Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Cheng Jing pointed to the spot marked in red on the map:

"The chemical plant we're heading to is here. According to the records, it's a small factory with just over 300 employees..."

The others were already briefed on today's mission, but Yang Kai wasn't. To avoid unnecessary complications, Cheng Jing patiently repeated the details:

"Before the apocalypse fully hit, an employee exposed to the toxic rain entered the specialized materials processing unit, triggering the hazardous substance control system. This caused the entire workshop to automatically lockdown, and it has stayed sealed ever since."

"You're saying the control system recognized the toxic rain's abnormality and sealed the workshop on its own?" Yang Kai interjected, surprised.

Cheng Jing nodded.

"According to intel from Command, that's correct. This chemical plant was different—before the power outage, the control AI had real-time monitoring logs. At first, they thought it was a system malfunction, but later discovered the trigger was the virus in the toxic rain that started the apocalypse."

Liao Yu sighed.

"So sometimes, machines are sharper than humans."

The others nodded in agreement. AI was created by humans, but once it learned to self-improve and adapt, it became unsettling to think about.

Cheng Jing continued,

"Recently, scout teams monitoring for anomalies around the base detected abnormally intense energy readings within the sealed workshop using instruments. That's why we're here to investigate."

Yang Kai frowned.

"But it's a specialized materials processing unit in a chemical plant. Any disturbance could cause hazardous materials to leak. With our current equipment, we can't just go in, right?"

Zhao Lei handed him a toxicity assessment.

"Other rescue teams have handled many similar cases before. In the end, they found that no matter what toxic or hazardous substances were present, they were all corrupted and transformed by the Apocalyptic Virus."

He shrugged.

"In other words, even if there were originally lethal substances in the sealed workshop, they're inert now."

The plague doesn't discriminate—strong or weak, it rewrote everything. Call it toxic, but humans survive if uninfected. Call it safe, yet everything's tainted—there's no simple answer.

"Exactly," Cheng Jing nodded and went on.

"Our mission is to enter the sealed workshop, recon the area, and neutralize any infected inside. If things go south, we retreat immediately."

"I see..." Yang Kai understood. "Copy that."

"..."

After ensuring everyone had grasped the details, Cheng Jing turned to Yang Kai and asked,

"Do you have abilities?"

The others also turned their attention to him.

"Yes, my superpower is gravity manipulation. I can apply force to targets within a certain range."

Yang Kai answered openly.

Jiang Nian looked momentarily surprised:

"Impressive, a special-class ability."

The others were fascinated, so Yang Kai gave them a live demonstration:

As energy pulsed from him, an invisible pressure descended from above. Soon, everyone felt their bodies uncontrollably dip slightly.

A suffocating pressure in their chests instinctively tensed them up and made them bend forward, but once they did, it became difficult to straighten back up.

The harder they struggled, the heavier the gravity seemed to grow.

"Excellent for support roles," Huang Qian commented.

Tang Yi then asked, "Can you kill someone with it?"

"Haven’t tried, but theoretically, yes."

Yang Kai chuckled and withdrew his superpower. After everyone recovered, he turned to Jiang Nian and asked,

"I know the others’ abilities from the files, but Jiang Nian, what’s your superpower?"

"..."

At his question, everyone's expressions changed slightly.

Cheng Jing cut in coolly, "He doesn’t have one."

Yang Kai waved his finger.

"Liar. If he didn’t have a superpower, you’d definitely keep him locked up at home like some prized possession instead of letting him out."

Jiang Nian: "..." Outrageous—how dare this would-be rival know his boyfriend so well!

For a moment, everyone had to admit he had a point.

"..."

Cheng Jing had no comeback. This was exactly why he hated undercover agents!

Yang Kai kept his eyes locked on Jiang Nian.

"Can't tell us?"

"..."

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Nian admitted with a nod.

"Right, I can’t. Just play along and pretend I don’t have one. Give Brother Jing face—if he says I don't have one, then I don't."

That's what boyfriends are for.

"Uh..."

Yang Kai froze in surprise. They say playful sincerity is the ultimate weapon, and Jiang Nian wielded it perfectly—asking more would seem rude.

But since he had shared his own ability, wasn’t it only fair to expect the same in return?

Yet Jiang Nian met his gaze with unwavering honesty:

"You know how it is—if it's not registered, it doesn't count... Well, we'll talk when we know each other better."

There was no way he'd reveal it now.

*Closer?*

Yang Kai mused silently:

*On purpose? Waiting until he gets the Black Knight? Doesn’t trust my word? How immature.*

Fine. He'd wait until they were closer. With a resigned smile, he nodded.

"Alright, we'll talk later. Just thought teammates should know each other better—no hard feelings."

"You're a transfer student, not a teammate."

Jiang Nian’s bluntness bordered on rude, yet his expression remained completely guileless.

Yang Kai could join them—it just depended on how much he was willing to offer. A Black Knight clearly wasn’t enough.

The others, including Cheng Jing, silently agreed with Jiang Nian, so no one intervened or spoke up for Yang Kai.

"Fine, I'll be a transfer student for now."

Yang Kai didn't take offense, just smiled wryly. He'd initially assumed Jiang Nian was Cheng Jing’s docile boyfriend, but Uncle Zhou had warned him Jiang Nian wasn’t simple—best not to get on his bad side.

Offending Jiang Nian meant offending Cheng Jing’s entire team.

Conversely, winning Jiang Nian over would secure their acceptance.

As the post-apocalyptic world stabilized, tensions began brewing between factions due to disparities in resources, skills, and strength.

He’d left S Base to avoid complicated politics—his pre-apocalypse life had been complicated enough. Now, he just wanted to live simple and free.

And to him, military bases were always the most organized.

Learning Cheng Jing’s team was at South City Base, he'd headed straight there.

Having worked with them before, he trusted their character and strength.

"..."

After the brief exchange, the group headed toward the target factory, not too far away.

Zhou Rongbin led with the map, flanked by keen-eyed Jian Cheng and Zhao Lei.

The rest followed cautiously, with Yang Kai bringing up the rear.

As they walked, they took down zombies with precise headshots—especially Jian Cheng, whose aim was scarily precise, as if guided by a targeting system.

Cheng Jing burned the bodies, while Huang Qian used vine tendrils to gather the cores—a perfectly coordinated system.

Beyond them, scattered gunshots rang out from others scavenging in the industrial zone.