Chapter 27: A Fight

Chapter 27: A Fight

Outside the office, in the reception area.

Shenchi and Cao Kun were arranged here, with a soldier serving them tea and some fruits on the table, clearly treating them as part of Cao Kun's group.

Xia Yi glanced at the tightly closed office door. "The battalion commander summoned Cao Kun alone; could it be that he knows Cao Kun is a psychic?"

Shenchi leisurely took a sip of tea and said, "So many people saw Cao Kun use his psychic abilities yesterday; it wouldn't be hard for them to find out."

Xia Yi pondered and asked, "Do you think the government is not publicly disclosing the beads to attract psychics?"

Xia Yi's question was not without basis. Since the government had publicly acknowledged psychics, their existence was essentially deemed non-threatening. With the potential for continuous evolution, their abilities were immeasurable. How many psychics would choose to be a small fish in a big pond rather than a big fish in a small pond?

Shenchi replied, "Using the beads as bait to lure psychics indeed makes many people go crazy over them."

Shenchi's answer aligned with Xia Yi's speculation, but this meant information about the beads would not be easily obtained.

They sat there for about half an hour before Cao Kun came out. His expression... unreadable, just like usual.

Cao Kun volunteered to share the content of their conversation and analyzed, "The situation now is just as Wang Wei said. The north is in dire straits, with far more zombies than here. Several cities have already fallen, and we can only live so comfortably because of the information blockade."

"Currently, supplies, ammunition, and soldiers from all over China are being transported to the heavily affected areas. Production cannot keep up, resources are depleting, and with climate issues and water pollution, our good days are numbered."

Cao Kun chuckled, saying that 'fallen' and 'no good days' were euphemisms. If the country had even established a civilian defense guild, how could there be peace?

Xia Yi listened in shock, "What about Kongji City?"

"The base camp is fine for now," Cao Kun added, "but almost all survivors are fleeing south. Kongji City will fall sooner or later."

Xia Yi looked worried and couldn't help but call his parents again.

Cao Kun turned to Shenchi, "There's also news about the zombies."

Shenchi asked, "Why tell us this?"

Cao Kun looked at Shenchi, "Because you seem very interested in zombies."

Shenchi countered, "Is that hard to understand?"

"Only by constantly improving one's strength can one survive in the apocalypse." Cao Kun nodded, "It's easy to understand."

Xia Yi frowned, hearing the repeated message that the phone was off, "Indeed, our current abilities are too weak. If a few more Level 2 zombies appear, we'll all be done for, let alone higher levels waiting ahead."

"So I accepted a mission," Cao Kun said, "On August 30th, we're going to Shufu Town to rescue northern survivors."

The four returned to the first floor and handed the stamped forms to the registrar, who had them scan their irises, fingerprints, and collect blood samples. After successful registration, they each received a red guild card, half the size of an ID card.

Each guild card had a different color based on the profession: Self-defense Corps was red, Medical Team was blue, agricultural and livestock factories were green, and military factories were gold...

The card included name, gender, date of birth, home address, department, and position/level.

Xia Yi could have joined the Medical Team, but it focused on medical skills, battlefield first aid, and post-treatment care, with little training in physical fitness and combat.

Shenchi didn't care about Xia Yi's medical progress or any losses it might cause others. He wanted this person safe by his side before his child was born, and he needed him to study his psychic abilities.

And these prerequisites required him to have a strong physique and self-defense capabilities before real danger arrived.

On the way back, they replenished some daily necessities and food at a supermarket under police control.

Due to the scorching heat, the government no longer restricted electricity usage but still required minimal lighting after nightfall and implemented a curfew.

Thus, Jiu Zhou City was eerily quiet under the pale moonlight at midnight.

The next day, Building 12, Unit 2, Room 701.

Flashes of light flickered in the living room, alternating between bright and dim, high and low.

In the living room, Cao Kun sat on the floor, facing a row of candles arranged from far to near, the clean floor blackened by the fire.

Cao Kun watched as the 270 RMB floor tiles turned into piles of burning cash, his eyes nearly popping out in anger!

A fireball hovered in Cao Kun's palm. He stared intently at the new candle in front of him, his expression as if facing a formidable enemy, determined to hit it. However, the fireball fiercely charged forward and missed the candle, instead hitting the opposite door, igniting it instantly.

"Damn!"

Cao Kun jumped in surprise, trying to extinguish the fire, but his legs felt numb. By the time he limped to the door, the flames had engulfed the entire door.

Blaming the air conditioning for affecting his performance, Cao Kun had opened all the windows to cool down, inadvertently spreading the fire to the neighboring door.

Cao Kun frantically tried to put out the fire while muttering, "Out! Out! Out! Out, out, out!!!"

But it was useless. Just as Cao Kun was about to shout for help, the fire suddenly vanished when his hand touched the doorknob.

Cao Kun quickly pulled back his hand, "So cold!"

"What are you doing?" The door creaked open, and Shenchi stood there, looking as fresh as ever.

Cao Kun felt a chill emanating from him.

"Seeing you've been training for so long, I came to tell you to take a break." Cao Kun threw his shirt over his shoulder and leaned against the wall, teasing, "Work-life balance, right?"

Shenchi noticed the sweat dripping down Cao Kun's chin and suddenly threw a punch.

Cao Kun blocked Shenchi's fist, but Shenchi grabbed his wrist. Cao Kun leaped out, easily dodging, and spun on his toes, sweeping a leg across!

Shenchi was startled and bent to dodge, but realized the kick was a feint. Without hesitation, another knee thrust upward.

Shenchi blocked with his hand, pushed back two steps by the impact, and a rare smile appeared on his lips. They engaged in a tight battle once again.

The doorway was clearly not an ideal place for a fight, so the two of them soon moved into Cao Kun's house as they fought.

Both of their fighting styles were similar, emphasizing speed, ruthlessness, and precision to effectively incapacitate or kill their opponent. They focused on attack, defense, and evasion—instincts honed through life-and-death struggles. Sometimes, their bodies reacted faster than their minds.

There were differences between the two, however. For example, Cao Kun's close combat style favored getting up close to his opponent, leaving no room for them to maneuver. He maximized the use of hands, feet, knees, and elbows, stressing speed and power. He didn't care if he got hurt, as long as his vital organs remained unharmed.

Shenchi, on the other hand, always tried to avoid direct contact with his opponent during attacks, ensuring that he was never touched.

Cao Kun twisted his neck, revealing two finger marks. These were from Shenchi's chokehold, but fortunately, Shenchi had held back, otherwise it might have been broken.

When fighting zombies, Cao Kun had noticed that his opponent had extensive experience in life-threatening situations. He suspected Shenchi hadn't received professional training, yet every move was vicious and efficient, with no unnecessary flourishes. His evasive actions were instinctive responses developed over time.

Cao Kun readied himself again, but even such a skilled fighter had weaknesses—!

Cao Kun charged forward, showcasing his swift, agile, and fluid combat techniques.

Shenchi was both surprised and delighted; this was exactly what he lacked!

Seeing his neighbor's flushed face and increasingly bright eyes, Cao Kun felt an itch in his molars that he couldn't scratch. Deciding not to hold back any longer, he launched another attack.

Their intense fight drew Xia Yi out, who let out continuous exclamations of shock upon seeing what was happening.

In the next moment, both men simultaneously kicked each other to the ground.

Xia Yi mentally screamed: "Oh my God, there's a pregnant man here!!"

He rushed to help Shenchi up, but Shenchi stopped him. Xia Yi looked worriedly at him, and Shenchi said, "Don't treat me like a fragile porcelain doll."

Xia Yi glanced over and saw that the child seemed unaffected, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Cao Kun, with his back to Xia Yi, didn't see his strange behavior. He roughly rubbed his chest, watching Shenchi stand up as if nothing had happened. The corner of his mouth curved upward. "Neighbor, you've got a pretty sturdy body!"

Shenchi looked at him, recalling their first fight here, and asked with a hint of amusement, "Convinced yet?"

Cao Kun cracked his neck, making a series of popping sounds. He laughed, "Not yet."

Shenchi smiled, "Use your ability to attack me."

Huh? Cao Kun glanced at the newly replaced furniture and then at the slender figure still wrapped tightly despite the heat, feeling a bit apprehensive.

"Scared you'll burn me?" Shenchi's eyes held a touch of mockery. "Do you think you can?"

Cao Kun's heart throbbed, a mix of pain and irritation.

Cao Kun couldn't help but grin, his gesture exuding a rebellious charm. "You've got the wrong idea. I am worried, but not about you—I'm worried about my money."

With that, Cao Kun waved his right hand, sending seven or eight fireballs hurtling towards Shenchi.

Shenchi slid towards the sofa, leaping onto the coffee table with his legs. Before he could steady himself, he faced Cao Kun, readying himself for an attack. However, Cao Kun stepped back, and three more fireballs whizzed towards him!

Shenchi executed a graceful backflip and hid behind the sofa, almost simultaneously as Cao Kun doused the flames with his clothes just as the fireball struck the wooden coffee table.

Xia Yi watched with his eyes wide open in amazement.

The flames inside the room flickered on and off. Cao Kun hurled fireballs quickly, but he extinguished them even faster, leaping about and swinging his clothes with a whooshing sound, drenched in sweat. Astonishingly, he learned to extinguish fires from a distance amidst this chase.

After it ended, Cao Kun was panting heavily, but Shenchi didn't break a single sweat. Apart from slightly rapid breathing and a flushed face, he showed no signs of having undergone intense physical exertion.

Cao Kun, unable to resist, reached out to feel if Shenchi's temperature was cool, only to be kicked away the next second.

"Cough! Cough!" Cao Kun rubbed his chest, pointing at Shenchi. "Harpy!"

Shenchi's eyebrows twitched. "What did you say?!!!"

Author's note:

Thank you, "Erxi Jiang," for watering the nutrient solution again. Muahs～