Chapter 3 Necklace

**Chapter 3 The Necklace**

Song Pengcheng had just finished collecting his share of supplies and was still resentful over Ji An’s refusal to hand over the crystal core. He strode over and snapped, “Ji An, stop making unreasonable demands! It was agreed years ago that you wouldn’t take any supplies. If you weren’t okay with it, you should’ve said so back then!”

Ji An had initially agreed to this arrangement entirely for Chen Chen’s sake.

Back then, Chen Chen was superpowered, while Ji An was an ordinary person. If they formed a team with other superpowered, those superpowered would look down on Ji An, seeing him as holding them back. But if Chen Chen teamed up with ordinary people, Ji An couldn’t bear it either—Chen Chen would be overburdened, responsible for the safety of the entire team, forced to avoid resource-rich areas for fear of encountering teams composed entirely of superpowered they couldn’t defeat, leaving them empty-handed.

In the end, Ji An proposed this solution, believing that as long as he proved his worth, his treatment would naturally improve.

And indeed, Ji An’s skills soon matched any superpowered. Some top superpowered even sought him out, but Ji An, devoted to Chen Chen, never joined a team without Chen Chen.

The distribution of rewards had always been negotiated by Chen Chen, something Ji An never paid attention to—and Chen Chen never brought it up. Ji An had assumed his share had long since been adjusted. He never imagined it had remained unchanged all this time. With his exceptional abilities—capable of single-handedly taking down a Level 3 zombie that even superpowered struggled with—why was he still working unpaid?

Even without the ability to hunt high-level zombies, no one would agree to risk their lives alongside superpowered for nothing! Were they tired of living?

“As for that Level 3 zombie, you snatched it from us! If not for you, we could’ve handled it ourselves! Why don’t you mention how you not only killed it but also walked away with a high-grade crystal core?” Song Pengcheng’s brazen claim drew disapproving glances from the onlookers.

That was a Level 3 zombie—even superpowered steered clear of such threats. How could Song Pengcheng act as though Ji An had somehow taken advantage?

Song Pengcheng was just a Level 2 superpowered, albeit at his peak. But a gap of one level was still a gap—he’d be hard-pressed to win against a Level 3 alone.

“Brother Pengcheng, don’t say that,” Tang Tang, ever the people-pleaser, noticed the disdainful looks and quickly tugged at Song Pengcheng’s sleeve.

“Brother Ji An, regardless of the circumstances, it wasn’t discussed before the mission, and everyone assumed you wouldn’t take a share. Going back on it now puts Brother Chen in a difficult position.

How about this—let’s just drop it for this mission since there wasn’t much to begin with. Next time we go on a mission, we’ll discuss it beforehand.”

Tang Tang played the mediator, fluttering her innocent big eyes. “If you still feel it’s unfair, I can give you my share from this mission.”

Song Pengcheng grew even angrier, jabbing a finger at Ji An. “Ji An, if you have any dignity as a man, don’t you dare take Tang Tang’s supplies!”

Ji An stared at the pair, disgust churning in his gut. Only after death had he shed his rose-tinted glasses and finally seen the scheming white lotus he’d rescued and raised all these years for what she truly was.

“Tang Tang was someone I dragged out of a zombie horde at the risk of my life. I’ve been providing for her all these years—taking my due is only fair.” Ji An’s icy gaze swept over Song Pengcheng. It seemed everyone had forgotten that this girl had been saved and raised by him.

Tang Tang lowered her head. “Brother Ji An, have you forgotten? All these years, you’ve worked unpaid. So I wasn’t raised on what you earned. Brother Chen supported me—and you too.

But it’s true that you saved me. Even if you were just following Brother Chen’s orders at the time, it was still you who rescued me. I’ll never forget that.

If you want it, I’ll give you these supplies willingly—consider it repayment for saving my life.”

What a joke. A day’s rations for a life?

Ji An could only scoff.

“I never take what isn’t mine.” His gaze settled on the jade necklace draped around Tang Tang’s slender neck.

The jade was of exceptional purity, so clear it evoked lush, verdant forests, snow-capped mountain peaks, and crystal-clear flowing streams.

This necklace had been a gift from a professor couple he’d saved from zombies—a token of their gratitude.

Tang Tang had adored it, pestering him for it endlessly, but Ji An had always refused.

Finally, she asked to borrow it. By then, Ji An had grown attached to her and couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Thinking it was just a loan, he agreed—yet she kept it for years, never returning it.

Ji An pointed at the necklace. “That belongs to me. Miss Tang borrowed it years ago. Isn’t it time to return it?”

He had even stopped using her nickname, addressing her with chilly distance—*Miss Tang*.

Tang Tang's face turned pale instantly, her hands flying to clutch the necklace in terror—her reaction was not as if Ji An had merely asked for some worthless apocalyptic junk, but rather as if he were demanding her very life.

Realizing she had overreacted, Tang Tang forced herself to calm down, though her eyes still revealed her unease.

"Ji An, I know you're upset that I didn't take your side, but I really didn't mean to. I just truly believe we should follow the base's rules. You're Commander Chen Chen's lover—you should be setting an example. Please don't blame me, okay?"

Tang Tang avoided answering directly, swaying like a delicate little flower in the wind, appearing pitiful and fragile.

Ji An saw through her act immediately.

It wasn't because he had hurt her feelings—it was because he had struck her most vulnerable point.

Inside that necklace lay a pocket dimension containing a magical spring with healing properties.

It was from this spring that Tang Tang had obtained her dual superhuman abilities of spatial manipulation and healing. In truth, she was simply an ordinary person who had never naturally awakened any supernatural powers at all.

Ji An scoffed, "Tang Tang, stop pretending I've wronged you. I'm only taking back what belongs to me. Why are you dodging me with such nonsense?"

Tang Tang bit her lip, looking pitiful, but remained silent. Instead, she whimpered, "Ji An, I'm sorry. Please don't hate me, okay?"

Song Pengcheng had seen enough. He shouted furiously, "Ji An, you disgust me! What kind of lowlife takes back something he gave away? Who does such a thing?"

Ji An nearly choked on his disbelief—was Song Pengcheng deaf? Hadn't he clearly said it was borrowed?

Or perhaps he wasn't deaf—he simply chose not to hear. No matter how reasonable Ji An's explanation or justified his reasoning, they had no intention of returning it, so they twisted logic and refused to listen.

Sick of their theatrics, Ji An decided to act on his own.

He lunged forward, reaching for the necklace around Tang Tang’s neck—but just as his fingers were about to make contact, a large hand blocked him.

"A An, stop this," Chen Chen gripped Ji An's arm tightly, his dark eyes filled with pain as he looked at him. "You raised Tang yourself. Don't you think this is too cruel?"

Even now, there was deep affection in Chen Chen's gaze, mixed with sorrow, as though he were the one betrayed and hurting.

But Ji An didn't flinch.

After spending so long as a ghost, he knew precisely what cold-hearted monster hid beneath that gentle exterior.

He didn’t pull back. Instead, he asked coldly, “Chen Chen, are you really going to stop me from reclaiming what's rightfully mine?”

Chen Chen’s expression grew even more anguished. “A An, please don’t be unreasonable.”

Just as tension reached its peak, Tang Tang pushed past Chen Chen and fled, wiping tears as she ran, sobbing, “Fine! It's all my fault! I'll go—I'm leaving right now!”

“Tang Tang!” Song Pengcheng shouted desperately, but she was already gone. Enraged, he stomped his foot and growled, “Ji An, if anything happens to her, you’re finished!” With that, Song Pengcheng took off after her.