Chapter 159

Chapter 159

"What's this dude talking about?!"

If it weren't for the quiet atmosphere in the car and his mind being clear, Jiang Nian would have thought he misheard. If he recalled right, a standard regiment usually had over a thousand people, right?

And reinforced or independent regiments would have even more.

"..."

Before Jiang Nian could express his shock, Liao Yu from the back seat excitedly jumped in first:

"No way! How many? Dude, how many was that again?"

Even Uncle Li got excited too:

"A whole regiment... That's way too many."

Li Liang added:

"This could easily capture multiple positions in a battle."

"To ensure complete safety, this situation is most likely a two-pronged trap. If you get cornered, Jiang Nian, both Cheng Jing and the professor with cerebral evolution abilities would be taken away by Base S."

Chu Yi's tone remained exceptionally calm, his chewing rhythm unchanged.

Jiang Nian dramatically snapped his fingers:

"Alright, with this many people, there’s no need for elaborate planning. Just surround them and wrap it up."

He couldn’t imagine any 'family trap' standing a chance against a full military regiment.

With his teammates controlling the situation, he could finally have a real 'reunion' with his 'family.'

But Chu Yi shook his head:

"It depends on the situation. It’s better to keep things low-key if possible. Of course, if you insist, I’ll do it your way."

Jiang Nian immediately waved him off:

"No, no, I was just talking. We’ll decide based on the circumstances when we get there."

He didn’t want to order his senior around like some arrogant commander.

It was a long ride, and as they snacked and chatted, the topic eventually got around to Chen Shanmin.

Li Liang suddenly asked:

"By the way, Brother Nian, your father married into her family, right? So why do all the kids have his surname? Didn’t your stepmother object? Not that it’s wrong, but usually, one kid takes each parent's last name, right?"

Liao Yu also waited curiously. They had always wanted to ask but never found the right opportunity.

After swallowing his snack, Jiang Nian answered:

"Because my stepmother’s surname is also Chen. That was one of the reasons he gave for his decision to marry into her family. My mom said he had a lot of pride."

His mother was always proper—even after the divorce, she never spoke ill of her ex. When it came to his questions, her most common reply was, ‘Adults consider more factors.’

But really, he didn't understand—would someone with real self-esteem act like that, he wondered?

He also felt his pride was quite strong, which was why even after two years of regret and unwillingness post-breakup, he never went back to Brother Jing. Having initiated the breakup himself, he felt too ashamed to ask for reconciliation.

If not for witnessing Brother Jing's state before his death in his previous life, the chances of them missing each other again after rebirth would still have been high.

"Oh, I see," Li Liang said. The others nodded as well, though inwardly, they couldn't help but scoff at this "self-deluding victory" tactic of finding a same-surnamed partner even in a matrilineal marriage.

Jiang Nian glanced out the car window. Ever since he became more mature, he'd always felt his mother was too love-struck—a trait he seemed to have inherited.

The blood-orange sunset cast its glow against the zombies, kicking up dust and amplifying the post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

After staring at the apocalyptic sunset for so long, he actually found it quite beautiful.

*Bang!*

Chu Yi floored it, plowing through a zombie blocking the road and sending it flying.

No one spoke. Jiang Nian sighed regretfully, muttering dryly,

"10 credits."

Chu Yi shot a look at him briefly.

"Now, the core exchange rates at South City Base have doubled. Regular zombie cores are 20 credits each, and Superpowered Zombie cores are 40."

Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow.

"Doubled, huh? That means the R&D breakthroughs on Medium Crystal Cores must be going well. If this news gets out, people from other regions will definitely cash them in for credits to buy supplies—or just join South City Base outright."

Chu Yi nodded.

"Right. The energy extracted and converted from the Medium Crystal Core has already been successfully applied in lab trials. The base's energy power station has also submitted preliminary plans. Thanks to you all, the last exploration team to West River City brought back a huge haul—building supplies and gear are well-stocked now."

Liao Yu chimed in,

"Will we have electricity before the extreme heat hits?"

Chu Yi shook his head.

"Probably not until after. But the exploration team did bring back plenty of generators and cooling equipment from West River City. Combined with the base's thermal contingency reserves, we can ensure people inside weather the heatwave as bearable as possible."

Though it would still be tough, based on internal intel, South City Base was in far better shape than other shelters.

Li Liang also asked,

"Will it be like the extreme cold period—where baseliners stay indoors while Superpowered handle water and supply distribution?"

Chu Yi nodded.

"Exactly. In extreme weather, only Superpowered can move freely."

"Ah..."

Young Master Liao suddenly sighed softly.

"So, in the end, Superpowered are just evolution's goddamn beasts of burden—meant to keep humanity from going extinct."

"Snorts—"

"Hahaha..."

"Can't argue with that..."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Thinking about it, it did seem that way.

Jiang Nian chuckled, his thoughts drifting along with the scenery receding outside the car window.

With greater strength came heavier responsibilities. More ability means more work—pretty brutal, actually.

"......"

Finally, as they approached a fork in the road where the map indicated a change in route, they spotted Da Jun and Xiao Liu waiting for them by the roadside.

One was dark-skinned and lean with an elongated face, the other burly and brawny with a pockmarked face—easy to recognize.

The two stood beside a heavily scratched-up silver-gray off-road vehicle, wearing camouflage vests and holding rifles.

Chu Yi pulled up alongside them and rolled down the window to greet them.

Xiao Liu peered into their car and laughed, "I thought you came alone, Jiang Nian. If I'd known you brought so many friends, we wouldn’t have had to wait here."

After exchanging a glance with Da Jun, the latter smirked with a hint of disdain, his gaze lingered just a second on Jiang Nian before shifting away.

The sarcasm was thick, and Jiang Nian fired back, "I didn’t ask you to come. Besides, unlike you assholes, when there’s something worth sharing, I make sure to bring my friends along."

Fan the flames, sow some discord between them.

"What do you mean?"

Da Jun stared at Jiang Nian, his expression fierce, aggressive.

Xiao Liu's fake smile faded, his face turning hostile.

Jiang Nian raised his chin and shrugged.

"Am I wrong? Weren’t you colluding with Xia Weiwei behind Liang Xiaoyan’s back, reaping all the benefits? You had her sniffing around for you but didn’t even give her a share."

"You’re talk—"

Xiao Liu stepped forward to argue but was pulled back by Da Jun, who growled at them,

"Let’s go. It’s getting dark."

After giving Jiang Nian a long look, he and Xiao Liu turned and yanked open the car door. That smart-mouthed pretty boy! Fuck him!

Once the door closed, Da Jun lowered his voice and scolded Xiao Liu,

"Can’t you see he’s baiting you? Yet you still bit?"

Xiao Liu fumed,

"That Liang Xiaoyan bitch—sooner or later, she’ll sell us out to move up! The client wanted her kept in the dark, and Sister Hong said she’d get her share later. Goddamn it!"

And here he’d even defended the little bitch before!

Da Jun snorted coldly, took out his phone, and made a call. As soon as the call connected, he directly reported Jiang Nian's situation:

"He brought five people. Liao Yu and the three from the Li family are all Superpowered. There's also one responsible for driving—a new face, probably someone from the base's personnel. Can't tell if he has a Superpower or not."

After a moment, a cold male voice came from the phone:

"Just one person. Whether he's Superpowered or not doesn't matter. Follow the plan—lead them to the Superpower-blocking zone. While Jiang Nian goes to meet Chen Yue, eliminate the others, then haul ass back to S Base overnight."

"Got it. Returning now."

Da Jun hung up the phone, and Xiao Liu started the car.