Chapter 54

Chapter 54

With few people entering the base these days, the West Gate stalls were mostly vacant.

With plenty of options, they could put down some points as a deposit to secure one.

Around 4 p.m., while the others were out exploring, Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing went to the base's commercial management office and paid a 1,000-point deposit for a stall.

Afterward, staff handed them a contract and commercial district guidelines to review at home, giving them 10 days to decide.

Back out within ten days meant a refund; past the deadline, the stall would reopen without notice and the points would be forfeited.

Their first base day was spent tying up loose ends.

That evening, Xiao Ya returned with the Li family while Jiang Nian invited his team over to hash out plans for the grocery store.

After dinner, Cheng Jing gathered everyone and brought up the spatial ring situation—how it changed when his Superpower awakened.

Jiang Nian seized the moment to mention his doomsday nightmare warnings.

The rebirth truth would stay between him and Cheng Jing alone, so the nightmare story had to stick.

Nightmares, Superpower awakening, ring mutation—these signs explained their covert stockpiling.

Huang Qian, among the first to know about Cheng's awakening, seized the moment to come clean about the safe house stockpiles disguised as training.

She didn't mind Cheng's earlier secrecy—wise, since she'd been shaky at first and loose lips could've been dangerous.

The team wasn't shocked. More than anything, they felt relief—like everything finally made sense.

Long-term cohabitation had left clues:

Jiang Nian's suggestions were scarily accurate, like he had a crystal ball—impossible for any college kid.

Cheng was sharp as a tack; even head-over-heels, he wouldn't blindly follow Jiang Nian's lead unless the man was extraordinary.

Then there were the impossible car inventories—items pulled from nowhere after being "used up."

They weren't fools; they'd silently agreed not to ask.

Now their two miracle-workers had confessed, letting them breathe easier while thanking their lucky stars again.

Especially Zhao Lei's group, who'd guarded the pre-apocalypse safe houses. To them, Cheng and Jiang Nian were real-life saviors, like parents reborn.

Without their secret arrangements, they'd have been zombie chow on day one—they'd planned to hit the town when the rain came until Cheng ordered them indoors for "training."

"With our stockpiles, a grocery store makes sense," Jiang Nian concluded. "We'll keep scavenging down the road—sell whatever we've got."

Alone, there's no way he could've guarded all this. Base rules or not, Superpowers varied wildly; weaker folks wouldn't know what hit them.

But with this team? Other crews should fear them.

As for Xiao Ya and Li Kaiyun's group—more details could wait until they'd built deeper trust. No need to show their full hand yet.

And Xiao Ya... Jiang Nian still felt sorry for her but remained wary.

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

"No matter what you want to do, Brother Nian, we'll support you unconditionally, just like Cheng does," said Jian Cheng, with even Huang Qian, who loved to talk smack, nodding in earnest agreement.

"Good."

Jiang Nian clasped his hands under his chin, meeting his teammates' eyes with sincerity.

"My plan for now is to get our operation started first. Once things stabilize for you all, we can discuss any changes or new ideas."

They had just arrived at the base, so there was no need to rush. Following the plan step by step and adapting to the evolving environment gradually would prevent unnecessary anxiety.

For him, the hardest phase was already over.

After the meeting, supplies were distributed. Cheng Jing instructed Huang Qian and Lu Ningzhou to deliver a portion to Xiao Ya, with monthly provisions to follow.

Over the next few days, everyone busied themselves adjusting to the new environment—fixing up their quarters, replacing what was needed, and getting what they required.

Meanwhile, Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing traded in unused supplies for credits at various management offices to help cover costs.

Aside from personal expenses, they also prepared for their operation, as even the smallest investment required startup capital.

These were teammates who had been through life-and-death situations together and knew each other inside out. Now that they were being open, there was no need for secrecy.

They would discuss matters together and work hard during downtime.

...

Five days later, Li Cheng showed up that morning to invite Cheng Jing, as the team leader, to the command center.

Cheng Jing didn't return until the afternoon, bringing news that was surprising yet made sense:

The current rescue teams in Nanchang Base worked with mixed teams of superpowered individuals and regular personnel. As the base accepted more survivors, the number of superpowered individuals also grew.

Thus, command decided to divide the rescue teams into two branches:

Superpowered Rescue Teams and Ordinary Military Rescue Teams.

Future missions would draw personnel from both sides as needed.

After reviewing Zhou Li's recommendation letter and investigating Cheng Jing's team's records from before and after the collapse, the base command considered all factors and ultimately invited them to join the Nanchang Base Superpowered Rescue Team.

Their classification was "Special External Rescue Team," as they weren't military personnel and needed distinction.

They kept their old Qingyun City designation, 017, with eight registered members. Jiang Nian and Xiao Ya remained as registered non-combatants.

While their team was specially recruited, their benefits matched those of other military teams:

Housing in the central district's dormitories and a dedicated team office in the rescue headquarters.

Each member received a monthly base of 3,000 credits, typically distributed at month's end. However, as newcomers, they were given half upfront, redeemable for supplies.

Normally, they had seven rest days per month, flexible with prior approval—even as a full-team break.

On rest days, the team could freely leave the base, keeping whatever supplies they found.

Their assignments rotated between training, patrols, base security, or external missions.

Mission payouts were handled differently, divided equally for full-team ops or individually for solo tasks.

The central district's rescue team canteen provided three standard rations daily, with extra portions costing credits.

Apart from not being able to come and go freely, the rules were similar to Qingyun City's.

Precisely because of this restriction, Cheng Jing insisted Jiang Nian and Xiao Ya continue hiding their superpowers, keeping their civilian status for maneuverability.