¡¯t understand compared to when she was still a child. And watching her mother take care of this family and she felt very sad knowing how her grandparents belittled her. At the same time, the image of her father, who she once respected in her mind, seemed to gradually collapse. It seems that she couldn¡¯t accept the collapse of her father¡¯s image that she wanted to do something to prove that her father was still perfect. To do so, she took out her hiking bag given to her by her father and packed her things and went to Hao Kan. She inherited Hao Kan¡¯s good skin, and was influenced by Chen Xiuzhu to like reading. No matter how she looked at it, she was a quiet literary girl. But when she inherited Hao Kan¡¯s skin, she also inherited his temperament. Sometimes, she was very stubborn. If it wasn¡¯t because of Chen Xiuzhu¡¯s illness, Hao Jian was afraid that Chen Xiuzhu would really go to Mount Everest to see Hao Kan. However, when Hao Kan left home this time to climb Mount Everest, he never came back. In the past, it usually takes a long time for any news about Hao Kan to arrive after going out once, but after two months of not receiving any news, Chen Xiuzhu was starting to panic. She didn¡¯t believe that he would be in danger, so she asked around for any news about Hao Kan. However, Hao Kan¡¯s friends didn¡¯t know much about him and they knew less about his itinerary, They all said, ¡°I know he¡¯s going to Mount Everest but he has successfully climbed the top, so sister-in-law shouldn¡¯t be too worried. But if you¡¯re really worried, why don¡¯t you go to the police?¡± Chen Xiuzhu had no choice but to call the police. However, the police believed that it would take for him a long time to come back after going out, so he may have gone to climb another mountain again. She shouldn¡¯t worry too much and simply wait. Her wait lasted for three years. Chen Xiuzhu spent a lot of effort to inquire about him, but her years of labor added with her poor health, she was diagnosed with cancer. In order to find Hao Kan, her family¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t so good. They also spent a lot of money for her illness. Seeing that Hao Jian had to drop out of school to work and earn money for her illness, Chen Xiuzhu felt ashamed and guilty and later became more and more depressed. In the end, she didn¡¯t want to become a burden to Hao Jian, so she committed suicide and left a suicide note. ¡°I would rather have my mother believe that he died seven years ago so that she stop spending time and energy in finding him and give up.¡± Lian Ru Ning was silent. She heard that more than 300 corpses had been fount at Mount Everest in the past 40 to 50 years, and there were still many missing climbers. Although they were only reported missing, but people know that their hope of survival is very small. However, it is very difficult to launch a search and rescue operation and many people would die in the process of the operation. Even if the remains are found, it is still difficult to carry down the remains, so many people will not spend this time and energy. After Chen Xiuzhu¡¯s death, Hao Jian buried all Hao Kan¡¯s medals, including the model mountain he sent, and his notebook was buried in front of Chen Xiuzhu¡¯s tomb. Except for the hiking bag, all traces of left by Hao Kan were erased by her, as if in her heart, this person no longer exists. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have evoked your sadness.¡± Lian Ru Ning said guiltily. Hao Jian ¡®puffed¡¯ a laugh and said, ¡°As I mentioned, one has been missing for seven years, while the other has been dead for four years. It was sad and painful in the beginning, but most of all the pain and sadness had faded, so it isn¡¯t as sad anymore. I usually don¡¯t mention it. I just find it very boring.¡± Lian Ru Ning realized suddenly. Hao Jian is indeed not a person who get hurts in the spring and feels sad in autumn. Her experiences had also allowed her to become strong and independednt. ¡°I remember that you were from the School of Sociology and Anthropology. What is anthropology?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked curiously. ¡°I only studied for one semester and it was only basic theories like introduction to Anthropology, so I can¡¯t answer you. But it is said that even after studying for four years, one may not be able to answer what ¡®Anthropology¡¯ is.¡± Literally, Lian Ru Ning felt that Hao Jian was quite suitable for studying anthropolgy. In the afternoon, Hao Jian and the others went to train for a few more hours. When they returned, Peng Mao and Xin Ting had already packed up their things as if they were ready to leave tonight. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. During the day, Hao Jian felt that since they decided to follow them to the Southern City, it would definitely be irresponsible to their lives if they didn¡¯t have some self defense skills, so she asked Yi Gao to find someone to teach some some fighting skills. After teaching them some fighting skills, she also taught them how to use slingshots. Guns are not easy to find, but slingshots are easy to make. Xin Ting didn¡¯t dare go near them at all and Peng Mao said, ¡°Can we find a place to day in a nearby residential building? It¡¯s already our third day here and I still didn¡¯t line up to fetch water and take a bath.¡± When he said that, Lian Ru Ning also felt that she also felt sticky. She obviously took a bath last night but it was a pity that she had been training under the scorching sun for a day and her clothes had never been dry. When it dries, it will probably be full sweaty smell. She looked at Hao Jian, and Hao Jian said, ¡°I can¡¯t bear it, I really can¡¯t bear it. There is so much water in this river for you to bathe in.¡± They also didn¡¯t have any water to take a bath because they had already used it to wash last night. Not to mention that they had shortage of water resources. They were embarrassed to take too many resources, so they could only wipe their bodies and change their clothes. Hao Jian threw away the clothes that were too bad to wear and then bought new ones to wear. Nowadays, the shopping mall has the function of being able to buy daily necessities. There are also clothing items for sale. A t-shirt costs only 5 points, which is cheaper than food. Hao Jian even played the idea of being a travelling merchant, but thinking that she is not very short on money and that there are people around her like Lian Ru Ning. If she¡¯s too obvious, she might expose the existence of the system. At night, An Minghui took the traffic line network map of Jiang City and showed them, ¡°The road conditions in these parts are not good. If you want to go to the southern city, you can choose these roads. . .¡± The roads on this are crisscrossed, although most of them are paralyzed but there are still useable. By letting them know about these things early, they can avoid detours and reduce risks. The Jiangxin Island refuge base has helped Hao Jian and the others so much. Before leaving, Hao Jian thought for a while and decided to send something to the guards. Of course, the guards didn¡¯t seem to be short of what Hao Jian had. If it was food, she couldn¡¯t deliver much. In the end, she left a letter for Yi Gao and said, ¡°Wait for us to leave before opening it!¡± Although Yi Gao was curious, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. The car that Hao Jian and the others drove when they came was still parked to where they left it. Because there were no living things in the surroundings, Hao Jian¡¯s group was not enough to be targeted by zombies. Unfortunately, when the guards cleaned up the zombies in their operations, they seemed to have accidentally hit the window of the driver¡¯s seat and the glass was shattered. ¡°. . . Let¡¯s just go!¡± Hao Jian said in a sigh of relief. They left behind the guards who went out to carry out the search and rescue work. After reaching the intersection of the road indicated by An Minghui, they separated from the guards. Once Yi Gao couldn¡¯t see Hao Jian and the others in the rearview mirror, he remembered the letter Hao Jian gave him. So before he went back to his work, he opened the letter and read it. After reading, he almost told Kong Yingcheng, who was driving the car, to turn back around and find Hao Jian. Kong Yingcheng didn¡¯t know why he looked as such and asked, ¡°Sir, we can¡¯t go that way. What¡¯s written on it?¡± Yi Gao turned the wireless walkie-talkie to convey to An Minghui the news he got from Hao Jian, ¡°Report to the commander-in-chief immediately and ask him to contact his superiors to confirm whether the information is accurate! Also inform the refuge base where Lei Mu and the others are being held and increase the intensity of the interrogation of ¡®Wugui¡¯ to make sure they reveal more information!¡± An Minghui was also taken aback when he finished talking about the contents of the letter left by Hao Jian. Hao Jian said that when she got into the conference center the day before yesterday, she inadvertently heard people mention that now it seems that someone up there had already started the research of detecting the zombie virus and it was all because of the details found from the sensitivity of arthropods to the zombie virus. Such as mosquitoes and insects. If the human body carries the zombie virus, then they will generally avoid the infected person and go after a healthy person and such its blood instead. If an arthropod is infected with a zombie virus, it will die. Because this discovery had not yet developed the relevant tools to detect the virus, no news has come out for the time being. But if Hao Jian said it was from the side of ¡®Wugui¡¯, they have to pay attention to two questions. First is that how did ¡®Wugui¡¯ forces infiltrate an important institution? Second, why can ¡®Wugui¡¯ deliver information faster than the officials? Therefore, Yi Gao needs to immediately go to his superiors to ask for confirmation and at the same time to give a warning to the research institution about the infiltration of ¡®Wugui¡¯. Moreover, Yi Gao vaguely felt that the reason why Hao Jian knew about this matter was not necessarily from ¡®Wugui¡¯. After all, she knew it was difficult for them to verify it. If she didn¡¯t hear it from ¡®Wugui¡¯, where did she learn about it? Did she ask him to open the letter after they left because she was worried they would question her? So what¡¯s the origin? But no matter what, if this matter is proven to be true, then there will be much more progress for human beings to prevent infected individuals from having to keep people in quarantine rooms for two or three days! At this progress, maybe next time, a relevant antidote can be developed? So this discovery is enough to inspire and boost moral. He is very grateful to Hao Jian who brought them this hope. Without knowledge that the upper echelons of the escort teams in Jiang City¡¯s are having a heated debate because of a letter from Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning and the others were also very curious about what Hao Jian had written, and Hao Jian said, ¡°Thank you letter. But if there was a banner, I might not be so stingy to give only a letter.¡± Lian Ru Ning and the others, ¡®No, even if you give a banner, you are still very stingy.¡¯ CH 43 The broken and old car left Jiang City without a hassle. It passed through the Nanjiang Highway then through the Nanjiang city ¨C a county-level city of Jiang City ¨C and soon entered the boundary of Xinghua City, a neighboring city of Jiang City. Because the road is not very congested, although they have encountered many zombies on the way, there was still no danger at the end of the day. Xinghua City is a small city of hilly terrain surrounded by mountains. Its development is a bit lagging behind Jiang City but because of its topography and economic constraints that made it vast and sparse population. Although the area is the largest in the province, the population is only 2.65 million ¨C which is the third lowest in the province¡¯s permanent population. One of the more important reasons for the sparse population is that it is the hometown of foreign Chinese individuals hoping to open a market. There are more than 5 million people of foreign Chinese in Europe and America and more than 3 million settled in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Because of this, after Hao Jian and the others stepped inside, they encountered far fewer zombies compared to elsewhere. However, based from the road conditions, there have been many traffic accidents here, mainly because many people feel that Xinghua City is hidden ang mountainous ¨C which is very suitable for avoiding zombies. So it didn¡¯t matter whether they live there or not, they all flocked to the city. The only national highway available is not accessible and there is only one highway connecting it to the city. Because there are mountains everywhere, it is difficult to build a road and there is not much traffic on weekdays, so the construction of public transportation on the area is far less than in the big cities. Although these places may seem backward, Lian Ru Ning and the others were still fascinated by the surrounding scenery, as if they had forgotten that zombies are destroying everything. ¡°The green mountains and water here are goof for the health. The surroundings are good and there¡¯s fresh air!¡± Hao Jian looked at the map in Lian Ru Ning¡¯s phone and said, ¡°This place is indeed suitable for the health and a tourist spot. There is the Cha Shan tourist area in the front. To the right is the ecological tourist resort. There are several reservoirs, the air quality is also said to be one of the best in the province. . . There are main towns and other urban areas in Xinghua City 56 kilometers west from here.¡± The distribution map of the main towns and urban areas in Xinghua City looks very much look like the sole of a foot from the map while being surrounded by hills. Except for the only highway and national highway that crosses the densely populated area from east to west, the entrances and exits of the remaining provincial and county roads are basically concentrated in the urban area. ¡°If you go through the major towns and cities using the national highway, about 30 kilometers, you can enter the boundary of Chengxiang. The terrain there is open, and after that will be Xiangshi.¡± Xiangshi and Focheng are the first and second tier cities close to Southern City. It has a resident population of more than eight million and is no less dangerous than Southern City. After Hao Jian finished, Peng Mao and Xin Ting both looked at Lian Ru Ning. After all, Hao Jian said that she listens to Lian Ru Ning. Lian Ru Ning, who was driving, is also a little worried. Should they venture across Xinghua City or should they stay closer? It would save them time if they crossed Xinghua City, but would they have a way to break through out densely populated urban areas? If they take the long detour, they will definitely be delayed even longer on the road. It would have taken them two hours to get to Chengxiang from their current location, even by highway. And if they needed to stop and rest on the way, it might take a day to Chengxiang. Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t give an answer yet, but Peng Mao stared at the object in Hao Jian¡¯s hand to see, ¡°That solar charger, where did you get it? There are also binoculars and two machetes. . .¡± Hao Jian took out her level rewards with the addition of two machetes she bought in the weapon special section in the mall. They didn¡¯t pay attention with the things inside their backpacks until Lian Ru Ning¡¯s phone ran out of battery when Hao Jian was using her phone for an offline map and Hao Jian took out the solar charger. As for the binoculars, she has been letting Lian Ru Ning help observe the road ahead while Hao Jian drives. She is then in charge of reconnaissance when Lian Ru Ning drives. She and Lian Ru Ning each had a machete. A crowbar was given to Peng Mao and the axe was given Xin Ting. Hao Jian¡¯s face didn¡¯t change her face, ¡°Yi Gao gave them, otherwise where do you think it came from? Can it appear out of thin air?¡± Under Hao Jian¡¯s poker face, Lain Ru Ning and the others would naturally not be suspicious. It also wasn¡¯t surprising for the solar chargers and binoculars were given by the guards. Lian Ru Ning was just looking through the binoculars when she could clearly see someone standing on the roof of a residential building four or five kilometers away. With this kind of quality, this binoculars are definitely not something one can casually pick up on the street. Based on the relationship between Hao Jian and Yi Gao, giving her so many good things is only logical. Thinking of this, they remembered that Hao Jian giving someone a letter of thanks and Peng Mao couldn¡¯t help but sigh again, ¡°You¡¯re really good. How about you changing your name in ¡®Hao Pao¡¯. Although it also makes you adulterous, but. . .¡± Hao Jian glanced at Peng Mao through the rearview mirror with warning in her eyes. Peng Mao resentfully retracted his neck and turned his gaze out the window. The fresh breeze poured in through the car window and they finally felt a hint of coolness from nature in this hot summer day. Before coming here, even if there was wind pouring in through the window, it would only be hot wind, making their faces sticky. Whereas here, the mountains and clear water are beautiful and the sounds of birds that can¡¯t be heard elsewhere can also be heard here. Hao Jian confirmed the roads around them using the system map. She withdrew her attention on her system map and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take the county road Y555!¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mind was attentive and agreed. Peng Mao and Xin Ting didn¡¯t know how Hao Jian intended to go, so they asked, ¡°Where does Y555 lead to?¡± ¡°It leads to the national highway.¡± Peng Mao and Xin Ting understood that Hao Jian was planning to cross the city. Hao Jian picked up the binoculars to observe the surroundings and said, ¡°Just now, after looking at the map carefully, the location of the towns here in relation to the city seems to be radial, scattered, and not very dense. But there is one thing those towns don¡¯t have a lot of county roads, and unlike the busy city, these county roads are not exactly lined with residential buildings. They¡¯re all farmland, what does this mean?¡± ¡°It means that we can completely avoid the densely populated villages or towns before entering the urban section.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s expression relaxed a lot. ¡°Yeah, and it might be worth considering the population here along with the geography. For a mountainous city surrounded by mountains from all sides, mountains are a natural barrier! Apart from the various highways that are directly accessible to the zombies, the only way for the zombies to enter through other means is to go over the mountains and that can take up to a year and a half.¡± ¡°Right, then wouldn¡¯t this place become a refuge base for millions of people to hide?!¡± Peng Mao felt his blood surging upon imagining the sight of this place after it was built into a large refuge base. However, it is not easy to clean up the zombies here, unless the entire escort force is concentrated on building, otherwise it is difficult to achieve. They remembered what An Minghui said that the country is so big and there are only a few hundred members of the escort team assigned to each city to perform rescue tasks, and the small cities may only have a hundred or so people. Each city has people who need their protection, so how could they possibly spare the manpower to build a base here? Thinking about this, Peng Mao sighed again. Xin Ting didn¡¯t think as far ahead as Peng Mao so she asked, ¡°Does that mean that such a geographical environment will reduce the number of foreign zombies. And without the threat of so many foreign walkers, all we have to face are the walkers that exist in city. . . and the people?¡± ¡°Think of it this way. Looking at it optimistically, the population here is only about two million and the initial wave of returning home was after the news of the zombies spreading widely on the internet. The traffic was almost paralyzed at that time, right, so even if a lot of people get lucky before then, as long as the news here is not so closed, then the zombie virus will not be transmitted too fast. Of course, if you look at the bad side, 70% of the people have turned into zombies, but there are only a million and a half, or 600,000, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that the population here is less than in Jiang City. . .¡± Peng Mao counted and stared, ¡°But that¡¯s still a lot!¡± ¡°You have to think of the good view. These zombies are scattered because there are still a lot of living people elsewhere so the zombies will not just circle around a place. For a place with a land area of 1.6 million square kilometers. There are at least one zombie for every ten kilometers, making at least 16,000 zombies in terms of area. If you exclude the mountainous region, then the presence of zombies is not very dense.¡± Through Hao Jian analysis, they are indeed optimistic. No matter how many zombies there are, there won¡¯t be more zombies than in Jiang City, right? Seeing that the two sides of the national highway are becoming less and less mountainous and the houses are gradually increasing, they knew that they¡¯re approaching the flat terrain of Xinghua City. The breezy wind and sunny sky slowly gathered dark clouds and the sky looked gloomy as if the scene of the ends of a natural disaster. ¡°It¡¯s raining soon.¡± Xin Ting worriedly glanced at the driver¡¯s side of the car window. There are no windows, once it rains, it will come in and the driver¡¯s seat is bound to become soup. ¡°It won¡¯t rain for a while. Let¡¯s get out of here first and then find a relatively safe place to escape the rain.¡± Hao Jian siad. After speaking, she once again picked up the telescope to observe the environment several kilometers away. Suddenly, she said, ¡°Wait, there¡¯s a county road on the right, go there.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation ahead?¡± ¡°Well, the provincial road in front is blocked by a large number of junk cars. Even the farmland on both sides of the road is also blocked by many cars.¡± Lian Ru Ning frowned, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°If the map is not wrong, behind those cars are villages. It seems that this is an artificial roadblock and the purpose is probably to stop outsiders or zombies from entering.¡± The reason why they can set up roadblocks is because of the terrain here. With rolling hills on both sides and only one national highway passable in the middle. If it were ancient times, marching and fighting, this place would be an easy place to defend and difficult to attack. The good thing is that there are also some mountain roads built along the foot of the mountain that can be detoured, but even Hao Jian can¡¯t tell using the system map whether there are also roadblocks on the rural roads. After turning into the county road, Hao Jian asked Lian Ru Ning to stop and switch drivers, Because she has the system map, they will be faster than giving directions to Lian Ru Ning. The original arrangements were the four of them taking turns in driving, but given that Peng Mao always missed the road Hao Jian pointed out, Hao Jian simply took turns with Lian Ru Ning. Xin Ting was implicated by Peng Mao and could only sit in the back to develop survival strategies according to Hao Jian¡¯s requirements. She listed all the supplies they needed, followed by delineating where each city had the potential to establish a refuge base, and finally to consider various contingencies. ¡°I have to pee, I¡¯m going to go to relieve myself first. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Peng Mao said and went to the side of the overgrown forest. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go rest for a while. I¡¯ll find something to seal this car window first so that the rain doesn¡¯t come in.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any glass!¡± Xin Ting said. Lian Ru Ning thought about it for a while and took off her sunscreen clothing, ¡°This jacket is an effective waterproof. Let¡¯s use it instead. Just leave a small gap for observing the left rearview mirror.¡± As soon as she fixed her clothes on the car window, she suddenly heard Peng Mao¡¯s cry, ¡°Damn, there are zombies, help!¡± Peng Mao rushed back towards them that he didn¡¯t even have time to tie his belt. Behind him were two zombies that were following. Hao Jian glanced at his seemingly wet pants and held back a laugh. She lifted her machete with Lian Ru Ning and walked towards his rear. Peng Mao hurriedly fastened his belt and went back to the car to take out his crowbar to prepare to help Hao Jian and the girls, but by the time he had rushed over there, the two zombies had already been dealt with by Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. ¡°Phew. These two guys suddenly appeared sneakily and scared me to the point that my urine went back in!¡± Peng Mao said. ¡°Is that the reason why you peed in your pants?¡± Hao Jian asked. Her words attracted the attention of Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting. The two of them subconsciously looked at Peng Mao¡¯s pants. Peng Mao covered his crotch and scolded, ¡°You three big girls staring at others here, are you not ashamed?!¡± ¡°You are a big man that¡¯s too scared to pee alone. Are you not ashamed?¡± Hao Jian asked rhetorically. Lian Ru Ning was suffocating a smile, while Xin Ting lowered her head and smirked. When Peng Mao saw this, his face turned red and hot like a tomato. Seeing that the heavy rain was coming, Hao Jian wiped the blood off the machete and returned to the car. Just when she solved one of the zombies just now, a prompt from the system suddenly popped up in her mind, ¡°Congratulations to the host for killing a total of 100 zombies, gaining the title of ¡®Warrior¡¯, achievements and can participate in a lottery. I hope the host will keep up the good work!¡± At this point, she calmly asked, ¡°¡®Achievements¡¯ are out, and I have an illusion that I¡¯m playing games more and more. System, this world, is it real?¡± CH 44 The system didn¡¯t evade this time but calmly replied, ¡°This world is real, and the host is facing reality.¡± Hao Jian suddenly laughed, leaning to believe the system a little for once. ¡°And what¡¯s the lottery? You didn¡¯t mention it at all before. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a hidden mission that would a that would appear after a trigger, would it?¡± ¡°The system does not have the authority to actively mention it. There are ten prizes in the reward pool for achieving the achievement title and the lottery draws random rewards from the reward pool.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t know how many permissions were set by the central system and on what basis were they set on. However, she remembered that the missions that the system had previously mentioned were ¡®daily missions¡¯ and ¡®reward missions¡¯. She wondered if they weren¡¯t actually missions at all, but a name of an activity. The number of days of survival, killing zombies, etc, can all be considered as daily missions, right? What about reward missions? It said reward, so it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to complete. . . Hao Jian suddenly turned to look at Lian Ru Ning thinking, ¡®Isn¡¯t the so-called kiss and deep soul communication a reward mission?¡¯ ¡°The host is correct.¡± The system responded, ¡°The host was not very interested in using the system before, so system number 2018 wasn¡¯t so willing to explain so much, anyway, the host is not interested.¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t pay attention to it, but pondered, ¡°Main mission, side missions, daily missions, reward missions, hidden missions, and achievement missions. Based on my experience in playing games for many years, there shouldn¡¯t be any other missions. If I¡¯m right, the side missions are definitely related to the main missions and they won¡¯t trigger before I complete the main mission, right?¡± The system didn¡¯t say anything and Hao Jian knew she was right. She didn¡¯t pursue the topic of the system permissions, but asked, ¡°What are the ten prizes?¡± ¡°A pack of spicy strips, a set of adult suit, a delicate Tang knife-¡° Hao Jian immediately stopped it, ¡°What¡¯s and adult set? The Tang knife in the weapons section is only about 50 points. Don¡¯t tell me, everything in the prize pool are cheap products?¡± ¡°Hmph, the exquisite Tang knife in the prize pool is not for sale!¡± The system proudly said. Hao Jian took a closer look at the Tang knife in the weapons section, and the word ¡®exquisite¡¯ was indeed not included. ¡°Exquisite Tang knife. Can it cut zombies like cutting tofu?¡± Hao Jian asked again. ¡°No, but it¡¯s workmanship is very exquisite.¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s an ornamental piece?¡± ¡°Host, how can you describe it with such vulgar words? It¡¯s an exquisite ornamental piece!¡± ¡°. . . okay.¡± She can probably guess what the remaining prizes are. ¡°Why do you have the authority to tell me what¡¯s inside the prize pool?¡± The system answered, ¡°Because our lottery principle is fair, just, open, and transparent. After informing the rewards in the prize pool, the host won¡¯t be allowed to think that there¡¯s something going on behind the scenes. The remaining rewards are; 50 experience, 100 experience, 200 experience, 100 points, 500 points, 1000 points, and a gift package.¡± Unexpectedly, the following rewards were a little normal, ¡°Then let¡¯s start the lottery!¡± After she finished speaking, there was no sound effect like a wheel turning. The system simply announced directly, ¡°Congratulations to the host for winning the exquisite Tang knife!¡± After a while, the system didn¡¯t hear any special reaction from Hao Jian, so it asked, ¡°The host dislikes it so much, are you angry?¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°Why should I be angry? Although I am a little disappointed, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get another achievement title. Instead of hoping to get something good, it¡¯s netter to focus on the main task. The rewards given by the main missions will never be bad, right?!¡± System, ¡®Why is this host always so calm that the comforting speech I¡¯ve prepared are always wasted?¡¯ After a couple of kilometers around the county, the view opened up again and there were no roadblocks because the houses on both sides were relatively sparse. ¡°That¡¯s the Weilong House, right?¡± Xin Ting pointed to the uniquely shaped building behind the scattered houses. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very popular in this area. There were originally surrounding dragon houses in some places in Jiang City, but they were demolished for various reasons.¡± Peng Mao said. The house they saw was semi-circular, with high walls and only a small window left above so they couldn¡¯t peek what was inside from outside. They didn¡¯t plan to stop and take a look but they went straight through the county road next to it and continued westward. The rain came pouring down at this time and the window on the driver¡¯s seat had already been sealed with something, but it still couldn¡¯t stop the rain from pouring in. Hao Jian¡¯s left leg soon got soaked. ¡°The rain is getting heavier and it¡¯s getting harder to see the road conditions ahead. It¡¯s too dangerous. Let¡¯s find a place to stay first!¡± Lian Ru Ning said. Although Hao Jian has a system map, this map cannot show her the road conditions. In such low visibility conditions, if she drives too fast, the tires will easily slip and cause accidents, and if she drive too slow, they will be easily attached by zombies. Not to mention that because of the heavy rain, there will be some violent winds. No matter how they look at it, driving in such conditions is very risky. ¡°There seems to be a single-family villa there!¡± Peng Mao pointed to their right front. Although it¡¯s difficult to see the road conditions at a distance of 100 meters away, they can still vaguely see a villa with a separate yard that doesn¡¯t look small to their right. In addition, there¡¯s a spacious avenue right in front of it, as if telling them, ¡°It¡¯s your loss if you don¡¯t drive this way.¡± Since it¡¯s so inviting, Hao Jian also can not, not go there. ¡°What if someone¡¯s inside?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°Spend the night and leave when the rain stops.¡± ¡°What if they won¡¯t let us?¡± Hao Jian pondered for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m not a good person anyway. It¡¯s okay to be a bandit for once!¡± When they got closer to the villa¡¯s courtyard, they found that the gate had long been demolished and the large courtyard was renovated to look like a European-style courtyard ¨C with grass, flowerbeds, and street lamps. The villa is three stories high and the decoration style is exactly the same as the courtyard ¨C European style. However, the place was as if it had been robbed. The garage was empty, the glass windows on the first floor were broken, and a lot of miscellaneous things were thrown on the ground. ¡°Will there be people here?¡± Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°Be careful.¡± Hao Jian said as she parked the car not far from the entrance of the villa so that they could evacuate to the car in time to escape. Most of them didn¡¯t have umbrellas so they could only grab their weapons, put on their backpacks and moved towards the door while looking around. Suddenly, a figure wobbled in the garage and let out a cry that was familiar to Hao Jian and the others before running towards them. But before it could go any further, it was blocked by a flowerbed and its body lurched forward and fell on the grass. The zombie that fell to the ground tried to get up several times but couldn¡¯t, so it had no other choice but to crawl towards Hao Jian and the others. ¡°. . . . ..¡± The four of them have never seen such a dumb zombie. ¡°You guys go open the door, I¡¯ll take care of this first.¡± Hao Jian said. Lian Ru Ning went to try and open the door while Peng Mao and Xin Ting paid attention to their surroundings vigilantly. But what they didn¡¯t expect was that the door was actually unlocked and that it opened with a push. This made them a little uneasy, wondering if there are zombies hidden inside. Because of the heavy rain outside, the inside of the house was a little dim. The furniture was covered with white cloth, but there were broken picture frames, broken vases, and rotten fruits scattered on the floor. . . This situation reminded them of a horror story like, ¡®a group of people trapped in a remote abandoned villa on a rainy day, and then a series of strange things happened.¡¯ Both Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting raised their heads, wishing that the back of their heads also grew a pair of eyes to help them observe their surroundings. Considering that Peng Mao was a man, they asked him to turn on the switch, but he shrank to their side. Hao Jian came in from behind and when she saw this, she pushed Peng Mao away, ¡°What are you doing. Taking advantage of the opportunity to make a pass?¡± At the same time she spoke, because Peng Mao suddenly jumped out, they all shouted in fright, ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a ghost!¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian thought that she had suddenly crossed over into the world of horror. Hao Jian touched the switch and pressed it. The light came as soon as the switch was pressed. And the three people who were nervous and scared just found out that it was her became relieved in an instant. Fortunately, Hao Jian didn¡¯t loosen her hair to prevent it from being soaked in the rain, otherwise, she would really look like a female ghost. ¡°What¡¯s going on inside?¡± Hao Jian asked while wiping away the rain from her face. The three of them were a little embarrassed. They were just thinking about the horror story and didn¡¯t check out the situation. Hao Jian shook her head and threw Peng Mao a walkie-talkie, ¡°You keep watch here. If you encounter a zombie, report it immediately.¡± She also gave Xin Ting another task, ¡°This villa is a duplex. The structure of the first floor is not complicated, you will check here. If there¡¯s something, talk to Peng Mao and let him relay it to us.¡± Finally, she said to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs to investigate. if this door isn¡¯t locked, then maybe the people here left or they might have turned into zombies. Either way, we have to be careful.¡± With Hao Jian working together with her, Lian Ru Ning was particularly relieved. She nodded heavily, grabbed her machete and headed upstairs. Hao Jian touched the handrails of the stairs and found that the dust had been wiped away in some places, as if someone accidentally rubbed it off. She said, ¡°Someone has been here at least recently and I don¡¯t know if these people are gone, so don¡¯t let down your guard.¡± With that said, she also touched the gun hidden on her waist. The second floor of the villa has a very spacious living room. Unlike the first floor, the furniture on the second floor wasn¡¯t covered with cloth, but it was still as empty as the first floor. The furnishings here are basically empty in a sense that most of their broken parts were scattered on the floor. The southwest side of the living room, that is, the side facing a door towards a large balcony. There¡¯s a room next to the balcony and another room in the northeast. The doors are open but it¡¯s too dark to see anything inside. Hao Jian took out her flashlight and shone a little towards the room. It turned out that the curtain cloth was pulled up. She thought about it for a little while before deciding to walk over and touched the switch. After the light came on, the situation inside was much more visible. It was a bedroom with not many furnishings. It seemed more like a guest room. Finding that there were no people or zombies in it, Lian Ru Ning ¨C who was behind Hao Jian ¨C was relieved. The same is true for the room next to the balcony, only this one looked like the master¡¯s bedroom but the valuables are gone as if it had been looted. Hao Jian contacted Peng Mao, ¡°Is there anything abnormal on the first floor?¡± ¡°No. Xiao-Ring just went to look at the first floor. There¡¯s only a kitchen, dining room, and bathroom. Although there¡¯s still a lot of tableware, they¡¯re the same as the villager¡¯s house we stayed in last time. The food and silverware are gone.¡± ¡°There should be no problem here, right?¡± Hao Jian glanced at the stairs towards the third floor and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s go down and meet with them!¡± After the two turned off the lights and went down, Lian Ru Ning also told Peng Mao about the situation on the second floor. Seeing that there was nothing unusual here, Peng Mao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath, no one stop me!¡± It was already awkward for him not to take a bath for several days, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would pee himself after being so scared just now, which made him lose face. He was anxious to get rid of such a despondent image. ¡°No one is stopping you. Go ahead!¡± Hao Jian said, ¡°I¡¯ll go outside to patrol.¡± Peng Mao went to take a bath while Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting prepared to cook lunch. It was already after one o¡¯clock and they were already hungry. Their food was canned food given by An Minghui and the others. Although there was only one serving per person, it was the largest amount An Minghui could give them. ¡°This pot is rusty, how long has it been since you washed it?¡± Xin Ting asked. Just then, the lights suddenly dimmed that scared them. They hurriedly touched the switch to check the lights, only to find it useless. ¡°Is there a power outage? Or is it tripped?¡± Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting didn¡¯t care about cooking and immediately contacted Hao Jian, but they didn¡¯t get a response from her. Their hearts became panicked. Did something happen to Hao Jian?! CH 45 Posted by LIVANONYMOUSLY on AUGUST 14, 2021 In their minds, Hao Jian is careful, cautious, and has a flexible mind. Apart from being shamed by Li Chang and the others at the gas station, it seemed impossible for Hao Jian to be tricked. Moreover, after encountering the situation in the gas station, she has learned her lesson and has become more careful and cautious. How could such a person be outsmarted by others again? At this moment, they saw Hao Jian turning in through the window. When they were about to speak, Hao Jian made a silencing gesture, ¡°Shh. . .¡± They quickly realized that something was going on and quietly walked over, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°When we arrived, I noticed that there are surveillance cameras at the entrance of the second floor, the living room, the dining room, and the common area on the second floor, and they¡¯re still working.¡± They were alarmed but still managed to lower their voices, ¡°Someone¡¯s here?!¡± They shuddered at the thought that their every move was being watched. ¡°So I turned off the main power supply and looked to check if they had a UPS installed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a UPS?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an Uninterruptible Power Supply. A normal surveillance system wouldn¡¯t have any backup power supply, so it will stop functioning after a power outage. But some of the more important places, or those who have the financial resources will basically install UPS systems so that they can continue monitoring even after a power outage and they can also send out an alarm.¡± ¡°But we didn¡¯t hear anything just now.¡± ¡°I have been observing the cameras and they stopped moving. The home security cameras installed here are not equipped with UPS. But I¡¯m not sure if there are any monitors.¡± ¡°Then¨C¡° Hao Jian pointed upstairs and both Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting grabbed their weapons and prepared to lurk with Hao Jian on the third floor that they haven¡¯t searched yet. Peng Mao was washing his hair and opened his eyes when he realized that it was pitch black. He couldn¡¯t help but open the door and ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on, is the power out?¡± No one responded so he couldn¡¯t help himself but feel panicked. He hurriedly cleaned himself and put on clean clothes before walking out. ¡°Hao Jian, Miss Lian, Xiao Ting?¡± No one responded to him, making him panic even more. He rushed to the living room and didn¡¯t find them either. Suddenly, there was a pig-like squeal coming from the upper floors, ¡°Ah, it hurts! Don¡¯t do it, I surrender. I surrender!¡± Peng Mao took a deep breath, grabbed the crowbar and followed to the third floor. The common area on the third floor was relatively small. It had an open-air balcony of 40 to 50 square feet and two rooms. In one of the rooms, Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning, and Xin Ting were gathered there. He let out a big sigh of relief, but saw Hao Jian shine her flashlight at him, ¡°Go and pull up the main breaker next to the garage.| ¡°Huh?¡± He was slightly confused, and after thinking about it, he retorted, ¡°But I just took a shower.¡± ¡°Hurry up. You can wash again when you come back, no one will take it away from you.¡± He had to go down again, muttering in his heart on why were there people upstairs and how did Hao Jian and the girls find out? Peng Mao went to turn on the electric switch, but it did not prevent Hao Jian and the others to continue and force out a confession. They thought that there were some vicious people hiding upstairs. Not a few and should be at least two to three individuals, but instead it was only one big fat man. The fat man squatted on the ground, holding his head while begging for mercy, ¡°I really didn¡¯t hide any food, I swear! I¡¯m already so hungry that I¡¯m tempted to eat my own flesh, please let me go!¡± Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian glanced at each other and didn¡¯t speak. After a while, the computer monitor on the table lit up, indicating that the power is back. Only after she turned on the light did they clearly see the fat man¡¯s appearance clearly for the first time. He had long hair, but it was messily coiled at the back of his head. He wore a pair of white-trimmed glasses that was resting on the bridge of his nose and had a scruffy beard bubbling around his mouth. He looked like and uncle in his thirties. He was wearing sportswear and it was obvious from the brand logo that it was an apparel from a famous brand. Because of his weight, his clothes were a little tight. The room was more like a doghouse than a bedroom. The bed is littered with smelly clothes and underwear, there trash bags under the bed, and a closet. Aside from the essential furniture, the rest of the space is basically a desk with second-hand computers. There were, of course, comic books, making the room a standard house for NEET people at first glance. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The standard opening line of a forced confession. ¡°Shi Gong Dui.¡± ¡°Construction team?¡±1 ¡°My dad¡¯s surname is Shi, my mother¡¯s surname is Gong, and Du is a tool used to make grain in the past, do you have any culture?!¡± Shi Gong Dui raised his head and shouted. ¡°Ok, you have culture. So, can the cultured Sh¨©g¨­ng du¨¬2 tell us why you were spying on us here?¡± Hao Jian took the back of the machete and knocked it on his shoulder, looking like a bully. Shi Gong Dui was not convinced, but he was still afraid of the knife in her hands, so he could only say in a jarring voice, ¡°This is my house. You broke into my house and now you¡¯re asking me why I was spying on you? This is no more than the king¡¯s law!¡± ¡°Your home? Then why didn¡¯t you lock the door?¡± Shi Gong Dui looked sad and indignant, ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t want to?¡± Shi Gong Dui is twenty-eight years old and was an ordinary electronic information engineer who leads a boring and hard life of going to work, working overtime, going home everyday. It wasn¡¯t until three years ago that his parents, whom he had not seen for a long time, informed him that his grandfather had passed away and left him with this villa and 50 million yuan inheritance. It was then he learned that his grandfather was an invisible rich man. After he received his inheritance, he quit his job and also ruthlessly beat up his boss who was bullying him. He felt that he was on the top of his life and then regained his hobbies ¨C being a deadbeat nerd! His hobbies were watching anime, playing games, collecting figurines, and hanging out in various forums. He doesn¡¯t have to do anything, he has a nanny to take care of his clothes, food, and cleaning. And when it comes to socially dealing with his relatives or what not ¨C he had his parents to deal with that. The entire third floor was his territory and he can stay there for a whole year without going out. Even if he didn¡¯t have much interaction with other people and his body was getting far because of his long-term unhealthy diet and lifestyle, he regrets nothing. Until one day, he met a group of forum friends who believed in the Mayan prophecy and that the end of the world would come in 2018. After being brainwashed through various eloquent ¡®doomsday signs¡¯ by his forum friends, he believed them. So, he spent more than 100,000 yuan to buy a variety of survival supplies and stocked up. He also spent millions on buying various equipments. His parents thought that he was going crazy and didn¡¯t want to care about him, so they gave him tot he nanny and flew to Europe to travel. As a result, half a year later, the end times really came. Before he had time to be pleased by his wit and resourcefulness, he discovered that most of the supplies he had hidden away were secretly taken by the nanny. Later, because of her betrayal, the neighborhood came to rob him. Although he locked the door, the group even broke down his door and smashed the windows before grandiosely coming in to rob him. Food was taken away and everything of value was taken away. Even the food he had hidden in another room that the nanny didn¡¯t know about was found and stolen by the people who came by searching for supplies two days ago. With all the valuables gone, there was no need for him to lock the door anymore. In order to create an atmosphere that the place hadn¡¯t been inhabited for a long time, he didn¡¯t lock the door and just stayed in the room to monitor everything through his surveillance. ¡°Create an atmosphere of an inhabited place? I think you¡¯re just too lazy to clean and cook, that¡¯s why this house is full of dust that even the pots are beginning to rust!¡± Lian Ru Ning retorted. When Shi Gong Dui saw her, his eyes suddenly lit up and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to cook.¡± ¡°If all of your food has been stolen, what did you eat to last over the past two days?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s gaze scanned the room and then poked a pile of dirty clothes on the bed with her knife. Shi Gong Dui looked nervous, but couldn¡¯t show it. However, his expression has long been caught by Hao Jian¡¯s eyes, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to pick open the pile of dirty clothes and found snacks hidden inside. There were French fries, potato chips, cola, and so on. ¡°You said you were hoarding survival supplies, but in fact, you were just hoarding snacks for yourself, right?¡± Shi Gong Dui retorted, ¡°You can¡¯t slander my foresight! As you see, the end of the world have really come!¡± Hao Jian rolled her eyes, ¡°There is no such thing as a Mayan prophecy predicting that 2018 will be the end of the world. They predicted the same thing during 2012 didn¡¯t they? You¡¯ve seen the movie, right?¡± Shi Gong Dui nodded and immediately realized that he shouldn¡¯t agree with Hao Jian¡¯s words and immediately shook his head. ¡°Then, you don¡¯t have anyone else here?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked again. ¡°No, It¡¯s just me. Guys, I really only have this much food left. If you take them away too, I will really starve to death.¡± Shi Gong Dui said while crying. ¡°We don¡¯t care about this little food of yours. We just want to borrow a place to take shelter from the rain.¡± After Hao Jian finished speaking, Lian Ru Ning suddenly sneezed. She glanced at Shi Gong Dui and told Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Leave this place to me for now. You go and take a bath first so you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°But you¨C¡° Just in time, Peng Mao showed up, so, Hao Jian said, ¡°Ah Mao, you came back just in time. I¡¯ll leave this to you. Keep a close eye on him and don¡¯t let him play any tricks.¡± Peng Mao blinked. He was just about to say that he needs to take a hot bath after getting soaked in the rain but remembered the role Hao Jian gave him to that made her keep him around. He then deliberately showed his biceps and said in a deep voice, ¡°Well, I¡¯m strong. You can leave this fat man to me, you can rest assured!¡± Shi Gong Dui was scared by his muscles and crowbar that he shrunk to the side. He really didn¡¯t dare to make any strange movement. In this villa, aside from the bathroom on the first floor where you can bathe, there is also another bathroom in the master bedroom on the second floor, as well as in Shi Gong Dui¡¯s bedroom, However, they couldn¡¯t go to Shi Gong Dui¡¯s bathroom, so Lian Ru Ning chose to use the bathroom on the first floor while Xin Ting went to the use the one on the second floor. Before she went downstairs, she heard Xin Ting call out to Hao Jian, ¡°Hao Jian, there¡¯s a bathtub here. We can take a hot bath together! You¡¯re the one who got most drenched from the rain, so you¡¯d better soak in the hot water with me, or you¡¯ll fall sick!¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart suddenly jumped. She turned her head to look at Hao Jian and saw Hao Jian¡¯s gaze shift towards her. The corner of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth then curled up, ¡°Xiao Ning just invited me to join her.¡± Xin Ting said, ¡°Oh¡± without thinking about it much. Lian Ru Ning opened her mouth and wanted to refute, but couldn¡¯t do it in front of Xin Ting. Only when Hao Jian walked to her side did Lian Ru Ning glare at her and whispered, ¡°When did I invite you to take a bath together?¡± Hao Jian blinked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you mean when you winked at me just now?¡± ¡°When did I wink at you?¡± ¡°Just now, when Xin Ting invited me to take a bath with her.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Lian Ru Ning argued. ¡°Oh, then I better go back and share a bath with Xin Ting. She¡¯s right anyway. I get worst in the rain and I¡¯m afraid of catching a cold. Because once I catch a cold, I don¡¯t have medicine to cure it and my body is weak, which would make me lose my energy. If I meet a zombie, what should I do?¡± Hao Jian frowned, looking very distressed. ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning gritted her teeth and thought to herself about Hao Jian, a person who couldn¡¯t be more straight. Even if they bathed together, they wouldn¡¯t think too much about it. So, she tugged Hao Jian¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Fine. I admit that I did invite you. Hurry up and get down!¡± Hao Jian turned to hold her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m an honest person. I won¡¯t look around, and even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t deny it.¡± Lian Ru Ning remembered her actions after that one night and felt that Hao Jian was teasing her. While a little annoyed, she was also blushing, ¡°Are you finished, big deal. I¡¯ll show you back!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Hao Jian climbed up the pole. CH 46 Posted by LIVANONYMOUSLY on AUGUST 14, 2021 This chapter is brought to you by my Ko-Fi supporter laacvca Thank you so much!! In the steamy bathroom, hot water spurted from the shower and poured onto their skin, dispersing the cold brought by the rain. Lian Ru Ning turned her back to Hao Jian and washed her hair while Hao Jian also rubbed the dirt off her body. Both of them did their own things. They didn¡¯t look at each other or talk, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t weird. Because of Hao Jian¡¯s openness, Lian Ru Ning relieved a lot of pressure from her heart. Although there are similar bathhouses in many places in the North, it isn¡¯t uncommon for people of the same sex to see each other naked openly. But she is, after all, a native of the South. Even in the public pool¡¯s shower rooms, they¡¯re separated with cubicles, so she isn¡¯t really used to showering and seeing other people¡¯s bodies when turning around. While she was still thinking about it, Hao Jian had already taken a shower and changed into clean clothes. If it were under normal circumstances, she would have taken a bath for half an hour, but she didn¡¯t know whether Peng Mao could watch Shi Gong Dui for long, so she cut the time in half and only washed her hair once because of her wound. The gauze on her wound had been removed and had scabbed over, so she wasn¡¯t worried that getting it wet would cause inflammation again. The effect of the medicine bought from the system will certainly be better, otherwise her would would¡¯ve taken several more days to scab. Seeing that Hao Jian had finished washing up, Lian Ru Ning rushed to wash the foam off and followed her our after a few minutes. She saw that Hao Jian was cooking something in the kitchen and her hair was still dripping wet, so she grabbed a towel and wiped her wound, ¡°When did you remove the gauze? Are you not afraid of it being infected and getting inflammation again?!¡± Hao Jian slightly lowered her head and was able to meet her serious eyes. At this angle, looking at her from above, she could see Lian Ru Ning¡¯s slightly moist red lips after taking a shower. Somehow, Hao Jian¡¯s mind kept circling back to the words of gaining 1 experience for a kiss. While they were still inside the bath earlier, she had accidentally caught a glimpse of Lian Ru Ning¡¯s back. Because they couldn¡¯t eat three full meals a day these days, not to mention the limited sleeping time, she would also often wake up because of the worries in her heart. Both her body and spirit are exhausted so it was no wonder that people would lose weight very quickly. Lian Ru Ning never complained, so under her image of ¡®killing zombies bravely¡¯, no one knew that she had become thinner. Hao Jian felt pity for her in her heart, as well as the slightest feelings of affection that had existed a few days ago. Although she didn¡¯t resist nor was she surprised that she was falling in love with Lian Ru Ning, she is still not a person who would treat her feelings casually. She especially doesn¡¯t want to be like her parents, who started a relationship and then made the other party wait because of danger or for other various reasons. Waiting, keeping hope that doesn¡¯t know when to end it. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s scabbed over.¡± She smiled slightly. After Lian Ru Ning¡¯s actions, she turned to help her wipe her hair, ¡°It can still be inflamed even after scabbing. You¡¯re our main force, so you can¡¯t have an accident.¡± ¡°But we all listen to Xiao Meimei.¡± Lian Ru Ning gave her an angry look. Who¡¯s actually listening to whose command? ¡°What are you cooking?¡± Lian Ru Ning glanced at the pot. ¡°Egg and ginger syrup to replenish energy and drive away the cold.¡± ¡°Where did you get the eggs, ginger, and sugar?¡± Of course she bough them. Three eggs cost her 30 points, but the ginger and sugar her fortunately not particularly expensive. However, she couldn¡¯t seem to tell Lian Ru Ning the truth, but she was a little tired of thinking about excuses. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Hao Jian asked. Lian Ru Ning hesitated for a while because of this question. She didn¡¯t understand why Hao Jian asked such an obvious question, but when she thought about it, Hao Jian¡¯s question must be more than simple. The trust she asked was just that ¨C absolute trust. Although the four of them have experienced a lot of life and death experiences in the past few days, she still doesn¡¯t trust Xin Ting and Peng Mao 100 percent. But what about Hao Jian? Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t think about it for too long and answered, ¡°I trust you, so I won¡¯t ask.¡± Trust it mutual. The reason why Hao Jian didn¡¯t say where these things came from meant that she had her difficulties, but she is also unwilling to lie and deceive Lian Ru Ning. This is the trust Hao Jian has for Lian Ru Ning, so Lian Ru Ning will naturally give Hao Jian her full trust. After drinking the warm ginger syrup, Lian Ru Ning felt much warmer and after eating an egg to replenish her protein, her hunger wasn¡¯t as strong anymore. Xin Ting came downstairs and saw Lian Ru Ning holding a bowl of food to eat while Hao Jian was standing in the kitchen cooking noodles. She froze for a moment and asked, ¡°Where did you find the eggs?¡± ¡°Just now. We rummaged around the house after we took a shower. They don¡¯t stink yet. You can eat one too!¡± Lian Ru Ning naturally helped Hao Jian in finding an excuse. Xin Ting didn¡¯t expect Lian Ru Ning to lie for Hao Jian so she naturally didn¡¯t suspect anything. Although they had just searched the kitchen and there was no food, Shi Gong Dui had hidden so much food. When someone searched for them, there was always something left behind, and maybe Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning found it? The three of them ate an egg each and only gave Peng Mao a bowl of ginger syrup. Peng Mao looked at the egg residue floating on it and couldn¡¯t help but accuse them of being heartless, ¡°You guys are too much! Just leaving me a bowl of syrup.¡± ¡°Who told your d**k to catch a cold1? We left you ginger syrup to drive away the cold. That¡¯s already considered very conscientious. Eat noodles! When you¡¯re full, go downstairs and take watch. There¡¯s still a bit of noodles in the pot, if you¡¯re still hungry, go and eat as you take watch.¡± Hao Jian pushed a bowl of noodles to him. When Peng Mao heard that there were still noodles left for him, he naturally went downstairs without second thought. Shi Gong Dui, who was drinking coke, almost choked by the coke when he heard Hao Jian say ¡®d** to catch a cold¡¯ in a straight face. Hao Jian pulled a chair and sat down before asking, ¡°Uncle, let me ask you, do you know what¡¯s going on in the city right now?¡± Shi Gong Dui was chewing potato chips when he heard her address him and was slightly dissatisfied, ¡°I¡¯m only twenty-eight, what uncle?¡± Hao Jian clicked her tongue, ¡°Uncle, no. Brother, why don¡¯t you look at your sloppy appearance. How is it like a young man? Besides, twenty-eight years old already belong to the middle-aged ranks.¡± Shi Gong Dui scratched his face, ¡°I¡¯m worried that someone will break in while I¡¯m taking a shower!¡± under everyone¡¯s disgusted eyes, he put down the potato chips, ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll go clean myself up later!¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with us whether you tidy up or not. I¡¯m asking you if you know about the situation in the city?¡± Although Hao Jian broke into someone¡¯s house, she didn¡¯t feel the slightest guilt. Instead, she looked like a bully. Since Shi Gong Dui had already treated them as the kind of people who robbed him, why don¡¯t she use Shi Gong Dui¡¯s fear to ask what she wanted to know? Shi Gong Dui said, ¡°I¡¯m not very clear.¡± Lian Ru Ning thought about it for a while and asked, ¡°I remember you said that you often hand around various forums. Is there no relevant news in the forums?¡± When Shi Gong Dui heard Lian Ru Ning¡¯s gentle and beautiful voice, a large part of her resistance disappeared and he cheerfully said; ¡°Before the internet was disconnected, I only know that many posts about the appearance of zombies were constantly being reported and blocked in the forums. Some were even stamped as rumors. However, a lot of people who work in the city have returned to their hometowns. Because of this, there were a lot of accidents on the highway, so much so that the intersections were blocked.¡± ¡°We all know this.¡± Shi Gong Dui saw Lian Ru Ning¡¯s disappointment so he hurriedly tried to prove his abilities, ¡°But, who am I? I used to be an electronic information engineer, I¡¯m not troubled by things like disconnection! I used to help the government with their affairs so I still have access to information here. I considered that during the apocalypse, base stations can be easily destroyed and officials may also block civil communications including wireless networks. But, officials still have to use the LAN to send emails, fax communications, etc., so I quietly hacked into their network domain. . . .¡± He thought that they would show curious gazes, but his wishful thinking fell flat. Not only did Lian Ru Ning show no admiring eyes, she also asked suspiciously, ¡°Then, you did something illegal before?¡± ¡°I¨C¡± Shi Gong Dui choked, Why are their brain circuits different from others? Aren¡¯t the girls in the anime and mangas admire hackers like him the most? ¡°Since you¡¯re in this business, don¡¯t you know how to install UPS for the surveillance?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t install the surveillance, my parents did. They said that the villa is so big that it would be noticed by thieves, so they installed it at the door and in the living room. They also don¡¯t understand what a UPS is or anything. I generally don¡¯t care about these things and didn¡¯t interfere, but how did you find out that the surveillance was installed in the corner?¡± ¡°Well, normal people who live ins such a large villa with no nearby neighbors will certainly be worried about burglars, so they will generally install some surveillance. In this way of thinking, I paid special attention when I came in and found the infrared light, proving that the cameras are still operating.¡± Unexpectedly, the other party was careful so Shi Gong Dui could only let a disappointing, ¡°Oh.¡± Suddenly, Xin Ting whispered to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Ru Ning, he can access the internet here. Does it mean that we can use the internet here to contact our family?¡± Lian Ru Ning shook her head, ¡°I thought about it just now, but what¡¯s the use of the internet here if our families doesn¡¯t have internet and has no way to obtain signal?¡± Xin Ting wondered a bit and seemed to have reached the same conclusion, but Hao Jian said, ¡°You can leave them a message, maybe they can also get a network signal? When that time comes, they will know that you guys are still alive.¡± Shi Gong Dui, who heard their conversation was secretly happy that they would finally have a use for him. However, before he could start talking Joe, Hao Jian pit a knife on his neck, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about using this as an excuse to blackmail us. Although we only intended to come here and stay overnight, we didn¡¯t say that we aren¡¯t bandits. This knife has killed countless zombies. If you don¡¯t want to be infected with the virus, think carefully.¡± Shi Gong Dui greeted Hao Jian¡¯s family dozens of times in his heart and said, ¡°Official studies have found that the zombie virus can¡¯t survive in the air for a long time. So even if your knife kills thousands of zombies, even if you hurt me, there¡¯s a high probability that the virus will not infect me.¡± ¡°It seems that you¡¯re not lying when you said that you have invaded the government¡¯s LAN since you can obtain such information.¡± Shi Gong Dui felt slightly smug, but he soon realized that something was wrong. He had learned these news through the official channels. Then who was Hao Jian and why was she not surprised at all when she heard it? Did she know about it too? He was uncertain in his heard, but he still honestly went and helped Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting send news to their families that they were still alive and are planning to look for them. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting also took this opportunity to smooth out what happen during this period in time from the news. Hao Jian took advantage of them still browsing the previous news to ask Shi Gong Dui, ¡°Then you should also know the official order of establishing refuge bases now. Why didn¡¯t you go to the refuge base?¡± Shi Gong Dui spread his hands and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for those people who took my food, would I still need to go to the refuge base? And not that my food has been robbed, my car was also taken away by the, how can I go to the refuge base? Although the refuge base is not far from here, the people in all towns and villages are now on guard!¡± After hearing his words, Hao Jian recalled the roadblock on the national highway and asked, ¡°Did some survivors organize to set up a roadblock to stop outsiders?¡± Shi Gong Dui looked a little weird, ¡°Yeah. This place is surrounded by mountains and it¡¯s not easy for zombies to get in, not to mention many people have fled to this place. Some of them are carrying zombie viruses so people in these towns organized themselves to deal with the zombies from the outside to make this place a paradise.¡± Hao Jian keenly discovered the loopholes in Shi Gong Dui¡¯s words but didn¡¯t show it in her face, ¡°Xanadu. It seems that there aren¡¯t many people who have become zombies here.¡± ¡°How could it not be too many? Everyone doesn¡¯t know that there are other ways to spread the zombie virus aside from being scratched or bitten, so one or two of them have been caught by the virus without even knowing about it . . .¡± Speaking about this, he deliberately made a pass and Hao Jian sneered, ¡°What you¡¯re saying is that sex ¨C intercourse can also spread the virus?¡± Shi Gong Dui was quite humiliated, muttering in his heart, ¡°It seems that they already know this information I have received. They already know everything.¡± He also no longer hid it, ¡°Yes! Everyone has seen the movies and knows that you can¡¯t be bitten or scratched by zombies, but who knew that sex can also spread the virus? But this thing is more poisonous than AIDS or syphilis. At least there¡¯s a possibility of not contracting AIDS after doing it once, but this thing ah, it only needs to be done once! Because people don¡¯t have this awareness to prevent it, not many people know that they have been hit by the zombie virus.¡± Seeing that Shi Gong Dui seemed to be quite resentful about this, Hao Jian laughed, ¡°You don¡¯t have any enthusiasm. If you only squat in a house like this and not go outside, there¡¯s really little chance of you getting infected since you can only jerk by yourself!¡± Shi Gong Dui was quite dissatisfied with Hao Jian¡¯s statement, ¡°Why do you talk like that? Maybe someday, a girl will come to my house and seek shelter?¡± The actual fact is that the survival environment for women during the apocalypse of zombies is very difficult. Don¡¯t they basically have to rely on strong people to survive? Thinking inside, he quietly glanced at Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting. Hao Jian followed his gaze and glanced at him. She then immediately came to his ear, ¡°If your eyes are still looking at them, revealing unwelcome thoughts that shouldn¡¯t be there, I will dig your eyes out for you!¡± With that said, the back of the knife struck hard in between his thighs and he screamed with pain. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting turned around and Hao Jian smiled faintly, ¡°He¡¯s not being honest so I have to use some tactics. You guys can continue.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The two really did not hesitate to go back in collecting information. Shi Gong Dui covered his legs and burst into tears. He really didn¡¯t dare to provoke Hao Jian any further. There is no more delicate and charming appearance at all in Hao Jian¡¯s murderous look! He glanced at Hao Jian and found that her eyes were still sharp, so he continued to tear up, ¡°I swear I¡¯m only interested in 2D girls!¡± If all the girls outside were like Hao Jian, he felt that he would shrivel up. CH 47 Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t believe that Shi Gong Dui was as weak as Peng Mao just because of Shi Gong Dui¡¯s show of weakness. But now that the rain will soon stop, they will be leaving and they will not have any more entanglements with Shi Gong Dui, so she has to take the time to ask everything she wants to know before leaving. ¡°Where is your refuge base here?¡± ¡°At the airport just seven kilometers away. Almost everyone who heard the evacuation announcement went to the airport. Later, because of a stampede, zombie virus carriers got mixed in, resulting in a sharp rise in the number of deaths and injuries. Later, the escort team learned its lesson and strengthened the airport protection first and then divided all the survivors who had entered their shelter into many parts ¨C each part was set up with isolation fences to form individual camps. This is to ensure that when a zombie appears in the isolation camps, it won¡¯t affect the survivors from other camps. Although the airport is located in a remote area and surrounded by farmland, the view is very good. But many people had gathered there before after all, so there are often hordes of zombies roaming around. Now there are fewer zombies in the city.¡± ¡°These things happened after the communication signal was cut off, how did you know?¡± ¡°Of course I connected to their communication channel by riding in their frequency and overheard it!¡± This time, Hao Jian didn¡¯t say that he was doing something illegal. She pondered for a moment and then asked, ¡°Then, apart from the stampede, has there been any other incidents that caused more serious casualties?¡± Lian Ru Ning had returned to Hao Jian¡¯s side. Hearing her question, she knew that Hao Jian wanted to find out if there were any ¡®Wugui¡¯ forces in the area. Shi Gong Dui¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°I can only occasionally listen to those situations and not all the time, so I really don¡¯t know if there are other incidents.¡± Hao Jian also felt that he could not hope for Shi Gong Dui to know, so she planned to ask one last question, ¡°Do you have a way to contact the escort team in the Southern City?¡± Shi Gong Dui replied, ¡°Southern City is too far away, and the signal I can receive is only half the range of Xinghua City.¡± ¡°What about contacting the them through the official network?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°Sister, if I dare to send a message to the officials, in less than a second, my network here will be completely blocked and the guards can come to my door at any time and take me away and torture me to extract a confession!¡± The corner of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Is that bad? Your food is almost finished anyway. Aren¡¯t you worried that you can¡¯t go to the refuge base? Once the guards come, your safety is also guaranteed.¡± Shi Gong Dui sharply shook his head violently, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go to the refuge base! There are a lot of people there and the conditions are simple. I live here in a more spacious room, why would I go and make things difficult for myself? I live alone, and as long as I don¡¯t make any big noise, I won¡¯t attract any zombie. What about in the refuge base? There are tens of thousands of people crowded together. There¡¯s no entertainment there, let alone a life, not to mention that after the zombies besieged the city, I¡¯ll be nothing more and become a ration!¡± At this time, Peng Mao¡¯s voice came out from the radio, ¡°Hao Jian, the rain is getting lighter.¡± Lian Ru Ning opened the curtains and saw that the sky outside wasn¡¯t as gloomy as before and the rain had also decreased. The time now has shifted to the afternoon and the sun is still nowhere to be found. Hao Jian said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go down first.¡± The three of them went downstairs and Shi Gong Dui curled his lips, closed the door and continued to play on his own. Xin Ting couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I have never seen such a decadent person!¡± From the time they came here to the time they were ready to leave, Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t have any thoughts to resist and cooperated obediently. Even if they wanted to empty the place, he didn¡¯t look like he had any objection. Lian Ru Ning pondered for a moment, ¡°I think he¡¯s actually very smart.¡± Hao Jian nodded, ¡°He deliberately acted weak just to reduce our murderous intent. If he didn¡¯t have soft bones, how did he survive from all those who robbed him of food? Those who robbed him aren¡¯t vicious people in the first place, but just fancied his family¡¯s belongings and food. If he doesn¡¯t resist, those people will naturally not kill him.¡± And Hao Jian also felt that he should still have some reservations. Since he was not willing to say, she also didn¡¯t bother to waste time on him. The rain soon stopped and Hao Jian took the binoculars and looked at the distance. Although the zombies were still one or two kilometers away and didn¡¯t spot them, it was still unconsciously wandering towards their direction. ¡°Pack up and get ready to leave.¡± As soon as the words fell, Shi Gong Dui¡¯ shout came again, He ran downstairs with a ¡®boom boom boom¡¯, and saw Hao Jian and the others who were still there. He couldn¡¯t help but cry, ¡°My internet was blocked, I was found out!¡± ¡°. . . What?¡± Shi Gong Dui hugged his laptop with a look of having a miserable life, ¡°Just a moment ago, after you sent out those messages, the officials seems to have captured the dynamics of my network domain and then took the initiative to launch an attack. Fortunately, I was able to block is quickly, otherwise my location information would¡¯ve been exposed! But my network is completely blocked, what should I do. . .¡± Although they didn¡¯t understand much, they could still guess that a contest between the ¡®hacker¡¯ and the ¡®white guest¡¯ occurred between them. Of course, it was Shi Gong Dui who lost in the end. Although he is an expert in this area, he is now just a shut-in for a year or two after working after all, so naturally he can¡¯t fight against talents at the national level. He being found was to be expected. Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting apologized a little, but Hao Jian¡¯s skin were still very thick, ¡°We are laymen and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, you go and figure it out!¡± Shi Gong Dui pointed at her, ¡°You are heartless, you are cold, and you¡¯re irresponsible!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You discovered her true face in such a short time!¡± Peng Mao said happily. ¡°. . .¡± Shi Gong Dui said, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I can¡¯t access the internet because of you guys. I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t have food, but without 2D girls, my spiritual food is gone. You guys are responsible for me!¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t you have dozens of T resources stored in your computer?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°These are two different things!¡± Peng Mao felt that something was wrong, ¡°Hey, no, even if there¡¯s the internet, people don¡¯t have entertainment broadcast for you to see, ah. You¡¯re deliberately looking for trouble, right? You¡¯re deliberately looking for a fight, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shi Gong Dui shrank back, and Lian Ru Ning felt that they were the ones who got Shi Gong Dui into trouble and it would be a bit unkind to deny it at this time, so she stopped Peng Mao and asked him, ¡°But no one among us understands this and we can¡¯t make up for it. What do you want?¡± Shi Gong Dui¡¯s eyes turned to Hao Jian¡¯s unhappy look and his heart thumped. The words he wanted to say changed as soon as they left his mouth, ¡°The officials will definitely follow the traces to find me here, so it¡¯s no longer safe for me to stay here. You guys send me home, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this your home?¡± ¡°This is the villa my grandfather left me. My family still has a three-bedroom house in Xiang City!¡± ¡°. . .¡± Why is there a strong air of showing off wealth? Hao Jian refused without even thinking, ¡°No. We won¡¯t go to Xiang City.¡± ¡°Lies! I just looked at your browsing records, you checked the situation in Chengxiang, Xiang City, Southern City university, and Nanhai University, so you must be going to Southern City! The university town is not far from Xiang City, you will not purposely bypass Xiang City to go to university town!¡± Hao Jian glanced at Lian Ru Ning, who also looked back at her, and the tacit understanding formed between the two girls. After working together for a long time, it allowed each other to understand that Shi Gong Dui¡¯s behavior was suspicious. They couldn¡¯t believe what Shi Gong Dui said was true. Other than seeing his picture in the bedroom, there was nothing else to prove that this was his home. When Hao Jian asked him about the roadblocks set up by the survivors, his answer was somewhat vague. He only said that the people in the town organized themselves to kill the zombies, not that they had set up roadblocks, so he must have been hiding some truth. Hao Jian asked him to contact the officials, isn¡¯t that a temptation? Shi Gong Dui is avoids going to the refuge base for fear of becoming a ration, however, the level of danger in Xiang City is no less than the Southern City. Not to mention that his home is in the city, even if he went back, how can he live on? In view of all his suspicious behavior, Hao Jian said, ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t take you. However, we can send you to the refuge base in Xinghua City.¡± Shi Gong Dui knew that Hao Jian and the others were completely distrustful of him, so he had to sigh and said, ¡°Alright. it¡¯s not easy for everyone so it¡¯s better to be honest. I¡¯ll tell you the truth!¡± ¡°Ah? Dare I say that what you just told us were all lies?¡± Xin Ting asked in surprise. ¡°Half-truth, half-truth! In fact, the refuge base has long been unsustainable because it has long become an amusement park for zombies.¡± Shi Gong Dui drooped his shoulders. Hao Jian and the others¡¯ expression became solemn, ¡°What happened?¡± As Shi Gong Dui said earlier, the airport was indeed once used as a refuge base by the escort team. In order to prevent the zombie virus from infecting other people, the escort team asked the people to observe and report about each other. This way greatly reduced the risk and the situation at the refuge base quickly stablized. Although Shi Gong Dui was robbed by the nanny and outsiders at the time, he didn¡¯t go because he still had food left over and also disliked the bad environment of the refuge base. Under the sadness, he remembered that he bought a bunch of equipment at that time. The forums said that the arrival of the end times will most likely cut off the internet, electricity, and water. It was really the apocalypse for a person who can not live without the internet, so he spent millions in buying so many equipment. Although the generators and other things were robbed, those people didn¡¯t understand that the really valuable equipment was actually an unremarkable pile of ¡®scrap iron¡¯. Although he entered the official¡¯s LAN, but he still had no access to the government¡¯s secret files. He wanted to keep himself abreast of the government¡¯s movements and also wanted to give himself more means to save his life, so he thought of using these devices that can receive electromagnetic waves within the city to capture the communication band of the military. After debugging and filtering all of the useless signals, he manage to access the frequency band used for military communication. He then learned a lot of news from it, including, ¡®All localities have sent out the new of food shortages to their superiors, requesting for food allocation, and the city¡¯s military will be sent out to the granary to get food,¡¯ and so on. He thought at the time that the country was reliable, but at that time, there were people coming to rob him, so he had to put away the equipment first. After that day, when he received the communication from the military again, he heard the news that the escort team reported to their superiors that they had lost contact with the team who went out and pick up food. Although he didn¡¯t know what happened during that time, he felt that those escorts who lost contact should have been bitten to the bone by the zombies. Then the day before yesterday, he listen to the news that the survivors of the airport refuge base had learned from somewhere that their relief food was gone and that them staying in the refuge base was tantamount to waiting for death. The survivors became angry and wanted to leave the refuge base one after another. However, many zombies had gathered outside and when they opened the gap, the zombies flocked around. . . The military hurriedly sent a signal to the neighboring cities requesting assistance and informing them on the way that someone had tapped into their communications and that their communication lines were no longer secure. Shi Gong Dui thought that the military had found him, he was so frightened that he didn¡¯t dare to move for a long time. But until yesterday, he didn¡¯t find anyone coming to arrest him, so he had the courage to quietly dock into the military¡¯s communication band again. Although there was no signal coming from the military, he picked up a signal coming from the same bandwidth. The content of their conversation had nothing to do with the military. They were discussing how to clear all the zombies in the surrounding dragon houses and then use them as strongholds when starting their operations. They planned to block all the main roads and then finish cleaning up the zombies in Xinghua City, so that this place will become a ¡®paradise¡¯. Although Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t know who they were, he guessed that they were definitely not members of the military. He soon had a question. Why can these people use the military¡¯s communication frequency? Are they not afraid that the military will find out? There is only one answer. They must have obtained the communication tools of the military and 80% of the soldiers of the airport refuge base had already met with an accident. He wasn¡¯t sure about the identity of those people and was skeptical about the identity of the people passing by because he was worried that if he learned these secrets, he would be caught and killed by those people. When Hao Jian and the others came over, it was in what he thought was the ¡®danger of being discovered,¡¯ so he hid upstairs and kept and eye on Hao Jian and the others from the beginning. However, when he heard their initial conversation and accent though the wiretap, he knew that they had just come from outside and were probably different from those people. So he tried to test them by providing them the internet to make sure that they were just ordinary people passing by. Only then did he completely let down his guard and was willing to tell them some truth. But him doing so is tantamount of him exposing himself to the eyes of the government, so he started with the intention of leaving and be entangles with Hao Jian and the others, and right now was a good time to leave. CH 48 ¡°What? You actually installed a wiretap?!¡± Peng Mao jumped. As if being peeped at wasn¡¯t enough, he also eavesdropped on their conversation. Is there any privacy? Shi Gong Dui glanced at Hao Jian, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys find out long ago?!¡± Hao Jian hooked her lips, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to keep an eye out.¡± ¡°You exposed yourself just to test us, is that okay?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. ¡°I was already sure that you guys weren¡¯t with that group of people before I tested you. If I wasn¡¯t sure, I wouldn¡¯t have let you know what I was doing.¡± Shi Gong Dui replied. ¡°Then it seems that you said that the people in towns and villages spontaneously organized themselves to clean up the zombies and create a paradise is also fake? You knew who set up the roadblocks and you also knew that they said they set up the roadblocks to prevent outsiders from carrying the virus in. But in fact, it¡¯s to prevent any more military personnel from coming in and support the soldiers! As long as the military doesn¡¯t come, then they will have the final say in Xinghua City.¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. Just like the people in the refuge base are being used the people in the towns and those people have reached an agreement. In order to survive, it¡¯s normal to know the current affairs.¡± Hao Jian sneered, ¡°You didn¡¯t say the truth before, are you not afraid that we¡¯ll go to the refuge base after listening to you?¡± Shi Gong Dui muttered, ¡°I think you came from a different place and it¡¯s not like you need to go to the refuge base to seek refuge. . . besides, I¡¯m not familiar with you. What does it matter to me whether you go to the refuge base or not?¡± He was acting normal, so Lian Ru Ning asked, ¡°Then why are you willing to tell us now?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not bad people. You didn¡¯t rob me of my food and didn¡¯t hurt my life. If you ran into the zombie nest because of me, I would be uneasy.¡± As for why Shi Gong Dui wasn¡¯t willing to help Hao Jian contact the government, he also had his own concerns, ¡°I always thought that those people who went to get food lost contact because they were attacked by zombies on the way and were killed, but after the panic at the airport refuge base that was caused by the ¡®no food¡¯ rumor, I think things aren¡¯t that simple. The escort team had said that their communications were bugged and it was unlikely that they were referring to me, because although I bugged them, I didn¡¯t use their bandwidth, so it would be someone else that bugged them and accidentally used the government¡¯s bandwidth which they found out. Finally, since I can eavesdrop on the military¡¯s communications, others have the same means to detect me contacting the government. If they knew my existence, I don¡¯t even know how I¡¯ll die!¡± Although he didn¡¯t let the officials trace his IP for the time being, this matter will still be found out sooner or later. Those people will also know his existence sooner or later and come at his door, then it will be difficult for him to leave again. Hao Jian didn¡¯t show her attitude, but still asked, ¡°The place you¡¯re going, why in Xiang City?¡± Shi Gong Dui said that is was because he initially believed in eschatology, but the people in the forums also seriously discussed the issue regarding survival supplies. Under the impulse to rely on his inheritance a litt le more, even if he spends a few million, the remaining assets will continue to be invested so there won¡¯t be any loss at all, then he really began to purchase supplies. He initially didn¡¯t consider the long uninhabited house in the city, but then he remembered the saying, ¡®a cunning rabbit has three caves.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t put all his hopes here, so six months ago, he began to hoard a bunch of things and placed it there one after another. He thought that his parents don¡¯t often return there so he hid things there in the name of renovation to not attract any attention. When the once-a-week nanny was also driven away, he also changed the lock. The reason why he didn¡¯t rent the house was because if he didn¡¯t live there at all, it will provoke suspicion. During that time, he went out particularly often. His parents thought that he had become enlightened, but it turned out that he went out to stockpile a lot of supplies and made them mad. They thought that he had gone out frequently just to do these things. After the end of the world, his thoughts are also simple. There is enough food for him to eat for several years in there anyway. Until then, the zombies may be gone. If this place unfortunately falls, he still has food in Xiang City, right? Besides, if someone accidentally pryed the door and found those supplies, he also considers it that he has done a good think and doesn¡¯t think it would be too bad. However. . . ¡°Your home is in the city,¡± Hao Jian reminded. ¡°There are especially many zombies in the urban areas. You can¡¯t break through.¡± Xin Ting added. Although Lian Ru Ning felt that it was also quite difficult for her to return to the Southern CIty, she still kindly reminded Shi Gong Dui, ¡°The situation outside is not as good as you imagined. You should be mentally prepared.¡± Shi Gong Dui said, ¡± I know, but although my house is in the urab area, the downtown area of Xiang City is actually an oldy city that was developed at the beginning and it¡¯s a bit behind than the emerging districts, so I think the danger shouldn¡¯t be that great.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work either.¡± Hao Jian objected. Shi Gong Dui glared at her, a little annoyed, ¡°I have told you everything I know. I even shared my own observations to you, why are you still not willing to believe me?¡± ¡°This big brother, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re unwilling to believe you, but. . . how long have you not bather? Our car is small and can¡¯t accommodate you. Of course, you can sit on the roof if you can, it just so happens that we can use the natural fresh air to help you dissipate the smell.¡± Shi Gong Dui smelled himself, only to smell a sour odor. He thought about it and in the past few days, in order to keep people from finding out that he lives here, he didn¡¯t open and fans or turn on the air conditioning. . . ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower right away. I¡¯ll clean myself up, It should be fine, right?¡± Shi Gong Dui immediately ran upstairs, turning his head upon arrive at the corner and stared at Hao Jian and the others, ¡°You keep your word, don¡¯t leave me behind and run away!¡± When he went upstairs, Lian Ru Ning saw Hao Jian walking out so she followed her out, ¡°Do you really believe him?¡± Hao Jian used the cloth she took from the house to clean the water stains on the driver¡¯s seat and checked the car from the inside out, sniffed, and said, ¡°I checked before, he does have those devices in his room, but i only believe 50% of his words.¡± Fifty percent is already a lot. Shi Gong Dui was different from Xin Ting and Peng Mao, he knew too much and hid too much at first, so no matter how much truth he told, Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t trust him completely. She and Lian Ru Ning are both people who have experienced the ¡®Conference Center Incdent¡¯in Jiang City, and they also me that ¡®Wugui¡¯ which was originally a pyramid scheme, now has t he ambition to seize power. Their key members and followers are a group of people who have no moral bottom line, so no can predict what kind of cruel things they can and will do. There will be more ambitious people like them who want to take advantage of the chaos and make a fortune with no regard to morality and law. So even though what happened at the airport in Xinghua city was probably not done by ¡®Wugui¡¯. there are already people who have the idea of controlling Xinghua City. They plan to take advantage of the chaos outside since the government wouldn¡¯t have time to control them, so they planned to dominate here. The military members in Xinghua City will only be less than in Jiang City, and if there¡¯s only one refuge base at the airport, their target of attack will also be more concentrated. ¡°Those of Shi Gong Dui are flawless, but according to him, he received the news that the escort team members who transported food lost contact on August 1. Do you remember what happened that day?¡± Hao Jian asked. Lian Ru Ning thought for a moment, ¡°That day, we just arrived at Jianxin island refuge base in Jiang CIty, and according to what Chen Zhao said later on, it was also the day that something happened at the Civic Park and Convetion Center.¡± ¡°Yes, we know nothing about whether the incident at Xinghua City airport refuge base was done by ¡®Wugui¡¯ or other people who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to seize power, but based on how those people at the airport refuge base operate, it is highly likely that it¡¯s the handiwork of ¡®Wugui¡¯. ¡°If it was done by ¡®Wugui¡¯, then was the date of this accident because of coincidence, or because they had agreed on it? If it wasn¡¯t coincidence, then what did they rely on to contact each other in order to achieve synchronization?¡± In terms of the timeline, on August 1, the military in Xinghua City found out that they lost contact with the food transport team, and the evacuation base on Jiang City Convention Center lost contact. On August 2, the same incident happened in the evacuation base in Xinghua City Airport just like what happened in Civic Park and Convention Center in Jiang City. Although what happened on the two cities happened on the same day, but according to the order of events, the Conference Center in Jiang City was occupied first before the incident in the airport refuge base in Xinghua city occurred. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning thought of the same thing, ¡°This can¡¯t be a coincidence. Why didn¡¯t the same incident of the losing contact with the food transport team happen before the incident in the Convention Center in Jiang City?¡± Hao Jian personally guessed that it was because there were traitors in the military team in Jiang City, and because of the role of the traitors, it allowed the ¡®Wugui¡¯ to skip the step in hijacking the food transport team.¡± Then relatively, they can at least be sure that there is no traitor in the military team in Xinghua CIty. However, if the operation of the food transportation team in Xinghua City was leaked, either the government¡¯s communication was bugged ¨C as was the case according to Shi Gong Dui ¨C or there was a key member of ¡®Wugui¡¯ that is in the upper echelon of the government¡¯s hierarchy, and this upper echelon directly contacted the traitors of the escort team in Jiang City and the members of ¡®Wugui¡¯ in Xinghua City. ¡°To be able to plan such a big event, it must be more than just the cooperation sought between the two ¡®Wugui¡¯ small sects. There should be someone from the top that holds the unified command.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t the ¡®Xiangshu¡¯ Lei Mu of the Jiang City¡¯s small branch religion say that he wasn¡¯t taken seriously in the first place, so he came up with that kind of method?¡± Lian Ru Ning was a little puzzled. ¡°COmined with what happened here, he should not have spilled the whole truth. he is most likely hiding his superiors.¡± On August 2, the escort team of Xinghua City had sent a warning tot he neighboring cities, namely Jiang CIty and Chengxiang. But at the time, the communications have already fallen in the Conference Center, so neither Yu Jiyou nor the commander of the Jiangxin island refuge base Yi Gao knew that something had happened in Xinghua City. When the matter of the conference center was resolved, the military in Xinghua City couldn¡¯t be contacted instead. Lian Ru Ning sighed, ¡°It would be good if we could contact commander Yi Gao. We could inform them of what happened here.¡± Seeing her worried face, Hao Jian couldn¡¯t help but lightly laugh and touch the tip of Lian Ru Ning¡¯s nose, ¡°All of this speculation is based on the fact whether Shi Gong Dui is telling the truth. Let¡¯s just believe that he¡¯s telling the truth, but don¡¯t forget that Yi Gao and An Minghui are not green.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s actions was subconscious, but Lian Ru Ning froze and her eyes stared at her unblinkingly. ¡°What?¡± Hao Jian looked back at her. The moment their eyes met, both of their hearts pounded for a moment. Worried that the other party might see what she was thinking, Lian Ru Ning hastily shifted her gaze, ¡°Nothing. Tell mem what do you think about Shi Gong Dui?¡± However, Hao Jian still stared at her. She even tilted her head, looking for Lian Ru Ning¡¯s gaze again. ¡°My opinion of him? His words are flawless and his ability is too outstanding, so I don¡¯t dare to trust him completely. He could be an ¡®electronic information engineer¡¯ as he calls himself, or he could also be one of those people who are responsible for monitoring government communications and passing messages to them as a spy.¡± ¡°Then why bring him along?¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that with Hao Jian¡¯s personality, if the other party did not gain her trust and had no use, she wouldn¡¯t keep such a person. ¡°Whether he¡¯s a human or a ghost, we¡¯ll know when we take a look. And since he can debug communication devices, then we can ask him to help us hack the university town¡¯s education system and check if your parents have logged into the school¡¯s system during the zombie virus outbreak when we get to Southern City. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes narrowed and immediately revealed a touch of brilliance. She didn¡¯t think to this level at all, but. . . ¡°He¡¯s going to Xiang City. Is he willing to come with us to Southern City?¡± Hao Jian looked at her and revealed a cunning smile, ¡°Since he voluntarily got into my car, is it sill up to him to decide where he would go?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning thought secretly, thinking that Hao Jian is so domineering, but why does she feel some inexplicable joy? It seems that she has also ¡®turned bad¡¯ in the apocalypse. CH 49 Shi Gong Dui took a shower at almost the fastest speed he had ever used in his life. To make himself look clean after washing, he deliberately took out his nearly expired perfume and sprayed it on. He then shaved his beard clean and changed into clean clothes. ¡°All right!¡± He hurried downstairs, carrying a super-sized backpack, and was relieved to see that Hao Jian and the other had indeed not left yet. After shaving off his beard, and changed into clean clothes, he did look younger than before, but his sloppy hair and white-rimmed glasses still made him look a little older. ¡°You brought so many things that can¡¯t fit in the car, what are they?¡± Peng Mao asked. His heart is actually a bit dissatisfied. He was originally the only man in the team and is usually used as a facade, but in the end, a fat man came. Won¡¯t Hao Jian and the others think that he¡¯s useless? He opened Shi Gong Dui¡¯s backpack to take a look. It was all figurines aside from some of his snacks. ¡°What did you bring these for? You can¡¯t eat them!¡± Shi Gong Dui snatched his Hatsune back from his hands and said, ¡°Do you know how much money I spend on these figurines?! This is my lifeblood!¡± Hao Jian knocked on the roof of the car, ¡°You guys go up and move the equipment down and load them into the trunk. Hurry up, there are zombies coming.¡± When the two heard this, they rushed upstairs to work. Xin Ting glanced at Shi Gong Dui¡¯s backpack and said, ¡°He has a lot of snacks.¡± There are at least three bottles of Coke, potato chips, pineapple crisp, cookies, chicken legs. . . and only one set of his clothes, while the rest are all kinds of figurines. When Shi Gong Dui was ready to get into the car, Peng Mao squeezed into the car before him, preventing him from getting close to Xin Ting. He said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re discriminating!¡± To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com Xin Ting smiled awkwardly, ¡°This is good.¡± She actually preferred Peng Mao to sit next to her than to let Shi Gong Dui sit next to her. Shi Gong Dui had no choice but to get into the car, but his big backpack really took up a lot of space, and in the end, under the pressure of everyone, he reluctantly left all of his figurines at home except for his Hatsune figurines. Even so, he and Peng Mao were two big men that still squeezed Xin Ting to the side, and finally, Lian Ru Ning transferred Shi Gong Dui into the passenger seat while she sat behind Hao Jian and Peng Mao sat on the right, making things a little easier. After dawdling for so long, it was already getting late. Fortunately, after the rain subsided, the dark clouds also disappeared and the sky was blue again. The nighttime during summer comes a little slower and they have at least three to four hours before the sky completely darkens. By this time, they need to hurry to find a relatively safe place. The reason why Hao Jian didn¡¯t think it was safe is that after listening to Shi Gong Dui, she thought that there were dragon houses within a few kilometers. When they drove by, the people in the surrounding dragon houses must have been aware of the commotion. It was raining heavily before, so they didn¡¯t come over to investigate. But now that the rain has stopped, no one knows if they will organize people to come over to the Shi family¡¯s villa and look for them. If the gentleman doesn¡¯t erect a dangerous wall, the Shi¡¯s family villa is no longer safe. She had already removed the license plate with the model mark and used mud to make the car shell dirty. This is to prevent the other party from informing their companions elsewhere of the original license plate and model number that could lead to the other party intercepting them everywhere. Hao Jian has always been cautious in what she does. Seeing this, Shi Gong Dui said, ¡°Sister, when I look at your handwriting, I can tell that you¡¯re also a person who¡¯s been through a lot of battles, but I still don¡¯t know what you do!¡± Hao Jian squinted at him and smirked, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m easy to take advantage of?¡± ¡°I thought we were friends.¡± Hao Jian was merciless, ¡°You¡¯re not qualified enough.¡± Shi Gong Dui was not upset, but heartlessly took out his potato chips and ate them, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Hao Jian like them? Or Classmate Hao? Hao Jian, Hao Jian, your father¡¯s name is really good.¡± ¡°When and where. The name your father gave is outstanding.¡± Shi Gong Dui kept talking and Peng Mao couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and snatched his potato chips, ¡°Contractor, since you want to hitchhike, you have to obey our rules!¡± ¡°Who are you calling? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Contractor, you! The boss of the contribution team, the contractor. Don¡¯t you think it fits your image?¡± To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com Shi Gong Dui wanted to fight with him, however, considering that he was still in the car, he had to give up. Peng Mao handed the potato chips to Lian Ru ning and said majestically, ¡°Here, Miss Lian is the boss. We have to listen to whatever she says! If you want to follow us, you also have to pay the security management fee!¡± When Shi Gong Dui listened to the first half of the sentence, he suddenly looked at Lian Ru Ning with some surprise. He had guessed before that Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were some students, but among these people, Lian Ru Ning looked the youngest. He didn¡¯t expect her to be the most prestigious among these people. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s the security management fee?¡± ¡°Do you understand the protection fee? We all paid it and if you don¡¯t have money, you have to come up with something valuable and hand them over.¡± The three girls listened to Peng Mao snubbing Shi Gong Dui who didn¡¯t speak. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t want to eat snacks and didn¡¯t have the heart to discuss food with them, so she returned the snacks to Shi Gong Dui while Xin Ting adjusted their strategy according to the new information they received. ¡°We can¡¯t go to the airport, so all the routes in that area have to be avoided, and the towns and villages with dragon houses are not safe to settle down, so our route can only be like this. . .¡± ¡°Look at how kind the students are!¡± Shi Gong Dui listened from the side and was feeling very grateful that he had chosen to go all the way with them ¨C since they have the courage to go to Southern City, they must have confidence. Looking at it now, they¡¯re all prepared, not fighting unprepared battles, reliable! Xin Ting suddenly thought, ¡°Mr. Shi is from here, I wonder if he¡¯s familiar with the surrounding towns?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been out of the house for a long time and I may not know the situation as well as you guys do.¡± After finishing his speech, Shi Gong Dui suddenly said with a smile, ¡°Xiao Ting, you calling me Mr Shi is quite uncomfortable. I have to last names, so you can call me Old Shi or Old Gong.¡± Peng Mao was very dissatisfied with Shi Gong Dui¡¯s way of always taking advantage of others with his mouth. He stretched out a fist and landed it on his head, ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t dare to clean you up?¡± He didn¡¯t use much force and Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t feel any pain, but he was caught off guard. Shi Gong Dui angrily turned around to have a man-to-man duel with Peng Mao, but when he saw his opponent¡¯s muscles, he could only say, ¡°If you have the ability, get out of the car, and let¡¯s go fight!¡± He knew that Hao Jian was unlikely to park the car, and by the time they do get out of the car, Peng Mao might not remember the incident. Peng Mao naturally didn¡¯t know that he was such a chicken thief because Hao Jian¡¯s sharp turn prevented them from continuing to argue. Within Hao Jian and the other¡¯s sight, some dragon houses appeared one after another. They thought that they only blocked the main road and discovered that the original town road wasn¡¯t blocked, the main road was. Just like the relationship between countless branches and tree trunks, several town roads converge on the county road in Yonghe town. Pieces of signboards or stoned laid across the road, leaving space only enough for two-wheeled vehicles. Hao Jian had already seen the gaze from behind the fence and she didn¡¯t want to bother those people, so she made a U-turn and turned onto another county road. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve really blosked the main road. It seems that we can only take the long way around.¡± Lian Ru Ning frowned. Shi Gong Dui, however, turned on his laptop and a small box, then said to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Classmate Lian, first lend me your walkie-talkie.¡± Hao Jian recognized that small box. She found something si,ilar inside the communication equipment room of the conference center. She freed her hand and tossed her walkie-talkie that was on her body to him, ¡°Use mine.¡± Not being able to successfully talk to Lian Ru Ning, Shi Gong Dui secretly grimaced. But after receiving the walkie-talkie, he didn¡¯y sell himself short. While tinkering with the equipment in his hand, he explained to Lian Ru Ning, ¡°I can listen to them using wireless devices before. With this wireless walkie-talkie, it¡¯s easy for me to monitor them!¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled and said nothing while Hao Jian just glanced at him, ¡°Yes, if you can do it, you will fight Peng Mao one-on-one after getting off the car. I will let him make you three moves.¡± ¡°. . . . .¡± Shi Gong Dui heard Hao Jian¡¯s teasing and thought about it. He didn¡¯t seem to have provoked Hao Jian, so why does she always get in the way of him using his personality to conquer the hearts of the two other girls? Then he did it. However, with the main equipment in the trunk and not operational, his speed was much slower. After debugging for about half an hour, the car passed several large mountains on the county road, and only a faint sound came from the intercom. The sound wasn¡¯t clear and was a bit intermittent, which was the same as having poor phone signals that caused calls to go unsmoothly. ¡°The frequency band used by this wireless intercom is civilian. Each brand of walkie-talkies has its fixed frequency, but with my frequency tuning on this intercom¡¯s frequency, this walkie-talkie¡¯s frequency and sub-tone can connect to the military signal bandwidth. Together with my radio, the farthest I can dock to is within a range of 8 kilometers. My computer still saves the data of each frequency band in their intercoms. But if there is a car with a wireless intercom, that would be great. That thing can pick up communication frequencies up to 20 kilometers.¡± Lian Ru Ning and the girls showed a look of ¡®unawareness¡¯ which made Shi Gong Dui gain great satisfaction. However, Lian Ru Ning asked him, ¡°If you¡¯re so good, why did you want to be a shut-in?¡± Shi Gong Dui retorted, ¡°I may be a shut-in, but I haven¡¯t lost my expertise!¡± ¡°Without making contributions, no matter how much professional knowledge you ave, it¡¯s just a lonely appreciation.¡± Shi Gong Dui couldn¡¯t refute. However, Lian Ru Ning has never been a person who discourages others, so she gave him another sweet date, ¡°But I¡¯m glad you joined us, otherwise, we would have been ignorant of the dangers that¡¯s lurking around us along the way.¡± Hearing this, Shi Gong Dui¡¯s confidence greatly increased. If it were not for the conversation coming out from the intercom, he was afraid that he couldn¡¯t help himself and start bragging to Lian Ru Ning about himself. ¡°Y356 has not received, Y377 here did not find the car you said ah!¡± ¡°G295 didn¡¯t find it either.¡± ¡°Is there any manpower arranged over there on Huxiang road?¡± These people didn¡¯t use professional words and it was obvious that they were amateurs at first glance, so they couldn¡¯t be people from the government. But listening to their conversation, it seemed that they really were looking for them and they had caught the attention of those people. Someone started talking, ¡°Are they ordinary people passing by from somewhere else? I think it¡¯s possible that they came from Jiang City¡¯s direction.¡± ¡°Are there ordinary people hanging around at a time like this? Even if it¡¯s an ordinary person, we still have to find out the details, and it would be great if we could bring some information from other places.¡± Xinghua is such a big city and we haven¡¯t arranged our own people on many small highways, so how can we find them!¡± ¡°There are only a few main roads that enter the basin from he east. unless they don¡¯t pass through here, even if they want to take a detour, they have to take the side road!¡± ¡°Hey, could they have gone to the airport?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Going to the airport is suicide!¡± ¡°They came from outside, they don¡¯t know the situation on the airport!¡± Hao Jian did get a few pieces of information from their conversation, ¡°First, they did not set up an interception point on the airport road. Second, they were not able to obtain a lot of intelligence coming from the outside. Three, they said their own people, so it seems that they did cooperate with a part of the towns people, but they don¡¯t treat the towns people as their own.¡± Lian Ru Ning knew what Hao Jian meant and pondered for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s reasonable to say that if they have such a great ability to destroy the military, then how can they not know the situation outside? Unless you say. . .¡± CH 50 ¡°Unless what?¡± Xin Ting and Peng Mao both asked nervously. ¡°Unless their behavior has caught the attention of high government officials and the authorities have made corresponding countermeasures. They may even have blocked their intelligence sources so that they are slightly behind in their news.¡± Lian Ru Ning deduced. Shi Gong Dui was confused, ¡°Hey, I have always had a question. You seem to know quite a lot about the origin of those people, who are they?¡± Hao Jian looked at him with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve been eavesdropping on the military¡¯s communications for so long yet you haven¡¯t heard of them?¡± Shi Gong Dui said, ¡°I can¡¯t pick up their channels all the time. You must know that there are many channels they use to communicate with, is it strange that I don¡¯t know their identity?¡± Hao Jian smiled and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t speak either. She took out the binoculars and observed the situation on their left and right. It was Xin Ting who kindly explained to Shi Gong Dui, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what kind of people you¡¯re talking about, but we met a group of cultists in Jiang City who calls themselves ¡®Wugui¡¯ and they have used the same method to attack the military.¡± Shi Gong Dui was startled and replied, ¡°Holy shit. There really is a cult out there! But it¡¯s not surprising. in times of peace, cults have been popping up all over the place, let alone in this chaotic world now. Hey, it seems you guys know a lot too!¡± Seeing that Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had no intention of speaking up, Xin Ting picked out some unimportant things to say. However, she didn¡¯t know much. Everything she knew about¡¯Wugui¡¯ came from Lian Ru Ning and she didn¡¯t know what role Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian played in it. ¡°Then how is the refugee base in Jiang city now?¡± Xin Ting shook her head, ¡°There should be no problem. We came out early and didn¡¯t receive any news from there.¡± Shi Gong Dui sighed, ¡°So don¡¯t put your eggs in the same basket. Like our Xinghua city, although the place is large, the population is small so the number of public security teams is also small. There is not enough manpower to disperse and organize a refugee base. They can only gather people in one place. In addition to the soldiers, those grassroots police and civil servants are also missing. I think most of them are in trouble.¡± After gossiping for a while, they turned the topic back to business. Xin Ting asked Hao Jian, ¡°There is no interception on the airport road, so can we pass through the airport road?¡± ¡°The reason why they gave up the airport road means that the airport side is dangerous and they don¡¯t feel the need to set up an interceptor at all.¡± ¡°Shall we pass through the outer perimeter?¡± Shi Gong Dui asked. ¡°There isn¡¯t enough fuel to support us to pass through from the outer perimeter.¡± Hao Jian reminded. Her words startled the crowd, ¡°How far can we go?¡± When they found this car at the time, the gasoline was transferred from another car and was not filled to the brim because of time constraints. According to the car¡¯s fuel consumption rate, it can only travel more than 200 kilometers at most without high-speed driving. But when they were driving from Jiang City, the distance from Jiang CIty to Shi Gong Dui¡¯s house, the car traveled no more than two hundred kilometers, but it was still more than a hundred kilometers away. The remaining amount of fuel they have won¡¯t support them to reach Chengxiang if they detour. So either they find a gas station to refuel, or they give up the detour and directly pass through the city and increase their chances of getting spotted. Because no one could come up with a safe route, the atmosphere became dull. Suddenly, Hao Jian asked Shi Gong Dui an irrelevant question, ¡°Has there been a power outage in Xianghua City?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shi Gong Dui almost couldn¡¯t react, ¡°It was after shopping for two or three days. Fortunately, I prepared a generator, but it didn¡¯t take long for it to be robbed by those people. Then the power supply was restored and I didn¡¯t care about those generators.¡± Hao Jian met Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes through the rearview mirror, and the corners of her lips curved, ¡°Little junior sister, find out where the power plants here.¡± Xin Ting, Peng Mao, and Shi Gong Dui are a little unclear. They were just talking about which route is better to take, why suddenly wanting to check where the power plant is? It¡¯s not easy to find a place using the offline map. One needs to zoom in and zoom out to find, it¡¯s time-consuming and laborious. If one stares at their phone for a long time, it could damage the eyes. But generally, these power plants will be built in the suburbs, close to places where there are coal resources and water power, so Lian Ru Ning set a few directions to find. Hao Jian didn¡¯t rush her but galloped along the road provided by the system map. Shi Gong Dui looked at the familiar scenery and road signs around them. His eyes instantly widened, ¡°If I remember correctly when I flew back last time, isn¡¯t this the road going to the airport? You want to go to the airport?!¡± Hao Jian nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Holy shit, you guys are going to die. Don¡¯t involve me, I¡¯m not going, I¡¯m not going with you guys!¡± Hao Jian stopped the car, ¡°Then get off!¡± ¡°. . . .¡± Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t expect Hao Jian to be so temperamental. He pointed to the zombies in front of him, his body slid down, ¡°I, I was just talking nonsense in a pain. Generous Lord, don¡¯t take it seriously ah! It doesn¡¯t seem to be safe outside, hurry up and drive. . . ¡° Before the zombies a few meters ahead rushed over, Hao Jian started the car again and accelerated, hitting the zombies and ran over them. She deliberately aimed for the neck to run over and the system¡¯s notification for killing zombies popped out of her mind at the same time. ¡°Cruel!¡± Shi Gong Dui slandered. Among these people, is the boss really Lian Ru Ning? If Hao Jian is already this cruel, how more cruel would Lian Ru Ning be?! However, like Lian Ru Ning¡¯s innocent and lovely appearance, perhaps she¡¯s responsible for intellectual output? Such a delicate appearance is the setting of the boss of a team. If he throws himself in her arms, it would feel a bit sensational when he thinks about it. Shi Gong Dui only dared to secretly make up his mind. If Hao Jian found out that he was thinking about this, Hao Jian might really pry his head off. To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com Lian Ru Ning found information about the power plants in Xinghua City, ¡°Xinghua City has two power plants, one is in Heshui Town ¨C a hydropower station built using a reservoir. The other is in Luoxin Town, more than 30 kilometers away. Heshui Hydropower station is only sixteen kilometers from the airport and thirteen kilometers from the city.¡± ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re going to Heshui Hydropower Station.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shi Gong Dui asked that everyone else wanted to know. With Lian Ru Ning¡¯s quick thinking, she immediately followed Hao Jian¡¯s line of thought, ¡°If I remember correctly, there was a time when the power went out after the chaos caused by the appearance of zombies. Later, when the electricity was restored in Jiang City, the power supply was also based on the time period and the power used by the refugee base was also very restrained. This means that some power plants have resumed power supply, but because of the lack of manpower, they can¡¯t cover a large area and provide an uninterrupted power supply. The force that can quickly organize the operation of power plants in such a short period of time are most likely the government, or possibly even a military team dispatched to the power plants.¡± Once she said that the crowd understood, ¡°Xinghua City still has electricity so far, so the hydropower station or the power plant must still be operating. If we can find the military team station in the hydropower station, then we can figure out what is happening in Xinghua City and we can also use their power to find a way to leave Xinghua City!¡± ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really smart!¡± Shi Gong Dui praised Lian Ru Ning, really worthy of being the brains of the group! ¡°But the incident in the airport, can the military team of the hydropower station know?¡± Peng Mao asked. Hao Jian shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if there is an escort team at the hydropower station, but I don¡¯t think those people can stretch their influence that far.¡± The area of Xinghua City, not including the mountainous part, is about four or five hundred square kilometers. She doesn¡¯t believe that evil forces, including ¡®Wugui¡¯, could infiltrate every corner. They were able to destroy the airport refugee base by ¡®spreading rumors and causing panic.¡¯ Even if they dismantle the refugee base¡¯s soldiers, they won¡¯t be able to guide the townspeople. And did the guards really disappear? Hao Jian felt that this wasn¡¯t the case. Just as An Minghui gave an order to retreat after they rescued Yu Jiyou and the others, the soldiers didn¡¯t necessarily die when they guarded the airport. The reason why Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t receive the signal from the military again was probably that they knew that someone was eavesdropping and used an encrypted band communication. So if the hydropower station there really has soldiers, their failure to respond would be enough to show that the airport military team has retreated, and there was no need for them to go to the airport for support. And those evil forces who use the dragon houses as their stronghold, they¡¯re worried that the soldiers will fight back, so they chose such houses that are easy to defend but difficult to attack. They also chose the main arterial road at the edge of the basin to be ready to evacuate at any time? If she hadn¡¯t experienced the ¡®conference center incident¡¯ and learned about the diversity of means of communication between the military, she might have been ignorant of the enemy¡¯s situation today. ¡°We can¡¯t underestimate the power of the state, and we have to believe that there is a way for cars to reach the mountain.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s remarks really made people feel at ease. As for whether the people in the hydropower station is a friend or for, it will be clear when they go there. Lian Ru Ning felt that Hao Jian¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t that simple, but considering that now wasn¡¯t the time to look any deeper, she didn¡¯t ask. The air after the rain should have been very fresh, but Hao Jian and the girls smelled the stench of rotting corpses against the wind. The car drove against the sunset and the afterglow of summer. The spacious roads and the zombies wandering around created a scene of the apocalypse that seemed to be harmonious and calm, but actually a hidden crisis. There are not many buildings around the airport. They¡¯re basically farmland, but there are still some residential and commercial buildings along the airport road. If the airport area is a city, then this has undoubtedly become a deserted city; wandering zombies, cars burned to the ground by fire, small stores with twisted and deformed roll-up doors and broken windows, etc. There is no sign of the living. ¡°The road conditions over there are okay, there are no vehicles in the way. It¡¯s just that the surrounding area is not very good.¡± Lian Ru Ning said while looking through the binoculars and gave Hao Jian a warning. Of course, Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t risk passing through the airport road, there were still many small roads near the airport road. As long as those people didn¡¯t set up roadblocks on the airport road, she wasn¡¯t worried about not being able to reach the Heishu power plant. In this area, they didn¡¯t hear anyone talking through the other side of the intercom, so they judged that ¡®Wugui¡¯ didn¡¯t place anyone in this area. ¡°They probably didn¡¯t expect us to have a map and be able to listen to their conversations!¡± Peng Mao smiled. ¡°But this will also increase their suspicions.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s slender index finger tapped the steering wheel, ¡°If we can¡¯t monitor their conversation, under normal circumstances, we can only try one road at a time, so there will always be times when they run into us. But we suddenly disappeared within their monitoring range. If you were them, what would you think?¡± Of course, no one could¡¯ve imagined that there was a living map in Hao Jian¡¯s mind. ¡°I would wonder if these people are government officials. Only government people have the ability to avoid their reconnaissance.¡± Lian Ru Ning said. ¡°Then don¡¯t fall into their hands, otherwise, they definitely won¡¯t believe that we don¡¯t know anything. They may even torture us to extract a confession!¡± Shi Gong Dui said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t know anything about wiretapping technology.¡± Hao Jian smiled slightly. ¡°. . .¡± Shi Gong Dui, who felt that he was the one who¡¯ll most likely be targeted, cursed foully at the heavens. Hao Jian turned the car to the side road, around the airport road, despite this, the zombies that appeared here were several times more than the previous section. And the day was about to enter the night, making these zombies seemed unusually excited and active. It was Shi Gong Dui¡¯s first time to face so many zombies. Before he hid at home, he learned about them through the internet or official videos. Seeing so many zombies at such close range, it was as if the death god¡¯s scythe was resting on his neck and he got goosebumps all over his body. He didn¡¯t know what he was thinking that he held his laptop for a while before playing a song on the computer. Hao Jian and the others heard the same singing from the airport¡¯s radio from far away. Shi Gong Dui breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Although the aviation system at the airport is too tight, I can¡¯t even touch the door. But the airport¡¯s radio is remote-controlled. In this state, it¡¯s difficult to check whether the fault self-monitoring system is still working or not. I just wanted to try, I didn¡¯t expect it to actually work!¡± Seeing all the zombies in the distance running towards the airport, Peng Mao changed his attitude of hating him and said, ¡°Good job, contractor man!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®contractor¡¯!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with contractor man!¡± As the threats surrounding them diminished, their journey towards the Heishu Hydropower Station became much smoother. Not long after, they saw a dam standing like a high wall in the middle of the lush mountains. With the water jetting out from the gate and rushing downstream along the Xinghua river. The hydropower station is here! CH 51 The hydroelectric power plant is behind the dam and the left half of the dam being the spillway section ¨C where the water spills out of the gates. Below the high dam on the right is the control station of the hydropower plant, which can only be accessed through the access road. There is a neatly built road along the steep mountain to the left and right of the power plant along the steep mountain, but they¡¯re all roads going to other places along the reservoir. If one wants to enter the hydropower plant, there is only one way to go. But that only road is now set up with a nearly three meters high power grid. Many zombies tried to cross the grid one after another, but the electric current started to appear on their bodies. Although they didn¡¯t feel any pain while screaming towards the back of the grid, that is the hydropower station, they slowly burned to the point of incapacitation. Some zombies rolled down the lower reaches of the reservoir due to crowding and were washed away by the rolling river. All in all, even if no one is watching, no zombie can get past this layer of protection. Hao Jian retracted the telescope and gave it to Lian Ru Ning next to her. Xin Ting impatiently asked, ¡°Well, did you see anyone?¡± ¡°Yes, there are four people wearing military uniforms outside, armed with guns. The situation inside the factory isn¡¯t clear, whether it¡¯s the road into the plant or the two roads along the reservoir, they¡¯re all blocked. The place is surrounded by zombies is the only entrance.¡± Hao Jian glanced at the power grid in front and felt that the guards were very cautious. They also blocked the two highways along the reservoir to prevent zombies and people with ulterior motives. ¡°Then, how do we get in?¡± Hao Jian touched his chin, ¡°The role of the reservoir is not only to generate electricity but also farming and livestock. If there is river farming, it means that there are other ways to get in. However, we may need to detour and the guards may also have set up a power grid over there.¡± Lian Ru Ning also confirmed the situation at the power station, ¡°We should be cautious based on the pretense that the other party is a ¡®Wugui¡¯ person. if the other party is really a soldier, then we don¡¯t have to be so sneaky. The place where the power grid is set should have cameras to monitor the situation around. We can go over and take a look.¡± Hao Jian looked at her with a smile, making the temperature of her face suddenly rise. ¡°You¡ª¡° ¡°Little sister is right!¡± Hao Jian took Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hand, ¡°So, let¡¯s go back to Peng Mao and the others now! It¡¯s getting dark too.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s hands now had some calluses and were not as soft as it was then, yet Lian Ru Ning still remembered the strength and the softness they felt when they first held hands. If it wasn¡¯t for Xin Ting on the side, she really wanted to ask Hao Jian why she liked holding her hand so much now. Although she doesn¡¯t hate being held by her hand, she wants to know what kind of mood Hao Jian is in to hold her hand. Xin Ting looked back and found that these two were leaving, so she hurriedly followed. She accidentally caught a glimpse at Hao Jian holding Lian Ru Ning¡¯s hand and was envious ¨C if only she had someone who cared about her besides her. Thinking about this, she asked, ¡°Hao Jian, how can we be sure that the other party is really the military?¡± Hao Jian instead winked at Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Little Junior Sister, what do you think?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning secretly gritted her teeth, does Hao Jian not know that if she winks so much, people who didn¡¯t know would think that she¡¯s flirting! ¡°Because the protection here is very different from the roadblocks we saw on the road. To put it bluntly, amateurs setting up roadblocks will only block with piles of stuff, while professionals use the most efficient way to ensure that nothing is wasted.¡± Lian Ru Ning explained. Xin Ting suddenly realized that the military¡¯s ability is large, can use the fastest speed to build good surrounding protection. However, the ¡®Wugui¡¯ soldiers could only rely on the limited resources in front of them to pile up the blockage. Thinking about this, she was relieved. Suddenly, the would beneath her feet became loose, and she fell on the ground without paying attention. The loose mud, sharp stones, and various branches made her bare and exposed arms scratched and bruised, and the pain instantly swept throughout her body, but she didn¡¯t cry out of pain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning stopped. ¡°I accidentally fell.¡± Xin Ting endured the pain and got up from the ground. Her pants and arms were covered with mud and fine sand. Because the mountain soil was soft after the rain, she fell so hard that her appearance looked very messy. Lian Ru Ning broke away from Hao Jian¡¯s hand and went to support her. Hao Jian felt that her palm was empty and sighed secretly. She also raised Xin Ting¡¯s arm and took a look, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not safe here anymore after dark. We will go down the mountain and take a closer look at your injury!¡± Xin Ting nodded and Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll hold you, you be careful.¡± When Xin Ting heard this, her nose became sore and her eyes soon became moist. However, she can¡¯t cry, if she did, she might annoy Hao Jian and the others. So she gritted her teeth and silently shed her tears while going down the mountain. Hao Jian took out her flashlight and lit the way in front of them, while Xin Ting asked Lian Ru Ning quietly from behind, ¡°Is Hao Jian angry?¡± Lian Ry Ning felt that Xin Ting¡¯s thoughts were a little weird. After an ordinary person is injured, would the first thing they think of is whether the others would be angry? ¡°No, why would she be angry?¡± Lian Ru Ning glanced at Hao Jian¡¯s back then looked back at Xin Ting, but there was a strange feeling in her heart. ¡°Does she think I¡¯m a burden? I even fell down the mountain, she must think I¡¯m clumsy. . .¡± Because they were worried that the hydropower plant would also be occupied by ¡®Wugui¡¯ people when they came over, they parked the car in a hidden place at the foot of the mountain. Hao Jian and the others went to the mountain for reconnaissance, while Peng Mao and Shi Gong Dui stayed to look after the supplies in the car. Originally, Xin Ting was also supposed to be left behind, but she desperately wanted to keep up with everyone, so she insisted on following Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning up the mountain. A string inside Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mind seemed to break and she finally figured out why Xin Ting¡¯s thoughts were so peculiar ¨C she cared about what Hao Jian thinks of her! The answer as to why she cares about what Hao Jian thinks about her is obvious. ¡°She¡¯s not a narrow-minded person. She won¡¯t think you¡¯re dragging us down just because you fell and she won¡¯t think you¡¯re clumsy.¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled faintly. No matter what Xin Ting is thinking, she felt that Hao Jian isn¡¯t the kind of person Xin Ting had imagined. Perhaps for Hao Jian, she wouldn¡¯t even take this matter to heart. Lian Ru Ning suddenly felt a little lost. She seemed to understand Hao Jian, but she really doesn¡¯t know anything. And for a moment, she had a feeling of hating herself for knowing Hao Jian. If she didn¡¯t understand Hao Jian, then she might be able to ask Hao Jian¡¯s thoughts instead of thinking about it like this now. To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com/the-system-sends-me-an-object-end-of-the-world/ Peng Mao saw the light and walked over. Hao Jian pointed to the back, ¡°Xin Ting fell when coming down, you first take her to clean the wound and then see if there is medicine in the trunk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine. . . ¡± Xin Ting said hurriedly. Peng Mao saw that her clothes were dirty and her eyes were red as if she had been crying. So, he grabbed her arm and led her walking towards the car, ¡°All right, don¡¯t say so much. Come and let me treat the wound.¡± Hearing their conversation, Shi Gong Dui had already gone to the trunk to find out if there were any medicines. He said, ¡°I told you to let us two big men go on it, you just had to be brave. There are many mountain snakes, insects, rats, and ants on the mountain. Even if you didn¡¯t fall, being bitten is also a very dangerous thing. . . .¡± Seeing Xin Ting¡¯s flustered face, Peng Mao quickly said, ¡°You can shut up. With your body shape and physical abilities, climbing up the mountain may only lead to you rolling down!¡± Seeing that these two people are going to be upset again, Hao Jian ignored it but said, ¡°This is probably the military. I¡¯ll go over and see if there are any cameras and fin a way to contact them so that they can allow us to enter.¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at Peng Mao and Xin Ting who were busy over there and then glanced at Hao Jian and rarely didn¡¯t go with her. Hao Jian walked two steps before noticing that something seemed wrong. She looked back at Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Thank you, junior sister. Please take care of this place, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°. . . . hmmm.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Hao Jian¡¯s figure disappeared from Lian Ru Ning¡¯s line of sight that she withdrew her gaze. She returned to the car and took the walkie-talkie from Shi Gong Dui, chose a location with a wide view, and took the binoculars to scout carefully. She knew that this action seemed that she was running away from something, but she also knew that the reason Xin Ting followed them was not only to prove her ability but also because she was too close to Hao Jian, making Xin Ting feel excluded and wanted to blend with them. If she hadn¡¯t discovered her own feelings, she might have not cared or considered this. However, not that Xin Ting is their companion, she can¡¯t help but consider her companion¡¯s feelings, so much so that it puts her in a dilemma. A sudden burst of intense gunfire came from the direction of the hydropower station. Hao Jian trotted back, and when she passed by Lian Ru Ning¡¯s side, she took her hand back to the car, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Everyone who heard the gunshots immediately asked. ¡°The military agreed to let us in, so they cleaned up the zombies that entered the access road. We need to get there before new walkers gather around and go over.¡± Time was running out, so they stopped talking and got in the car one after another. Hao Jian glanced at Xin Ting through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Have your wounds been treated?¡± ¡°Yes. The injury is not serious. I cleaned the wound and applied for some medicine. It¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Hao Jian nodded, ¡°But later on, after going in, you may have to be isolated and be observed for a while again.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning and Peng Mao both felt that Xin Ting was unlucky to be injured every time they went to a place where there was military personnel. Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t care about these things and asked, ¡°When we go in and they find my equipment, how do I explain?¡± ¡°Just tell them the truth and be honest. They will never do anything to you but they will certainly monitor you.¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°Are you going to be monitored too?¡± Peng Mao asked. ¡°Among every one of us, which of us doesn¡¯t need to be monitored?¡± Peng Mao was silent. First of all, if they came here, the soldiers would be suspicious of their identities. And after what happened at the airport refugee, the guards would be the most vigilant at this time. Although they agreed to let them in, they may not be friendly to them. But among them, the one who is more likely to be monitored is Shi Gong Dui. ¡°Anyway, we aren¡¯t bad people, what is there to be afraid of? Of course, it¡¯s impossible to say whether the military will arrest you for eavesdropping on state secrets.¡± Peng Mao looked at Shi Gong Dui. ¡°Good students, student Lian, student Xin, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong to you along the way and also helped you a lot. You can¡¯t demolish the bridge after crossing the river!¡± Shi Gong Dui hurriedly said. ¡°I believe the military isn¡¯t unreasonable people. On the contrary, you might still be the talent they need, so instead of worrying blindly, you should think about how you can make them believe that you¡¯re trustworthy.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s words successfully calmed both Shi Gong Dui and Peng Mao down. Soon, the car came to the protected entrance through the access road to the hydropower plant. Four soldiers stood at the gate, and when they saw the car slowly approaching, they made a defensive stance. Hao Jian parked the car not far away then got out. A beam of light hit her face and she narrowed her eyes slightly before saying, ¡°I am the person who greeted you through the camera just now.¡± The beam of light moved away and fell on the four people who came down from behind. ¡°Come in first.¡± Hao Jian and the others walked over on foot and two soldiers went over to check their vehicle and drove it in. As the protective door completely closed, the four soldiers focused on Hao Jian and the others. CH 52 The sky was completely dark and the projection lights around the hydroelectric power plant have been turned on, adding a touch of light to the dark and dreary night sky. A lot of zombies gradually gathered around the power grid and their screams mixed with the sound of rushing water. The soldiers in the hydropower plant found guns from Hao Jian¡¯s body and also found devices that could hack into communication bands, so there is no doubt that they are suspected as ¡®spies¡¯ Although they had expected it from the beginning, they still felt a little helpless when they were interrogated separately. ¡°How did you get this gun?¡± The interrogator of Hao Jian is a soldier with big eyebrows, but his expression at the moment can be described as ¡®cross-eyed.¡¯ ¡°A gift from a soldier stationed in Jiang City. As thank you for delivering her letter.¡± Bullshit! Guns are controlled, as a member of the military, it is impossible to give you such an important object just as thank you for delivering her letter. You still refuse to tell the truth?!¡± The soldiers suspected her, but how could he trust her completely? Perhaps he couldn¡¯t pry anything out of Hao Jian, so he was so angry that he almost took action but he was stopped by his superiors. ¡°Leave this to me, you go patrol!¡± The man said. The team member left rather reluctantly, and the man sat down in front of Hao Jian, slightly smiling, ¡°His good friend was killed by some man-made incident, so he¡¯s very distrustful of those of you who call yourselves ordinary people but do things differently.¡± What he said was very clever. He set several traps for Hao Jian and pointed out the loopholes in her words. If Hao Jian had a guilty conscience, there would be loopholes in the future and he might even take the initiative to expose her true identity. However, Hao Jian thought he was open-minded and calmly took his advice, ¡°The man-made incident refers to what happened at the refugee base in the airport?¡± The man narrowed his eyes and his smile became a little dangerous. ¡°You really are not ordinary people.¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m an ordinary person or not, that depends on what the situation is.¡± The man played with the gun that Chen Zhen gave Hao Jian, removed the magazine again, and looked at it before saying, ¡°My name is Hu Dan and I¡¯m the commander of the escort team stationed at the Heshui Hydroelectric Power Station in Xinghua City, which means that I have the highest authority here, so you don¡¯t have to worry about revealing any secrets. Let¡¯s be honest, we¡¯re all tired of going around in circles like this.¡± Hao Jian explained the unimportant parts that happened in Jiang City and excluded the confidential information. Even if she was the commander of a military team like Yi Gao or An Minghui, she couldn¡¯t tell them all in one breath. As Hu Dan listened, he thought in his heart that what Hao Jian said was consistent with the news he received in many ways, He also saw that Hao Jian had hidden a lot of things that he hadn¡¯t said. This cautious attitude made him sure that hao Jian indeed had contact with the military personnel of Jiang City. The expression on his face was still smiling, ¡°Then what is your purpose of coming here?¡± ¡°One, to come over and confirm how long ¡®Wugui¡¯s reach is. Two, our car has insufficient fuel and we want to come over and ask for help.¡± After Hao Jian finished speaking, several other soldiers came over to report, ¡°Sir, all interrogations are finished.¡± Hu Dan glanced at Hao Jian and took a quick; look at the folder that was handed to him. Most of the four people¡¯s statements matched up. He also found that except for Lian Ru Ning and Hao Jian, Peng Mao and Xin Ting¡¯s statements had very little information about ¡®Wugui¡¯. However, because they trusted their soldiers, Peng Mao and Xin Ting¡¯s confessions provided more information because they told them their experiences in the first half of their lives. Hu Dan easily eliminated Peng Mao and Xin Ting¡¯s suspicions from these confessions. As for Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning also carried ID cards on their bodies, and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s backpack had books related to her profession, proving that she was indeed a student. The most suspicious of them were Hao Jian and Shi Gong Dui, but because of the other people¡¯s statements, Hao Jian¡¯s suspicions were reduced. It can be said that if Hao Jian is not a spy of ¡®Wugui¡¯ then she is undoubtedly an excellent ¡®ordinary person¡¯. Hu Dan directly let the four of them go, but only Shi Gong Dui was still missing. ¡°His suspicions are indeed not easy to clear, but if he¡¯s really okay, then we don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lian Ru Ning, who had just been cleared of suspicion, was also not worried about Shi Gong Dui. Instead of letter her, Hao Jian, or the remaining two outsiders determine Shi Gong Dui¡¯s identity, it would be better to let the military do it. ¡°But won¡¯t we be locked up for forty-eight hours for observation?¡± Hao Jian responded, ¡°Chief Hu said that if we aren¡¯t here to seek shelter and will only stay for a short while, there is no need to lock us up for observation. However, after all, it is still the place where they are station, so we shouldn¡¯t run around.¡± To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com/the-system-sends-me-an-object-end-of-the-world/ The four who had gained the trust were allowed to enter the area of the hydropower plant. There is only one plant in the hydroelectric power station, but there is a building that is more than twenty meters long and two stories high next to it. Compared to the plant that takes up half of the length of the dam and is three stories high, this building is much smaller. Because of the structure of this building, it is obvious that it is being used as an office and dormitory, and there are more than forty rooms inside. The soldiers let them choose their rooms at will and Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°Can there be so many rooms available here?¡± The soldier responded, ¡°Originally, there were many workers in the hydropower station, but because some people were worried about their families, they went home. Others were unfortunately bitten and brought the zombie virus back here, scaring many people away. Later, the higher-ups asked us to organize the remaining manpower and continue to maintain the operation of the hydropower station, so the remaining to adults were retained.¡± ¡°Then, you didn¡¯t take in the survivors who took refuge?¡± The soldier¡¯s face sank, seemingly remembering some very bad experiences. His expression became much colder, ¡°Our duty is to organize workers to maintain the operation of the hydropower plant, not to take the initiative to organize survivors and create a refugee base.¡± Lian Ru Ning knew that the question she asked must have reminded this soldier of the incident that happened in the airport refugee base, so she didn¡¯t ask any more questions. The rooms for the four of them were scattered, and the room wasn¡¯t large ¨C only about ten square meters with a desk and chair aside from the iron-framed bed. As soon as Lian Ru Ning entered, she subconsciously looked up at the ceiling and found a pinhole camera. Remembering Hao Jian¡¯s words before, she was psychologically prepared to be monitored. Peng Mao and Xin Ting also paid attention to check if there was surveillance after being monitored in the Shi residence. They were not blind, and when they deliberately looked for it, they soon discovered the camera hidden beside the light bulb. They just found the camera but they couldn¡¯t remove it, so they could only warn themselves not to do anything unusual in the room. Contrary to expectations, as soon as Hao Jian entered the room, she went to the corner of the iron-framed bed and laid down, intending to take a nap first. ¡°It seems that this girl is the most unsuspecting.¡± The person next to Hu Dan looked at Hao Jian on the monitor and said. Hu Dan sneered, ¡°The reason she doesn¡¯t check is not that she¡¯s unsuspecting, but because she knows we¡¯re watching them. So instead of making those unnecessary moves, it¡¯s better to take a break in silence.¡± ¡°If she really is what the chief said, she doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary person.¡± Hu Dan¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°The things they said are consistent with the information we got after we recontacted the Jiang City Headquarters.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re being superfluous?¡± ¡°The airport incident taught us that there is no such thing as being ¡®superfluous¡¯. all the probing and repeated questioning were just to confirm the truth and remove them from suspicion. Even our brothers who once swore together to the military flag and emblem have betrayed us, not to mention those who come from unknown origins.¡± After Hu Dan finished speaking, he got up and gave Hao Jian¡¯s gun to the soldier beside him, ¡°Give it back to her and see what she will do.¡± Before Hao Jian¡¯s gun was returned to her, Hu Dan found out that she had left her room and then appeared in front of Lian Ru Ning¡¯s room. To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com/the-system-sends-me-an-object-end-of-the-world/ Lian Ru Ning wasn¡¯t surprised by Hao Jian¡¯s arrival, but she thought that Hao Jian was going to talk to her about business and wanted to remind her that there was a camera here and perhaps a wiretap, so she wanted to drag Hao Jian outside. Hao Jian pulled her back inside the room and asked, ¡°Little Junior Sister is not willing to say with me since just now, why is this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lian Ru Ning was slightly stunned. She didn¡¯t expect that Hao Jian was here to talk about this matter. She quickly came back to her senses, somewhat helpless, ¡°I¡¯m not unwilling to stay with you, and we were interrogated separately just now, so there is no way to stay together, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say at that time. I¡¯m talking about before entering the powerplant.¡± Lian Ru Ning suddenly remembered her own mentality at the time, and now, Xin Ting¡¯s words crossed her mind. Her depression was completely manifested in her expression. Hao Jian raised her index finger and flicked her forehead to bring her back to her senses. ¡°Come on, why are you avoiding me all of a sudden?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at Hao Jian complainingly, wondering if she knew that they were being spied on here and perhaps a wiretap. But a thought flashed in her heart and quickly followed Hao Jian¡¯s words and thought of personal matters. ¡°You misunderstood, I¡¯m not avoiding you.¡± Lian Ru Ning sheepishly avoided her gaze. ¡°Little Junior Sister is guilty. Why else wouldn¡¯t you look me in the eye and say this?¡± Lian Ru Ning was a little annoyed with Hao Jian so she moved her gaze up to meet Hao Jian¡¯s eyes. The moment their eyes met, the unspeakable fluttering feeling started to spread in her heart again. ¡°I, I didn¡¯t avoid you.¡± While Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart thumped and thumped, she was also inexplicably aggrieved. She seemed to have forgotten that they were under surveillance and stared at Hao Jian with a pair of moist eyes as if she was on the brink of crying. ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t want to make her cry, and she didn¡¯t expect Lian Ru Ning to explode with emotion at this time, so she panicked a little, ¡°Okay, okay. I know you didn¡¯t avoid me, I care too much about you, so I overreacted and thought too much about it.¡± Lian Ru Ning was even more aggrieved and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If you want to explain, then explain. Why did you have to say something so misleading?¡± ¡°Misleading words refers to. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning turned her face away, adjusted her emotions, and said, ¡°Have you ever thought that on weekdays, among the three of us, only the two of us always act together, but I also miss Xiao Ting. Have you ever considered how Xiao Ting feels?¡± Hao Jian thought about it carefully, and after figuring out the cause and effect of before and after, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, ¡°You¡¯re avoiding me for such a boring thing?¡± ¡°Boring?¡± Hao Jian stopped laughing and looked at Lian Ru Ning, ¡°This is the post-apocalyptic era, the era of chaos and crisis everywhere. Do you think it¡¯s still the student days where a few friends show who has the best relationship with whom and spend the whole day together? Or what about the painful youthful microblog stories like ¡®the friendship of three people will always leave one behind¡¯? Just because all three of us are female, we have to be a ¡®threesome¡¯?¡± Lian Ru Ning was speechless. She understood what Hao Jian meant. Hao Jian was deciding on a course of action based on each person¡¯s ability and role. In other words, Hao Jian felt that she was the only one who could work with her so she was the preferred choice and she didn¡¯t care what feelings Xin Ting had when she joined them. Fortunately, Xin Ting wasn¡¯t there, otherwise, she would have cried out when she heard this. Then should she tell Hao Jian what Xin Ting was thinking? As soon as the thought came up, she rejected it. Xin Ting caring about Hao Jian¡¯s opinion is only her personal speculation. No matter what happens between Xin Ting and Hao Jian, this matter should be resolved by them, not her. ¡°Little Junior Sister, you just said that I said something that was misleading. I wonder if it¡¯s the phrase ¡®I care too much about you¡¯?¡± Seeing that she had brought the topic back, Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but glare at her, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Hao Jian leaned closer to her and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that there is no hidden meaning in that sentence. I really care too much about you.¡± OH JUST KISS ALREADY!!! So, at first, I thought that Hao Jian¡¯s here to give the soldiers a reason to lessen their suspicions and give Hao Jian a pretense to drag Lian Ru Ning out of the room, instead of blatantly leaving the room all of a sudden. If I were a soldier, I would be suspicious of them if they just left the room all of a sudden after being interrogated, so yeah. But now, I think Hao Jian¡¯s line of thinking is still along these lines, same goes for Lian Ru Ning, but I believe this is an added bonus in Hao Jian¡¯s side, hahaha. But that¡¯s just my opinion hahahaha! Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! Kindly support me on ko-fi for more updates! CH 53 Hu Dan expressionlessly turned off the surveillance and wiretaps. The team members beside him couldn¡¯t help but smack their lips, ¡°Are, are they gay? Tch, what a waste!¡± Hu Dan glanced at him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and return the things to them?¡± The team member came back to his senses and hurriedly ran away with the things. Hu Dan took out a pack of cigarettes from his body and pulled one out while taking a lighter out with his right hand. After thinking about it, he put the lighter back into his pocket and rested the cigarette on his mouth, his face darkened that made it hard for others to know what he¡¯s thinking about. ¡°You¨C¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that her heart was about to jump to her throat. She sometimes hates herself for being like this. She had never been in love in the first two decades of her life. Although she¡¯s had some hazy affection for others during her adolescence, her focus would remain on learning, so now that this feeling is getting more intense, she was a little helpless. Suddenly, Hao Jian gently took her into her arms and her voice was gentle with a tinge of love, ¡°Before I met little sister, I had no one else to care about. So if it weren¡¯t for little sister, I probably wouldn¡¯t have come here.¡± Lian Ru Ning raised her hand to grab the clothes around Hao Jian¡¯s waist. He breath was a little unstable and she could hear the waves in her heart from the tone of her voice. ¡°So, you were lying when you said that you were going to the southern city to get something important? You¡¯re ¡ª ¡± Hao Jian¡¯s confession got stuck in her throat, because she thinks that the possibility of Hao Jian falling in love with her ¡®at first sight¡¯ was too low, no matter how she thought about it. Hao Jian was speechless for a moment, she knew what Lian Ru Ning wanted to ask, but it obviously wasn¡¯t the right time, to tell the truth. She also didn¡¯t expect that being bound to the love mission would really tempt her. I don¡¯t know if I should suspect that the system has moved. The system was very aggrieved, ¡°System number 2018 reiterates one last time that the system can not interfere with the host¡¯s behavior, can not change the host¡¯s thoughts, and even more so, can not regulate the host¡¯s hormones that would make the host fall for other people or affect the host¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡®Fine, fine I admit it¡¯s because of the pheromones she produces that attracted me. That¡¯s why I fell for her.¡¯ For the first time, Hao Jian didn¡¯t want to dwell on these matters with the system. ¡°It¡¯s not really a lie, it¡¯s just the thought that moving forward, there¡¯s another reason that will motivate me to firmly go on.¡± Lian Ru Ning reached out and hugged Hao Jian. Just as she was about to say something, she felt that Hao Jian¡¯s lips almost touched her ears. She subconsciously wanted to jump away, but suddenly remembered that she was being held so tightly by her that she couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°I know that we¡¯re being monitored and that there¡¯s a wiretap hidden here, so if there¡¯s anything to say, let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s words instantly dissipated the charming thoughts that Lian Ru Ning had just created. She quickly recovered and understood that Hao Jian had come over not just to talk about these emotional matters. Can¡¯t it also be said that the things she said and did earlier were just to paralyze the people who are monitoring them? Thinking about this, she grabbed Hao Jian¡¯s clothes even tighter. Hao Jian noticed the increased strength of the hands that were on her clothes and chuckled, ¡°Little junior sister, I swear with my beating heart that what I said just now is the truth coming from the bottom of my heart. There is absolutely no intention of teasing you.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart was soothed, but with the loss of passion just now, she broke free from Hao Jian¡¯s arms. From a third-person perspective, they don¡¯t look as ambiguous, but it can definitely be said the people who are walking on the street won¡¯t be able to help themselves and take a second glance. She can¡¯t tell whether Hao Jian was pretending to be stupid. ¡°As for Xin Ting, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I just need to make it clear to her.¡± Lian Ru Ning pondered on her words. If they were to put it normally, anyone who¡¯s listening would think that it was a line appearing in the standard ¡®love triangle trope¡¯, however, she knew that Hao Jian wasn¡¯t referring to emotional matters, and she even felt that Hao Jian wasn¡¯t even thinking in that direction. ¡°What are you going to tell her?¡± Hao Jian casually said, ¡°Naturally, I want her to understand that she is only relying on us all the time because she¡¯s timid, and this reliance will eventually lead her to develop the wrong kind of feelings. As long as she doesn¡¯t realize her dependence on others, it will be impossible for her to have the courage to act alone. Because of her lack of self-confidence as well as too much dependence on others, she always wants to be in groups, and that¡¯s why she cares about what other people think about her.¡± Lian Ru Ning was surprised, ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you about her thoughts.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t already tell me everything when you asked me to consider her feelings?¡± ¡°. . . Before you studied anthropology, you shouldn¡¯t have been this scary, right?¡± Hao Jian stared at her and immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll take this as a compliment from my little sister!¡± Although the two still wanted to talk about something, a soldier sent by Hu Dan ca,e to bring back Hao Jian¡¯s equipment. From the time when Hao Jian came over when Lian Ru Ning was about to look for her, they knew they were being watched. So even if Hu Dan returned the equipment to them, it wasn¡¯t enough to show that he had completely trusted them. Hao Jian didn¡¯t care, and after confirming that there wasn¡¯t a single bullet missing from the magazine, she hid the gun in her body again. Ignoring the inquiring eyes of the soldiers on them, Hao Jian asked, ¡°Is there anything to eat? We¡¯re a little hungry.¡± The soldier returned to his senses, his eyes narrowed and his expression hesitated. Only when a sound came from his headphones did he answer, ¡°There¡¯s a canteen on the first floor. It¡¯s still open at this time. You guys can fo and eat!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Hao Jian paused, ¡°I want to ask, we have a fellow traveler, how is he now?¡± The guard asked back, ¡°You really don¡¯t have to do with it, don¡¯t you? That guy¡¯s behavior is too suspicious, we still need to check his identity to confirm whether he¡¯s telling the truth.¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t ask how would they verify, after all, there are many official methods! To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com/the-system-sends-me-an-object-end-of-the-world/ Peng Mao and Xin Ting also went to the cafeteria with Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. They were hungry for a while now, but they were too against surveillance cameras, so they kept staying away. They thought they were under surveillance and they were not allowed to go out at will and that someone would bring them food. They didn¡¯t expect that they weren¡¯t detained at all, and they were embarrassed by the blunder they made. There were only a few workers and guards in the cafeteria, only one of the original seven or eight windows was open, and there was no trace of rice, soup, or dishes that used to be in large buckets. The only food that remained was the white steamed buns in the steamer and the pickles that are used as a side dish. They each received two steamed buns and a small plate of pickles. Although the steamed buns were not as big as the northern steamed buns, they were still the size of their palms. Even though two steamed buns aren¡¯t enough for people with big appetites, they were still enough for them to avoid dying from starvation. The soldier explained, ¡°Although we store some food here, it¡¯s only enough for our daily diet and to provide for the workers. There aren¡¯t many of you, and you can¡¯t eat many meals, so you can have this treatment.¡± ¡°Are your people already that few?¡± Hao Jian raised her chin. ¡°How is that possible? There is still the generator unit operating over there in the plant, which needs to be guarded in turns, and as for the rest of the people, they have all basically gone back to rest after eating.¡± Hao Jian knew about the lost escort team they sent to obtain food, so she guessed that the food here shouldn¡¯t be a lot. Feeding a few dozen mouths, it¡¯s already a miracle that they could last for a few months. There were more questions about the conflict between the Xinghua City between the military team and ¡®Wugui¡¯ in Xinghua City, and she hadn¡¯t found a suitable time to ask them. Of course, she could ask now, but in the other party¡¯s ears, they might no suspect that she was inquiring about their reality for ¡®Wugui¡¯ After they finished their ¡®dinner¡¯, Shi Dong Gui appeared in front of them as if he had shed a layer of skin. Hao Jian pushed the remaining pickles towards him, ¡°Replenish your strength?¡± When he saw that it was picked vegetables, he lost his appetite even more, ¡°I¡¯ll just eat my food later.¡± ¡°Why are so listless, doesn¡¯t the fact that you can come out means that you are cleared of suspicion?¡± Lian Ru Ning let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I was lectured by them for a long time, saying that if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this is an extraordinary time, I would have to carry several charges and a life sentence would be light. And the equipment I spent so much money on might be confiscated.¡± Hao Jian wasn¡¯t surprised and comforted him on a rare occasion, ¡°You have to look on the bright side, because of so many secrets you¡¯ve eavesdropped, it can be considered tolerant if they don¡¯t keep you here.¡± ¡°. . . That¡¯s true.¡± Shi Gong Dui finally raised his spirit a little. Peng mao couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Are they not worried that if they let you go, you will reveal so many of their secrets?¡± Shi Gong Dui sneered, ¡°I told you everything I heard. If I can¡¯t leave, neither can you.¡± Peng Mao spat on him, ¡°I knew you were treacherous and cunning.¡± Although he said that, Peng Mao wasn¡¯t angry. It was probably because he saw that the soldiers released Shi Gong Dui which proved that he was indeed alright, he began to accept Shi Gong Dui¡¯s existence from the bottom of his heart. To read the original translation, please visit https://nihilumcreations.wordpress.com/the-system-sends-me-an-object-end-of-the-world/ Hu Dan walked over at this moment. He took three steamed buns, a bowl of porridge, and a plate of pickles at the window and sat opposite to hao Jian. Peng Mao touched his stomach which wasn¡¯t full yet and looked at Hu Dan¡¯s extra congee and steamed buns. He knew that they were a treat that outsiders like them could not envy. ¡°If you aren¡¯t full, go get an extra one! Although we don¡¯t have much food in stock here, we just can¡¯t stand by and watch the masses starve.¡± Hu Dan said. Peng Mao smiled and thanked him. He ran to the window and picked up two more steamed buns. Although there was no porridge, he was given an extra bottle of mineral water. Except for him, the other four didn¡¯t move. Hu Dan looked at them with a smile in his eyes, ¡°What? You think because we have been harmed by the people once, we won¡¯t have any compassion for the people?¡± Hu Dan is only in his twenties, although his appearance isn¡¯t considered handsome, he still had a kind face and always wears a faint smile. He also occasionally wore a gentle smile that makes people feel like a spring breeze. But Hao Jian knew that his smile was nothing but a facade. Under his smile were his caution, suspicion, and keen observations. He paralyzes people with his appearance, breaks their guard, and then uses his silver tongue to get the information he wants. Such a person is much more difficult to deal with than the fair and stern person like Yi Gao, and an unsmiling person like An Minghui. Hao Jian smiled, ¡°Chief Hu overestimates the amount of food we girls eat. I ate two steamed buns on the principle of not wasting them.¡± Lian Ru Ning nodded. Although the other reason was that the steamed buns here were different from the usual fluffy southern steamed buns that were with a hint of sweetness, they were a little hard to swallow. But they should still be grateful that there was food for them to eat, how could they be picky? ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After Hu Dan finished speaking, he took another bite off his steamed bun and a sip of his porridge. Shi Gong Dui gave a hungry look and said, ¡°Chief Hu, can I have my snacks back? I¡¯m too hungry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in your room. You can ask Xin to take you there and get it!¡± Shi Gong Dui felt that there was no use staying here, so he got up and went back. Xin Ting glanced at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning and didn¡¯t move. Lian Ru Ning thought for a while and asked, ¡°Is there a hot shower here?¡± Hu Dan looked up at her, a smile still hanging on the corner of his lips, ¡°This is the largest reservoir in Xinghua City, don¡¯t worry about the lack of water for bathing. The showers are at the end of the second floor, the left side is the male shower room, the right side is the female shower room. But because the workers and the soldiers are both extremely girlish, and there are only two baths, you¡¯d better stagger for the showers.¡± Lian Ru Ning also got up and went back to take a shower first. Although she took a full bath in the afternoon, she¡¯d already sweat a lot after the afternoon. The only problem she¡¯s distressing about is that she has no new clothes to change before she washed the dirty clothes she changed earlier at noon. Xin Ting glanced at her dirty clothes and hurriedly got up to follow Lian Ru Ning, ¡°I¡¯ll also go back and take a shower first.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back together?¡± Peng Mao asked Hao Jian. ¡°They have one shower per person, I can only go back and wait in the room. There¡¯s no fan in the room and it¡¯s too stuffy. I¡¯m going to go out for a walk to cool off.¡± Hu Dan finished the last mouthful of porridge and wiped his mouth, ¡°Do you want me to show you around?¡± ¡°It¡¯s naturally best, only if Chief Hu is free.¡± The two of them got up. and Peng Mao also got up after them, ¡°I also want to see, I haven¡¯t seen the entirety of the reservoir since I came here!¡± Hu Dan didn¡¯t object and Hao Jian didn¡¯t find any excuses to dismiss him. The three left the canteen and walked to the factory building behind the dam. CH 54 The factory is brightly lit, with several lights outside the door, and two forklifts, trucks, and other various objects have been parked outside. Inside the plant, there are four electric generators visible to the naked eye, but only one of them is currently in operation. A dozen workers, whether operating the equipment or checking and repairing the engines, etc. ¡°Is there only one unit operating all day?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°How is it possible? The power of this one unit produces 15,000 kilowatts per hour. How many people do you think live in this huge city of Xinghua? During the day, four units are needed to operate at the same time, and at night, because everyone needs to rest, we stop three units for maintenance and only run one. It should be able to supply power in only some areas.¡± ¡°Is only this hydropower station still generating electricity?¡± Hao Jian asked again. Hu Dan shook his head, ¡°I heard that there are still some power plants that are not within the transmission range of the Heshui hydropower plant, but unlike us who generate power for free. The relevant power plant workers there occupy the power plant because they want to demand benefits in exchange for the use of electricity.¡± Peng Mao has finished eating steamed buns and he was a little angry, ¡°Sooner or later, this kind of looting will be taken care of by the heavens!¡± ¡°You also believe this kind of ¡®you reap what you sow¡¯ words.¡± Hao Jian answered him mercilessly. Hu Dan asked back, ¡°Does Miss Hao mean that no one can clean them up?¡± Hao Jian pondered for a moment, ¡°Just like one of the problems your team needs to solve, which is the lack of manpower, the number of soldiers is too small. And because of the zombie virus, the rebellion, the cult forces, and other reasons and the loss of a lot of people, there are already many places that you naturally can¡¯t look after, let alone take care of the current chaotic situation. So in the short term, your power is limited. At least those who took advantage of the fire can¡¯t wait for you to clean up.¡± Although the government quickly made instructions to deploy rescue work, their primary task is still to maintain basic stability as well as rescue the population. Their ability to crack down on illegal and criminal behavior is limited. Many people and forces will take advantage of this period to rebel, such as the ¡®Wugui¡¯ organization. Only when the violent organizations stabilize cant the government formulate new countermeasures and focus on maintaining stability while seeking recovery and development. So until then, all the order in the world will be chaotic, violent, and vicious incidents, and many more will be staged in turn. Those workers who occupy the power plant to demand benefits before giving electricity might be exterminated by people or organizations more capable than them. Because it¡¯s an apparent need, it will attract more people to fight for it to the death. Especially when they find that military organizations haven¡¯t punished them, their desires and ambitions would swell to the point of recklessness and trampling on the law, turning this zombie doomsday into a man-made apocalypse. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too pessimistic?¡± Peng Mao commented. ¡°Optimism and pessimism depend on how you view the world. If it¡¯s in terms of the overall picture, every city has forces like the military who come out and protect us, good people who are kind enough to rescue each other, and groups who organize themselves to survive. Because of them, there¡¯s still hope for salvation and there could be developed for the better. But acts like killing for food, raping women without the need to fear legal restraints, controlling resources for profit, or the desire to gain fame and fortune. . . All of these acts also happens in times of peace, but these scenarios run rampant during the apocalypse.¡± Hu Dan applauded, ¡°Miss Hao is really worthy of studying anthropology. Seeing these things more thoroughly than most people.¡± The fact that Hao Jian was studying ¡®anthropology¡¯ was mentioned only by Lian Ru Ning just now, yet Hu Dan said it so naturally that Hao Jian didn¡¯t know whether if he¡¯s trying to say that she¡¯s cold-blooded or deliberate. But thinking about it, it¡¯s still more likely to be deliberate. ¡°Many people understand that and they also know that they¡¯re incapable of controlling the fate of others, so they choose to give in. Were the refugees in the airport instigated because of ignorance? Not necessarily. In fact, a significant number of them gave up their right to choose. They will kill others ¨C either the military or bad people ¨C and choose to submit to the winning side and live humbly.¡± ¡°We were able to protect them while those people would only see them like ants. But they still chose the side that sees them as mere ants.¡± Hu Dan grinned with a slightly mocking expression. ¡°I think they probably didn¡¯t even think at first that the security line provided by the military would be destroyed because of their riot ¨C because the government quickly organized a powerful team to protect them, they lost the ability to judge the immediate danger. By the time they realized the mistake they made, they didn¡¯t have the courage to make amends, so they eventually submitted to those who have enslaved them.¡± Hu Dan¡¯s expression became cold, ¡°Such people don¡¯t deserve our protection.¡± Suddenly, he turned his head towards Hao Jian and said with a smile, ¡°As much as I want to say that, I can¡¯t betray this uniform and break the oath I¡¯ve sworn under my badge and our flag.¡± Peng Mao felt that he was gradually unable to keep up with their thinking and couldn¡¯t interject, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m done digesting my food, so I¡¯ll go back to rest first.¡± Both Hao Jian and Hu Dan didn¡¯t care much whether he left or not, because Peng Mao had done nothing to be suspected of so far. And the topic they talked about involved the government¡¯s attitude towards ordinary people who are involved with ¡®Wugui¡¯ or those who are abusive. If Peng Mao was indeed acting abnormal, he would¡¯ve found a way to gather more information instead of going back like this. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world But as soon as he left, Hao Jian and Hu Dan discussed more topics. ¡°There should be more than just the soldiers here, right?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s gaze swept over the personnel within her sight. ¡°If you¡¯re asking that, aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll think you¡¯re here to spy on the situation?¡± Hu Dan rhetorically asked. ¡°If Chief Hu wants to think so, then there is nothing I can do about it. But I can¡¯t refrain from asking simply because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll suspect me, after all, this is about my plan.¡± Hu Dan was interested, ¡°I think your confessions are quite consistent. They said that they¡¯re going to the southern city. The female student is looking for her parents, the fitness instructor is following you as his means of survival because he has no relatives, and the graduate is also following you because he thinks you¡¯re reliable and fears that someone would be taken advantage of in the last days. . . But what about you? Is there any reason why you should venture to the southern city?¡± ¡°For the sake of my beloved girl. Didn¡¯t Chief Hu hear it all?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Even someone as scheming as Hu Dan was choked at her shamelessness. Also ¡®beloved girl¡¯, do you think you¡¯re writing a love song? ¡°Hey, if you know that there are surveillance and eavesdropping devices in the room without investigating them, no one would believe that you¡¯re not a spy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple to know about this. After being told that the suspicion is removed, the average person¡¯s vigilance will be greatly reduced. Coupled with the other party randomly choosing their room arrangements, the average person will subconsciously feel that there is no problem with the room. But in fact, although we freely chose the rooms, it was actually guided.¡± As soon as Hao Jian passed through the hallway of the second floor, he found that some rooms would have some miscellaneous things placed at the entrance, or clothes hanging out to dry. After seeing these things, people would subconsciously think that it was occupied and thus avoid choosing these rooms. In addition, the room they live in is empty, except for a bed, there is only a table and a chair. Anyone will think that no one lives in it, and thus chose the room. ¡°Since there are only less than two adults left, how come there are so many rooms where people live? So since you guided us to those rooms, there must be some kind of equipment in there.¡± Hu Dan couldn¡¯t help but applaud again, ¡°Normal people don¡¯t count how many rooms have people living in them. How cautious are you to even notice these details?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve played too many investigative games that I subconsciously do it.¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°Games?¡± Hu Dan grinned, ¡°But this is not a game. We have already suffered once, we can¡¯t let people think that this place can be easily breached again.¡± Hao Jian pondered for a moment, ¡°Have those soldiers from the airport retreated here to join you?¡± ¡°How much do you know?¡± ¡°All I know are the things that were orally told to me, after all, we only arrived at Xinghua City today.¡± ¡°Your companions have told me honestly about this. Then, can you tell me why did you think of coming to the hydroelectric power station?¡± Hao Jian and Hu Dan had already left the plant and were standing on the walkway just a wall away from the flood relief section. behind them were the figures of people who were busy and in front of them were mottled walls. A distant light stretched their figures as they leaned on the railing and watched the gurgling water flow by. ¡°Because I wanted to check something. . . Originally, the soldiers had nothing to do with me and I didn¡¯t want to get involved either, but since I already know the dangers of ¡®Wugui¡¯, for me to avoid all this trouble along the way next time, I have to understand what dangers would exist around me. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that we¡¯ve only arrived yet they¡¯re already on to us. My abilities are limited and the only way I can think of to get out of this is probably through you guys, so I took a chance and came to find out some information about them.¡± Of course,. there was another reason that couldn¡¯t be revealed. She wanted to come here to see if she would trigger any hidden quests. Hu Dan asked, ¡°Then what makes you think that I will let you get this information? You know, the more you know, the more dangerous it will be when you face ¡®Wugui.¡± Hao Jian thought for a moment and asked the question she really wanted to know since they first came here, ¡°Is it that there¡¯s a traitor among your superiors?¡± Hu Dan was silent as he took out a cigarette, this time actually lighting one up. After a while, he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t been smoking inside the camp for a while since I¡¯ve quit already, but recently, I started smoking again because of these incidents.¡± He glanced at Hao Jian, ¡°You should know that under normal circumstances, I can¡¯t easily let someone like you leave, because once you¡¯re exposed, you won¡¯t only bring danger to yourself, but also threaten my team.¡± Hu Dan¡¯s remarks confirmed that there was indeed a traitor among his superiors, and at the same time, he also made an exception for Hao Jian and explained the problems that were now occurring in the government, military, and even various other agencies. Their military team suspected that someone had eavesdropped on their operation arrangements since the food transport team lost contact, but they didn¡¯t think that it wouldn¡¯t be from their side at first. Later, they reported several times that they had detected the movement of ¡®Wugui¡¯ but their reports didn¡¯t reach the top. It was then they realized that something was wrong. Originally, they were ordered to go to the airport for rescue, but after thinking about it, he contacted the commander of the airport military team without his superior¡¯s knowledge and made a plan to quickly evacuate to the hydropower station. Only after the fall of the airport base did they determine that there were indeed traitors among his superiors and that there had been a collapse of power. The fall of the airport base may be the result of their mutual collusion. Hao Jian suddenly figured out why ¡®Wugui¡¯ could develop and grow rapidly within a short period of time. Someone must have used it as a tool to seize power and clear the obstacles in their way. ¡°How dare they bring the ¡®US secretly supports terrorists for the sake of hegemony¡¯ here. These people wanting power is crazy.¡± Hao Jian shook her head, ¡°And, did you find out who they are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our responsibility to take care of such complicated matters, but we have now changed the communication password and encrypted the frequency band. It won¡¯t be so easy to eavesdrop anymore.¡± How they contacted them and how to ensure that they would not be passed on by the traitors again is a scope beyond what Hao Jian knows. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world ¡°Therefore, apart from you and me, this matter shouldn¡¯t be known to a third person. Otherwise, once we appear on the government¡¯s radar, we will be easily exposed to ¡®Wugui¡¯. For us who act alone, without better self-defense capabilities, all that awaits us is danger. . . is that what you mean?¡± After hearing this information from Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning calmly analyzed it. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lian Ru Ning asked again, ¡°Then why did you tell me?¡± Why did Hao Jian trust her so much when she was just an acquaintance she met on the way? She didn¡¯t think that because Hao Jian liked her that¡¯s why she trusted her for this simple matter. Besides, she wasn¡¯t sure whether Hao Jian did like her. ¡°I had hoped you didn¡¯t have to learn these things since you¡¯re only the safest if you don¡¯t know anything, but we¡¯ve stepped into this quagmire together. It would be more dangerous for you to not know this information.¡± Lian Ru Ning sighed. Sure enough, this is the answer that best fits Hao Jian¡¯s personality. What the hell was she expecting?! ¡°Of course, there is another reason. I trust junior sister and think that junior sister possesses enough intelligence to figure out a way to avoid the danger.¡± Lian Ru Ning pursed her lips, looking at Hao Jian¡¯s smiling appearance, and asked, ¡°What about you? Knowing these things, what price do you have to pay?¡± CH 55 Even if Hao Jian gained Hu Dan¡¯s trust, she was just an ordinary person. How could she be qualified to have Hu Dan tell her this information? Hao Jian was staring at her as she scratched her chin for a while, she then took out a badge from the strap of her gun. The badge wasn¡¯t big, only a little bigger than the national emblem and the design was something Lian Ru Ning has never seen, but there was a string of numbers on the back. ¡°Special Response Team, temporary establishment, that is, temporary workers for the military.¡± The string of numbers is actually the communication password and at the same time the secret code for people to confirm her identity. As for the ¡®special response team¡¯, it is actually a team that the top brass of the military set up to perform secret tasks after they learned that there were traitors among them. It doesn¡¯t require its members to have the ability to go move heaven and earth, nor does it require them to perform a single kind of task. For the tasks that their official team members cannot perform, they will find temporary workers to work on them, like Hao Jian. Although Hu Dan didn¡¯t give her a task, once she met the soldiers belonging to this ¡®special response team¡¯ and would be asked to carry out a task, she cannot refuse. Before, Lian Ru Ning guessed that Hao Jian had another purpose for coming to the hydropower station, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be her inquiry about the government¡¯s situation. Without asking more questions, she returned the badge to Hao Jian and reminded her, ¡°Then you must hide it well. Don¡¯t let the people of ¡®Wugui¡¯ see it.¡± ¡°Little sister doesn¡¯t care why Chief Hu trusts me?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s true that the military has reacted to the fact that there are traitors among their superiors and has adopted a new communication method, then it means that they have regained contact with the neighboring city. It won¡¯t be difficult for them to get news about you and me from Chief Yi and Lieutenant An.¡± Hao Jian seemed to be in a good mood. Although Yi Gao still had doubts about her letter, he didn¡¯t tell Hu Dan that ¡®anthropods instinctively avoid zombie viruses¡¯ that he learned from her. She thought that Yi Gao probably also knew the unstable elements lurking in the government forces and didn¡¯t leak it for her safety. ¡°So what¡¯s the situation outside now?¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t forget the primary purpose of their arrival here. ¡°At the moment, it can be confirmed that what happened at the airport refugee base is indeed the handiwork of ¡®Wugui¡¯ because the military team has adjusted their communication methods as well as their operations. There is no way for ¡®Wugui¡¯ to create another disaster against the soldiers for the time being. ¡°¡®Wugui¡¯ also knows that the hydropower station is the military¡¯s territory. During said time, many people were sent to pretend to be survivors that were found out and killed. In addition, the military that retreated in time from the airport refugee base was also performing clean-up tasks. Here in Heshui town, ¡®Wugui¡¯ can¡¯t be seen. ¡°Now, the military¡¯s primary task is not to search and rescue survivors but to provide water and electricity as much as possible. In addition, through the evacuation broadcast by government agencies, the surviving people will be temporarily stabilized and the rescue will be carried out after their superiors have adjusted their strategy.¡± After listening to Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Then how do we get out of here?¡± Hao Jian took out the map, pointed to the northwest direction of several highways, and said, ¡°There is a road to the provincial highway on this side of the reservoir. There have been car accidents on the section of the provincial highway that¡¯s near the highway, but the military cleared the road once for easy access. We can go that way. The only challenge is that the same suspected ¡®Wugui¡¯ forces occupy that site and want to charge a toll.¡± Lian Ru Ning is not naive enough to think that the other side will only really just collect money or demand survival supplies. The only people who could do such evil deeds aside from desperate ordinary people are bad people with a vicious nature. It was unlikely that they would let three young and beautiful girls leave unscathed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, the military will carry out an ambush near there against the ¡®Wugui¡¯ and the other small groups who¡¯re taking advantage of the chaos. Their defenses will be much weaker there by then, and we will break through.¡± When Lian Ru Ning thought of the fact that hao Jian was not considered a temporary worker for the military, she subconsciously grabbed Hao Jian¡¯s arm and was slightly nervous, ¡°Then, are you going to participate in that ambush?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s eyes curved and the light that reflected in them made them shine like stars. ¡°Is little junior sister worried about my safety?¡± As she said that, she slightly lifted her arm and grasped Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart. The familiar touch softly resonated in her heart. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s checks indisputably reddened and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural? If something were to happen to you, we will be one less powerful.¡± ¡°So little junior sister is only worried about losing combat power. Alas, my heart seems to be a little hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just because of that! I. . . I¡¯m also worried about you out of personal feelings!¡± ¡°Then I feel much better. I should be able to sleep peacefully tonight.¡± Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me properly yet!¡± Hao Jian sat down on the bed and Lian Ru Ning was forced to stand next to the bed. She then saw Hao Jian casually remove her shoes and laid down on the bed. Lian Ru Ning then stared at her, ¡°This is my bed.¡± ¡°Little junior sister doesn¡¯t want to know if I want to participate in tomorrow¡¯s ambush?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you lying on my bed?¡± ¡°I want to sleep peacefully. I am used to having little junior sister by my side these days, and only when little sister is around can I peacefully sleep. Can little junior sister bear to watch me toss and turn?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning secretly thought. ¡®When did Hao Jian become so shameless? Oh, right. She¡¯s always been so cheeky.¡¯ ¡°Okay, you can stop convincing me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost eleven o¡¯clock, we still have to get up early tomorrow, but little sister still won¡¯t come and lie down?¡± Lian Ru Ning sighed, reluctantly turned off the lights, and laid down on the inner side of the bed. Hu Dan arranged a new couple of rooms for them. The bed was a little bigger than the previous 90-centimeter iron-framed bed. It was 1.2 meters tall with more mats and a partially used fan. The two people who were lying on the bed wouldn¡¯t feel cramped and stuffy. After the lights dimmed, only a glimmer of light came through the window. The sound of water in the discharging section also seemed to be lesser and the only sounds they could hear were each other¡¯s breathing and the whirling of the fan. ¡°Chief Hu said that I haven¡¯t received any formal training, so he won¡¯t allow me to participate in this kind of ambush operation. It is also to hide my identity. Peng Mao, Xin Ting, and Shi Gong Dui won¡¯t know this identity of mine. All we have to do is to seize the moment and stand out.¡± Lian Ru Ning listened quietly, feeling that things shouldn¡¯t be that simple in her heart. There was no way Hu Dan would give Hao Jian information in exchange for just a badge, but Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t talk about it so she would just have to pretend she didn¡¯t know! To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Lian Ru Ning suddenly woke up from her sleep, she slightly opened her eyes uneasily and found that the sky outside seemed to be grayish and bright. She then dully remembered that they were in the hydropower station where the military is stationed. She could sleep plenty without worry. However, when she heard some unusual breathing sounds around her, she turned her head to look and found that Hao Jian had a wrinkled brow and nose while sleeping. Her heart tightened and she hurriedly reached out to feel Hao Jian¡¯s forehead. When she found that there was a fever, she suspected that there was a high chance Hao Jian caught a cold. She was a little upset, knowing that Hao Jian was the one who got drenched the most from the rain, even if she drank the egg and dinger water, it wouldn¡¯t help. She should have asked Hu Dan to find some cold medicine for her! But she actually forgot, how careless she was! She lightly got up and turned off the fan, Hao Jian¡¯s voice coldly rang out behind her, ¡°That¡¯s little junior sister doing here?¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t expect that Hao Jian was still so sensitive despite being sick. She turned around and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you have a cold? You didn¡¯t take your medicine. If I didn¡¯t find out, it¡¯s possible that you would have left with us today while your illness is strong, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a cold. . . .¡± Before Hao Jian could finish speaking, Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°Did you notice how nasal you sound? This a bad cold!¡± Everyone knows how uncomfortable a bad cold is, especially this kind of wind chill cold; coughing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and even dizziness and fatigue. It¡¯s possible to be mistaken as an infection of a zombie virus. After Lian Ru Ning finished speaking, She went to take a kettle and boil a pot of hot water. When she was about to go to Hu Dan to get medicine, Hao Jian was busy buying a box of quick-acting cold medicine from the mall and said, ¡°I have medicine here, no need to bother them.¡± Instead of taking ordinary cold medicine, it¡¯s better to use the system¡¯s medicine since their effects seem to be better. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to make much of a fuss. Although Hu Dan would believe her, the workers wouldn¡¯t necessarily believe that she was just having a common cold. Anyway, she was thinking about leaving by noon, so it would be good to have a good rest for now. After taking the medicine, Lian Ru Ning let Hao Jian lie down and continue to rest, it was still five in the morning anyway. However, although Hao Jian fell asleep again because of the quick-acting cold medicine, Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Not only because of the head and her accumulated sweat after turning off the fan but also because she never thought Hao Jian could get sick. Although it was just a cold, it was enough to make her realize that she was still not enough. Instead of thinking about what they¡¯re going to do without Hao Jian¡¯s combat power, she should be thinking about how she¡¯s going to protect the sick Hao Jian. . . Thinking about this, she took out her notepad and made many plans with the faint light. Hao Jian woke up in the middle of the day. As she opened her eyes, she saw Lian Ru Ning sitting on the bed with her legs bent and a pillow resting on her knees as she continues to write and scratch on her notepad. She stretched out her hand and snatched the notepad away before pulling her close to lay down beside her, she then said in a slightly magnetic voice, ¡°I¡¯m sick while you need rest. This is the most reasonable and effective way to cooperate.¡± Outside the window, a slightly cool breeze that¡¯s unique in the morning blew inside. It was cooler than the wind produced by the fan, so the Lian Ru Ning, who was lying on her side while being wrapped around Hao Jian¡¯s arm, didn¡¯t feel much heat. If it was someone else, Lian Ru Ning might have complained ¡®so hot¡¯ a long time ago, but she doesn¡¯t seem to hate this level of heat. CH 56 After sleeping again, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning slept soundly until nearly nine o¡¯clock. If it weren¡¯t for Peng Mao knocking on their door, they would¡¯ve continued sleeping. Lian Ru Ning sat up and hurriedly looked at Hao Jian, ¡°You go back to sleep. If we¡¯re still leaving by noon, I¡¯ll wake you up an hour in advance.¡± After Hao Jian took the quick-acting cold medicine, although she wasn¡¯t completely cured, her symptoms aren¡¯t so obvious anymore. She then yawned, ¡°No, this has been the most comfortable and adequate sleep I¡¯ve had in days. I still have to go talk to Chief Hu about a few things so I can¡¯t sleep again.¡± Hao Jian already said so, so Lian Ru Ning naturally didn¡¯t stop her from getting up. She waited for Hao Jian to finish dressing up before opening the door, ¡°What happened that you¡¯re in such a hurry? You¡¯re close to breaking down the door.¡± Peng Mao nosily peeked inside and said, ¡°I was going to have breakfast, but I heard you guys weren¡¯t up yet so I was worried if something happened to you!¡± ¡°Well, it seems that waking up early on weekdays would eventually be exhausting, so it¡¯s not a rare thing to sleep in now.¡± Hao Jian also walked out. Although Peng Mao felt that Hao Jian¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t the same as usual, he just thought that it was because she had just woken up. He was not embarrassed that he had disturbed his good sleep, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go back to sleep?¡± ¡°We¡¯re already awake and we have to get ready to leave at noon.¡± Hao Jian said. Peng Mao was surprised, ¡°Leaving so soon?¡± Even though they only stayed for a night, Peng Mao has experienced a lot of benefits for staying in the hydropower station. Aside from the living conditions, which place can be like here that has an endless supply of water and electricity? However, he is also aware that the hydroelectric power station doesn¡¯t serve as a shelter for survivors. They won¡¯t be able to stay here for a long time until they work hard for their stay. However, Lian Ru Ning wanted to return to Southern City as soon as possible. Not to mention that even Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t want to stay for long that he was still talking about his supplies last night! Hao Jian pretended not to see the reluctance in his eyes, ¡°Well, there are a lot of cars parked here/ We can take some gasoline to fill up our cars and I already talked to Chief Hu to let him lend me some tools today to strengthen the protection of our car. By the way, let Xin Ting give the car an overhaul and after we¡¯ve done that, we¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to Xiao Ting.¡± Peng Mao didn¡¯t propose to stay. After all, in his opinion, this place is good but not as interesting as going with Hao Jian and her peers. After washing up, Lian Ru Ning went to the canteen for two sets of breakfast. Hao Jian didn¡¯t go to the crowded canteen, instead received the tools she needed for their car. She wanted to weld the car¡¯s windows with a wire mesh and also welded some on the windshield, leaving only some space for the driver¡¯s and passenger¡¯s seat to see. Lian Ru Ning brought Hao Jian her breakfast she took. Although the staple food was still unflavored steamed buns, there was an extra porridge. This showed that they were treated a little better than before now that they have gained their trust. Hao Jian has welded two car windows, but in just a few moments, she was already covered in a hot sweat. The sun was heavy on them and Hao Jian¡¯s slightly pale face was blushing due to the remainder of her illness. Lian Ru Ning thoughtfully took the sunscreen clothing to block her head. Hao Jian glanced at her, took off her gloves, and said while eating steamed buns, ¡°Little sister is so considerate of me. I¡¯m afraid any more of this and I¡¯ll fall in love with you.¡± Would it kill you to talk to me for a while without teasing me? Lian Ru Ning was slightly embarrassed in her heart, but she didn¡¯t let it show on the surface, ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian paused then smiled, ¡°I will.¡± Shi Gong Dui leaped out from the side, ¡°You will what?¡± When the two raised their eyes, they saw home walking over with his laptop and radio in his arms. Lian Ru Ning then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say all of your equipment was confiscated?¡± A smirk appeared on Shi Gong Dui¡¯s face, ¡°I gave up all the equipment from the villa and promised not to eavesdrop on military secrets at will again, so I was able to persuade them to leave my computer and radio so that we could still receive information from ¡®Wugui¡¯ at any time.¡± Although the remaining devices that are used for collecting wireless channel information and cracking communications codes can¡¯t be returned, it was enough for him as long as he had these two devices. Hao Jian didn¡¯t say anything and only knocked on the gas tank lid, ¡°Go to Chief Hu¡¯s place and load some gasoline back. We¡¯re ready to leave at noon.¡± Shi Gong Dui put his equipment in the car and couldn¡¯t help but wipe the sweat on his neck as he heard her words, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s so nice here. There¡¯s water, electricity, fans, there is even air conditioning in the office, let¡¯s stay for two more days!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who yelled to go back to the city to enjoy your food, air-conditioning, and refrigerator?¡± Hao Jian rhetorically asked. Shi Gong Dui choked, ¡°I was thinking about you, but it¡¯s clear that you don¡¯t want to so I won¡¯t persuade you anymore.¡± He dragged his fat body and huffed and puffed as he ran away. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The parking lot in the hydropower station actually has quite a few cars parked. There are military trucks, off-road vehicles, excavators, and cranes, but because these cars are either too eye-catching or useless, Hao Jian still chose the broken car they picked up. The military still needs trucks and off-road vehicles, so the gasoline inside can¡¯t be pumped out, but there are several abandoned tourist buses that still have a lot of gasoline. When Shi Gong Dui was unloading the oil, he saw Peng Mao holding an umbrella for Xin Ting, who was checking whether the tourist bus was still in good shape, so he pulled him aside, ¡°Come and help!¡± ¡°Go aside, I¡¯m busy here!¡± Peng Mao retorted. ¡°Damn, everyone is busy and only you have the time to pick up girls!¡± Xin Ting gave an ¡®ah¡¯, a little confused as she looked at Peng Mao. The latter then glared at Shi Gong Dui in annoyance, ¡°Go away, I¡¯m doing my job too alright?!¡± Xin Ting reacted and she embarrassingly told Peng Mao, ¡°I don¡¯t need an umbrella here. You go help the contractor!¡± Shi Gong Dui, who always has been dissatisfied with this nickname, had no desire to bother her this time. He proudly led Peng Mao away and took the tube before handing it to him, ¡°Here, suck out the contents out with force!¡± ¡°Fuck, it will flow into my mouth, right?!¡± ¡°Be careful, when something comes out, you can immediately let go so you can¡¯t swallow too much. Why do you think I asked you for help? The other three are all girls, it¡¯s not appropriate to leave these things to them.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it, if you want to suck, you do it. Aren¡¯t you a man too?¡± ¡°I think your lung capacity is better and your body is strong. . .¡± Xin Ting blushed and turned to the side to sneak a look, only to find that they were originally just talking about pumping the gasoline out. No wonder she thought wrongly, it was because the conversation between the two was just too gay. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Peng Mao noticed her presence and asked. ¡°Nothing, you guys are busy so I¡¯ll take these parts to them.¡± Xin Ting said and hurriedly slipped away. Peng mao noticed that Xin Ting¡¯s eyes seemed a little strange. He pondered about it for a moment before realizing how his conversation with Shi Gong Dui sounded like, ¡°. . .¡± A big misunderstanding! He felt that Shi Gong Dui definitely did it on purpose. He was just envious and jealous of his closeness to Xin Ting! To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-e Not to mention Peng Mao and Shi Gong Dui fighting against each other once again, Xin Ting went to Hao Jian as she welded the car windows with some wire mesh to prevent damaging the car too much when hitting zombies. She also deliberately installed a piece of iron in front of the car like a head of a hedgehog. Generally speaking, the overall look is a little ugly, but its safety performance has been upgraded a lot. Xin Ting replaced the parts removed from the travel bus to their car which in turn greatly reduced their chances of failure. Hao Jian tried the car and felt that there was not much problem. ¡°As long as there are no violent collisions, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem driving it for another year or two!¡± Xin Ting let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Xiao Ting, you¡¯re so awesome!¡± Lian Ru Ning praised her with a smile. Xin Ting¡¯s face was slightly ruddy and she didn¡¯t know if it was because of the sun or from being shy because of the compliment. ¡°Indeed, with this skill, you won¡¯t have much problem even if you go on the road alone.¡± Hao Jian nodded. Xin Ting was stunned and felt slightly uneasy, ¡°I, I can¡¯t. I only have the most basic car repair skills and I have no ability to kill zombies.¡± She thought that Hao Jian was trying to keep her in the refuge base again, like last time. ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t need to underestimate your own ability so much. You only retreated at first because of fear, then you humble yourself because you¡¯re used to relying on others that even your feelings waver as a result and not recognizing what you really want.¡± Hao Jian said. Xin Ting understood the truth, but she felt that she wasn¡¯t dependent on Hao Jian. It was just that she had no way to put what she¡¯s feeling into words. Lian Ru Ning consciously walked away and Hao Jian asked again, ¡°Have you ever thought about what you¡¯re doing after you get to Southern City?¡± Xin Ting was a little confused. Although their goal from the beginning was to get to the Southern City, she never thought they could go so far without being unharmed before. She just traveled for so long with the ambivalence of wanting to survive and get by. ¡°What about you? Where are you going to go when Ru Ning finds her family? Hao Jian touched her chin. In fact, she had little hope that they could find Lian Ru Ning¡¯s family, but she will do her best. If Lian Ru Ning¡¯s family is still alive and would successfully reunite with them, she really doesn¡¯t have a plan for what she¡¯ll do next. But since she has already taken the system¡¯s mission and would complete the main tasks, she thinks that there will be more main missions and side missions. Maybe she¡¯ll have to follow Lian Ru Ning, or maybe she¡¯ll break away from the love relationship and complete the missions alone. All in all, she was all alone and she didn¡¯t feel the need to hesitate about the future, like Xin Ting who attempts to find someone to rely on and then survive and get by. ¡°I have my own things to do. I no longer have a family, so I can go to my friends or head to a shelter to stay and wait to do die, or I can do what I want to do. All I can say is that in the future, we won¡¯t take the same direction. You should think about it, where and how you want to go.¡± Xin Ting was silent. Hao Jian didn¡¯t act as a life coach once again to teach her anything but went to Hu Dan to confirm once more whether the ambush of the military went well. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-e Until about eleven o¡¯clock, the sun was getting hotter and hotter, and the car was baked like a steamer before Hao Jian was ready to go. The zombies at the entrance of the grid on the road into the factory have been cleaned up, but they will have to deal with the zombies outside the gate by themselves. Shi Gong Dui still occupied the passenger seat, but compared to yesterday, he felt much more peaceful today. Even if he was hot and sweaty, he didn¡¯t complain. Shi Gong Dui then asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the next plan?¡± CH 57 Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t tell the others about the guard¡¯s plan of ambush, but they still discussed their arrangements. Their plans were led by Lian Ru Ning while Hao Jian was sleeping since she also consulted Hao Jian regarding the feasibility of their plan earlier in the morning. ¡°Take a look at these points,¡± Lian Ru Ning presented the notebook in her hand that had the map of the area from the provincial road near the highway. She then circled several points in which ¡®Wugui¡¯ might be stationed or attack them. Because they didn¡¯t know how much manpower the military¡¯s ambush would attract, they had to treat each road as areas where ¡®Wugui¡¯ might be and be vigilant of them. ¡°Let¡¯s check if there are any motorcycles we can use and split up. The five of us acting together will catch too much attention and their firepower would focus on us.¡± Shi Gong Dui made a fist pump, ¡°Then I¡¯ll share the car with Lian Ru Ning! With her intellect and my technical skills, we¡¯re a perfect match!¡± Just as he finished speaking, he felt the temperature around him suddenly turn cold. When he looked around, he caught a glimpse of Hao Jian¡¯s cold eyes that looked away. ¡°. . .¡± Why does he feel that every time he gets close to Lian Ru Ning, her eyes turn dangerous? Could it be that Hao Jian likes him so she¡¯s dissatisfied with him being close to other women? So, Hao Jian is a typical tsundere queen? Just thinking about it, Shi Gong Dui felt a leather whip hanging over his head that would hit him at any time. However, he isn¡¯t a masochist. He can only feel sorry for Hao Jian¡¯s ¡®affection¡¯ in his heart as he only loves 2D girls. Lian Ru Ning chuckled instead. Although it was a little embarrassing, she wasn¡¯t rude, ¡°Thank you, but I think that intellect and fighting capability is a better match. Technical skills should be left in the rear.¡± The other three people in the car understood that Lian Ru Ning¡¯s plans on partnering up with Hao Jian and Peng Mao didn¡¯t find it unusual, they often partner up together after all. Xin Ting was still thinking about Hao Jian¡¯s words, but she didn¡¯t feel any sense of loss for being left behind. But Shi Gong Dui sighed with regret, ¡°Classmate Lian Ru Ning is right, technical talents like me should stay behind for safety ¡°You¡¯re so shameless.¡± Peng Mao was stunned. Shi Gong Dui was even more cunning than him in that he actually found a reason to hide in the back with nothing to worry about. At this moment, Lian Ru Ning received pictures on her phone. When she took it out to take a look, she was surprised for a moment and glanced at Hao Jian before looking away. The picture looks a little blurry, but one can still roughly figure out that it¡¯s the situation next to a highway: The highway is lined with uneven buildings and stores, as well as two 4S shops. On the spacious provincial road, broken cars and carts have been cleared to the sides, leaving a passable road of several meters wide. However, there are blocks of wooden fences across the middle. There were no signs of zombies in the area, but there were quite a few on the periphery. Obviously, the photo was taken from the sky, but no one among them has drones that could take aerial photography. She also heard about the ambush of the military from Hao Jian, so this picture was most likely sent by the military. Her mobile phone was taken by the military before and it¡¯s possible that it was tampered with. The reason why Hu Dan gave it to her was also probably discussed with Hao Jian. Hao Jian¡¯s evaluation of her abilities makes her a little down, but also a little happy. Is this what they call ¡®sweet burden¡¯? Lian Ru Ning was curious about the specifics of the ambush, but so far, aside from the palm-sized aerial drone appearing on the screen to scout around carefully, no other machines or people have appeared. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen any zombies along the way?¡± Peng Mao suddenly felt that something was wrong. Aside from the scattered zombies they met outside the reservoir at the beginning, they had been walking for half an hour and hadn¡¯t seen any zombies. Lian Ru Ning had a vague guess about the situation. She saw military trucks on the screen and a large group of walkers trailing behind. There weren¡¯t thousands but a couple hundreds of them. She seemed to understand the military¡¯s plans. It wasn¡¯t an ambush, it was a plan to use zombies and have them reduce the combat power of ¡®Wugui¡¯ and the small gangs that took advantage of the battle! However, she didn¡¯t think the military¡¯s plans were wrong, after all, they had lost a lot of personnel and their chances of winning against the large forces of ¡®Wugui¡¯ is very slim. Besides, the members of ¡®Wuigui¡¯ were already dead to her, so whether they were bitten to death by zombies or killed by the military, she wouldn¡¯t have the slightest pity for them. Not long after, there was movement on the roofs of residential buildings and in the shops. Several armed men ran out and shot the drone while the others aimed for the military truck in the distance. Lian Ry Ning couldn¡¯t hear what was happening so she could only tell by the blurring picture on the screen, ¡°Hao Jian, it¡¯s starting.¡± Hao Jian already had a plan in mind and drove the car to a hundred yards in an instant. ¡°What¡¯s starting?¡± Xin Ting immediately asked, although she found that Lian RU Ning had been staring at her phone, she didn¡¯t have the habit of peeking into other people¡¯s phones, so she didn¡¯t go over to see what Lian Ru Ning was looking at. ¡°Our plan!¡± Lian Ru Ning smiled slightly. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world When the footage ended, Lian Ru Ning knew that Hu Dan cut it off, indicating that their mission over there was nearing completion. She wasn¡¯t sure how the military would fight against the remaining ¡®Wugui¡¯ forces, but guerilla warfare gas had always been the military¡¯s specialty and she wasn¡¯t worried that the already vigilant team would still lose. She retracted her phone and whispered in Hao Jian¡¯s ear, ¡°The footage is gone, probably because the drone was taken back.¡± ¡°Then you sit tight,¡± Hao Jian pretty much enjoyed Lian Ru Ning¡¯s voice in her ear despite it was only the two of them now and they could speak louder. . . . The two of them were lucky enough to pick up a red and black Suzuki motorcycle on their way and although it had a few dents in some places, it didn¡¯t hinder its performance. Unsurprisingly, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning formed a team to scout and open the road ahead of them while Peng Mao drove the car with Xin Ting in charge of communicating with Lian Ru Ning from behind. Shi Gong Dui was still tinkering with his equipment in the passenger seat. When he entered the range where he could tap into the communications of ¡®Wugui¡¯ on the provincial road, a lot of noisy voices came out from Shi Gong Dui¡¯s computer. ¡°Help¨C¡° ¡°Has the military gone crazy?! How dare they lure so many zombies here!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the military supposed to be a self-proclaimed department of justice?! I really should tell the whole world what they¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°Damn it! Fuck the military!¡± A burst of gunfire was mixed with the cries of ¡®Wugui¡¯ as they begged for mercy and whispers among the accomplices. Peng Mao honked his horn with joy, ¡°They deserve it! Those people deserve it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked Xin TIng over the intercom. Xin Ting told them what they had overheard and explained a bit more about the sound of the horn, ¡°Peng Mao was too excited and honked the horn to celebrate.¡± ¡°The sounds of the cars can already attract some walkers. If you want to attract more zombies or get the ¡®Wugui¡¯s attention, then please honk a few more times.¡± Hao Jian said indifferently. Peng Mao resentfully rubbed the tip of his nose and said, ¡°I just caught up in the spur of the moment, there won¡¯t be the next time.¡± Shi Gong Dui instead grabbed the intercom and asked, ¡°Classmate, is it possible that the escort team had some mission? Did you know about it for a while now?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Peng Mao hurriedly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier?¡± ¡°Head Contractor, are you dividing us?¡± Hao Jian asked rhetorically. ¡°. . .¡± Shi Gong Dui noticed the questioning gaze from the driver¡¯s seat behind him and busily waved his hand, ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that at all!¡± ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± Peng Mao asked. During their journey, he couldn¡¯t think of what Hao Jian would do that would be disadvantageous for them, not to mention Hao Jian has her own secrets that she had no reason to tell them. If his will wasn¡¯t so firm, he may have been consumed by anxiety about Hao Jian concealing it from them. Although Hao Jian didn¡¯t explain much, Peng Mao also figured it out. If the trust they had built between them would easily be shaken by a few words, then there was no need for them to travel together. ¡°I just. . . I¡¯m just thinking that classmate Hao and classmate Lian are so smart so they should have guessed it. I really didn¡¯t mean to divide you guys. You must know that we have to travel together, so what good will it do me to exclude you?¡± Shi Gong Dui was so anxious that he broke a lot of sweat dripping from his forehead. Peng Mao and Xin Ting didn¡¯t say anything, instead, Lian Ru Ning responded, ¡°Well, this issue will be put aside for now. Only by working together can we get out of this predicament. The next section of the road is not very good so we have to be careful.¡± ¡°We will all listen to classmate Lian!¡± Shi Gong Dui said to prove that he really didn¡¯t mean anything else. Lian Ru Ning kept the walkie-talkie and hugged Hao Jian¡¯s waist from behind. The wind hit her face, drying the sweat that had been flowing down. She rested her head against Hao Jian¡¯s back and asked, ¡°Are you feeling uncomfortable now?¡± ¡°No, little junior sister is holding me just right and I don¡¯t feel hot even if the wind is blowing.¡± Hao Jian answered. ¡°?¡± Lian Ru Ning thought for a while before blushing, ¡°I was asking if you¡¯re still feeling sick, not if my hugging was uncomfortable!¡± ¡°Oh, I feel much better than I did this morning.¡± Lian RU Ning breathed a sigh of relief and took the binoculars to look ahead. She found that the number of zombies on the road suddenly increased. ¡°Oh ho, we¡¯re almost at the ¡®Wugui¡¯s territory, right? Should we go straight through or what? Should we o and see the battle situation over there?¡± Shi Gong Dui said over the intercom and Peng Mao¡¯s voice arguing with him could be faintly heard in the background. ¡°The highway was cleared by the military before and according to the results of their reconnaissance, although there are also zombies roaming over there, there won¡¯t be any obstacles within twenty kilometers.¡± Hao Jian told them. Hao Jian paused and handed the walkie-talkie to Lian Ru Ning as she needed to concentrate on driving to avoid the surrounding zombies. Lian Ru Ning then added to Hao Jian¡¯s words, sounding serious, ¡°We will meet on the expressway, until then it¡¯s up to us whether we live or die.¡± The intercom was silent, but it could be seen that Peng Mao increased their speed and crashed through the zombies like a fierce man. With the map in her consciousness, Hao Jian quickly turned to a deserted lane. Despite being close to the city center and one of the main roads, the development was still underway so the paths were still full of weeds and dilapidated buildings around. At the end of the trail is a bumpy dirt road, because the nearby buildings have been under construction for a long time, all kinds of big trucks would use the road. Rocks and dirt would be flattened by the large wheels that made the road look like it was dug. Hao Jian drove the motorcycle through various narrow lanes like an expert. The zombies were waiting for them to ambush them, but the two were able to slip out. The zombies could do nothing but give chase, despite not catching up, they showed no signs of giving up. Lian Ru Ning tightly hugged Hao Jian¡¯s waist. Although she was confused as to why Hao Jian was so familiar with the surroundings, she didn¡¯t ask during their escape. At this moment, a small zombie leaped out in front of them but was run over before it had any time to move. Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but look back. The little zombie should have been only ten years old before its death. It was still wearing its school uniform with ¡®Sixth Grade¡¯ printed on it. Both its body and uniform were relatively clean but there were congealed bloodstains on its mouth. It got up from the ground and quickly chased after them. Lian Ru Ning thought about it and said, ¡°We rarely see such small zombies along the way.¡± ¡°Zombies don¡¯t stop with just one bite when attacking. Children are not yet well developed and are particularly vulnerable in many places like their necks, so they can only become food after being attacked. If children become zombies, it¡¯s usually through scratches or bites that didn¡¯t cause a larger area of damage. Although there could be something else. . .¡± ¡°What could it be?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. The wind whistled in her ears. The motorcycle leaped out of the alleyway and appeared on the highway but Lian Ru Ning¡¯s body ran cold. CH 58 The railings of the toll gate at the entrance of the expressway in Xinghua City have long been gone and the booth is also a mess. A pile of change is scattered on the floor, but there weren¡¯t any large bills around. Hao Jian picked up all the coins that she didn¡¯t even let the fifty-cent coin go. ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning looked at her, ¡°Are you. . . so short of money?¡± ¡°Not at the moment, but I always feel that I¡¯m a good citizen, so how can I not pick them up if ai see so much money? If I let them be blown by wind and rain, or sun and rain that they finally get damaged or lost, it will cause national financial losses!¡± ¡°The dead would come to life by your tawdry words.¡± Lian Ru Ning belly-laughed. ¡°Is there really no need to find them?¡± Lian Ru Ning looked out in the distance again. When she and Hao Jian first came, they had cleaned up the surrounding zombies. She then confirmed through their intercom that Peng Mao and the others were safe, but because Peng Mao was in a hurry to avoid the zombies, he didn¡¯t know where to drive the car. They were now trying to convince Shi Gong Dui to find a way to obtain a map. ¡°If they can¡¯t find their way, let¡¯s go our separate ways!¡± Hao Jian wouldn¡¯t stop her pace simply because she got separated from her partner. ¡°You don¡¯t worry about them.¡± Lian Ru Ning sighed and took the binoculars to look around. Aside from the zombies that had slightly gathered again, there weren¡¯t any cars around. ¡°Shi Gong Dui is here.¡± Hao Jian put all the change in her pocket, took out her spicy noodles from her backpack, and ate slowly. Lian Ru Ning was stimulated by the smell of the spicy noodles. Although she rarely eats this type of junk food, her sister Lian Ru Meng said that life isn¡¯t complete without eating spicy food, so she also ate some. The taste of the spicy strips was unique and unforgettable. Although she usually restrains from touching it, she now couldn¡¯t help but stare at the spicy noodles in Hao Jian¡¯s hands. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s taste buds were screaming. Hao Jian bit into a spicy strip, raised her eyes to look at Lian Ru Ning then pointed at the other end of the strip, ¡°Little sister also wants to try a taste?¡± ¡°!!!¡± Lian Ru Ning gritted her teeth as she saw the slyness in Hao Jian¡¯s eyes. She knew that Hao Jian was definitely teasing her. Feeling that she was being teased too much, she had become numb and a little exasperated, so she impulsively went over and bit the other end of the spicy strip. The unique spicy taste of the strip instantly stimulated her tongue, and soon, she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to swallow it in one bite. However, she quickly realized what she had done after swallowing a mouthful of saliva. . . Although her lips were still two or three centimeters away from Hao Jian¡¯s lips, it was as if she could hear the other¡¯s heartbeats. Feeling each other¡¯s breaths, the two didn¡¯t move, as if it was a competition and the one who moved first would lose. At this moment, the tips of their noses suddenly touched and Hao Jian simply bit off her section of spicy strips. She chewed for a while before pointing to the bag of spicy strips, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that little sister likes to play this. Although I actually meant for the remaining spicy strips, but. . . since little sister likes to play like this, shall we continue?¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t know whether to swallow or spit the remaining spicy strips. In the end, she also bit off the remaining half in her mouth and threw away the rest. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± She regretted that she seemed to have lost her mind just now, otherwise why would she have done such a thing?! ¡°Don¡¯t restrain yourself, I know you like it, little sister!¡± Hao Jian whispered to Lian Ru Ning¡¯s ears like the devil. However, Lian Ru Ning was kept sane by the spicy strip and looked down at the strip handed by Hao Jian. If she wasn¡¯t paying attention even a little, she would look like she¡¯s taking the initiative again from Hao Jian¡¯s perspective! ¡°No need.¡± Lian Ru Ning looked away to dodge. Hao Jian smiled and reached out to wipe off the grease stains at the corner of Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mouth for her. Hao Jian¡¯s fingertips still lingered on the corner of her lips that Lian Ru Ning almost lost control of her emotions that were about to overflow. Luckily, Xin Ting¡¯s voice came from the intercom that Lian Ru Ning was startled and stumbled while picking up the intercom to show Xin Ting the way. Hao Jian withdrew her hand that was hanging in the air and smiled. She then took her machete to solve the zombies near the toll booth. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world When Peng Mao drove the car to the toll booth, his body was drenched in sweat. As soon as he stepped out of the car, Shi Gong Dui immediately followed while cursing, ¡°From now on, I will never get in the car with you! You drive absent-mindedly that you kept missing the way even if I¡¯ve been giving you directions! I almost died because of your mistake!¡± Peng Mao didn¡¯t refute this time and mumbled with a clear lack of confidence, ¡°I don¡¯t have a stomach for zombies, I¡¯m not Hao Jian. I can¡¯t do two things at once. Moreover, there¡¯s no glass in the driver¡¯s seat and when the zombies got caught on the iron net, I also got scared that we would drive off the road!¡± ¡°What is there to be afraid of? You grew so big yet it¡¯s all for show?¡± Shi Gong Dui spoke the truth. ¡°Are you all, all right?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked with some concern. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a little extended road trip. None of us got in contact with the zombies.¡± Xin Ting immediately responded. Hao Jian checked the surroundings of the car and said, ¡°Some of the iron mesh is loose, but now isn¡¯t a good time for repairs. Let¡¯s get off the road first! Let¡¯s find a good place to stay before it gets dark.¡± Shi Gong Dui sat on the driver¡¯s seat first, ¡°I¡¯ll drive instead!¡± Peng Mao knew he was in the wrong and silently sat in the back seat, letting Xin Ting sit in the passenger¡¯s seat. He was worried he wouldn¡¯t be able to help himself but argue with Shi Gong Dui along the way. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning naturally took the motorcycle. The bike still had some gas and it¡¯s more convenient to use on congested roads. It¡¯s unlikely for them to give up the motorcycle and go back to the car. It was their first time on the expressway after so many days. Although many sections have caused congestion, they have been cleared out and made a passable road. It wasn¡¯t big, but it was wide enough for a medium bus to pass. It wasn¡¯t like the highway had no zombies, but most of them were trapped in the cars while some left the road because of foraging and scattered. Therefore, when hao Jian and the others passed by, they didn¡¯t face the trouble of being surrounded by zombies. After driving for more than half an hour, they could see a rest stop, but Hao Jian and the others were wary to enter because the stop was still too close to Xinghua City. Peng Mao asked about the reason and Lian Ru Ning replied, ¡°This is too close to Xinghua City, many people will choose to come here to look for food or use it as a refuge base when they escape, so the danger level here should be around 7.¡± ¡°Danger level?¡± ¡°Yes, in order for us to better understand and define the degree of danger in a place, Xin Ting and I have created ten levels. The lower the danger level, the safer it is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s brilliant! Classmate Lian is really worthy of being the intellectual person of the team.¡± Shi Gong Dui laughed. ¡°. . . Why do I feel that you¡¯re being sarcastic?¡± Xin Ting asked. ¡°. . .¡± Peng Mao couldn¡¯t help but snicker. Shi Gong Dui¡¯s skills are good, but his emotional intelligence is too low. With Shi Gong Dui as a ¡®companion¡¯, he wouldn¡¯t be too lonely. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The usual expressway has a rest stop every 50 kilometers, but areas with hilly terrain like Xinghua and Chengxiang, mountainous areas, and those with underdeveloped roads have fewer rest stops. Lian Ru Ning searched along the highway on the map and only found two; one was near the rest stop of Xinghua City while the other was dozens of kilometers away from Xiaochuan county in Chengxiang. From there, one still has to walk for more than an hour. Fortunately, the motorcycle still has enough fuel to get them there. They also encountered a lot of zombies along the way, but Shi Gong Dui drove the car and ran over a lot of zombies in front of them. It also avoided Hao Jian the trouble to step off the bike and deal with the zombies first. It wasn¡¯t until four o¡¯clock in the afternoon that they saw the rest stop sign. As always, Hao Jian stopped first to observe. Now that they have some binoculars, they didn¡¯t need to get closer to observe with the naked eye again. ¡°There are fewer vehicles and the number of zombies visible is less than ten. We can predict that there¡¯s no one in this rest stop.¡± After Hao Jian arrived at such a conclusion, she gave the binoculars to Lian Ru Ning. ¡°There¡¯s no one inside, which means there are no supplies and there may be other zombies in the places we can¡¯t see.¡± Lian Ru Ning added. ¡°If there are no supplies, should we go there?¡± Peng Mao asked. ¡°I¡¯ll respect your choice.¡± Hao Jian also didn¡¯t reply positively. ¡°There¡¯s still more than fifty kilometers to go before we reach Xiaochuan County and we don¡¯t know what kind of situation is there, so if we encounter something like ¡®Wugui¡¯ members blocking the road, I¡¯m afraid that it wouldn¡¯t be worth the loss. But if we can solve the zombies here, we wouldn¡¯t need to find another place to spend the night. After all, this place is surrounded by deserted countryside.¡± Lian Ru Ning assessed. ¡°If the zombies here can be cleaned up, I would rather stay here overnight.¡± Shi Gong Dui raised his hand. ¡°I, I think so too.¡± Xin Ting hesitated a little, ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s a lot of zombies, then we¡¯ll immediately leave!¡± Peng Mao declared. Everyone had already expressed their stance, so Hao Jian wasted no more time. They parked their vehicles seven to eight hundred meters away and then instructed Shi Gong Dui to honk the horn aggressively to see if more zombies would appear in the rest stop. The nearest zombie came over as soon as it heard the commotion but it was swiftly taken care of by Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. The remaining zombies were then solved by them one by one just like ¡®Huludao saves Grandpa¡¯.1 After Shi Gong Dui honked the horn, a dozen more zombies came out one after another. These numbers are a bit difficult for them to solve so Shi Gong Dui drove the car and crashed through them, solving the first half while the rest were taken care of by Hao Jian. Peng Mao was now someone who could solve zombies alone. When he killed two zombies, he couldn¡¯t help but boast and turn around, only to see Xin Ting crying. With the ax in her hand, tears ran down her eyes while she hacked the head of the already immobile zombie. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Peng Mao asked hurriedly, ¡°Could it be that you were bitten?¡± Xin Ting wiped her tears, ¡°I¡¯m afraid. . .¡± ¡°. . .¡± Okay, you win. However, although Xin Ting was frightened and cried, the strength in her hand did not decrease at all. Peng Mao saw that a weak woman could kill a zombie alone and immediately lost the thought of boasting his kills. He honestly then went to help Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning in resolving the crisis around them. Shi Gong Dui drove the car and repeatedly ran over the zombies on the ground. He then turned to them and shouted, ¡°I said give me a weapon next time! I¡¯m so useless like this, ah!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a technical person, why do you need a weapon?¡± Peng Mao retorted. ¡°I can at least be more useful than you handling weapons!¡± Shi Gong Dui argued. The reason they can still be in the mood to bicker is naturally that they managed to clean up so many zombies that there wasn¡¯t much left when they entered the rest stop. Now that they found a good place to rest for tonight, their mood is a little relaxed compared to before. Second chapter for today!! I¡¯ll try my hardest to upload at least four chapters today. And let me just say, I¡¯m starting to ship Shi Gong Dui with Peng Mao. . . I mean, the more you hate, the more you love, right? Hahahahahaha! Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! Kindly support me on ko-fi for more updates! CH 59 The rest stop wasn¡¯t big, but there¡¯s an open parking lot and another covered parking lot. There¡¯s a gas station on the side while the rest stop is filled with two one-story buildings. These buildings are naturally not high-class hotels and are basically selling specialties, fast foods, or snack stores. Hao Jian and the others have experience buying food from the rest stop on the expressway. The taste isn¡¯t as good, but the price is quite expensive. However, no matter how much they dislike the food in the rest stop on weekdays, they all had to place a little hope on the food this time. Hao Jian wasn¡¯t worried about the food, after all, the biggest reason she chose to come here is to take advantage of the facilities in the rest stop to take out the food she bought in the system mall. The excuse she prepared was; ¡®although the place was ransacked, there are still a few left¡¯ and so on. In addition, she also wanted to use the gas station in the rest stop to refuel her motorcycle. The situation in the rest stop really isn¡¯t the best. It¡¯s full of garbage and the stench of feces is stuck on the ground. The group couldn¡¯t help but involuntarily cover their noses, ¡°Who would shit all over the place in this situation?¡± Fortunately, there weren¡¯t much feces, and were able to enter the parking lot of the rest stop smoothly. Shi Gong Dui and Hao Jian drove their vehicles to refuel while Peng Mao and Xin Ting teamed up to patrol the surrounding area. Lian Ru Ning carried the machete and headed to the rest stop¡¯s sales shop for reconnaissance. Originally, she was supposed to be the one refueling while Hao Jian went scouting, but Lian Ru Ning wanted to exercise her courage and ability so she rejected Hao Jian¡¯s suggestion. In fact, although she doesn¡¯t want to admit it, she actually just wants to go to the rest stop first because she wants to find something. Although she was a little uncomfortable this morning, she thought it was caused by the sun being too hot and the warm weather, after all, counting the days, she should still have around two to three days before it arrives! But after eating spicy food, that feeling became more obvious, so she couldn¡¯t easily hold it in and felt that she needed to solve it as soon as possible because she didn¡¯t know when it would break out. It would usually come late and rarely comes early, so she was a bit caught off guard this time. The specialty stores in the rest stop were basically emptied; the shelves were empty, the machines in the snack bar have accumulated dust, while hot dogs and fish balls have been crushed and deformed or fell on the ground. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was really tough to find any food here. However, she didn¡¯t have much heart to focus on the food. When she saw a convenience store, she immediately rushed in. Usually, convenience stores sell daily necessities, and those who usually gather supplies are men so they wouldn¡¯t target those intended for female use. On a corner shelf, she saw a familiar package and was overjoyed, but when she was about to head over, she suddenly heard an imperceptible sound. It sounded like the breathing of a dying person, desperately trying to draw air, accompanied by the familiar scent of decay. When Lian Ru Ning reacted, the two zombies were already only about a meter away from her. She didn¡¯t even have time to raise her machete out of panic. ¡°Bang bang bang¨C¡° A rapid burst of gunshots rang out in her ears, and after many consecutive shots, she saw the head of the zombie in front of her explode while the other zombie shifted its attention and ran towards the source of the gunfire. But before the zombie could approach, its neck was cut by the figure that quickly rushed in. Once, twice, three times. . . . until the zombie¡¯s head was separated from its body. All this happened too suddenly that by the time Lian Ru Ning came to her senses, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up, but she held on the machete in her hand and positioned it in front of her but wasn¡¯t able to deliver the final blow on the downed zombie. Hao Jian came to her as she swiftly kept the pistol in a casual manner and took led the machete down to point it to the ground. When Lian Ru Ning felt the warmth in her hands, she didn¡¯t care about the eruption in her lower abdomen and simply hugged Hao Jian tightly as tears ran down her cheeks, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t see them, I was too careless¨C ¡° She was regretful and terrified. Her shame and uneasiness were about to overwhelm her that she started to hyperventilate. Noticing that the body in her arms was trembling, Hao Jian tightly wrapped her arms around Lain Ru Ning¡¯s waist and said in a soft and reassuring voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lian Ru Ning hugged Hao Jian¡¯s arms tightly and buried her head deep in her neck. Her heart was in a mess and she regretted that after experiencing so many zombie killings, she was still scared to death. She stood stiff and forgot to fight back. She also reflected on her mistake of letting her guard down simply because she was eager to find some sanitary napkins but was thankful and lucky that Hao Jian came in time. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Hao Jian really came in just in time. After she was separated from Lian Ru Ning, she vaguely felt unsettled as soon as her bike arrived at the gas station. She didn¡¯t know where this inexplicable sixth sense came from but she didn¡¯t swell on it for too long nor did she take it seriously. She simply followed the direction where Lian Ru Ning headed and looked for her. When she found Lian Ru Ning, she saw the zombies approaching her and in a hurry, she could only draw her weapon ¨C her gun. Although she couldn¡¯t make a perfect headshot, she only had one thought in mind. Lian Ru Ning can¡¯t die! She clearly realized that this thought wasn¡¯t imposed on her by the system but a cry from deep within her heart. It can even be said that this thought wasn¡¯t an attachment to the task but a bond through the soul. She didn¡¯t care how many bullets were left, she didn¡¯t care whether her shots were careless, she didn¡¯t even care that her hands were numb from the shootings. Fortunately, she shot the zombie in the head when she was about to run out of bullets, otherwise, she would never touch a gun again in her life. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world When they saw the broken glass, the fresh corpse of the zombies, and the two people hugging, they felt a strange feeling in their hearts, but they were more concerned about what happened. Lian Ru Ning calmed down and wiped her tears dry. She was ready to say something but Hao Jian let go of her and turned her head towards the rest of the group and said, ¡°You guys go around first to see if there are any zombies attracted by the gunfire. I¡¯ll explain what happened here later.¡± ¡°Oh. . . .¡± The group held their comments back. Before leaving, Xin Ting looked at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning and a trace of sadness crossed her eyes, but she still left in the end. Lian Ru Ning bit her lower lip and didn¡¯t know how to explain things to Hao Jian/ She actually made such a newbie mistake. Even if Hao Jian didn¡¯t care, she still felt a little uneasy. Hao Jian put the gun back and said, ¡°Okay, no one¡¯s interrupting anymore, let¡¯s continue.¡± ¡°???¡± Lian Ru Ning raised her eyes and met Hao Jian¡¯s eyes. The uneasiness in her heart finally calmed down. Hao Jian looked at her for a moment before chuckling, pinched the tip of Lian Ru Ning¡¯s nose, and said, ¡°Thank goodness, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡± Lian Ru Ning, however, still leaned forward and quickly dropped a kiss on her cheek. ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian stared at her, but she didn¡¯t resist or was surprised. Lian Ru Ning was a little nervous. Although she only kissed her cheek, who knew if Hao Jian hated it? Hao Jian naturally didn¡¯t hate it, she instead pointed at her lips, ¡°I think it¡¯s better to kiss here.¡± Lian Ru Ning was shocked by her shamelessness. She didn¡¯t even know what Hao Jian meant. She vaguely felt that Hao Jian thought of her the same way she thought of Hao Jian, but if Hao Jian is ¡®straightforward¡¯, then it will be nothing but teasing up until this point. If she dares to say that she is still straight in the future, she¡¯s afraid that she won¡¯t be able to pay Hao Jian¡¯s ¡®heavy¡¯ price in the future. Hao Jian probably knew that she wouldn¡¯t kiss her anymore, so she picked up the machete, grabbed another pack of sanitary napkins, and handed it to her, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll go with you to the bathroom.¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that her underwear seemed to be wet now, causing her face to flush, but she wasn¡¯t as frightened as before thinking that she was wearing dark sweatpants. ¡°How did you know?¡± She quietly asked. ¡°This shelf is full of sanitary napkins, isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t berate her for being anxious in finding some sanitary napkins that she ignored the possible existence of zombies, on the contrary, she analyzed what happened with Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s anything unusual about the two zombies just now?¡± Lian Ru Ning let out an ¡°Ah¡±, but failed to follow Hao Jian¡¯s line of thinking for the first time. Hao Jian knew that she was still in shock, so she continued, ¡°I figured that they aren¡¯t like the walkers we encountered previously who would let out a scream of excitement or inform their fellow zombies whenever they see a living person.¡± Lian Ru Ning also recalled that even she wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the noise her group did when they first came over. ¡°Do you know why they don¡¯t?¡± A very unpleasant thought arose in Lian Ru Ning¡¯s mind, such as the zombies have evolved and learned to hide to sneak up on humans? But Hao Jian responded seriously, ¡± I think ¨C they might have been mute deaf when they were still alive.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Are you serious? Why do I find this conclusion not reliable at all? Because of Hao Jian¡¯s jokes, Lian Ru Ning relaxed a lot. When they arrived at the bathroom, they naturally conducted another search, but thankfully there were no hidden zombies here, so Lian Ru Ning safely entered the stall. Hao Jian was guarding outside when Lian Ru Ning thought for a while before asking, ¡°Do the others even know you have a gun? It should be for emergency use, you seem to have shot a lot, right? ¡°Your life was in danger, is that not an emergency?¡± Hao Jian removed the magazine and took a look, there were still about four rounds of ammunition. Lian Ru Ning unknowingly smiled as she was silent for a while as she heard this. It would be a lie if she said that her heart wasn¡¯t moved, but she felt that she would become unable to accept Hao Jian¡¯s kindness without ulterior motives in mind. Hao Jian suddenly knocked on the door and handed her a brand new pair of underwear, which was still in its packaging. ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t ask her where she found it, after all, she needed it right now. Hao Jiang sighed about the benefits of leveling up and the system couldn¡¯t help but voice out smugly, ¡°The system has already been telling the host, now the host has discovered that the system is good, right?!¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t retort. She doesn¡¯t have to worry about food, prescription medicine, daily necessities, cold weapons, and even basic survival supplies, but she still doesn¡¯t have much authority to access things that will help them survive. For example; medical supplies and hot weapons. It was as if all this was telling her that she could only get everything she needs once she upgrades. She didn¡¯t bother much with the system about upgrading, but instead asked, ¡°Will the zombies evolve? Or is there a possibility that the zombies will possess intelligence?¡± Hao Jian finally realized that the feelings she has towards Lian Ru Ning are genuine!!! Yesss!!! Oh and Lian Ru Ning, PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HAO JIAN¡¯S KINDNESS!! SHE WILL WELCOME YOUR IMPURE THOUGHTS WITH OPEN ARMS!!!!! One last thing, Xin Ting, IN YOUR FACE!! HA!! Hahahaha, just kidding~ I like Xin Ting, she¡¯s cute and very important in Hao Jian¡¯s team. Oh and I forgot to comment about this earlier but, imagining Hao Jian riding a motorcycle is good. Hao Jian so cool. . . Hahahahaha!! This is the last chapter for today for TSSMAO, Imma have to catch up with the other novels I promised to translate hahahahahuhuhuhuhu. . . . Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! Kindly support me on ko-fi for more updates! CH 60 The system couldn¡¯t answer Hao Jian¡¯s questions about undiscovered experimental results, but it told Hao Jian, ¡°According to the existing experiments, zombies, like humans, cannot evolve within a short period. That is to say, even if they evolve, they need a considerable amount of time and the right conditions.¡± Hao Jian fully trusted the system when it came to these things. She was a little relieved but still harbored some doubts, ¡°Then it seems that zombies actually can do a lot of things. The zombies we met before were like fanatical fans chasing their favorite idols when they arrive at the airport. Will there come a time where they won¡¯t make a sound, just like now, and jump out all of a sudden for some autograph?¡± What kind of lame analogy is that? However, the system still understood and answered her, ¡°Yes.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s slender fingers tapped on her arm as her thoughts on the matter became clearer, ¡°If I think about it in reverse, you mentioned ¡®existing experimental results¡¯, meaning, since you¡¯re a system, the central system has predicted that there will be advanced monsters in the future. The experimental results by then may be different from the existing ones, right?¡± Hao Jian only had one purpose for saying such things, she believed that the system¡¯s predictions isn¡¯t false, but she still had some doubts. She believes that she should assess a lot of things. In this post-apocalyptic world, focusing only on the problem at hand and not thinking ahead isn¡¯t much different from the walking dead. The system doesn¡¯t know why she suddenly asked such a sharp question, it didn¡¯t even have the chance to answer it because Hao Jian was simply thinking on her own and didn¡¯t intend to get any answers. Lian Ru Ning had changed her clothes and come out. Her face was flushed and lowered her head as she ran towards the sink and washed her hands. Hao Jian then asked the system, ¡°She kissed me just now, did you do something?¡± ¡°I hope the host will face reality, take the initiative, and stop asking me if there is something wrong with her.¡± Hao Jian then suddenly smiled, ¡°I realize that you don¡¯t seem to be the same robotic entity as you were at the beginning. As an AI, you also seem to be one with human emotions.¡± ¡°. . .¡± The system stayed silent and decided not to pay any attention to her. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Lian Ru Ning looked up from the mirror and saw Hao Jian staring at her from the mirror. It wasn¡¯t googling, but it made her heart speed up and skip a beat. Hao Jian then approached her and said, ¡°Next time, tell me what you want directly. I will find a way to get it for you.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s words stuck in her throat for a while before she nodded her head. Although she doesn¡¯t want to rely on Hao Jian, she also didn¡¯t want her to worry about her, after all, what she did blew up in her face and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t have the guts to do what she wanted to say. But. . . ¡°If I want anything, you¡¯ll find a way to get it?¡± She asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s you?¡± The water¡¯s continuous drip could be heard but Lian Ru Ning could still hear her own heartbeat. She asked the question a little abruptly, but in fact, she didn¡¯t want to hold back any longer after what happened today. If the times were still peaceful, Lian Ru Ning wasn¡¯t sure whether she would have the courage or think that it was a ¡®hasty decision¡¯. But at this moment, she could clearly feel the other¡¯s feelings, so why would she continue to be ambiguous? She occasionally wants to be frank and express her feelings. Hao Jian was slightly surprised. The only thing that was hidden beneath her surprised eyes was a fierce struggle of contradicting thoughts. Once she positively responds to Lian Ru Ning, she would be going against her original intention of hiding her feelings towards her from the bottom of her heart. But there was a voice that was hitting her in the face, ¡®What are you pretending for? If you really wanted to hide your feelings, you wouldn¡¯t have treated her any differently and you wouldn¡¯t have tried and seduced her over and over again.¡¯ Just like that, Hao Jian gave Lian Ru Ning her answer. She said, ¡°Of course you can.¡± To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The sound of water filled the room. In the mirror on the sink, a girl with a thin figure and green hair tied into a ponytail was held the sink with one hand while the other wrapped around the waist of the person in front of her. The person in front of her had long hair, revealing a pair of peach blossom eyes that were slightly filled with love. The girl wrapped one arm around the waist of the ponytailed girl while her other arm stretched towards the sink as her slender fingers turned the faucet shut. In such an inconspicuous room, sounds of kisses echoed again and again as the pair couldn¡¯t help but relive their sweet interactions. Ignoring the notifications of bonus points and experience she keeps on receiving, Hao Jian parted the kiss with a smile, ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning slightly gasped for air but saw Hao Jian stretch her hand and wipe her lips. Her action broke the pink atmosphere between the two. Lian Ru Ning was still a little confused as she didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d experience her first kiss like that, not to mention it was a kiss that happened seven times. She was so shy and yet. . . why does Hao Jian look like an old driver1? Hao Jian didn¡¯t know what she was thinking but at this time, Lian Ru Ning looked at her with expectant eyes. Hao Jian then frowned slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m an old driver. Although I have been in love once, it¡¯s all during my rebellious phase and I didn¡¯t do anything that crossed the line.¡± Lian Ru Ning thought that she had to give up on love to study while Hao Jian, who had been in love once during her rebellious phase, could actually be admitted to Southern City University. She couldn¡¯t help but feel defeated. . . People who¡¯re really gifted are deadly! Hao Jian pulled her hand and coyly said, ¡°And I always feel like this wasn¡¯t the first time we kissed.¡± Lian Ru Ning was still thinking about the fact that her brain and learning ability isn¡¯t as good as Hao Jian¡¯s, but when she heard that, she bit her lop and said mercilessly, ¡°You¡¯ve been having spring-filled dreams!¡± Hao Jian thought for a while and replied, ¡°That means I like you so much that it makes me dream about you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lian Ru Ning felt that she couldn¡¯t let herself lose against her once again and retorted, ¡°You¡¯ve also been in my dreams many times as well!¡± Only after saying that did she understand the context of their conversation. She then quickly realized the meaning of Hao Jian¡¯s odd look before she pushed Hao Jian out of the way while blushing and walked out, saying ¡°I meant normal dreams! Not spring-filled dreams!¡± ¡°Well, I understand.¡± Hao Jian nodded. But you don¡¯t seem to understand at all! ¡°. . .¡± To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Once the two exited the bathroom, they met Peng Mao and the others who came back from scouting, he then said, ¡°We didn¡¯t see any walkers nearby.¡± Hao Jian nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll only stay here for the night and there must be someone on duty to be a lookout for the night. Be ready to evacuate at any time.¡± Thinking about the two zombies¡¯ strange appearance, she reminded the group, ¡°Pay special attention to a zombie that doesn¡¯t let out an excited cry when it sees a living person at night.¡± At this time Shi Gong Dui asked. ¡°What happened just now? Where did the gunshots come from?¡± Although Peng Mao and Xin Ting didn¡¯t see Chen Zhen giving Hao Jian a pistol, they knew that Hao Jian knew a lot of powerful people so they didn¡¯t doubt why she had a gun. ¡°A friend gave it to me to save my life.¡± Hao Jian responded. Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t ask questions any further, after all, having a gun naturally is the best, providing more ways to protect one¡¯s life. It also indirectly proved Hao Jian¡¯s ability is indeed great. The fact that a gun isn¡¯t something one can hide from the military but wasn¡¯t confiscated means that her identity is safe and reliable. ¡°The two zombies in the convenience store just now were different from most of the walkers we encountered before. They didn¡¯t make a sound when they approached, so you need to know how dangerous it would be for such a zombie to move at night.¡± Peng Mao and the others took a deep breath. They used to think that when zombies see living people, they would act like wild animals that have found their prey and make a lot of noise. If it was really like what Hao Jian said, then their existence would undoubtedly add another layer of danger at night. ¡°Damn, why won¡¯t all of these zombies die of hunger?!¡± Peng Mao cursed. ¡°Forget about that for now. Go around and search to see if there are some remaining supplies.¡± After deligating some tasks, Hao Jian, as always, searched the convenience store with Lian Ru Ning while Xin Ting and Shi Gong Dui searched the building next to it. Peng Mao took the walkie-talkie and binoculars to scout the entire area. After her earlier experience, Lian Ru Ning is now extremely vigilant. Hao Jian took her hand, making Lian Ru Ning startled and suspiciously look at her. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes went hot that she was on the brink of tears, but she had already shed enough of them just now and didn¡¯t want to cry again. So she held her tears back. With Hao Jian¡¯s warm hands in hers, Lian Ru Ning slowly relaxed. There are still supplies left in the rest stop, but they were mostly tissues, cigarettes, and other things that can¡¯t be eaten and aren¡¯t particularly needed. But they didn¡¯t mind, they placed anything and everything useful in their backpacks. Lian Ru Ning also found a pack of disposable underwear with three pieces inside. Although the packaging and style are different from what Hao Jian gave her, she still found a reasonable explanation about them. After shopping around and reuniting, Xin Ting was holding a bunch of plastic bags while Shi Gong Dui¡¯s backpack was filled to the brim once again. He looked at the empty-handed Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning before asking, ¡°What about you guys, did you find something on your side?¡± ¡°Found some supplies for daily necessities, and you?¡± ¡°Our building was filled with fast food shops. It was hard to find a few bags of meatballs and hot dogs, but most were expired already. I suspect that these unscrupulous merchants were originally selling expired food, however, most of them are only half a month past their due dates so we should still be able to eat them, right?¡± Shi Gong Dui said. ¡°. . . No, you can eat them yourself. I happened to find a few cans of eight-treasure porridge at the convenience store as well as some dried purple cabbage and dried mushrooms from the specialty store.¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°We¡¯re not near the sea, so why are these people using dried purple cabbage as a specialty?!¡± Shi Gong Dui sighed as his thoughts relaxed. Of course, apart from finding rolls of plastic bags and expired food, they also found a lot of useful things such as; a few lighters, half a small bag of soybeans, a few pounds of flour, and a few eggs. Not to mention whether the food items have already expired or started to spoil, the important thing is that the materials they found were quite a morale booster. ¡°Moreover, the fast-food restaurants have some staff quarters where we can spend the night.¡± Xin Ting was excited about the discovery as there was also some air-conditioning there. After all, the people searching for supplies couldn¡¯t take the air-conditioning with them so the group could spend the night with a cool breeze if there was some electricity. After calling Peng Mao over, the group arranged their respective assignments. Peng Mao, as always, would be on guard duty first while Xin Ting was responsible for finding a place to cook dinner. Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning, and Shi Gong Dui went to sleep ahead while waiting for their turn for guard duty. However, Shi Gong Dui wasn¡¯t sleepy yet so he found a place to set up his equipment and fiddled with it for a while. He then went to bed after eating his share of porridge and Xin Ting¡¯s hodgepodge of dried purple cabbage and dried mushrooms. Although there is an air conditioner, it made a clicking sound as soon as it was turned on and its cooling didn¡¯t work well and often malfunctioned. Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t expect the air-conditioning to function any further so he took his clothes of and went to sleep. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning still slept in one room. They planned to eat once they weak up as Xin Ting set aside a portion for them during her cooking. At the end of the day, Xin Ting sat on the chair and was a little startled at what she saw. After turning her eyes slightly, she could see Peng Mao sitting on the roof of a broken car and was occasionally glancing at her. When she walked over, Peng Mao said, ¡°Look at the colorful haze in the sky.¡± Xin Ting looked up and in the western side of the sky above, the clouds looked like they were dyed with red. Peng Mao suddenly asked, ¡°Actually, I think Hao Jian adn Lian Ru Ning have always been in such tacit understanding. Their relationship must be extraordinary.¡± Xin Ting was slightly surprised and then nodded. In fact, she also understood that there was no place for a third person to get in between Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. She was only afraid of being alone and being lonely, so she tried to convince herself that she can rely on Hao Jian. However, Hao Jian told her at the very beginning that she she can¡¯t depend on anyone else aside from herself. She felt that she had lost her love, but it wasn¡¯t as hard as she thought and for a while, she didn¡¯t know whether her feelings for Hao Jian was indeed love. Peng Mao was still gossiping with her on the side. She returned to her senses and stopped thinking about complicated matters. Wouldn¡¯t the more important thing for her to do right now is to improve her strength and ability to survive? CH 61 After the sun went down, everything was silent. The street lights on the highway have long lost their power and the sky was so blue that it could be confused as black. The sky and the earth seemed so dark that they blended together and only the rest stop had a faint light. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning woke up in less than five minutes and raised their watches to see that it was nearly ten o¡¯clock. There were still ten minutes or so before their shift as guard duty so Hao Jian wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Lian Ru Ning felt that she was sweaty and sticky so she felt uncomfortable when she slept. She wanted to get some water and wipe her body clean but their current situation didn¡¯t allow it. Just as she was about to get up, Hao Jian stopped her, ¡°There are some things that aren¡¯t convenient to do later so it¡¯s better to do them now.¡± ¡°?¡± As soon as Lian Ru Ning reacted, Hao Jian covered her lips and gave her another lingering and passionate kiss. Thinking that it was just one long kiss, Hao Jian found that the system actually considered it as three kisses. It was calculating the experiences and points she gains based on the number of times their lips would touch. So what seemed to be a lingering kiss in Lian Ru Ning¡¯s perspective, Hao Jian had gained 3 experiences and 15 points. ¡°Let¡¯s make it a whole number.¡± Hao Jian said. Adding the kiss they had during the day, she had already gained 10 experiences and 50 points. Lian Ru Ning was a little confused, and when she remembered their kiss during the day, she became even more confused at Hao Jian¡¯s way of calculating whole numbers. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before!¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t refuse such a display of intimacy, but she still shouted shyly. ¡°The past is the past, but now, I have decided that since I¡¯m with you, even if it¡¯s the end of the world, even if it¡¯s difficult, I will bear all the sorrows with you and will share all the happiness with you.¡± Lian Ru Ning was stunned. It was the most beautiful words of confession she has ever heard. In such a harsh environment, how many people tramble on the dignity and lives of others in order to survive. Personal feelings no longer matter. How lucky is she to have met Hao Jian? Today, she didn¡¯t hold back and just said things in her heart, but in fact, she¡¯s only relying on Hao Jian¡¯s feelings for her, right? Their surroundings don¡¯t allow them to linger any longer so Hao Jian first went to find Peng Mao and Xin Ting. Because guard duty is a little boring, the two would occasionally chat and after their conversation, the two would naturally grow closer. ¡°Go rest, just leave it to us here.¡± Hao Jian said while looking at the two who couldn¡¯t help themselves but yawn. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to sleep. Remember to eat, if you think it¡¯s cold, just reheat it a little!¡± Xin Ting reminded. Hao Jian waited for Lian Ru Ning¡¯s return from getting their share of a cold hodgepodge to eat. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough to eat so she took out two more meat buns. It wasn¡¯t technically accurate to call it meat buns since there was no meat in it. The only filling it had was vegetables instead. Of course, they were also bought from the system mall, after all, it only costs 15 points. One shouldn¡¯t expect to get meat cheaply in the mall where it¡¯s more expensive than gold. Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t question where the meat buns came from. After all, the materials Shi Gong Dui found today included some supplies that were once used to make hand-made cakes and flour cakes. There was a lot of easy-to-cook food in the rest stop near the expressway. The ingredients are easy to cook and as long as it hasn¡¯t spoiled, one can make something out of it in just a few minutes. After eating their fill, they sat for a while. Of course, they weren¡¯t sitting idly but were trying to listen to their surroundings in the silence. In addition to the sound of the wind and the bristling trees and leaves, there were also some vague familiar sounds around them. Hao Jian sighed, she couldn¡¯t let her guard down for tonight. The reason why they let Peng Mao and Xin Ting guard the first half of the night is that they just cleaned up the zombies. The walkers from other places won¡¯t come here in such a short time. She, Lian Ru Ning, and Shi Gong Dui can better adapt to changes so they would guard the second half of the night. Their original plan was to let Shi Gong Dui wake up by twelve and replace Lian Ru Ning while she sleeps for another two hours and replace Hao Jian. They would continue this cycle until the sun comes up but it seems they would have to wake Shi Gong Dui up now. Before Shi Gong Dui could get dressed and rush out, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had used some magazines to cover their arms and neck. Hao Jian also bought two searchlights from the system mall and tied them to their heads for this purpose. Their vision isn¡¯t as good during the day and they must be prepared for anything. Because it¡¯s impossible to determine how many zombies there were, Peng Mao and Xin Ting were also woken up who packed their things in their car to prepare them to leave at any given time. Half an hour later, two zombies appeared wandering at the gas station and they were extremely excited when they found Hao Jian and the others. This kind of excitement was similar to the zombies they¡¯ve encountered before. They would make weird calls so it seems they weren¡¯t part of the ¡®abnormals¡¯. Their binoculars didn¡¯t have night vision for the dark so Hao Jian couldn¡¯t count on it. After dealing with the two zombies, she decided to rely on the searchlight to scout further. Peng Mao and Xin Ting didn¡¯t dare to go back to sleep even if they were sleepy until Hao Jian observed their surroundings and said, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything abnormal around now. If there¡¯s a zombie swarm, the noise should be rather loud, you guys go to sleep first!¡± To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world It wasn¡¯t until four in the morning did the zombies reappear around them. Hao Jian and the others who have been guarding at night weren¡¯t in the mood to go back and sleep for another two hours so they woke Peng Mao and Xin Ting up and prepared for their departure. Although the sky was still ghostly blue at four in the morning, by the time they get to Xiaochuan county, the sky should brighten up. The earlier it is in the morning, the less alert people are, so when they arrive in Xiaochuan County, Hao Jian and the other wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being surrounded by the people from ¡®Wugui¡¯ Although it was unclear whether the commotion in Chengxiang City was also caused by ¡®Wugui¡¯, they didn¡¯t dare take the matter lightly. From the rest stop all the way to the border of Xiaochuan County, after making sure that the county doesn¡¯t have the same roadblocks as Xinghua city, they continued to drive for more than 20 kilometers while the road was still clear. They only stopped at the junction of the expressway and the national highway. From the topographical point of view, Xiaochuan county is located in a valley. Its plains basically appear along a river and of course, it doesn¡¯t have much flat land, so it is one of the relatively underdeveloped counties. The expressway would cross from Xiaochuancounty and then enter the more open plains of Chengxiang county after 20 kilometers or so. The national highway will pass through Hexian county ¨C a neighboring county of Xiaochuan- which also leads to Chengxiang but will be closer to Xiang city. However, a major problem in front of them is that, although the population of Xiaochuan county is less than He county, one has to go through the main urban area of Chengxiang city to get there. If they will go from He county, the terrain of the county is relatively open and its population and building density are several times higher than that of Xiaochuan county. Hao Jian didn¡¯t hesitate for too long and chose to go to Xiaochuan county. Although the national highway in He county is closer to the city, Hao Jian¡¯s main purpose is to take Lian Ru Ning back to Southern city. The situation in Southern city is dangerous, so it¡¯s naturally better to head to their destination through the mountainous and forested area in the northeast. Everyone had no objections, after all, from the current situation, Xiaochuan county is clearly safer, and when they get to Chengxiang city, they can also take the road in the rural area. As for the threats in the area, they¡¯ve prepared to deal with them long before their departure. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The group didn¡¯t face any danger when they crossed the main plains of Xiaochuan county and soon followed the mountain road towards another town. This section of the road alone allowed them to clearly see the remoteness of the place. Peng Mao lamented, ¡°I thought our place was already considered poor and remote, but I didn¡¯t expect this place to be even more remote. It won¡¯t be an exaggeration to describe the distance between towns to be as far as Wanzhong Mountain. Moreover, there are more than 10 kilometers in between that are inaccessible. Since transportation in this place is inconvenient, I bet the people would only rely on the river to travel!¡± ¡°You should feel proud, it shows that our country is such a big place.¡± Shi Gong Dui said. ¡°How come I didn¡¯t know you believed in our country so much? Before head contractor eavesdropped on state secrets.¡± ¡°Stop bringing that up, if the cult organizations heard you, they would kill me!¡± Shi Gong Dui argued with him again. Right then, Lian Ru Ning ahead of them spoke through the intercom, ¡°Ahead is one of the highway¡¯s entrances and exits, the situation isn¡¯t clear so be prepared to turn back.¡± Shi Gong Dui hurriedly took the walkie-talkie and replied, ¡°Turn back? Turn back to Xiaochuan county?¡± Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t answer but he soon saw that the vehicles parked in front of them were indeed more than the previous road. When he was torn between clearing the road together or turning back, Hao Jian spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and scout. I¡¯ll let you know once I confirm the situation.¡± After a while, Hao Jian sent back a message, ¡°There are people on the road.¡± ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re alive?¡± ¡°Sure, they seem to be clearing the congested vehicles on the highway.¡± Peng Mao was overjoyed, ¡°Then we can go over there and join them!¡± After all, after traveling for so long, he didn¡¯t seem to have encountered a team of the same nature aside from the military! Hao Jian didn¡¯t object and Shi Gong Dui drove the car to join her. He then confirmed through the binoculars that there are indeed people ahead and they weren¡¯t just a single-digit number, they had a medium bus with them which he fears would be filled with people. He wasn¡¯t happy when he looked at them, he was instead a little suspicious like Hao Jian, ¡°There are so many people with weapons. I doubt there are any ordinary organizations that would organize people to clear roadblocks.¡± Shi Gong Dui thought that if they¡¯re ¡®lawfully good¡¯, ¡®lawfully neutral¡¯, or ¡®neutrally good¡¯, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much, but in case they¡¯re a cult or a team with a ¡®chaotic¡¯ or ¡®evil¡¯ nature, they will only be entering the tiger¡¯s mouth. Based on what Lian Ru Ning, Peng Mao, and Xin Ting understood if the group¡¯s nature belonged to the first three, they wouldn¡¯t hurt others without reasonable doubt, like the military. And ¡®lawfully evil¡¯ would refer to cults like ¡®Wugui¡¯ that is organized and has order but still wouldn¡¯t care if they hurt others to achieve their goals. Of course, the vast majority of evil forces that exist in this world still belong to the ¡®chaotic evil¡¯ that has no sense of law and order and is extremely indifferent to death, morals, human rights, and so on. After hearing such a novel setting, Peng Mao asked, ¡°Then, what camp do we belong to?¡± ¡°. . .¡± The people other than him really didn¡¯t care what camp they belong to but Shi Gong Dui still answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but I should belong to either neutrally good.¡± Hao Jian chuckled, ¡°I think you belong to chaotic good. If you really were neutrally good, you wouldn¡¯t be eavesdropping on military secrets.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Just drop the matter already you two! Shi Gong Dui felt that his eavesdropping on military secrets would become a ¡®crime¡¯ that would accompany him for the rest of his life. But in the end, it was just a joke to lighten the mood. Because of their inability to determine what nature the other group belonged to, Hao Jian didn¡¯t rashly decide to join them. Peng Mao took a curious look through the binoculars and clicked his tongue, ¡°In that team, there are quite a few women, I think it should¨C¡° He was suddenly startled that his words paused mid-sentence so everyone noticed his strangeness. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Ting asked. Peng Mao put down the binoculars. Something flickered in his eyes as he looked at Hao Jian, ¡°I want to go there.¡± Hao Jian raised an eyebrow, ¡°You know someone there. . . your brother?¡± Hao Jian: The past is the past, but now, I have decided that since I¡¯m with you, even if it¡¯s the end of the world, even if it¡¯s difficult, I will bear all the sorrows with you and will share all the happiness with you. Me: THAT IS BASICALLY A FREAKIN PROPOSAL!!! Where¡¯s the ¡¯till death do us part¡¯??!!! WHERE??!! ASDFGHJKL *flips table while looking for a ring* >/////////< Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! Kindly support me on ko-fi for more updates! CH 62 Peng Mao was also surprised to see his brother Peng Sheng here. Although the two of them seem to have been separated for a long time, it¡¯s only been eight days since then. However, during these eight days, Peng Mao has experienced a lot and he isn¡¯t as weak as he was before. He no longer complains that his brother abandoned him, after all, in the face of survival, selfishness isn¡¯t uncommon. In the past, he used to have little hope for his brother, he¡¯s his brother after all, but he still hoped that Peng Sheng would go with him. Of course, he was also happy when he found out that his brother was still alive. But he didn¡¯t dare bring Hao Jian and the others over, Ding Gunian¡¯s knew he¡¯s just a paper tiger after all, and if they attacked Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning, and Xin Ting, he¡¯s afraid he¡¯ll have to spend the rest of his life in regret. ¡°I want to talk to him about something. You don¡¯t have to take care of me, just move according to your plan!¡± Peng Mao said frankly, ¡°This is my decision. Whether I live or die because of the consequences is my responsibility alone. This time, I won¡¯t cry and wait for you to save me again!¡± Shi Gong Dui was surprised, ¡°So it¡¯s true that you¡¯re a pussy, still crying and waiting for beauties to save you?!¡± It¡¯s rare for Peng Mao not to argue with him, instead, he patted his shoulder earnestly, ¡°After I leave, you¡¯ll be the only man left here. Although you¡¯re fat, perverted, and unhygienic, you¡¯re in good hands. Well, there¡¯s a leader so having others think that you can protect the three girls is enough.¡± ¡°Shit, what do you mean not hygienic. . .¡± The more Shi Gong Dui continued, the less confidence he had, ¡°Just hurry up and go!¡± Peng Mao wanted to pack up his things but found that he actually had nothing to pack. Even the crowbar in his hand was given by Hao Jian. After hesitating for a little while, he gave the crowbar to Shi Gong Dui and planned to head over to Peng Sheng just like that. Shi Gong Dui said, ¡°I¡¯m technical personnel, carrying it is useless, you take it!¡± His gaze landed on Xin Ting and froze on the spot. On one hand is his own brother, while on the other is the girl he likes. It is indeed a difficult choice. Without hesitating for too long, he turned to Hao Jian and said, ¡± Thank you for saving me in the first place and for being willing to take me in and accept me, who¡¯s of little use to you. I know it¡¯s a bit irresponsible for me to leave the team like this, but. . .¡± Hao Jian waved her hand, ¡°No need to say anything. It¡¯s rare for you to be so determined to do something and I can still think highly of you.¡± Peng Mao¡¯s words got stuck in his throat. Well, he almost forgot that Hao Jian had a sharp tongue and an unforgiving woman of action. But it made him feel a little better when Hao Jian and the girls didn¡¯t blame him. After embarking on a solo journey to find his brother three to four kilometers away, he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to turn back, but he held it in again and again. After walking for a few more minutes, he couldn¡¯t stop himself and looked back. He vaguely saw a few people leaning against the car and opening bottles of coke. ¡°???¡± He was so angry that he didn¡¯t know what to do. He could go back, but his goodbyes have been said, and it¡¯s too humiliating to go back like this. . . To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The distance of three or four kilometers may not seem far away, but it would still take at least 40 minutes of walking to arrive as soon as possible. Running would shorten it, but Peng Mao wants to preserve his strength, so he can only walk. The closer he go to where Peng Mao was, the clearer view he had of how serious the traffic accidents and congestion on the highway is. If they still drove down, he¡¯s afraid that they¡¯ll soon be blocked. Thanks to their binoculars, they were able to assess the situation, otherwise, they would have gone for nothing. He also couldn¡¯t expect Peng Sheng and his group to clear this side of the road since they seem to be cleaning up the highway from this town from the highway to Chengxiang. As for this section of their exit road, he knows they will ignore it. After walking for half an hour, the sun was still blocked by the mountains to the east and it hasn¡¯t reached Peng Mao yet. He was also sweating and his sweat was soaking the backpack he¡¯s carrying, so he had to put it down and carry it with his hands. Fortunately, the other side was a low slope and it wasn¡¯t easy for zombies to climb up from below. The zombies on the highway seemed to have been attracted by the sound of Peng Sheng and his group¡¯s activities, otherwise, his journey wouldn¡¯t be as safe. Finally seeing a vague figure, he couldn¡¯t help himself but speed up, almost running, and reached the distance where the group could spot his figure in no time. ¡°Is that a person, or a zombie?¡± The people on the other side stopped working and stared at Peng Mao. The group was still very vigilant against Peng Mao. Fearing that they may have guns in their hands, he immediately shouted, ¡°I¡¯m a living person!¡± ¡°Fuck, you fucking shouted so loud that the zombies got attracted!¡± Someone, who didn¡¯t expect him to take such an action, immediately warned. Peng Mao heard the voice and stopped talking. Two people were walking towards him, and when they got closer, they turned out to be familiar faces. ¡°Yo-ho, if it isn¡¯t that guy, who. . .¡± One of them laughed. The other one, who looked like a newcomer and hadn¡¯t met Peng Mao, asked, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know since you just joined, but this guy is Bitch Sheng¡¯s older brother, a guy who¡¯s even more ambitious than Bitch Sheng. Don¡¯t get intimidated by his muscles, they¡¯re actually just fancy pillows.¡± The man teased. If he heard such a comment before, Peng Mao would have been sad or angry, but after experiencing a lot of life and death situations, his temper had also been polished a lot and he immediately held back. But what surprised him was that his younger brother was actually nicknamed ¡°Bitch Sheng¡± ?! ¡°Aren¡¯t you the bitch next to Ding Gunian! What¡¯s your name again? Bitch Dan, bitch Mao, son of a bitch. . . could it be lapdog?¡± Peng Mao smiled. Although he has little power, it doesn¡¯t mean that he needs to wag his tail and beg for mercy. His purpose is only to find Peng Sheng and not beg to follow Ding Gunian, so he doesn¡¯t need to lower his head. ¡°What did you say?!¡± The man was furious and was just about to go up and give Peng Mao some beating, but he when saw Peng Mao pick up the dirty crowbar and examine it in his hands. The man immediately calmed down. They met and left Peng Mao in Jiangshi, yet Peng Mao was able to come here alone, didn¡¯t he have something to rely on? Otherwise, the way they abandoned him, it would¡¯ve been strange if he survived another day! Looking at Peng Mao, he still had the same face, but he was different from the guy who was shivering when he encountered zombies before. How can a person¡¯s nature change so quickly in just a few days? He must have something to rely on! The man was shocked and didn¡¯t dare to recklessly step forward, but still tentatively asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I saw Peng Sheng so I came to look for him.¡± Peng Mao didn¡¯t say how he saw Peng Sheng. The man became even warier of him and looked around to see if anyone was lurking in the dark. Peng Mao knew his worries and didn¡¯t say he came alone. After following Hao Jian and the others for so long, he also learned a few tricks. Only by making himself look intimidating can other people be wary or have leverage during negotiations. ¡°Bitch-I mean, Peng Sheng is over there. Are you coming with us?¡± Peng Mao didn¡¯t hesitate and maintained an aura of ¡®I have a big boss behind me and I¡¯m not afraid of you going against me.¡¯ The newcomer leading the way couldn¡¯t help but secretly ask his comrade, ¡°Brother Xun, why are you so polite to him?¡± The man called ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ glanced back at Peng Mao before answering in a whisper, ¡°You know how much of a pushover and useless bitch Sheng is.¡± The newcomer nodded in agreement. ¡°That brother of his was even more useless than bitch Sheng that he trembled in fear when he saw the zombies.¡± The newcomer was astonished, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t look like such a useless person!¡± ¡°Exactly, so, does he dare to come here alone? That¡¯s absolutely impossible. He definitely found a backer like Mr. Ding. I have to hurry back and inform Mr. Ding about this. You take him to find bitch Sheng.¡± After ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ ordered, he quickly left. Peng Mao guessed that he might have gone to look for Ding Gunian, but he didn¡¯t care. He only wanted to find Peng Sheng. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Since Peng Sheng listened to Ding Gunian¡¯s words and abandoned his brother, he did feel a little guilty. But without his brother dragging his feet, his teammates¡¯ attitude towards him became more pleasant and swept his guilt under his feet. In his opinion, following Ding Gunian is undoubtedly the right move. Although he had to kill zombies and had to do miscellaneous tasks, Ding Gunian never lacked in giving him three meals a day. However, such good times changed after he was injured in an accident and his fighting ability decreased. At that time, Ding Gunian¡¯s team continued to grow and there were many people more capable than him, so he was gradually removed from the center of power. He wasn¡¯t going to back down and was very diligent in many tasks and even took the initiative to help Ding Gunian fetch water and wash his feet. Ding Gunian saw that he had been with him for so long and didn¡¯t want people to say that he had ruthlessly kicked his former ¡®brothers¡¯ away, so he didn¡¯t kick him out. However, he still left the nickname ¡®Bitch Sheng¡¯ in the team and became a laughing stock behind his back. Even if Peng Sheng had strong self-esteem, reality doesn¡¯t allow him to leave because the benefits of following Ding Gunian were like drugs for him. If he become someone without a backing, without power, he¡¯d have to fight other people to the death for a piece of bread, something he can¡¯t do. What¡¯s the use of dignity? He can even completely abandon his conscience for the sake of survival. When he saw Peng Mao again, he was in a daze and thought that he heard wrong, but Peng Mao was standing in front of him, alive. Compared to his embarrassing looks, Peng Mao seemed to be doing very well. He got angry and shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Peng Mao frowned, but he still ignored Peng Sheng¡¯s rudeness and answered, ¡°I saw you and came over. Do you think it¡¯s impossible that I could come here alive?¡± Peng Sheng choked as if there was a fishbone stuck in his throat that he couldn¡¯t cough out. It was extremely uncomfortable. He came back to his senses and saw Peng Mao holding a crowbar that had obviously killed a lot of zombies that it even became slightly bent. He could imagine Peng Mao¡¯s figure bravely beating and killing zombies while standing on top of their corpses. But soon, his mind was once again reminded of Peng Mao¡¯s embarrassing appearance that was so scared of the zombies that he almost peed his pants. He didn¡¯t believe that Peng Mao could come here alone. The two brothers were speechless. When Ding Gunian heard from ¡®Brother Xun¡¯, he wasn¡¯t originally very interested in Peng Mao¡¯s appearance, but when he heard that Peng Mao may have someone who has a lot of power behind him, he had to pay attention to it. ¡°Bring them here.¡± Ding Gu Nian waved his hand like an emperor in a high position. ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ then said, ¡°Peng Mao refused to come over. He said he was just here to see Bitch Sheng.¡± It was the first time that someone disobeyed Ding Gunian and he was a little angry, however, he also knew that Peng Mao is no longer a part of his team and that he wouldn¡¯t wag his tail to him, unlike Peng Sheng. He stood up, took another pair of sunglasses, and put them on. He then said indifferently, ¡°Then let¡¯s go and see where his confidence comes from.¡± ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ immediately picked up a parasol and opened it to shield Ding Gunian from the sun. When everyone saw him, they stopped whatever they were doing and looked at him as if he was really the center of the world, the most anticipated emperor in the limelight. When he reached the entrance of the highway, he heard Peng Mao tell Peng Sheng, ¡°I want to talk to you.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°The person who has his subordinates taken away, aren¡¯t you going to greet me?¡± Peng Mao almost couldn¡¯t recognize Ding Gunian, but judging from his stinky and arrogant attitude, he was still the same Ding Gunian. Ding Gunian looked around and said, ¡°You continue working. If you haven¡¯t cleared a path before this afternoon, you will all stay here for the night!¡± When everyone heard it, they hurried back to clean up the blocked vehicles. Ding Gunian also didn¡¯t bother to greet Peng Mao as he continued, ¡°You¡¯re also quite lucky to actually find a team who¡¯s willing to take you in. However, they found out again that you¡¯re actually useless and discarded you, didn¡¯t they?¡± Peng Mao wasn¡¯t happy with him slandering Hao Jian and the others so much so he coldly replied, ¡°Do you think everyone is like you? Calling them brothers when they¡¯re useful and when they¡¯re slightly less useful than before, you discard them like pawns?¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t talking about him. He was just angry for Peng Seng after guessing his situation. Du Gunian was very upset. To be honest, he was very happy these last few days that everyone who questioned or went against him was either kicked out of the team or beaten in the face as a lesson. No one dared to disobey him after that and now, Peng Mao was the only one who angered him recently. However, Peng Mao isn¡¯t a member of his team so he can¡¯t really use such actions as kicking him out or disciplining him. But he absolutely can¡¯t contain his anger either. Just as he was about to order someone to teach Peng Mao a lesson, he heard the sound of engines from a distance. The crowd, including him, turned their eyes over and saw a Suzuki motorcycle swiftly approaching and stopped not too far from them. The one driving was a beautiful woman whose figure looked tall and had a pretty face. Behind her was an even more beautiful woman but with a hint of innocence or childishness. Peng Mao froze, then heard the rider raise her chin, ¡°You run so fast. If you won¡¯t help clear the roadblocks, you won¡¯t have your share for lunch. Peng Mao¡¯s nose turned red and he wanted to say something touching, but when he remembered what he saw and thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but curse instead, ¡°I saw you drink coke secretly and didn¡¯t leave me any!¡± . . . . We can always rely on Peng Mao to ruin perfectly good moods like this one. Hahahaha!! Anyway, I kinda wanna see Peng Mao finally go up against Ding Gunian and Peng Sheng, of course, that includes our awesome Hao Jian kicking their asses. Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! CH 63.1 Ding Gunian was also surprised by the appearance of Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. One looked valiant with an imposing aura but has a graceful figure like a runway model, while the other looked delicate and soft, pure and innocent student who hasn¡¯t left school yet. Each has its own characteristics, each has its own style, but both can still be regarded as top beauties. But after discovering that they¡¯re actually acquainted with Peng Mao, the mood was a little delicate. He looked at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning and said, ¡°Are you two Peng Mao¡¯s companions?¡± If these two women are the only companions of Peng Mao, then he has made a fortune! ¡°Sort of.¡± Hao Jian responded flatly. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s reaction was a little milder as she slightly smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Ding Gunian, right? I¡¯ve heard Peng Mao mention you.¡± Ding Gunian gave Peng mao a sidelong glance, knowing that he couldn¡¯t possibly say anything good about himself, but he was still in a pleasant mood and said, ¡°Yes, I am, but I don¡¯t know who the Miss is. . .¡± Shi Gong Dui¡¯s words came out of the intercom, ¡°You guys don¡¯t waste time. Quickly ask Peng Mao if he¡¯s done talking to the kid and hurry back if he¡¯s done to help.¡± As soon as the voice came out, Ding Gunian raised an eyebrow. It seems that there¡¯s really a team behind Peng Mao. If these two girls dared to come alone, then it means they¡¯re also the same as Peng Mao who has some backing. Although the two have a knife, he doesn¡¯t think that the two soft girls have any power. But no matter how much he disagreed with the situation, he had to put his malicious thoughts away. The zombies are easy to deal with, but people who have teams like him aren¡¯t as simple. He looked at Peng Mao, ¡°You still have other companions, why don¡¯t you call them here and we can all get acquainted with each other?¡± Although Peng Mao was moved, he still didn¡¯t want Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning to be in danger, so he replied, ¡°The road over there is blocked, they¡¯re still clearing the blocking vehicles.¡± He made sure not to mention how many ¡®they¡¯ are to allow Ding Gunian to guess for himself and give him a little scare. From the first time Hao Jian saw Ding Gunian, she already felt that something was wrong with the person. She couldn¡¯t say exactly what, after all, she just met this person casually and she didn¡¯t know what he could do. Ding Gunian saw that Hao Jian¡¯s body also had a walkie talkie and he could even hear the other side¡¯s conversation. He felt that the team Peng Mao relied on wasn¡¯t a simple one since it has at least some high-tech equipment. He didn¡¯t dare look down on them for a while and rather pleasantly handed out an invitation, ¡°Since they don¡¯t have time to come, why don¡¯t we all sit down and get to know each other, have drinks, and patiently wait for them to come over?¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t say anything while Peng Mao looked at Peng Sheng. Under Ding Gunian¡¯s gaze, Peng Sheng told his brother, ¡°Don¡¯t you have something you want to say to me, brother?¡± Peng Mao would naturally stay while Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning agreed. The reason why Hao Jian came over with Lian Ru Ning was indeed agreed by all of them since they couldn¡¯t leave Peng Mao behind. The second reason is that Hao Jian also wanted to know what Ding Gunian could do. It would also be good if she could gather information from them. After all, they can¡¯t stop communicating with other people just because they¡¯re suspicious of others. If they don¡¯t have information, they lose the opportunity to deal with any crisis. But they dared to come alone not just to frighten Ding Gunian. Shi Gong Dui has already hacked into the town¡¯s wireless devices and when the time comes that Hao Jian and the others become in danger, he will use these devices to give Ding Gunian¡¯s group some ¡®surprises¡¯. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The place where Ding Gunian and the others stayed was in a factory building at the entrance and exit of the expressway, surrounded by wasteland, and looking at it from a distance, it would take a long way for them to get to town. Three vehicles were parked around the plant. One minibus and two off-road vehicles. The minibus seems to be loaded with a lot of supplies. Hao Jian silently counted when she came all the way and suspected that there were at least twenty people of Ding Gunian¡¯s associates. There were both men and women, but the women were relatively looked like vases. Each man had a weapon at hand, some carried machetes, some had Gurkha swords strapped to their waists while others carried sapper shovels and fire axes. The one Hao Jian was most concerned about was the crossbowman. Hao Jian¡¯s feeling that something was wrong with this team became stronger, but before she could think deeply about it, Ding Gunian said, ¡°Here we are. There are fans, fruits, and refreshments. Come in and sit down!¡± After that, ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ proudly said, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon, the sun is so fierce so you must be very thirsty and sweaty from being outside! President Ding is willing to offer these things to you as a sincere token of friendship as he really wants to make friends with you!¡± ¡°President Ding?¡± Hao Jian sized up Ding Gunian from top to bottom, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Ding to be a president at such a young age, he must be very promising at such a young age!¡± It wasn¡¯t easy to get compliments out of Hao Jian¡¯s mouth, but both Peng Mao and Lian Ru Ning were aware of the perfunctory nature of her words, as well as her doubts. Ding Gunian and the others had never gotten along with her, so they naturally didn¡¯t know the meaning behind her compliments. Seeing her complimenting himself, Ding Gunian was quite proud but only broke into a slight smile on the surface, ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s just a nickname that the brothers made through as nonsense. By the way, I don¡¯t know the names of the two ladies yet!¡± ¡°My surname is Hao, and my name is Hao Shanliang1.¡± Hao Jian lied with a straight face as if it was really her name. ¡°. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning and Peng Mao both tried their best to maintain straight faces, otherwise, they really wanted to uncover her shamelessness. Ding Gunian and ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ looked a little odd, but such names didn¡¯t seem to be too weird as he said, ¡°So you¡¯re Miss Kindness.¡± Lain Ru Ning also gently and politely reported her surname, ¡°My surname is Lian, I¡¯m just a student so please just call me Student Lian.¡± Ding Gunian wasn¡¯t disappointed that he didn¡¯t get Lian Ru Ning¡¯s name. He thought that meeting each other was fate regardless of what team they were in before. As long as he showed his charm, he felt that he could persuade them to switch to his side of the camp. With a small calculation in his mind, he still didn¡¯t forget to ask Hao Jian for information about their team. Hao Jian simply asked in return, ¡°We didn¡¯t find President Ding¡¯s team along the way, so President Ding shouldn¡¯t have taken the expressway, right?¡± Ding Gunian was slightly surprised, thinking that their team¡¯s scouting methods were indeed good. He smiled and said, ¡°We really didn¡¯t come here by highway, because we encountered some trouble in Xinghua City ahead, so we found a boat and came here directly. But after passing this town, there¡¯s a dam and the boat can no longer sail so we planned to take the highway instead.¡± Hao Jian¡¯s previous question was just a guess because she just found out that the name printed on the minibus was the name of the passenger station in this town. If they were taking the highway, then the section of the road where they came from wouldn¡¯t still be in a jam. Therefore, she believed that Ding Gunian and his team arrived two days earlier and obtained the minibus, otherwise, with so many people, two off-road vehicles alone wouldn¡¯t be able to carry so many people. Of course, these two off-road vehicles may also have been obtained in this town. In any case, Hao Jian didn¡¯t let her guard down, and generally, at such times, it was basically Lian Ru Ning¡¯s turn to interact with people, which makes it convenient for Hao Jian to observe the others from behind. ¡°Trouble?¡± Lian Ru Ning then thought to herself Could it be a conflict with ¡®Wugui¡¯? ¡°Didn¡¯t you encounter it when you came over?¡± Ding Gunian asked rhetorically. At first, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning weren¡¯t sure if Ding Gunian were talking about ¡®Wugui¡¯, but after he said that, they instantly knew that he was indeed referring to ¡®Wugui¡¯, otherwise, why would he ask that? ¡°President Ding isn¡¯t talking about the gang who robbed the road in Xinghua City, right?¡± Hao Jian interjected. Din Gunian thought about it and nodded, ¡°You can say that. It seems you¡¯ve also met them, but neither of you seems to know the details of the other party?¡± ¡°Not very clear. They set up roadblocks at various major roads and ask people for tolls. We almost clashed with each other, but later retreated. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Hao Jian responded. What she answered was seven parts true while the remaining three parts of it were false, which seemed to be a hundred percent true for Ding Gunian and the others. Both sides didn¡¯t say anything more about the ¡®Wugui¡¯ people and Ding Gunian also wanted to inquire about their team through peng Mao, so he told Peng Sheng, ¡°Peng Sheng, your big brother came to look for you on purpose, do you have nothing to say to him?¡± Peng Sheng was very reluctant to face Peng Mao, however, he also understood what Ding Gunian wanted so he stared straight at Peng mao, ¡°What do you want to say to me? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything left to say between us.¡± Peng Mao no longer had the anger and heartache he had just felt and said with slight emotion, ¡°I just happened to see you here and am relieved to know you¡¯re still doing well.¡± Peng Sheng gritted his teeth and said with slight reluctance, ¡°I¡¯m fine! At least I¡¯m relying on my own ability to get supplied for survival. Unlike you, who I¡¯m afraid will only just cry to someone else for blessings, right?!¡± Lian Ru Ning was surprised, ¡°No one in our team is a freeloader. Aren¡¯t you, his brother? Why are you saying such harsh words to him?¡± Peng Sheng looked at them in disbelief. He felt that Peng Mao couldn¡¯t be as useful as Lian Ru Ning said. If he really can become someone useful, doesn¡¯t that mean that he was wrong to abandon his older brother? On one hand, he couldn¡¯t admit his mistake, and on the other, he felt that Peng Mao obviously had the ability so why didn¡¯t he stand out before? If he had someone he could rely on, he wouldn¡¯t have broken his arm while searching for supplies so much that his left arm is still unable to recover. Peng Mao saw that he was blaming himself and was really disappointed in him. ¡°I was thinking. . . I¡¯m not the useless older brother I used to be and although I can¡¯t do what President Ding did to keep you warm and fed three meals a day, as long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll do my best to protect you.¡± ¡°Are you kidding, what are you going to protect me with? A crowbar? President Ding has many crowbars!¡± Peng Sheng furiously replied. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning looked at Peng Sheng and thought that these two brothers were a bit alike. Of course, not about their temperament, but on the outside. Peng Sheng was about the same height as Peng Mao, but because he wasn¡¯t a bodybuilding coach, he didn¡¯t have muscles on his body. His body looked much more normal this way than Peng Mao¡¯s. His hair has probably been unkempt for a long time and looks messy. His face also didn¡¯t look very good with scruff around his mouth, as if he hasn¡¯t shaved for a few days. Peng Mao laughed at his words with a little anger, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. We¡¯re both adults and we can make decisions for ourselves so let¡¯s just take care of our own in the future!¡± Ding Gunian signaled towards ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ who quickly went forward and tried to persuade Peng Sheng, ¡°Xiao Sheng, he¡¯s your older brother anyway, how can you have grudges towards your brother? And he just wants what¡¯s best for your own good, even if you don¡¯t plan to leave with him, there¡¯s no need to speak so aggressively!¡± It was just for appearances as they were afraid that after Peng Mao left, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning would leave too. How could Ding Gunian let the opportunity go? ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ knew Ding Gunian¡¯s thoughts so they were words to persuade Peng Sheng, explicitly and implicitly telling Peng Sheng to behave if he still wanted to live a good life. He has to look at their faces. Peng Sheng regretted it after arguing with Peng Mao. he knew that Ding Gunian had taken a liking to the two girls, but he also knew that Ding Gunian already had many women by his side, so he didn¡¯t plan to help Ding Gunian¡¯s pimping in the first place. However, Ding Gunian¡¯s follower ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ is holding chicken feathers as an arrow and he couldn¡¯t resist2. Moreover, he didn¡¯t only do things without conscience once or twice so it doesn¡¯t matter if he does it again. So he quickly expressed his remorse to Peng Mao. It was a little hard to say what Peng Mao¡¯s mood was but he didn¡¯t immediately leave because Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning seemed to have no intention of leaving just yet, so he ¡®begrudgingly¡¯ stayed again. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world At this moment, two women and a man came in from outside the factory. One of the women had long hair that reached to her waist, wearing a cool summer outfit of a sleeveless vest and denim shorts, with a pair of exquisite sandals under her feet. If one adds the sun hat and sunglasses, one could assume that she was on vacation. The other woman¡¯s eyes were more fierce as she stared at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. Her gaze had clear malicious intents as if looking at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning like they were her two natural enemies. Her clothing is a little more normal than the former, at least they wouldn¡¯t be seen as a ¡®sweet baby¡¯ who didn¡¯t know that zombies were roaming outside. The man looked quite young, wearing a pair of square black-rimmed glasses. His appearance looked average but his fair complexion makes up for his average looks and his body isn¡¯t as charming as someone who would survive during the apocalypse. After they came in, Hao Jian didn¡¯t pay attention to the two women but felt something dangerous towards the man. Although the man had a harmless appearance, Hao Jian saw a ¡®cunning person¡¯ in his smile and eyes who seemed as scheming as Hu Dan. ¡°Xiaoyue, Shuxian, Afu, you¡¯ve come back just in time. Come and get to know each other.¡± Ding Gunian waved to the three of them, ¡°This is. . . Peng Mao, Xiao Sheng¡¯s brother. These two are Peng Mao¡¯s teammates who happened to pass by here.¡± Both women walked up to Ding Gunian, who casually touched their asses. The expressions of the two women and the man were different. The man first stepped forward and stretched out his hand to Hao Jian, ¡°Hello, my name is Shen Fu, ¡®Shen¡¯ of Shenyang3 and ¡®Fu¡¯ of support.¡± ¡°My name is Li Xiaoyue.¡± The delicate woman nodded slightly. The remaining woman gave them a blank look and said, ¡°I know Peng Mao, wasn¡¯t he too useless that¡¯s we he left the team? What, did he find a taker?¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning both ignored her but greeted Shen Fu and Li Xiaoyue gently and politely. When the woman saw that they ignored her, she was very angry and pulled Ding Gunian¡¯s arm with a pout, ¡°Brother Nian, where did they come from, so rude!¡± Ding Gunin faintly smiles, held her hand, and said, ¡°Their teammates are still clearing the vehicles blocking the highway.¡± It was an implication that they had someone backing them so she shouldn¡¯t provoke them. The woman reluctantly curled her lips and quickly calculated the benefits. She then went over and said. ¡°My name is Lai Shuxian, Brother Nian¡¯s wife. Peng Mao used to call me sister-in-law Nian, you shouldn¡¯t be ignorant.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian dug her ears, feeling that listening to such brainless people talking is extremely toxic for her ears. Instead of being ¡®Nian¡¯s wife¡¯, it¡¯s more like ¡®Beast Nian4¡®! CH 63.2 Ding Gunian didn¡¯t reprimand Lai Shuxian, so it was clear that their relationship is indeed special. Peng Mao whispered to Lian Ru Ning to explain, ¡°She¡¯s indeed Ding Gunain¡¯s girlfriend. They were already together even before I met them.¡± Lian Ru Ning suddenly realized that DIng Gunian was behind her, no wonder she was so bold. But because of this woman, she even had a negative impression of Ding Gunian. To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for getting information, she wouldn¡¯t be willing to endure Ding Gunian¡¯s sticky and malicious gaze and talk to them. ¡°What about the other two?¡± Peng Mao shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t met them. They should have joined after I left,¡± Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but ponder, who was this Ding Gunian that he could get so many people to join his team and that they all obeyed his words as if they were grandsons? She then thought of the brainwashing technique ¡®Wugui¡¯ used, but they also said that they encountered people from ¡®Wugui¡¯ in Xinghua city. ¡®Wugui¡¯ wouldn¡¯t have happened to have an internal fight, right? Although she had doubts in her mind, she didn¡¯t immediately look for Hao Jian to discuss it because Hao Jian was currently talking with Shen Fu and Ding Gunian. Shen Fu seemed to be quite interested in their origins and after Hao Jian used their previous rhetoric, he no longer showed any trust or doubt but smiled as always, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. . .¡± Ding Gunian saw that Hao Jian¡¯s mind seemed to focus on Shen Fu and his heart wasn¡¯t pleased, so he said, ¡°Ah Fu is the military commander of our team. He¡¯s mainly responsible for gathering information and formulating plans while I coordinate the overall situation.¡± The implication is that Shen Fu is just a pawn who listens to his words and that Ding Gunian is the leader of the team. Hao Jian pretended to not understand and asked, ¡°Then where are you going?¡± Shen Fu looked at Ding Gunian who cleared his throat, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where we go, after all, I have the ability to survive. But I heard that the Yingshi city on the other side of Fo City used the high walls of the city to build a refuge base. The government and the military headquarters are also over there so I want to go and take a look.¡± He then asked at the end, ¡°What about you guys?¡± Hao Jian was surprised. ¡°Fo City? Yingshi City? It is the perfect place to build a refuge base and there is an airport there so would make sense that the government and the military will establish a new headquarters there. You guys are really well-informed. We¡¯re a group of people from all over the country and we¡¯re gathered together with our friends and relatives from different places so we really don¡¯t have a good grasp on the news.¡± Their group is composed of friends and relatives from different parts of the country and not scattered soldiers? Shen Fu faintly smiled, ¡°You guys arrived from such faraway places, that¡¯s quite impressive. I wonder which teammates you all have, can you introduce us?¡± Hao Jian thought about it and picked up the walkie-talkie and asked, ¡°old Bao, how¡¯s it going on your side?¡± After a while, a ¡®clang¡¯ sound came out of the intercom and an unfamiliar male voice replied, ¡°Two kilometers left before we¡¯re done.¡± Shi Gong Dui¡¯s voice came next, ¡°When will you be back?¡± Xin Ting then said, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon, the sun is too hot, if there isn¡¯t anything in town, we won¡¯t go over. You guys should also hurry back or they¡¯ll finish the cooked lunch later. . . Ah, don¡¯t steal it!¡± Along with the light scolding from Xin Ting, the signal of the intercom was temporarily shut down. Although there is only one walkie-talkie, Shi Gong Dui and Xin Ting acted with several walkie-talkies. Lian Ru Ning and Peng mao secretly praised Shi Gong Dui and Xin Ting in their hearts. The two really know how to act a scene! To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world After hearing these words, Ding Gunian proposed, ¡°I see that you¡¯re also going to Cheng Town, so let¡¯s go together! Although Cheng Town isn¡¯t a populous city, it has more than Xinghua City. Plus, the more people there are, the more powerful the team is, and the more people going with you, the better protection you have.¡± ¡°Yes, I see your weapons are old and not as good as ours. Almost everyone here has a sharp machete!¡± ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ bragged. Hao Jian looked at Lian Ru Ning, who understood what it meant and replied, ¡°Thank you President Ding, but it isn¡¯t up to us. We¡¯ll go back and talk with our team and if they agree, we¡¯ll rendevous here. Okay?¡± It was a reasonable answer and Ding Gunian has no reason to object, but he still opened his mouth to keep them for lunch. In response to Ding Gunian¡¯s bravado, Lian Ru Ning said, ¡°At the beginning of the apocalypse, supermarkets and shopping districts have been looted. Although it¡¯s only been ten days since we entered the apocalypse, supplies shouldn¡¯t have been too tight. Where did President Ding find so many supplies? Our team had to search for a long time to find a few useful supplies.¡± Ding Gunian snorted, ¡°Of course we have our own ways.¡± Shen Fu pushed his glasses and said, ¡°I wonder how your team distributes resources? Here, we¡¯re actually distributing through contribution. Our food and supplies are exchanged for either money or labor.¡± ¡°Our team also doesn¡¯t keep idle people, but our supplies come from searching everywhere. We count as much as we find and everyone will eat equally. If we don¡¯t find food, we can only go hungry and drive until we find some.¡± When Lian Ru Ning said this, Peng Mao also remembered that even in the refuge base, they were living a hard life of ¡®eat like there¡¯s no tomorrow¡¯ so how could Ding Gunian and his group have such good conditions? If he had any cash, he would¡¯ve wanted to buy some supplies from Ding Gunian to keep on hand. Lai Shuxian was afraid of not having the opportunity to ridicule Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, so she immediately said, ¡°No idle people? I think the role you play is just the same.¡± Peng Mao knew what she meant and was immediately furious. He could accept that they would insult and ridicule him, but why should Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning be insulted by a mere flower vase? ¡°I called you ¡®sister-in-law¡¯ because to give face to Mr. Ding, but if you insult my companions one more time with such a mouth, I will never stop with you!¡± Lai Shuxian probably didn¡¯t expect Peng Mao to be so brave that she was stunned for a moment and then grabbed Ding Gunian¡¯s hand, ¡°Brother Nian, look at him. This punk actually dares to threaten and betray me!¡± In Ding Gunian¡¯s heart, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning are only as useful as Lai Shuxian thought, but he didn¡¯t say it. Although he was still embarrassed when Lai Shuxian pointed it out. But Lai Shuxian is his woman and this is his territory. He still wants to use these things to frustrate Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning so he pretended to reprimand Lai Shuxian, but in fact, he favors her. ¡°Hmm, they¡¯re our guests after all so you should say less!¡± Lian Ru Ning pinched her brow and she felt that this team was in pandemonium. She didn¡¯t know how the rest of these people could stay. Hao Jian stood up and said with a calm expression, ¡°President Ding, I think it¡¯s also unnecessary to travel together, after all, there¡¯s so many people in both teams and if we gather, we¡¯re afraid that we will attract more zombies. It¡¯s getting late, we still have to go back for lunch, goodbye!¡± Lian Ru Ning and Peng Mao also got up to leave. Ding Gunian hurriedly asked ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ to stop them, he then said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. . .¡± Why is he willing to let them go? Now that the talk is broken, it¡¯s okay to use force, he¡¯s done this kind of thing before anyway! Just as he was about to strike, the factory¡¯s radio, car radio, and the town¡¯s radio suddenly made a huge noise, and then Shi Gong Dui¡¯s voice came from the other side, ¡°Hello, hello? Can Mr. Ding Gunian hear me? DO you want to keep our people for lunch, or do you want me to call the people around you to come over for lunch?¡± Ding Gunian was horrified and Shen Fu also wore a grim expression. These broadcasts were obviously being controlled and if they continued to be so noisy, the zombies around them would rush over and they would be outnumbered by then. They wouldn¡¯t be able to cope with thousands of zombies. I didn¡¯t think they were this capable. For the first time, Ding Gunian¡¯s people didn¡¯t dare underestimate them. Ding Gunian¡¯s men heard the commotion and ran over, reporting loudly, ¡°The radio at the toll booth is ringing for some reason!¡± ¡°The car radio is also ringing!¡± ¡°And also. . .¡± ¡°Quickly go and turn off the power!¡± Ding Gunian called out. ¡°There are too many power supplies, it will take about ten minutes to find them all.¡± Ding Gunian¡¯s complexion changed again. he really wanted to order them to stay as hostages, however, there are only three people over here. Their main forces are still a few kilometers away and when the time comes, only they will incur losses. . . Thinking about this he hurriedly spoke, ¡°You quickly tell them to stop, I won¡¯t keep you!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell them to stop when we get in the car.¡± Hao Jian curved the corners of her mouth and walked out with Lian Ru Ning and Peng Mao. Although the motorcycle can only carry two people at most, they couldn¡¯t let Peng Mao go back on foot, so he barely sat at the back. Before leaving, he glanced at Peng Sheng and the meaning of his gaze was easy to understand, ¡°You take care of yourself!¡± To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world After Hao Jian started the car and left, the surrounding radio really did stop all of a sudden. Ding Gunian¡¯s grim expression was very annoyed at letting them go. ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ and Peng Sheng were still standing there so he scolded them, ¡°What are you still standing here, those actions could have already attracted the zombies in the distance. Clear the road before they come!¡± ¡®Brother Xun¡¯ was angry and glared at Peng Sheng, ¡°Damn, it¡¯s your brother who caused trouble! If you still don¡¯t hurry back to work, you won¡¯t eat lunch!¡± Peng Sheng didn¡¯t say anything as his eyes weren¡¯t focused. CH 63.3 Confirming that Ding Gunian didn¡¯t send anyone to chase after them, Peng Mao breathed a sigh of relief. The motorcycle rode through the gaps between vehicles and returned to where Shi Gong Dui and Xin Ting were in only a few minutes. The sun was already in the sky at this time and the temperature had suddenly risen a few degrees. Shi Gong Dui and Xin Ting were comfortably cooking seaweed soup under their umbrellas. In addition to seaweed, there were also some noodles in the pot. These noodles were all made by Xin Ting last night using the equipment in the service area to boil water. Although the taste certainly isn¡¯t very good, they could at least fill their stomachs with these, right? Seeing a few people coming back, Shi Gong Dui told Xin Ting, ¡°Eat quickly. Don¡¯t let them find out how much we¡¯ve eaten!¡± Xin Ting was embarrassed to finish her bowl then took out new ones and spooned a bowl of noodle lumps and seaweed soup for the three. ¡°Where did you get the pot, the umbrella, and charcoal?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°Hey, it had nothing to do with Xin Ting. I looked in the pile of cars in front and you don¡¯t say, we found a lot of useful things, all stuffed in the trunk of the cars.¡± Clean up the trunk of the cars and make a way out? It¡¯s impossible. He would rather take the long road rather than do so much hard work, otherwise, he might not be able to clear a path after clearing for the whole night. ¡°. . .¡± Hao Jian didn¡¯t plan to go and check what they picked up. She took a sip of the soup, and although it had a lighter taste than usual, she could notice the taste of salt that was put in. ¡°Let¡¯s go, lest they send someone to look for us.¡± Hao Jian said. Si Gong Dui and Xin Ting didn¡¯t ask about the specifics of what happened since they¡¯ve already heard it through the bug. The was, of course, provided by Shi Gong Dui. He placed a wiretap in the CD-ROM drive of his laptop and wasn¡¯t found out by the guards. To ensure Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s safety earlier, he took out the wiretap and had Hao Jian place it on her person. Through this technology, Ding Gunian and the others could be deterred. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t bother about taking the bug with them and didn¡¯t plan to settle accounts after use. After all, as long as he didn¡¯t use it to eavesdrop on their private affairs, they wouldn¡¯t mind. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world After tidying up, they turned back to a fork in the road they had passed before. The forked road naturally isn¡¯t connected to the expressway, but because of the flat terrain, they removed the railings and came around from above. After confirming that there was no one behind them, Shi Gong Dui asked Peng Mao, ¡°Although we heard something through the bug, what happened? Your brother. . .¡± Shi Gong Dui learned that Peng Mao was abandoned by his own brother because he was a paper tiger and felt that he was quite pitiful, so he didn¡¯t continue to argue with him. But out of morality, he still had to take care of him. Peng Mao responded, ¡°At first, he went with Ding Gunian to have some protection. Ding Gunian is still a very capable person, at first, there were only eight people. . . and I would barely count as the ninth person for them! Wherever they went, they were like locusts, raiding and scavenging all useful supplies.¡± ¡°They sounded so arrogant, they seem to have some sort of backer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so? This group of people is really desperate. When facing the zombies, they weren¡¯t terrified at all, and if they were, they can¡¯t express it. Otherwise, they will be laughed at by the others. But they have an unwritten rule in the team¨C¡° Although Xin Ting heard Peng Mao mention Ding Gunian and the others, he still didn¡¯t seem to have mentioned their ¡®unwritten rule¡¯ before and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°What rules?¡± ¡°Generally, killing zombies requires division of labor, and when working with Ding Gunian, he mus the one to kill them. Do You think he¡¯s trying to accumulate the number of zombies he¡¯s killed so that he can finally show off how many zombies he¡¯s eliminated?¡± Shi Gong Dui and Xin Ting were both silent for a while and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed a bit odd.¡± ¡°But if it were me, I would also prefer going with people who¡¯re strong, not afraid of zombies, not afraid of death, can also find supplies. . . but they seem to be a little horny?¡± Shi Gong Dui added, ¡°If I heard correctly, he¡¯s trying to keep classmate Shanliang and classmate Lian, right?¡± Peng Mao sighed, ¡°I was also worried that my brother will follow their footsteps and do a lot of bad things, but he¡¯s already an adult. Since he chose such a path, then I have nothing to say. As for Ding Gunian, I guess it¡¯s the problem with rich people. After they form a clique among themselves, they will inevitably have the aura of someone important and thus want to live a life od three wives and four concubines. . .¡± Of course, Hao Jian told him the latter sentence. When Hao Jian noticed that Ding Gunian touched the buttocks of Lai Shuxian and Li Xiaoyue, both of them didn¡¯t say anything. Lai Shuxian is understandable, after all, she¡¯s Ding Gunian¡¯s real girlfriend, but what about Li Xiaoyue? Does Lai Shuxian know Ding Gunian¡¯s actions between him and Li Xiaoyue? If she does, why isn¡¯t she jealous? Knowing Ding Gunian had taken a liking to Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning, Lai Shuxian had already shown such hostility. Then Li Xiaoyue might have been involved with Ding Gunian, why isn¡¯t she tearing Li Xiaoyue apart? They didn¡¯t discuss too much about whether Lai Shucxian knew about the adultery between Ding Gunian and Li Xiaoyue. Hao Jian was only analyzing Ding Gunian¡¯s behavior and the relationship between these people. Although Ding Gunian is the boss of the team, Hao Jian always felt that Shen Fu of the ¡®military division¡¯ is a person that cannot be underestimated. If he joined after Peng Mao left Ding Gunain¡¯s team, then the destination of Ding Gunian¡¯s group might be Shen Fu¡¯s idea. Because Hao Jiam remembers that Peng Mao said at the beginning that Ding Gunian and his group didn¡¯t mention the purpose of coming to Fo city. They just wanted to kill zombies and collect supplies, just like how most teams survived. Perhaps the news that Ding Gunian got about Fo city came from someone else or from other sources and doesn¡¯t necessarily relate to Shen Fu, but Ding Gunian just mentioned that Shen Fu leads the military division of their team. He¡¯s responsible for gathering information and making plans, so Hao Jian is 90% sure that Shen Fu is gradually becoming an indispensable person in Ding Gunian¡¯s team. Although Ding Gunain seems to be more capable, his personality flaws are obvious and he could be easily manipulated by others. He thinks he¡¯s in control of the whole situation, how can he know that he¡¯s already the pawn of someone else? To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world The reason why Hao Jian felt this way was because she finally figured out what was wrong with Ding Gunian. She had no time to discuss the doubts in her mind with her system, so when she left, she asked the system, ¡°Does Ding Gunian also has a system?¡± The response was a long silence. When Hao Jian thought that the system wouldn¡¯t reply, the system said, ¡°You have no authority.¡± Hao Jian thought this meant that she shouldn¡¯t know, but she already knew and the system didn¡¯t act accordingly. Does that mean that she¡¯s actually close to the truth but the system is restricted and unable to give her an answer? A while after, the system asked her instead, ¡°Why does the host have such thoughts?¡± The line of questioning on the issue is very neutral and Hao Jian doesn¡¯t want to analyze whether it¡¯s affirmative or negative, after all, it¡¯s all meaningless. She thought for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the Gurkha army knife is common and I don¡¯t know if the exquisite crossbow is made by one of them. Aside from these two weapons, other weapons may also appear, but it won¡¯t be noticeable.¡± It was because of these two weapons that Hao Jian, who had already accessed the weapon shop, discovered these clues. If Hao Jian¡¯s level was lower, or when she upgraded to level two and the rewards wouldn¡¯t be the Gurkha knife, she might not have been able to discover this secret. Thinking about the level rewards, she actually had little doubt, ¡°Could it be that every host¡¯s level rewards are the same?¡± The system was a bit speechless, ¡°The host is too easily immersed in her own world, are you saying that the other party is someone with a system based on this alone?¡± Hao Jian replied, ¡°Of course it can¡¯t be just because of those weapons. In fact, the main this is that he¡¯s too open and doesn¡¯t know how to hide things. Peng Mao also said that the ¡®unwritten rules¡¯ in Ding Gunian¡¯s team is ¡®using money to buy supplies¡¯ and he doesn¡¯t need to worry about the source of their supplies. . . all of this, isn¡¯t it basically proclaiming that he has a system?¡± She then shrugged, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not entirely sure based on these alone. It¡¯s because I remember asking you once before if there were other hosts besides me and your answer each time was subtle enough to avoid talking about it. It¡¯s either because you don¡¯t have enough authority or because it¡¯s not something I should know about.¡± ¡°However, if it¡¯s really something I shouldn¡¯t know, then you should have found a way to hide it; like erasing my memories or something. The fact that you or your central system didn¡¯t do that means that there are some things that we¡¯ll end up knowing sooner or later, but you don¡¯t have the authority to actively mention them until we take the initiative to find out.¡± The system should have realized how cunning and cautious Hao Jian is. Once she¡¯s suspicious of something or someone, she wouldn¡¯t stop suspecting until she personally finds the answer. Wouldn¡¯t such a host use the loopholes in the system to deduce the rules of the system sooner or later? Why did it suddenly take the host lightly? Just when the system was somewhat speechless, Hao Jian didn¡¯t dwell on it any further and said, ¡°To be honest, if Ding Gunian really owns the system, then his rank should be higher than mine.¡± The system felt like it finally didn¡¯t have to silence itself any longer and picked up the conversation, ¡°How can the host be so sure?¡± ¡°. . . Actually, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come out and make a fool of yourself. The more you talk, the more you expose yourself, and then after I figure out the rules, you¡¯ll shut up again. So why bother asking?¡± You¡¯re really a caring little padded jacket. . . fart! The system was angry. ¡°It¡¯s because I counted. Their team should have more than twenty people and I counted twenty people. No matter what his team members did, if he really provided three meals a day, that would be sixty meals. But now that I¡¯m level 3 and I¡¯m limited to 50 food purchases a day, it would be unreasonable for him, right?¡± ¡°Of course, it could be that they really did find supplies. . . but he¡¯s so confident that he can provide enough supplies to his crew every day, so I think his level should be at level 4 or above.¡± The system gave up struggling, ¡°So the host doesn¡¯t feel scared?¡± ¡°Scared? Why? Because it turns out I¡¯m not the only one with the system and not the protagonist of the world?¡± Hao Jian snorted. The system found itself asking a redundant question because ever since it appeared in hao Jian¡¯s body, there wasn¡¯t a time when Hao Jian completely trusted it nor did it want to rely on it until it was completely necessary. It couldn¡¯t even analyze what kind of existence it is in Hao Jian¡¯s mind. When it was about to ¡®system crash¡¯ because of how much effort it needed to persuade Hao Jian to bind with it, it once thought that it would be replaced with another host and be happily bound to it and regard it as an ancestor. Ding Gunian for example. The system feels that if Ding Gunian is really one of the hosts, then he¡¯s a normal host! Hao Jian seemed quite calm, ¡°Although I¡¯m usually originally more cautious, Ding Gunian¡¯s appearance still tells me that although the survival system is a good plug-in, the more one relies on it and the more the system provides things, the easier it will be to be exposed to others.¡± ¡°Ding Gunian and I may not be the only hosts and although we may have the same system in our bodies, I don¡¯t think we should recognize each other. He obviously thinks that he¡¯s the only host, the protagonist of this world, and once he learns that someone other than him has the system, no one can predict what he¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°At the same time, I¡¯m not sure though that criteria you guys use in choosing your hosts or whether they have to be ¡®bound with love¡¯ like me, or even whether the rewards and leveling tasks are the same between us. . . But I think that even if your criteria for choosing hosts are the same, each hosts¡¯ attitude and character won¡¯t be exactly the same and this may lead to contradictions and conflicts.¡± ¡°Then when such contradictions and conflicts occur, can I make sure that the same kind of people won¡¯t kill each other?¡± This series of analyses by Hao Jian made the system praise her highly, ¡°Such wonderful ideas.¡± ¡°So system, you have to understand that I will always doubt and question you. After all, caution can help you live a thousand years!¡± Hao Jian told the system earnestly. ¡°. . .¡± When have I not praise you! Waaahhh!! Hao Jian is so smart. I mean, I had my suspicions when Peng Mao mentioned the unwritten rules, but I damn, Hao Jian. . . Hao Jian ¨C 4; System ¨C 0 Anyway, banzai people because we have 4 sponsored chapters from ko-fi supporter rickysposito!! I¡¯ll post two sponsored chapters later today and another two tomorrow. Thank you so much for the continued support!! Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! CH 64.1 The scenery along the mountain road is slightly more beautiful and natural than the one on the highway, with heavy mountain ranges filled with green and lush forests that stretch for several kilometers. According to the map, there¡¯s a hot spring resort only ten kilometers away. Except for that section of the road that needs special attention, they can relax for the rest of the journey. Hao Jian was still in a good mood to discuss with the system, ¡°Unfortunately, Ding Gunian is too eager to take us that forced us to leave early, otherwise, I could have still explored his bottom line or deduced what kind of authority will be granted after upgrading to level 4. System, ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m not your plug-in father anymore, so please let me retain a little dignity as a system plug-in, thank you!¡± ¡°Hey, your number is 2018, then that means, there are at least 2018 hosts, right? Maybe it¡¯s still a few, after all, the population of Earth is more than seven billion.¡± ¡°Does the host thinks that the system is a street product that can be seen everywhere?!¡± Hao Jian stopped her conversation with the system because Lian Ru Ning found that there were terraces and several private houses in front of them. ¡°Do you want to take a look?¡± Hao Jian asked. Lian Ru Ning whispered in her ear, ¡°I want to go to the toilet.¡± Hao Jian thought back, from the time they left the rest stop until now, they had hardly used the bathroom. Although they didn¡¯t drink a lot of water along the way and the rest of them could still hold it in until the next destination, but Lian Ru Ning¡¯s situation is a little different. It¡¯s her ¡®second day¡¯ where the waves could erupt at any time, it¡¯s inevitable that she has to run to the toilet more often. After talking to Shi Gong Dui and the others, the group cautiously approached the houses. The tallest house was only two and a half stories. Only two were built with tiled walls while the rest are either portable panels or brick houses. There are two or three acres of terraced fields not far from the house, but at this time, the terraced land is cracked and the crops are dry. Only weeds are still growing stubbornly. It looked like no one lives here, but Shi Gong Dui still honked his horn. if there are zombies inside, they would come out upon hearing the noise, and if there are living people inside, the noise would¡¯ve been alarmed by the sound of cars a long time ago. There¡¯s no need for them to cover their ears. ¡°Is there anyone here? We would like to ask for directions.¡± Peng Mao walked to the door of the nearest brick house and knocked. Although the roof of the brick house is covered with tiles, it didn¡¯t look like it was leaking and the door had already been replaced with an iron one, making a loud clang when knocked. ¡°The door is unlocked.¡± Peng Mao found that the iron door was easily pushed open. It wasn¡¯t big inside, only about forty square feet, stacked with a lot of firewood, but otherwise, there¡¯s nothing. ¡°What, it turned out to be a wood house!¡± Peng Mao was quite taken aback, thinking that he could pick up some supplies! Hao Jian reminded, ¡°There are people here.¡± Peng Mao was alarmed, ¡°How did you know and where are they?¡± Hao Jian pointed towards the roof of the three-story building, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t lie there!¡± Everyone looked up and saw a woman hiding sneakily on the roof of the building. Although it was impossible to see her appearance, she looked like a woman in her fifties from her hair. When she saw the group spot her, she hastily shrank back again, pretending that she hadn¡¯t been there. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we were just passing by and wanted to ask for directions, we mean no harm!¡± Shi Gong Dui called out. ¡°Son of a bitch, Auntie! I¡¯m only in my thirties!¡± The woman peaked out and cursed. ¡°. . .?!¡± The group was stunned by her rude remark, her deafening voice, and self-proclaimed age. ¡°Big sister, are you a programmer?¡± Peng Mao asked. Shi Gong Dui glared at him, ¡°Nonesense, female programmers in our line of work aren¡¯t like this. At most, they¡¯ll have little hair loss, dull completion, excessive melanin, acne. . . she is 80% a Ph.D. who¡¯s working on a thesis all day long. If you overwork your brain and overthink and worry about needless things, you¡¯ll get bald early!¡± Lian Ru Ning shook her head, looked up, and asked, ¡°Big sister, can I ask for directions?¡± ¡°I see, little sister, you¡¯re a good person, so of course. Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°How do I get to Chengxiang City or Xiang City from here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long way. . .¡± Shi Gong Dui interrupted her by holding his nape, ¡°Big sister, we¡¯re having sore neck while having this conversation. Can you come down and let¡¯s talk on equal footing?¡± The woman glared at him and cursed at the top of her lungs, ¡°How do I know if you¡¯re good people? What if you trick me to go down and do bad things to me?¡± ¡°. . .¡± Madam, you¡¯re quite confident in your appearance. ¡°We have three female college students here and have two big men. Although we look very capable of fighting, we¡¯re good citizens, what can we do to you? Besides, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re the only one living here. It¡¯s us who should be worried about getting ourselves into the wolf¡¯s den, right?!¡± The woman cast a skeptical look, her eyes swept over them several times like a scanner before finally nodding, ¡°Okay!¡± After a while, the door opened and a dark-skinned teenager stuck his head out from behind the door. He looked left and right for a while before fully opening it, ¡°Come in!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go in, you guys watch the car outside.¡± Hao Jian told Shi Gong Dui and Xin Ting. ¡°Okay, call out if something happens.¡± Shi Gong Dui patted Hao Jian, who took the bug and stuffed it into her pocket before going in with Lian Ru Ning and Peng Mao. Inside the house, the woman they saw came downstairs. She was wearing a white T-shirt, black sweatpants, and a towel tied around her neck. It was the casual attire of those working on the fields. However, her head has grown a lot of white hair, her face was haggard with dark circles under her eyes and obvious stains on her skin. Saying that she was in her fifties maybe a little exaggerated, but she still looked like someone in her forties. Aside from the woman and the teenage boy just now, there¡¯s a thin young girl and a pair of middle-aged peasant man and woman in the house. It was an odd combination. However, they soon figured out that they were actually a family. The middle-aged peasant couples were the parents and the teenager and the young girl were their children. The woman who looked to be in her forties was actually still 35 and was the couple¡¯s sister. The woman¡¯s name is Huang Yueming, a native of Huangtian Town in Xiaochuan county, and this is their home. Although there are no shops in front of the village, there were originally five or six families living in the area, but because of poverty and being underdeveloped, some people moved to a slightly more popular resort in the area to live in, while some went to Chengxiang city and bought a house. her elder brother and sister-in-law didn¡¯t want to move away because they couldn¡¯t let go of the several acres of terraced rice fields, and their children were only 14 to 15 years old and boarding in Kanghe middle school in the hot spring village. She originally contracted a boat for ¡®Green Lake Leisure Resort¡¯, the largest tourist attraction in Chengxiang to receive tourists on weekdays. Later, when the outside world fell into a panic about an unknown epidemic, the government, which had long received the news, ordered the resort¡¯s services to be shut down to avoid more people spreading the epidemic virus and flocking over the tourists, costing her job. She followed a group of workers and businessmen who had also lost their jobs to a protest sit-in and was arrested. But after being locked up for a few days, the government didn¡¯t seem to have time to pay attention to them and was released. later on, the public became more and more uncontrollable and the zombies started appearing in the scenic spots and downtown areas. She realized what happened and tried to go home, but at that time, the traffic in various areas had already been paralyzed and was delayed for a few days. After several hardships, she finally came back two days ago. The original underdeveloped situation of not being in the forefront of the village and being a farm area that grows potatoes became an asylum during the apocalypse. After she came back here, she encountered people who passed by, threatening them and trying to evict their families. It was only when the military appeared and chased those people away did they escaped a disaster. Since then, they have been very wary of outsiders. However, they aren¡¯t professionals so they were easily spotted by Hao Jian as she was hiding on top of the building, observing her. CH 64.2 When Lian Ru Ning came out of the bathroom, Huang Yueming was talking about the military, she then said with slight surprise, ¡°The military actually came here for rescue?¡± Huang Yueming opened her hands, ¡°How is that possible, those two soldiers were just passing by.¡± The teenager also said, ¡°They have an important mission, who could they do something as trivial as a rescue!¡± Hao Jian looked at the tanned teenager and thought that he should have helped his family a lot, otherwise, how could he get so tan. He also happens to be a teenager and at this age, talking about the military with a lot of respect and admiration, and his brief exchange with them that would¡¯ve lasted for only a few hours at most is enough for him to brag about them for a long time. ¡°Rescue is not a trivial matter, each soldier is putting their life on the line to rescue and search for survivors. They¡¯re really worthy of admiration.¡± After educating the teenager, Hao Jian asked Huang Yueming again, ¡°So, they didn¡¯t tell you where the refuge base is around here?¡± ¡°I came back from outside, I know the situation there, so instead of running there to suffer, I¡¯d rather stay at home. There are no shops in front of the village, we occasionally see a person once in a while, let alone zombies. It¡¯s quite rare to see people like you who choose to take the rural road here.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, the roads are paralyzed so we can only take the relatively remote country roads.¡± Huang Yueming then remembered that their purpose was to ask for directions. Although she¡¯s been very wary of them at first, Shi Gong Dui is right. They have three female college students who look soft and weak, not like bad guys. In addition, their family doesn¡¯t have many supplies and they aren¡¯t afraid of being robbed, so they slowly opened up with Hao Jian and the others. ¡°You said you¡¯re headed to Chengxiang city or Xiang city, right?¡± Huang Yueming asked. ¡°They aren¡¯t our final destination, we just want to know which will be the smoother and more convenient path.¡± Huang Yueming answered, ¡°Then you¡¯re asking the right person. From here, after the hot spring resort, there will be a rural road to Huantang town, and then there¡¯s a provincial road west to Chengxiang city. If you don¡¯t want to go through Chengxiang, then continue to the southwest. There¡¯s also a provincial road that goes directly out of Chengxiang to the outskirts of Xiang City.¡± ¡°Thank you sister Huang for your guidance.¡± Lian Ru Ning sincerely expressed her gratitude. They had met a lot of good people along the way, but there were more people who had threatened them because of their selfishness and selfish desires. People like Huang Yueming, who were unexpectedly good-hearted people despite their loud voices and vulgar mouths, are really rare. ¡°Hey, what thanks!¡± Huang Yueming waved her hand. Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning, and Peng Mao, all went out of Huang¡¯s house and saw Huang Yueming¡¯s nephew talking with Shi Gong Dui. It was simple chatter, but in fact, when the nephew saw the modified and heavy-duty car, he worked up all the courage in his heart and rarely walked up to Shi Gong Dui and asked, ¡°Are you also one of the warriors with a heavy responsibility?¡± ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Shi Gong Dui asked. ¡°Because just like in the movies, your car has a lot of protective gear and is very safe!¡± Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t expect to meet someone who¡¯s younger than him, so he proudly took out his equipment and bragged, ¡°Boy, you¡¯re quite knowledgeable! Since you¡¯re a man of culture, then I¡¯ll show you some things for you to see!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a computer.¡± ¡°Then, have you seen this?¡± Shi Gong Dui pointed to the wireless dispatch radio awkwardly. When the boy shook his head, Shi Gong Dui felt that he¡¯s back in the game and the corners of his mouth curled up, ¡°This machine is amazing. It can collect radio waved to achieve communication. That is, when you listen to the radio, I can adjust the frequency of the radio you¡¯re using and then let you pick up my signal and start talking!¡± The teenager¡¯s eyes lit up and looked at the radio with bated breath, ¡°That¡¯s awesome! If only the soldiers had this box too!¡± ¡°How come the soldiers don¡¯t have one? They have more advanced and amazing stuff than I have!¡± The boy responded, ¡°Bu the soldiers we saw that day didn¡¯t!¡± Shi Gong Dui pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°What did the two soldiers look like?¡± The teenager shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but they were wounded and their motorcycles were broken. At that time, after our home was occupied by bad guys, they shot and scared the bad guys away.¡± Hao Jian and the others happened to hear the boy¡¯s words, so they turned their heads and asked Haung Yueming, who had followed them out, ¡°Did the two soldiers say what they were going to do? How did they appear here?¡± ¡°They certainly can¡¯t tell us what they were going to do, as for why they passed here, maybe they found the road being blocked like you guys, or maybe. . . they¡¯re being chased?¡± Huang Yueming cautiously looked around and said in a rare soft tone, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, at that time, they had a man whit blood on his body. We were more than afraid that he was bitten by a zombie but the good thing is that they quickly left.¡± Hao Jian wrinkled her eyebrows and thought of those missing soldiers in Xinghua City. Lian Ru Ning asked, ¡°Which direction did they come from?¡± The boy rushed to answer, ¡°I know! They came from Jiang City!¡± Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes flinched and Huang Yueming asked her nephew, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I heard it when they were dressing their wounds. They also said something about. . . a spy exposing their identity and nothing is going to hunt them down!¡± ¡°When did that happen?¡± Hao Jian asked. ¡°The evening of the day before yesterday.¡± Huang Yueming was a little puzzled, ¡°Hey, why are you guys so interested in the guards?¡± ¡°I have a friend who was in the military and then there was no news about him, so I have to pay more attention to these things.¡± Hao Jian dispelled Huang Yueming¡¯s doubts with just a few words. However, she had an ominous premonition in her heart. From the boy¡¯s words, she had already determined that the other party were members of Jiang City¡¯s military team and their injuries must have been caused by the ¡®Wugui¡¯s ambush. The day before yesterday was when they left Jiang City and arrived in Xianghua City. Because they traveled a lot and spent the night at Heshui hydropower station, their journey would seem particularly long. However, if they were driving a motorcycle, then they could just take the highway or the expressway and come here in only half a day. In other words, after Hao Jian and the others left Jiang City, Jiang City sent a military team to carry out some missions. But why didn¡¯t they continue to take the highway in Huantian Town? Hao Jian put her thoughts away for the moment and told the teenager, ¡°You can¡¯t carelessly say these things to anyone else, or else you won¡¯t be safe.¡± The teenager widened his eyes while Huang Yueming understood. After all, Hao Jian had friends who were soldiers, and the warning she gave seemed quite serious. She was afraid that it would invite some sort of trouble so she pulled the boy to her, ¡°hear that, these words can¡¯t be said to another person, or it will get us killed!¡± The boy sullenly replied, ¡°Yes, aunt.¡± Before they left, Hao Jian reminded Huang Yueming kindly, ¡°if you don¡¯t leave, food will become a problem sooner or later.¡± Seeing that they were leaving and that they didn¡¯t have any greedy thoughts, Huang Yueming answered, ¡°This isn¡¯t a big problem, this side is filled with forest and my brother¡¯s family also has fruit trees. They have picked a lot of fruits before, besides, we aren¡¯t easily accessible here, so every time we buy something, we buy enough to last us for about a year. . . By the way, the village over the hot spring resort is quite populous, you have to be careful.¡± Shi Gong Dui said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be a good person, ma¡¯am.¡± Huang Yueming immediately changed her expression, ¡°You fat son of a bitch, do you want me to open you up and have your eyes check inside, huh?!¡± Shi Gong Dui was so frightened by her rudeness that she hurriedly drove the car and ran away. Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning smiled behind them and left after saying goodbye. After turning to a corner and the Huang family was no longer visible, Lian Ru Ning lamented, ¡°There are still good people in the world.¡± ¡°What, I¡¯m not a good person?¡± Hao Jian asked with a smile. Lian Ru Ning was startled and hugged Hao Jian¡¯s waist before saying affectionately, ¡°You¡¯re naturally a good person, you¡¯re an amazingly good person, my favorite good person.¡± Hao Jian might have turned around and earned herself some points if she wasn¡¯t driving. Peng Mao¡¯s voice clearing his throat then sounded from the intercom, ¡°That. . . you guys forgot to turn off the bug.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s face flushed while Hao Jian indifferently took out the bug and said, ¡°I thought you wanted to listen.¡± We do want to listen, but none of us wants to listen to your flirting sessions! ¡°Contractor, how do you turn this thing off. I want to eat hot and fragrant food, not a mouthful of dog food.¡± Peng Mao said. After a little quarrel on the other side, it finally died down. After Lian Ru Ning¡¯s embarrassment faded, she remembered what she heard before leaving. Her initial analysis was similar to Hao Jian¡¯s, plus, it occurred to her that the day before yesterday, on August 4, two days had passed since the military broke through the conference center and rescued Yu Jiyou and the others. The signal blocking system of the conference center was also destroyed, so the military team should have been able to regain contact with the government¡¯s upper echelon. Their actions should be assisted by various teams, so why would they happen to be hunted down and killed? Why did the military team from Jiang city have a mission that requires them to travel thousands of miles to carry out? If it was the same as when the military team from Xinghua city was transporting food, there shouldn¡¯t only be two soldiers. She voiced her doubts and just as Hao Jian was also thinking about this matter, she was coming from a different angle, ¡°Why did they avoid the road where we met Ding Gunian¡¯s group?¡± ¡°Could it be. . .¡± ¡°I suspect that¡¯s where they were being chased, so they were forced to use this side of the road.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s heart shook, ¡°Could it be that Ding Gunian¡¯s group. . .¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be them, if they came to Huangtian Town by boat, it should have happened yesterday.¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t they encounter ¡®Wugui¡¯? Didn¡¯t they have a little conflict with ¡®Wugui¡¯ when they were in Xinghua CIty? Plus, with such a large number, it would definitely attract¡¯Wugui¡¯s attention.¡± Knowing that they were just driving by using a car, there were traces everywhere. There¡¯s no way that Ding Gunian¡¯s group wouldn¡¯t have attracted the attention of ¡®Wugui¡¯ members in Huantian town. ¡°Either ¡®Wugui¡¯ set up a trap there to chase them but failed to kill them, or ran after them. But this isn¡¯t very likely because Huang Yueming and the others didn¡¯t see anyone else passing by after, so it¡¯s possible that ¡®Wugui¡¯ people missed them and retreated back to town to lurk. . .¡± The intercom sounded again, ¡°I have an amazing idea.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been listening to us talk the whole time, why do you keep on pretending?¡± Hao Jian said. ¡°. . . Ahem, we just opened it.¡± Peng Mao explained. ¡°Go ahead, what amazing idea?¡± ¡°You said, Ding Gunian¡¯s team shouldn¡¯t have any ¡®Wugui¡¯ members, so even though they appeared in Huangtian Town, they weren¡¯t attacked. . .¡± The one who spoke was Xin Ting, and after she said this, everyone was silent for a while. Hao Jian then chuckled in relief, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten the hang of surviving.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xin Ting was a little confused. Lian Ru Ning took over the radio, ¡°What she means is that Xiao Ting, you¡¯re very smart. Your ideas coincided with hers just now.¡± Xin Ting didn¡¯t know whether should she be happy or not after hearing this. If it was before, she might be a little excited, but she was a little embarrassed when she heard this from Lian Ru Ning. But the fact that she can think of this meant that she has actually thought of something complicated and at the same time, she has become more clear about the existence of ¡®Wugui¡¯. Only after understanding their enemies and potential dangers can they increase the chances of survival. Peng Mao was a little frightened, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that we actually had close contact with ¡®Wugui¡¯?¡± ¡°Probably yes, and we may have also entered their sight.¡± Hao Jian said something that made them a little uneasy. She wasn¡¯t that alarmed, after all, she used a fake name and Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t reveal too much information. But Peng Mao is Peng Sheng¡¯s older brother, she¡¯s afraid that she¡¯ll get information from him. And if he continues to move with Hao Jian and the others, then ¡®Wugui¡¯ can rely on his identity to confirm the whereabouts of their group. Peng Mao was first worried about the safety of his companions before thinking about his brother. But he didn¡¯t say anything, after all, Peng Sheng and he became strangers. In the future, whether Peng Sheng was tricked into joining ¡®Wugui¡¯ or was out of Ding Gunian¡¯s control, it was still his own choice. ¡°Then shall we go to Chengxiang City next?¡± Peng Mao asked again. ¡°Since there¡¯s already a direct route to Xiang City, why do you still want to make a special detour?¡± Shi Gong Dui asked rhetorically. ¡°So. . .¡± Hao Jian responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go straight to Xiang City!¡± Lain Ru Ning silently hugged Hao Jian¡¯s waist tightly. Xiang City. . . After Xiang City in Southern City, that is to say, when they get there, that¡¯s where the heavens will test their fate. CH 65 Although Chengxiang is a relatively poor and underdeveloped prefecture-level city in the province, it has been slowly developing in recent years because of tourism. Such as the reservoir side of the Green Lake Leisure Resort tourism area, Guishan scenic tourism area, riverside galleries, Hakka rural scenic area. . . Not to mention the remote and convenient location of Xiaochuan county with no tourist resources, but the hot spring resort near the urban area of Chengxiang is the only tourist area in Chengxiang that focuses on the theme of ¡®hot spring leisure and vacation¡¯. From where Hao Jian and the others came, the driving distance is quite far from the city, filled with beautiful mountains and clear waters. And because of the proximity to the first-tier Xiang city, there are many families with children who would drive to the hot spring resort every holiday to soak in, play golf, or have parent-child bonding activities. The zombie outbreak was during the summer holidays, plus the public¡¯s awareness of the virus is not deep. Due to various reasons such as physical discomfort or taking the children to play, hot spring resorts are quite the popular choice for a vacation. After being upgraded to level 3, many zombies had already appeared in the hot spring resorts. Because of this, the government hurriedly shut down the services of major tourist areas while organizing the town¡¯s police authorities, semi-blocked the hot spring resort, and no one was allowed to enter. People were only allowed to leave in the direction of Xiang city. Huang Yueming¡¯s two nieces and nephews escaped because they had to go home for the summer and do farm work while she herself escaped from Green Lake and was denied passage when she passed by. She showed Hao Jian and her group the route she took to escape, which was a small road on the edge of the golf course that few tourists knew about except for them, the local villagers. In addition, the town¡¯s authorities aren¡¯t enough to block all paths, so Hao Jian and the others can pass through there. Huang Yueming also said that even though the town¡¯s government has made the decision for a semi-blockade, the resort still has people turning into zombies every day. The people who survived either hid or were organized to annihilate the zombies, who then became the new batch of zombies after being unfortunately injured. . . Hao Jian and the others drove around the muddy and bumpy road, beside the road was an artificial river that¡¯s more than two meters wide. The artificial river is formed around the periphery of the golf course. Although it isn¡¯t known how wide it is, it can be said that it¡¯s a natural barrier to the golf course. Seeing the zombies wandering in groups of two and three, Peng Mao clicked his tongue and said, ¡°In this world, no matter how rich you are, you still have to speak with your fists in the end. Using fists shouldn¡¯t be hard, the rich could only wander around the golf course extravagantly.¡± ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re quite hostile to the rich.¡± Shi Gong Dui pointed out. Peng Mao suddenly remembered that the one beside him is a rich their generation man and asked, ¡°Have you ever played golf? I heard that a shot costs several dozen yuan, is it true?¡± ¡°Not everyone who¡¯s rich plays golf, especially me, someone from the third generation. But of course, they want to spend their money on the edge!¡± ¡°Such as buying snacks?¡± ¡°If you can. Don¡¯t eat my snacks.¡± Xin Ting wrinkled her eyebrows, ¡°You guys, stop arguing! there are zombies coming over!¡± The three of them looked out, only to see that the movement of their car attracted the zombies in the golf course from the opposite side of the artificial river and ran over. They originally thought that there were only two or three zombies, but it turns out that it was because some zombies were blocked due to the venue and when they all ran out, the group realized that this place is a zombie nest! Seeing that the road ahead is about to head to the golf course, the adrenaline of the three soared. Shi Gong Dui gritted his teeth and accelerated, ¡°You guys really don¡¯t let people sit idly by and chat?!¡± As the car accelerated, the bumps were getting more and more powerful. On the contrary, when they looked at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning behind them, they saw that Hao Jian drove the motorcycle directly on the slope. They want to change to motorcycles too. . . Fortunately, the artificial river hasn¡¯t been breached and many ordinary zombies that fell into the river stopped moving. The three were relieved and were just about to say, ¡®luckily the zombies can¡¯t swim¡¯ until they saw a head floating out of the water again, scaring Shi Gon Dui who nearly turned the steering wheel the wrong way and rolled into the river. ¡°I¡¯m X, I¡¯m scared to death, dad!¡± Shi Gong Dui steadied his body and couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°Zombies know how to swim?!¡± Peng Mao was also very scared, but he, who had already been to the toiled just now, was able to avoid the embarrassment of peeing in his pants again. Xin TIng has seen all kinds of horror movies and seeing this scene reminded her of the psychological shadows left by all kinds of horror movies. She secretly wiped her tears, ¡®Biting and eating people is scary enough, but they actually learned to pretend to be ghosts to scare people, zombies are really becoming too much!¡¯ When they finally escaped from the golf course, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning slowed down to rejoin them and found that they all looked grim, like they had been ravaged dozens of times. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were you ravaged by zombies?¡± Peng Mao grasped the iron net window to complain to them that the zombies were too much. Lian Ru Ning listened, who can¡¯t help but look away to snicker while Hao Jian let out a round of a hearty laugh and said, ¡°I think zombies really can¡¯t swim, but don¡¯t forget that their lungs stopped, so they don¡¯t float when underwater, so they can walk as long as their feet can touch the ground. That¡¯s why there was a scene of a zombie¡¯s head emerging out of the water. Xin Ting¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Does that mean that even water can¡¯t prevent zombies? Then Jiangxin Island refugee base. . .¡± ¡°I think Jiangxin Island refugee base also discovered this matter, that¡¯s why they first built a barbed-wire fence around the island before sending people out to patrol. But in general, as long as the island is not surrounded by smooth terrain, the zombies will have difficulty getting to shore.¡± Shi Gong Dui busily interrupted, ¡°Classmate Hao, you¡¯re quite awesome to collect that much information!¡± Hao Jian smiled, ¡°It means I have good people skills. People are happy to tell me what they find.¡± The four people who are ¡®not well liked¡¯ ¡°. . .¡± It isn¡¯t surprising that Hao Jian knew about this, after all, she once asked the system questions about various possibilities and the system¡¯s principle is that it can pass on relevant research results based on existing ones. So, with such a large institution in the country, the progress of various researches on zombies is thought to be amazing, aside from no antidote have been found, research experts have already conducted experiments on what methods could be used to prevent zombies. The method of using water to defend against zombie attacks has also been researched and they found that zombies can walk underwater. Of course, the researchers have not conducted experiments in the sea, but it¡¯s conceivable that even if zombies can walk underwater, they will still be crushed when they¡¯re at sea. With these experimental results as a basis, the government has been trying to find ways to pass this knowledge to various shelters, hoping that when they choose water as a means of defense, they must make the surrounding terrain steeper so that zombies can¡¯t climb up. However, after ¡®Wugui¡¯ forces penetrated all parties, news in some places lagged slightly behind. The lag of news is good for ¡®Wugui¡¯ and use this information to take the initiative. Hao Jian couldn¡¯t be sure whether the authorities of this town knew these things, but she also didn¡¯t intend to head over to be a messenger. However, after Shi Gong Dui switched with Peng Mao and drove, he took out the wireless device and began to tinker. Xin Ting and peng Mao couldn¡¯t understand what he was doing, but Hao Jian told them to believe him so they didn¡¯t ask any more questions. She thought he was repeating his old trick, trying to use the radio system to draw all zombies away so they could get through the hot spring resort, but until they were about to leave the blockade, they didn¡¯t hear any movement coming from the surrounding radio. Xin Ting caught a glimpse of him editing a long text inserted into a pile of code and sent it out. Although she had doubts in her mind, she still held back from asking. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world From leaving the golf course to the first county road entrance and exit, Hao Jian and the others spent more than forty minutes from the original ten-minute journey. Every time they escaped was a frightening endeavor. They drove a few hundred meters further before entering another county road. However, the town¡¯s government office building is also there. It obviously belongs to the blockaded area, so they chose the nearest county road. However, this road doesn¡¯t seem very smooth. There were abandoned vehicles everywhere on the road. Compared to the mountain roads they¡¯ve traveled before that have few zombies, there are zombies to be seen almost every 100 meters. As the number of zombies increased, everyone wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the way. They are also slowly realizing that the closer they get to first and second-tier big cities, the more zombies there are and are gradually increasing. It took them three times as long to get to the entrance of the other highway that leads directly to Xiang City when the sun began to set. Given that it wasn¡¯t safe to drive at night, they chose to spend the night in a factory nearby. The factory is two to three kilometers away from the front and rear villages. Because there are roads dug in the mountains, the air is full of dust when cars pass by on sunny days while the road becomes muddy and bumpy on rainy days and isn¡¯t on the provincial highway, so the place is quite desolate. After clearing the zombies near the factory, Shi Gong Dui asked Hao Jian, ¡°How did you find this place? The map doesn¡¯t show such places, right?¡± The paper map doesn¡¯t show detailed structures, so Hao Jian naturally relied on the system map to find their way, but after she concluded that ¡®Ding Gunian may be a host,¡¯ she became particularly careful about anything that could reveal her ability, so she thought of a good excuse. ¡°The offline map on the phone now has a satellite map, didn¡¯t you know?¡± Shi Gong Dui said, ¡®Oh¡¯ and first drove the car inside the factory. Xin Ting looked at Hao Jian, wanting to say something. Lian Ru Ning felt a little strange, so she took Hao Jian¡¯s hand. Hao Jian turned to her and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to relive your old dream?¡± ¡°. . . I want to talk about serious things with you!¡± ¡°Am I not serious?¡± You still have the nerve to say you¡¯re serious with this kind of embarrassing talk! Lian Ru Ning pointed at Xin Ting, ¡°Xiao Ting seems to have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll look for her later when I¡¯m free.¡± Hao Jian was about to leave when Lian Ru Ning pulled her back and urged, ¡°You have to be more careful about what you say to your companions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to little sister.¡± Hao Jian replied with a big smile. Lian Ru Ning was stunned by her smile, and when she left, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly sigh. Although she¡¯s more likely to be favored this way, in fact, Hao Jian¡¯s charming personality is rather more attractive in her eyes. The person who couldn¡¯t see Hao Jian¡¯s beauty is really blind. Before she knew it, Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t help but become angry on behalf of her girlfriend. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Before Hao Jian went to find Xin Ting after being busy, Xin Ting found her first, ¡°Hao Jian, I have something to tell you, can we go outside?¡± Hao Jian nodded, threw the bug in her pocket back to Shi Gong Dui, and then walked out with her knife. Although she thought that her affair with Lian Ru Ning is already known, no one really knows what¡¯s going on in her mind. She thought that occasionally flirting isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of, and she wondered how to break it to Xin Ting and talk about life when Xin Ting unknowingly hit her with something heavier in the face. . . ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with Shi Gong Dui.¡± Xin Ting said with an unprecedentedly serious expression with a hint of worry. Hao Jian¡¯s mind blanked out for a moment before going overdrive and this moment of silence from her made Xin Ting a little nervous, so she hurriedly added, ¡°When we were at the hot spring resort, I accidentally saw that he seemed to have made something in secret and sent out a few things. . .¡± After all, Shi Gong Dui came later and he didn¡¯t spend much time with them. With his weird behaviors, the radio equipment he carried with him, and a lot more, they could all send information to ¡®Wugui¡¯. Xin Ting didn¡¯t pay much attention to it before, but since she ¡®opened up her mind¡¯. she has become concerned about these things. Hao Jian looked serious after listening and immediately looked at Xin Ting, ¡°Your observation skills have improved a lot, that¡¯s good.¡± CH 66 Among the five of them, Hao Jian, Lian Ru Ning, Xin Ting, Peng Mao, and Shi Gong Dui, Shi Gong Dui must be the best in terms of strength. Hao Jian wins in intelligence, quick response, and information. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s physical ability and other aspects are considered moderate, but she can bear hardship and is hardworking, she will also not give up without a fight and can quickly grow up to face her fears. In addition to being a bit like an embroidered pillow, Peng Mao has an intimidating appearance and he can now deal with zombies alone. Although he seems dull, he actually has his own ideas. He may not really be able to help Hao Jian and the group, he still doesn¡¯t slow everyone down. Therefore, among the group, Xin Ting is relatively weak. In addition to her lack of strength, her biggest weakness is her timidity. Plus, she just also left university and went to school for an internship and she¡¯s simple-minded. Later, she practiced her guts and can now rely on her own strength to deal with one or two zombies, but it¡¯s still easy for people to think she¡¯s vulnerable. The reason for this is still her naivety and simplicity. So when she discovered this anomaly through her won observation and kept it a secret, and found a reliable person to discuss it with, she had invariably raised her guard and had thought on her own. Although Hao Jian agrees that they are her companions, she has never thought of binding everyone together to act together anytime and anywhere. What she hopes is that they will still have the ability to survive on their own even after they go their separate ways. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world Xin Ting was still waiting for Hao Jian¡¯s response, and after some thought, Hao Jian said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Xin Ting was confused and asked, ¡°Are we just going to leave Shi Gong Dui alone?¡± ¡°Not really, but there are some things that you may be able to know.¡± Xin Ting followed Hao Jian back while Shi Gong Dui was turning out a rare machine from the factory. It had sharp gear disks on one end and a generator-like machine behind the long rod, but it was far less large and bulky than a generator. ¡°Classmate Lian, do you know what I found?!¡± Shi Gong Dui approached Lian Ru Ning to show off the dusty machine. Lian Ru Ning was slightly ashamed, ¡°What is this? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen it before, but it looks a bit like a lawnmower.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called¡ª¡± Shi Gong Dui was beginning to tell a story so when Peng Mao looked over and examined it for a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s just a rice harvester!¡± Lian Ru Ning was a little surprised, ¡°But aren¡¯t rice harvesters the one that runs?¡± ¡°Hey, that kind of big machine is only suitable for operations in vast, flat places like our mountainous place, but those terraced fields like the one in Huang Yueming¡¯s house, this kind of single operated machines are most suitable.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± As they were talking, Hao Jian and Xin Ting came back and Lian Ru Ning saw that one of them looked normal while the other one was wrinkling her brow a little. She was stunned for a moment, wondering if she was wrong? The reason is that Xin Ting clearly didn¡¯t appear sad. Shi Gong Dui didn¡¯t care about them but cheerfully said, ¡°The full name of this thing is called ¡®backpack gasoline rice cutter¡¯ that is, after adding gasoline on the back press the switch and it will make the gear disk on the end rotate on tremendous speed to achieve the purpose of cutting.¡± Peng mao suddenly became interested, ¡°This is good. With this, won¡¯t cutting zombies be as easy as cutting vegetables? It¡¯s more suitable than a chainsaw in this kind of place! What¡¯s more, we have plenty of gasoline! But does it still work?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know when we try it out later.¡± Shi Gong Dui looked at Xin Ting, ¡°I think this is suitable for classmate Xin.¡± When Xin Ting was called by him, it made her heart nervous, and couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at Hao Jian. Hao Jian smiled and said, ¡°Contractor, did you do something unusual today?¡± The crowd froze and their eyes shifted between Hao Jian and Shi Gong Dui. Xin Ting also didn¡¯t expect Hao Jian to show her hand so quickly. She but her lower lip and after plucking up her courage, she stood tall and told what she saw today. Peng Mao widened his eyes upon hearing this before vigilantly looking at Shi Gong Dui. Shi Gong Dui, on the other hand, didn¡¯t change his expression, ¡°You saw the wrong thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken, I didn¡¯t understand the coding but I still know there were Chinese characters on it!¡± Xin Ting said firmly. Xiao Ting won¡¯t tell lies for no reason. Contractor, no Shi Gong Dui, do you still not confess to the truth?!¡± Peng Mao aimed the rice cutter in his hand at Shi Gong Dui. Shi Gong Dui glanced at Hao Jian, then resignedly gave up resistance, ¡°Well, I did edit and send out what Hao Jian had said, but I didn¡¯t send it to ¡®Wugui¡¯ or some evil organization. I passed it to the town¡¯s authorities at hot spring resort.¡± Peng Mao and Xin Ting were dumbfounded and Lian Ru Ning was also very confused while looking at Hao Jian, who smiled at her, signaling her to continue listening. During this implementation, Shi Gong Dui, like Hao Jian, is a member of the ¡®special response group¡¯ but their difference is that Hao Jian is still a ¡®temporary member¡¯ while Shi Gong Dui is a ¡®regular member¡¯. When he purchased the equipment, he had already attracted the attention of the government, who had been secretly investigating him. In view of his ability to play a huge role and the outbreak of the zombie virus, the government needed capable people to become foreign aid, so he was invited to tea by the security department. The ¡® special response team¡¯ was established at that time to mainly absorb ordinary people who have good skills. The ¡®special response team¡¯ was comprised of more than 20 people with different identities, including Shi Gong Dui, who became ¡®regular members¡¯ after a month of training and political trial. Later on, when the zombie level 3 broke out, he returned home to his villa on standby, during which the government didn¡¯t contact him to not reveal his identity until Hao Jian and the others came. Using Lian Ru Ning¡¯s messages, he sent them out to let the government notice him and let them contact him again. Of course, he didn¡¯t say these things, after all, if his identity is exposed, it could get very dangerous for him. He didn¡¯t even know about Hao Jian¡¯s identity at all. Later, after the ¡®ambush operation¡¯ of the military, he realized it, and when he did. he never went to Hao Jian for confirmation. He only tried her with words but was then slandered by Hao Jian instead, saying that he was ¡®separating¡¯ them. Therefore, Peng Mao and Xin Ting only thought that Shi Gong Dui was forced to be the government¡¯s messenger after they caught him eavesdropping on the government¡¯s secrets. This is exactly why Hu Dan didn¡¯t confiscate all of his equipment. Of course, what he didn¡¯t say was that he didn¡¯t want his equipment to fall into someone else¡¯s hands, so he chose to hand it over to the military. After confirming that there were no traitors among Hu Dan¡¯s gang, he asked the professionals from the military to encrypt his devices. And he left some portable devices, enough for him to be a messenger between the government within a certain range so that he could just fulfill his duties. At the same time, he also got some communication keys, otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have controlled the broadcasting systems of some public places so easily. Of course, whether or not there were people from ¡®Wugui¡¯ in the town¡¯s government of the hot spring resort wasn¡¯t within Shi Gong Dui¡¯s scope of responsibilities as he had more important tasks which are to report and convey upon his return to the ¡®special response team¡¯ headquarters in Xiang city. Hao Jian figured out Shi Gong Dui¡¯s identity when they were still at Heshui hydropower station, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have talked about important matters in front of him at all. Lian Ru Ning also didn¡¯t know Shi Gong Dui¡¯s identity at first. It wasn¡¯t until they got separated after the ¡®ambush operation¡¯ carried out by the military team in Xinghua City that Hao Jian told her that Peng Mao and the others would be okay because they were with Shi Gong Dui. From then on, she vaguely understood Shi Gong Dui¡¯s identity. Hao Jian¡¯s suspicion from the beginning about trust until now, then his identity must belong to the Wei Guangzheng. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world After hearing that Shi Gong Dui was working for the military, Peng Mao and Xin Ting were slightly shocked. No wonder Shi Gong Dui asked was able to ask for his equipment back from the military so easily, no wonder he was always fiddling with a pile of equipment. . . . Xin Ting was even more ashamed, ¡°Sorry, I misunderstood you!¡± Shi Gong Dui rubbed his hands and revealed a wry smile, ¡°Sister Xin, if you really feel sorry, stop calling me Contractor, call me Lao Gong!¡± Peng Mao hurriedly stood in front of Xin Ting. After all the questioning, entanglements, and the shock of learning the truth, he was relieved. He then faced Shi Gong Dui and spoke even more rudely, ¡°I thought you joined the military, but if you think about it carefully, your joining is strange enough! But even if you¡¯re a government temporary worker, that¡¯s no reason for you to get laid! Much less take advantage of Xiao Ting!¡± Shi Gong Dui curled his lips, ¡°How can this be considered as taking advantage? I¡¯m such an upright person!¡± ¡°. . . Why am I doubting just how much those short-sighted government officials saw in you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after all, he¡¯s sneaky. Without knowing the truth, it is indeed suspicious and the fact that you can figure out his little actions shows that you¡¯re doing very well.¡± Hao Jian encouraged Xin Ting again. Peng Mao asked, ¡°Hao Jian, you¡¯ve known his identity for a long time? You¡¯ve hidden it so well!¡± ¡°After all, he¡¯s running errands for the governments. I can¡¯t say these casually and I was inadvertently told about them after I accidentally learned about them.¡± Regarding this ¡®inadvertently¡¯, Peng Mao thought that it¡¯s most likely Hu Dan telling her. He once again sighed, understanding that Hao Jian can really be considered as ¡®all-knowing¡¯ and no one can hide anything from her. He then thought about the fact that even Lian Ru Ning didn¡¯t know about it, so it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t because Hao Jian didn¡¯t trust them. He felt so much better after knowing this. Xin Ting was still very upset because she had misunderstood Shi Gong Dui, who advised her not to care, but she still agreed, though she still looks a little lost in thought. ¡°But I only know how to fix cars.¡± Xin Ting said. ¡°Both cars and these things need gasoline, they¡¯re essentially the same thing!¡± ¡°. . .¡± Xin Ting had to carry the rice cutter to the side to figure it out. Peng Mao came up to Shi Gong Dui¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Then why are you returning to Xiang City?¡± If Shi Gong Dui is helping the government run errands, then his reason for returning to the Xiang city in the first place seems implausible. Hao Jian and the others didn¡¯t ask and he only suddenly thought about it. If he doesn¡¯t get a clear answer, then his doubts would always remain in his mind and he would particularly feel uncomfortable. Shi Gong Dui answered, ¡°This is confidential, how could I tell you?!¡± Peng Mao thought about it carefully and it is indeed confidential, but. . . ¡°Just like we said at first, we just drop you off on the way to Xiang City and we won¡¯t be responsible for breaking through the dense zombies with you when entering the downtown area!¡± They are already very close to the boundary of Xiang City and they haven¡¯t encountered any accidents. If nothing else happens. they might arrive by tomorrow, so Peng Mao still needs to remind Shi Gong Dui about some things. When Shi Gong Dui heard this, he shouted, ¡°How can you do this to me? You brought me here, yet you won¡¯t continue being responsible for me ¡¯till the end? We have gone through so much so how can you leave me behind?! You¡¯re really heartless!¡± Peng Mao got goosebumps all over his body, especially after receiving ambiguous gazes from the other three girls and he exploded, ¡°Fuck off, I¡¯m a man who¡¯s as straight as steel and only like girls! If you say such things again, I will tear your balls off! I dare you!¡± Shi Gong Dui guarded his pants and crotch, ¡°I heard that fitness coaches are all Kiri based, I thought you were good about this one.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time to assign work.¡± Hao Jian said before turning and looking at Shi Gong Dui, ¡°But Peng Mao is right. After tomorrow, you¡¯ll have to go your separate way from us, after all, I don¡¯t want to add so much uncertainty before we finish our affairs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that classmate Hao! You¡¯re really a good classmate of mine, just do me a favor and drop me off at the Government Administration Building of Xiang City.¡± ¡°. . . I don¡¯t need to look at the map to know that that place is in the city center.¡± Liang Ru Ning suddenly said, ¡°Actually, it seems that it¡¯s not impossible because the east river water system is the one that flows from Xinghua city to Cheng city and Xiang city before merging into the sea. We can get to the town by the east river and find a boat to go there directly. Because the zombies can¡¯t swim. the waterway should be a relatively safe route.¡± If it was before, Lian Ru Ning wouldn¡¯t have thought of such a way, only after she met Ding Gunian¡¯s group did she think back on the water systems of the Southern City with Xiang City and other cities. In the case of Dongjang River, because after leaving the mountainous area of Cheng City, there will be no more dams when one arrives in the downtown area of the river, so a boat ride is feasible! ¡°The question is, where can we find a boat?¡± Heeeyyy so Shi Gong Dui isn¡¯t a traitor or anything hahahaha, isn¡¯t that a relief?? Well, I don¡¯t really particularly care about him so yeah. . . Anyway~~ I did say I would post this yesterday, but I kinda liked leaving you guys hanging so yeah. . . But I still love you guys~~!! That¡¯s the last of the sponsored chapters!! We¡¯ll be going back to the normal schedule of updates now, yey us!! Well, not really because work has been very very hectic and I may need a week or two to settle everything down so yeah. . . I¡¯ll apologize in advance if I may miss some updates in the coming week. Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! Kindly support me on ko-fi for more updates! CH 67.1 Shi Gong Dui became optimistic about this issue, ¡°We all know that many people will avoid the first and second-tier cities after the zombie outbreak, so the railroads, highways, and other modes of transportation have been under greater pressure than during Spring Festival and has become a buffet for zombies. Big cities have a lot of cruise ships, yachts that can drive to these less crowded cities. As long as we look along the riverside, we¡¯re bound to find many suitable boats.¡± When they returned to the river, they didn¡¯t want to imagine anything so no one said anything. No one made dinner, because all the food that could be cooked had been eaten. Although there¡¯s still a little, it¡¯s a lot of trouble cooking it over a fire, so they can only drink cup noodles; jellyfish flavor, cold vegetables, etc. The jellyfish flavor and cold vegetables are actually in bags. One can simply open them and stir them with the seasoning packet inside and can be eaten directly. Although one can¡¯t fill the stomach, they can always eat a few more to be full. What¡¯s more, they may return to the city tomorrow. Food isn¡¯t more important than ensuring one¡¯s safety because they don¡¯t know whether they will survive or not! After Shi Gong Dui had confirmed all the supplies he found and there wasn¡¯t any food he missed, he took out his own snacks to share with everyone, ¡°Although we have only known each other for three days, his journey wouldn¡¯t have been possible without all of you. I couldn¡¯t come here either¨C¡° Before he could finish speaking, Peng Mao hurriedly covered his mouth, ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t raise a flag!¡± Shi Gong Dui curled his lips, saying that it was indeed too early. Hao Jian, who wasn¡¯t interested in Shi Gong Dui¡¯s snacks, got up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go outside to do my rounds.¡± But Xin Ting came back with the rice cutter and said with a smile, ¡°I added gasoline to it and found that it still works. Hao Jian, take it and go on your rounds!¡± Shi Gong Dui added, ¡°Sister, this is what I found for you to use!¡± Xin Ting was startled and then became a little embarrassed, ¡°I, I just thought that since it¡¯s dark already, it¡¯s too dangerous outside. No matter who¡¯s on duty, it¡¯s best to use this. . .¡± ¡°You did the right thing!¡± Hao Jian nodded. Lian Ru Ning also came forward to praise Xin Ting while Peng Mao naturally stood by Xin Ting¡¯s side. Shi Gong Dui, who saw this, can only raise his hands in defeat. The sky soon darkened. Perhaps because the place was too close to first and second-tier cities that the sound of insects that could normally be heard in Xinghua City in the past has disappeared. Even the sound of the wind was absent. The place was truly silent. At the same time, no one dared to sleep peacefully because the air carried a hint of danger. They had to be alert and ready to watch out for those zombies that could appear at any time. The rice cutter¡¯s performance at night was surprisingly well. Hao Jian thought that the gears were only effective against plants like straw, but when it came to the necks of the zombies, it reminded her of a chainsaw. . . which is not much worse than a chainsaw. And this night, the people slept no more than three hours, because, during this period, zombies appeared one after another. In order to keep them from gathering into a group, they always need to go out and clean them up. In such a night, there were already a lot of zombies outside the factory and they were already exhausted. Among them, Hao Jian wiped out seven or eight zombies in the first half of the night, and then the number of zombies eliminated after midnight reached 21. It can be seen that the number of zombies surrounding them in the second half of the night has doubled. So at four o¡¯clock, the group had to pack up again in advance and prepare for the road. Because the street lights have long been without power, the whole mountain road is dark. Only after four did the sky gradually fade from black to blue. They could use the brightening sky with their headlights to distinguish their surroundings. If it was in the middle of the lunar calendar when the moon is big and bright and there is moonlight showering and illuminating the road at night, they wouldn¡¯t mind driving t night. it¡¯s only a pity that it¡¯s August 7th, while during the 25th of June in the lunar calendar, the moon is so curved that it¡¯s almost invisible. Peng Mao drove the car first. When Hao Jian was about to drive, Lain Ru Ning suddenly took her hand. Feeling the tremor on the back of her hand, Hao Jian turned around and looked at Lian Ru Ning quietly. Last night, Lian Ru Ning spoke very little and as the number of zombies appeared more and more frequently, her mood soon became very heavy. Hao Jian thought she was anxious, so she have her a hug, ¡°There¡¯s a large number of soldiers over in Xiang city, so although there are many zombies, relatively speaking, there are also many people who can give us information and guidance, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Lian Ru Ning was indeed a little anxious, but it wasn¡¯t about whether they would be able to get through Xiang city to reach Southern city. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m selfish and because you have wisdom and strength, I convinced myself and believed that you intend to go to Southern city as well and we could travel together and I wouldn¡¯t have to endure loneliness and solitude. But the closer we get to Xiang city, the more scared I am. I can no longer bear the thought that my selfishness might put you in deep trouble!¡± Before Lian Ru Ning couldn¡¯t have imagined how dangerous first-tier cities would be, after all, all she experienced were cities with relatively small resident populations like Kaishi city, Jiang city, and Xinghua city. Most of their time was spent on the road and they even take desolate roads, so she hasn¡¯t seen a real desperate city. But after arriving here, as the zombies appeared more and more frequently, she also finally realized that even a remote suburb will have a danger level 8 at any time. Sho she couldn¡¯t let herself be so selfish for her family who she doesn¡¯t even know whether they¡¯re dead or alive. She¡¯s merely dragging Hao Jian to danger and she can¡¯t bear it. Yes, because her heart cares deeply about Hao Jian, hoping to always see her radiant face, eyes full of wisdom, and lips that can say the most beautiful words in the world. . . Every detail of her time with Hao Jian was emphasized by her and she became more certain in her conflicting feelings between guilt and love ¨C she wants Hao Jian to survive. ¡°I hope that the burden of my selfishness will only be carried by myself. life is so precious, you¡¯re only 23 years old. You have decades of life ahead and you have more to come, so I can¡¯t let you gamble 90% of your life on the possibility of finding my family who I¡¯m not sure they¡¯re alive¡ª¡° Hao Jian held her face and suddenly kissed her, blocking all her words in her throat. The kiss was as fierce as a storm, but also like the calm eye of the storm as if experiencing a violent storm in the sea, and also enjoying the warm sun on the beach. It gives people an adrenaline rush while also makes people with anxiety calm down. . . ¡°Actually, I lied to you about something. . . If it made you feel uncomfortable because you confessed to me, I actually knew that I liked Lian Ru Ning, my little junior sister, since before. I also knew that you liked me since you would always look at me secretly, maybe thinking about why is there such a beautiful girl or maybe worrying about what to do if you really do like me. . .¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes went wide, there are Hao Jian¡¯s words of confession, but also Hao Jian shamelessly flattering herself. ¡°Maybe at that time, I took the initiative to confess a little and I didn¡¯t have to worry about you rejecting me. But I don¡¯t want us to be like my mom and dad, nor do I want us to be like Chen Zhen and Huang Sheng because I think that even if we go through a lot of difficulties and find your family, we may still have that day where we have to separate and then live a day where we can¡¯t contact each other that we don¡¯t know if the other¡¯s alive or dead.¡± Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes were moist. She knew that, but she had;t been thinking about the possibility of separating in the future. She couldn¡¯t understand the torment that Chen Zhen and Huang Sheng are going through. Now that she figured it out, she knows why she didn¡¯t want to think about it was because of her selfishness. She decided to be brave enough to face her selfishness and that¡¯s why she made up her mind, just like Chen Zhen handing her ring to them, hoping that they would pass it on to Huang Sheng. Whether Huang Sheng was alive or not, Chen Zhen has already accepted their fate. ¡°Then why did you respond to me again?¡± Lian Ru Ning asked. Hao Jian¡¯s thumb brushed over Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyelids and said, ¡°Why are you crying, little sister? I responded to you because I was thinking. . . how Chen Xiuzhu waited for Hao Kan, how Chen Zhen accepted Huang Sheng¡¯s absence, I¡¯m not any of them. I don¡¯t want to separate from little sister and I won¡¯t leave little sister alone.¡± Lian Ru Ning had tears in her eyes but still glared at her, ¡°How could you call your parents by their names?!¡± Hao Jian chuckled, ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll do everything possible to survive, and if I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll die together with you.¡± Lian Ru Ning immediately covered her mouth, ¡°Take that back! No crow¡¯s mouth1!¡± Hao Jian pointed to her hand, indicating that she had covered it, so how could she spit? Lian Ru Ning had to let go, but instead of taking her words back, Hao Jian caught her lips and kissed her several times. Shi Gong Dui took the walkie-talkie and asked, ¡°Student Hao, why haven¡¯t you guys caught up?¡± ¡°It was convenient to go just now, we¡¯ll catch up now.¡± Hao Jian answered. ¡°Is it the ¡®convenient¡¯ I¡¯m thinking of?¡± ¡°Whatever you think.¡± Hao Jian got on the motorcycle and then reached out towards Lian Ru Ning, ¡°Let¡¯s go, little sister. you¡¯re not selfish, you¡¯re just. . . too gentle.¡± Lian Ru Ning placed her hand on hers then sat behind Hao Jian, hugging her waist from behind. As soon as she was about to say something, she heard Hao Jian remind her again, ¡°Hold tight, junior sister.¡± As soon as she applied a little bit of strength, the motorcycle started and then wheeled out. I think this chapter is dedicated to showcasing some fluffy and fangirling moments and forcing us to eat dog food. . . I was so close to twisting my own body because of how sweet the two are. . . asdfghjkl ( ?¡ã? ? ?? ??? ? ?¡ã) Anyway~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~! CH 67.2 the sun rose slowly behind them and the sky turned to silky white which gradually changed to dark blue, but the direction Hao Jian and the others were headed was the dark abyss, an abyss that would swallow all things that would enter. To read the official translation, kindly visit: triple¡¯w¡¯ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash the-system-sent-me-an-object-end-of-the-world At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, the sun has shone into every corner of the town. There are already a lot of farming figures doing formwork on their lands by the river and a small boat casting a net to catch fish in one of the fish farms surrounded by nets on the riverbank, the caught fish would then be sold to the people who would come in trucks to collect the fish. Villagers would squat on the side of the road with their vegetables, hawking and chatting with bystanders while children would help collect money or play in groups. Those who bought vegetables would return home and begin to boil water to cook porridge, wash the vegetables they recently bought straight into the pot, and blanch them. They would then drain them out and pour some soy sauce. Perhaps others bought fish and fried the two palm-sized fish in a frying pan until golden brown on both sides before putting some seasoning. After preparing the dishes, they would call their families back for breakfast. . . It was the common sight in this town before the apocalypse, however, all of this vanished due to the horror of the zombie virus invasion. Hao Jian and the others drove along the riverbank and saw nothing but unpopular zombies, broken wooden doors, messy fish farms, and they can even see many fishes floating on the river, emitting a foul smell. They did see a few boats along the way, however, either they¡¯re wooden boats or kayaks commonly used in tourist attractions. What they all have in common is that they require manual paddling while no industrial or automated ship could be seen. It was obviously not a wise move to go to the center of Xiang city using a boat that requires manual labor, so the group had to continue searching along the river. Soon, they found two bamboo rafts on the shore near the next town, the kind one can sit on for sightseeing tours. After making sure that they had engines, the group was ready to approach them. Shi Gong Dui was very excited, ¡°I don¡¯t know which guy drove all the bamboo rafts in the tourist attraction, but thank god!¡± After the group cleared the surrounding zombies, they sent Hao Jian and Xin Ting down to check the bamboo rafts. Xin Ting confirmed that one of the rafts was using an electric engine but already lost its power while the other one was still using an older gasoline engine but ran out of gasoline and was pushed into the shallows. ¡°Pour the remaining gasoline into it and move the things down!¡± Hao Jian directed. In fact, they didn¡¯t have much stuff and what they had was just luggage as well as various rags they picked up on the road. They will soon arrive in Xiangcheng, so there¡¯s no need to carry those rags. As the group approached the raft carrying their own bags, several people suddenly jumped down from the high slope of the road and took the lead in rushing towards Hao Jian and Xin Ting, ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect you to have gasoline, what a godsend!¡± Those words were the same ones Shi Gong Dui previously said as if hitting him in the face with a ¡®slap¡¯. ¡°The mantis catches the cicada without noticing the yellow bird behind?¡± Hao Jian¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change while looking at the several people surrounding them. There were five people, four men, and one woman, but it was clear in a glance that the woman wasn¡¯t a weak person. Her expression naturally reminded Hao Jian of criminals. All five of them were holding knives, steel forks, clubs, axes, and batons. Although hao Jian and the others also appeared to have weapons, why were they mostly women? In their eyes, women are vulnerable and not intimidating enough. Hao Jian coldly looked at them. Killing zombies is easy, but to take these people on, she really doesn¡¯t have enough power to deal with them. At this moment, more and more zombies appeared around them that the woman called out, ¡°Kill them so we can leave!¡± Hao Jian drew out her gun and smiled, ¡°Then let¡¯s see which is faster your knife, or my gun.¡± The man which Hao Jian aimed her gun at laughed and smiled full of contempt, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have a toy gun?¡± Just after speaking, a ¡®bang¡¯ came out. The man paused and then let out a cry of pain. His companions were startled by the sound and at the same time saw a lot of blood flowing from the man¡¯s telling, dripping onto the ground. . . ¡°This bitch actually brought a real fucking gun?!¡± They were shocked, but they weren¡¯t deterred by Hao Jian either until another man was hit by Hao Jian again. With two people wounded in a row, the remaining people had no doubt that Hao Jian still had many bullets in her magazine. Although they were tall and overwhelming in terms of strength, they were still powerless when faced with a gun. What¡¯s more, Lian Ru Ning, Peng Mao, and Shi Gong Dui also rushed over, and when they saw that they only had three people left and were no match for the five of them, they quickly retreated. ¡°Fuck, if the zombies hadn¡¯t come, I would¡¯ve killed you, bastards!¡± Shi Gong Dui shouted, ¡°Student Hao, let¡¯s go!¡± Hao Jian then threw their things into the raft and pushed it down the river for several more meters until the water reached their knees before climbing onto the raft one after another. The zombies have already run to the shallows. The two people who were shot who hadn¡¯t died saw the numerous zombies and wanted to run, however, they couldn¡¯t escape and their miserable cries soon echoed. The hearts of everyone trembled and then Shi Gong Dui pushed Peng Mao, ¡°Quickly start the raft.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive this thing!¡± Peng Mao said. After he finished speaking, he and Shi Gong Dui turned to Hao Jian who pondered for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡± ¡°. . .¡± Seeing that there were zombies whose feet were already in the water, Shi Gong Dui cursed ¡®fuck!¡¯ grabbed Xin Ting¡¯s gasoline rice cutter, and aimed it at the zombies. The first zombie to enter the water had already reached the position of the gears of the rice cutter and Shi Gong Dui aggressively slammed against the zombie while shouting, ¡°Hurry up and find something to row the boat, you guys row away first!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a sound like ¡®duk duk duk¡¯ and then the raft swayed that Shi Gong Dui nearly fell off. However, his balance was good and he immediately stabilized himself. They all looked at Xin Ting who blushed, ¡°Many gasoline-type engines work similarly. . .¡± ¡°Um, move the paddle that controls the direction, otherwise, you will send us all to the zombie den.¡± Hao Jian said as she slashed a zombie¡¯s neck with a knife. It was they realized that the bamboo raft slid straight towards the shore because no one controlled the direction. Lian Ru Ning¡¯s eyes widened and hurried over to th adjust the direction of the raft. After a while, the bamboo raft made a turn and moved a little further away from the shore. The zombies didn¡¯t give up and went straight down the river who eventually getting covered by water. After thinking that there might be zombies walking at the bottom of the river, Xin Ting got goosebumps all over her body and increased to the raft¡¯s maximum speed. It took Xin Ting several times to control the raft¡¯s oars until the bamboo raft finally gradually stabilized. Do you guys think those people dying would end up becoming Hao Jian¡¯s points?? And can I just say I love how decisive Hao Jian is when she pulled the trigger?? Oh and I think she¡¯s out of bullets. . . Do you guys think there are zombie fishes in the river? I mean, there are zombie dogs, right?? Though it would be messed up if there was. . . Anyway, I feel bad leaving you guys hanging regarding this chapter so here you go~!! I will do my best in maintaining the update schedule but no promises okay?? I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! May the abyss be with you~!