Chapter Ninety-Four

Chapter Ninety-Four

Since boarding the ship, Lin An had been hiding in the wardrobe released from Wudo's space, considering it his safe zone.

No matter what happened, staying in the wardrobe for a while would always bring him back to normal.

Having used up all his courage in the snowy city, his social anxiety had worsened once the anger subsided.

Everyone understood his personality, so they left him undisturbed.

The deep blue sea stretched endlessly, surrounded by various white ice floes. Initially, Xu Fang and others were fascinated, having never seen the sea before due to Initial Dawn City's distance from the coast. Everything seemed interesting, even the zombie fish leaping from the water, attempting to bite them.

However, after watching for several hours, nobody watched anymore.

Everyone was even more frustrated because of Xiaofu.

Surprisingly, the dog was seasick.

Xu Fang couldn’t understand why dogs got seasick, but seeing the usually lively dog lethargic, they were anxious yet helpless, as Wudo’s space had no medicine for seasickness.

Ouyang Dong knocked on the wardrobe, wanting to tell Lin An about this since he was Xiaofu's owner. Now that the little guy was seasick, letting Lin An soothe him to sleep quickly would help, as he wouldn't feel sick once asleep.

Just as he knocked on the wardrobe, Xu Fang's exclamation came from outside.

"Come look, the sea has frozen over!"

Ouyang Dong immediately thought it was Lin An's doing, his hearing being sharper than any metahuman's. He probably heard their voices outside long ago, especially with Xu Fang's loud voice.

When he emerged from the cabin, he saw an endlessly extending ice layer on the sea surface, right under the ship, about three meters wide and stretching to the farthest point of the horizon.

"Now their ship was frozen in place, unable to move forward."

What is Xiaon An planning? Did he freeze the ship in place because Xiaofu is seasick, so it won’t sway anymore?

Eventually, it was Shen Xiuzhe, who understood Lin An best, suggesting to Wudo to retract the ship and take out the RV instead.

So, they were going to drive on the sea surface.

"Will this work? Won’t we just fall into the sea while driving?" Xu Fang was already stepping on the ice, jumping around to test its load-bearing capacity.

Shen Xiuzhe didn't respond; after all, Xu Fang's remark was obvious nonsense. How could Lin An make such a mistake?

This method was indeed novel, and driving would be faster. Xiaofu wouldn't get seasick either. Xu Fang even felt a bit regretful, knowing this, they wouldn’t have needed to go to Ice Snow City.

Ouyang Dong glanced at Xu Fang, who was grumbling away, and said dryly, "If we didn't have the ship, Lin An would have to maintain his ability for twenty-four hours straight. Do you want to exhaust him?"

Lin An slowly peeked from the wardrobe, then silently emerged from the cabin and disembarked, standing behind Shen Xiuzhe like a ghost.

"Feeling better?" Shen Xiuzhe asked, turning around.

Lin An nodded.

Seeing Lin An emerge, Wudo helped Grandma Wu off the ship, stored the ship in a space, and the group continued in a motorhome, driving on the ice.

Following the direction Shen Xiuzhe pointed out, Lin An constantly turned the sea surface into ice. The motorhome traveled smoothly on the thick ice layer without feeling bumpy, and Xiao Fu quickly returned to normal, wagging its tail and playing with everyone.

They drove on the ice during the day and rested on the ship at night. As they left the cold region, the climate grew warmer.

At this point, they were three days away from Baize City.

Shen Xiuzhe looked tense. Although he said little, everyone knew he was worried about his parents. He rarely spoke of his family during the journey but insisted on returning to Baize City from Chuxi City, surely due to concern for his family.

Everyone understood, but it wasn’t a good time for comfort. With only three days left to reach their destination, they were uncertain about the condition of Shen Xiuzhe's parents and could only pray for their safety.

Lin An was also very nervous, constantly looking restless.

Xu Fang found it odd, as there was no one he knew in Baize City. Was he nervous about meeting many people soon, triggering his social anxiety?

When he asked this question, Lin An fidgeted with his fingers: "Well, when we get to Baize City, we'll meet Shen Xiuzhe's parents. What should I say or do then?"

Having little contact with people and having lost his parents early, Lin An had no guidance in social interactions and was completely clueless.

Xu Fang waved his hand dismissively: "Ah, it's just that. Nowadays, most parents don't interfere in their children's marriages. And since the elder is decisive, and you’re so capable, they’ll surely approve of your marriage. Just say a few casual words when you meet."

"Why suddenly bring up marriage? Isn't it too soon?"

Lin An, with a strong desire to learn, earnestly asked, "Just a few casual words, but specifically, what should I say?"

Xu Fang paused for two seconds before calling over Ouyang Dong and Wudo. Shen Xiuzhe was driving, and Grandma Wu was sleeping in the motorhome, so everyone was free. Hearing about Lin An's concern, they volunteered to help him devise strategies to comfortably face Shen Xiuzhe's parents.

The three wrote numerous notes, each containing potential questions from the parents and how to answer them perfectly.

It took a while to list all possible questions, and they asked Lin An to memorize them all.

Lin An obediently memorized them. His memory was naturally good, able to recall things after just one glance, especially these immediately applicable notes, which he focused on with utmost concentration.

When it was time for a shift change outside, Shen Xiuzhe came in and saw Lin An sitting seriously on a small stool, holding a thick stack of notes and muttering something in a solemn tone.

"What are you doing?" Shen Xiuzhe sat beside him, tilting his head to read the notes.

Question: "How long have you known my child, and when did you start dating?"

Answer: "We met in Chuxi City. Although we haven't known each other for long, we've been through various hardships together and are certain about each other. Please rest assured, elders, I will treat him well for a lifetime! (PS: Be sincere and show your determination)."

Shen Xiuzhe: "……"

Lin An continued with the next note.

Question: "What is your job, how much do you earn, do you have a car? A house?"

Answer: "I'm a freelancer. Before the apocalypse, I had a car and a house, and my salary was decent. But post-apocalypse, my car was destroyed, and savings became useless. However, my abilities are strong, and I can support a family. Shen Xiuzhe and I will both work hard for our future. (PS: A little white lie is okay, since Chuxi City is so far, and they can't verify the salary and car anyway)."

Shen Xiuzhe: "..."

Lin An flipped to another note.

Question: "I won't let you be with my son. Here's a million, leave him!"

Answer 1: (Pleading style) "Shen Xiuzhe and I truly love each other. Even if you offer me ten million, I won't leave him. Please don't tear us apart. (PS: Cry as pitifully as possible to soften their hearts. The more tragic, the better)."

Answer 2: (Assertive style) "A million is mere change in the post-apocalyptic world, where money lost its value. If you want us to split, offer a hundred cars' worth of supplies. Otherwise, I’ll stick with your son and you can't separate us! (PS: Be ready to threaten with force if necessary. Maintain a strong and arrogant attitude)."

Shen Xiuzhe sighed deeply, his fists clenching. The sloppy handwriting was clearly Xu Fang's. If he weren't driving, he would have given Xu Fang a piece of his mind for writing such nonsense.

Lin An seemed completely oblivious to any issue, earnestly memorizing as if he were a student cramming for an exam, hoping to retain just a bit more to score higher.

"Actually, you don’t need to memorize these. My parents would never say such things."

Lin An put down the notes, asking anxiously, "Then what might they say?"

"Probably just to make sure we're happy together, or if I ever bully you, you should go to them and they'll definitely support you."

Lin An slowly turned his head, looking at the thick stack of notes in his hand, solemnly saying, "None of what you just mentioned is covered in these notes on how to respond."

Shen Xiuzhe thought, feeling like he made Lin An more anxious.

"Really, it’s fine. Even if you don’t perform well, they won’t say anything about separating us. Xu Fang watches too many melodramas; he’s gone too far. And who I like isn’t their decision to make."

Lin An pursed his lips, whispering softly, "But they are your parents, and I want to make a good impression."

Shen Xiuzhe paused, then smiled and embraced Lin An, his heavy heart from the anticipation of returning home lightening a bit.

It wasn't just because Lin An valued his performance, but also because Lin An firmly believed his parents were still well.

"I know best what my parents would say. I’ll write you a new set of notes."

Lin An immediately nodded in agreement. For someone with social anxiety, having a script for every conversation would be ideal.

Shen Xiuzhe toiled through the night by lamp light, penning many pages, which Lin An memorized as soon as they were written.

Wudo lamented that if she had Lin An's memory, she might top every exam, even with last-minute cramming.

Three days passed, and Lin An brimmed with confidence, having mastered various conversational tactics; Shen Xiuzhe not only detailed potential dialogues with his parents and apt responses, but also comprehensively covered key points for daily interactions.

It was nothing short of a social anxiety sufferer's bible.

*

During their days at sea, they encountered numerous oceanic zombies, including a colossal octopus, at the sight of which everyone drooled.

Had it not been a zombified octopus, inedible, they would likely have started grilling it on a hot plate.

Despite encountering many strange zombified fish, their combat prowess ensured no danger, smoothly reaching the island where Baize City was located.

Ahead, where the ice connected, the small island was shrouded in mist, partially hidden, resembling a mystical mountain, even making them doubt if it was a mirage.

As the RV drove into the mist, it parted to reveal golden sands, unlike the muddy, icy shores of the Snow City coast, this beach was pristine, more akin to a tourist resort.

Parking the RV on the beach, Shen Xiuzhe and his companions alighted, the sun shining brightly, yet the mist on the beach hadn't completely dispersed.

Frowning in puzzlement, Shen Xiuzhe noted that normally the island's periphery was misty, clearing upon reaching land, but now, visibility remained low on the beach, an unprecedented situation, perhaps caused by the zombies?

Standing beside him, Lin An sniffed the air and suddenly changed expression, "Something's off with this mist, there's a faint medicinal scent!"

No sooner had he spoken than everyone collapsed.

Even Shen Xiuzhe couldn't resist; the drug in the mist was colorless and odorless, and had it not been for Lin An, with his zombie-enhanced sense of smell and water-based abilities, they wouldn't have detected the anomaly.

Unexpectedly, despite his vigilance throughout the journey, Shen Xiuzhe was caught off guard in the final moments before reaching Baize City.

Clenching his teeth against the onslaught of the drug, Shen Xiuzhe struggled to resist but ultimately succumbed, his last conscious sight being Lin An standing in panicked confusion.

He had been too careless.