Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Jiang Wenwen leaving caught Jiang Nian a little off guard. Even though he backed her decision, he still felt a pang of disappointment.

With time to spare, he figured he’d swing by the shop. It had been closed for several days, and earning points was still necessary. Once you didn’t have to worry about food and shelter, the stuff you *wanted* got pricier.

The more leverage you had with the authorities, the better—having options for both advancement and retreat. Beyond ensuring stability during the apocalypse, planning for life afterward was also essential.

Under such a massive disaster, power and wealth were effectively reshuffled. Those with roots could stay steady, while those without had to rely on riding the wave of civilization’s eventual revival.

He showed up at the shop feeling kinda low, but was surprised to find it open when it should have been closed. Li Shuhui was busy selling goods and merely nodded at him before continuing to attend to customers.

Tea and drinks were selling like crazy in the heat. As temperatures rose, the base’s free three-liter water ration was no longer enough for many, especially outdoor workers, who had to shell out for extra.

Of course, some folks got by on less and hoarded water, which would make their lives much easier when the extreme heat arrived.

The base also kept pushing folks to cut back on water. During the extreme heat, the amount of free water provided would remain unchanged, but requesting additional supplies would be impossible.

To Jiang Nian, the Southern City Base had it way better than the rest. The free resources offered, if used sparingly, were generally enough to meet individual needs.

After all, most other bases provided only about one liter of drinking water per day. Under extreme conditions, shortages just made things messier for the folks at the bottom.

Once Li Shuhui finished with the customers and they left, Jiang Nian got out of the car and entered the shop.

"Xiao Hui, did you swap shifts again today?"

"Woof woof—"

Xiao Qi, sprawled behind the counter, wagged its tail and ran out, standing on its hind legs to paw at Jiang Nian.

"Hey, Xiao Qi, you're here too..."

Jiang Nian bent down to shake its paw and ruffled its head. The furball nuzzled his hand, whining happily for pets.

Since returning with them, Xiao Qi had gained some weight, its coat had gotten shiny and thick—downright regal. Having it around provided a strong sense of security.

"Brother Nian, I’m gonna take some time off. From now on, if you have things to do, just go ahead. I’ll take care of the shop with Xiao Qi."

Li Shuhui stepped out from behind the counter, wiping the shelves with a cloth as she spoke.

It turned out that as temperatures continued to rise, the base’s rescue teams had reduced their outings, and fewer people were entering the base.

Additionally, defensive superpowers didn’t do squat against the heat, leaving her with little to do in the logistics warehouse.

So, she decided to take the downtime they offered and return to normal work once the extreme heat passed.

"I see... Alright, the shop is yours from now on."

Jiang Nian was delighted. Now he could free up time for other stuff.

Though the shop was in his name, it actually belonged to all of them.

Whether scavenged from the base entrance or obtained during outings, everything ended up in the shop. With supplies tight, people would buy just about anything.

With more people came more resources, allowing them to rack up points and precious metals without dipping into their core supplies.

Moreover, as time passed, people started piecing together who they were and how they operated.

People naturally gravitated toward strength, and plenty were eager to team up. Not only did they score all kinds of goods, but they could also get the scoop on the outside without stepping foot out.

"Bro Nian, Liang Xiaoyan brought two boxes of ice cream powder this morning. It's pretty good quality. She said she didn’t need it and wanted to thank you, so she didn’t ask for any points. She came with a new friend who seemed like a kind person."

Li Shuhui pointed to a freezer.

Jiang Nian opened it and saw two boxes of ice cream powder inside. The boxes contained many small packets of various flavors. He smiled and said,

"Up to you. The tablet’s got food tutorials in the counter, including one for making ice cream. We have milk, sugar, and other ingredients. While you’re watching the store, you can give it a try."

When stocking up on supplies, he had prepared several large bags of ice cream powder, but with so many things, the pre-made stuff went untouched and forgotten.

Li Shuhui, as a girl, was more skilled in this area, so he let her take care of it.

It seemed Liang Xiaoyan had found a new companion. He wished her the best.

...

With Li Shuhui running the shop, Jiang Nian adjusted his daily routine as needed:

In the morning, he cleansed the land at the farm, and in the afternoon, he trained with his teammates.

After all, he had joined the team. Even if he didn’t patrol or stand guard daily, training was essential. Bad conditioning would just hold everyone back in fights.

During Superpower training, Jiang Nian provided support to enhance his teammates' abilities.

When it came to regular physical training, the guys itching for a fight finally got to let loose.

His teammates were all strong, so he could go full throttle.

However, talent could sometimes be kinda OP. While his teammates were well-trained, Jiang Nian, once he got into the groove, went rogue but deadly effective with his 'practice makes perfect' approach.

After a week of training with them, he went from being slightly inferior to evenly matched, and then to surpassing some in one-on-one sparring, leaving them bitching about losing.

First, it was Liao Yu and Jian Cheng, followed by Tang Yi, Yang Kai, Huang Qian, Lu Ningzhou, Zhou Rongbin...

Cheng Jing and Zhao Lei had size on their side, so their sparring remained balanced.

*WHAM—*

On the training field, Jiang Nian feinted with a punch, swept his leg, and followed up with a shoulder throw, taking Yang Kai down again. Panting slightly, he grinned and said,

"Bro Kai, you lost again!"

"You little shit—ow!"

Yang Kai, sitting on the ground wiping sweat, grimaced.

"Where’d you learn all these cheap shots…"

Mixing rogue tactics into proper training—this dude was unreal.

"Just figured them out the hard way. I can’t stand getting hurt, so I gotta be good at fighting, heh!"

Jiang Nian flashed a bright smile. He might not excel at other things, but this was his confidence. Glancing outside the field, he waved at Yang Kai again.

"Bro Kai, one more round."

In the first two days, he had been at a disadvantage, covered in bruises. Brother Jing had been heartbroken seeing it. Now that he’d gotten payback, he was gonna milk this.

Yang Kai stood up:

"Alright, again!"

"..."

The others resting off the field just smiled and clapped, while Jian Cheng couldn't help muttering under his breath:

"Brother Nian hits really painfully—like the kind of pain that makes you want to tear your hair out, not the straightforward kind. It's sneaky painful..."

Watching or hearing about it isn't accurate enough; you only truly understand after experiencing it firsthand.

Cheng Jing chuckled:

"This kind of tricky fighting is honed from countless brawls. You all should take notes."

Huang Qian let his boasting slide this time and remarked fairly:

"Now I get why you’re so into him. Usually, he’s adorably clingy, calling you 'brother' this and 'brother' that, sticking by your side. But when he fights, he’s ferocious and slick, pulls his weight and then some, and even protects you. Who wouldn’t like that?

Some people are just natural-born fighters."

"Exactly."

Tang Yi agreed, glancing at the two who were back at it, trading blows, then looking back at Cheng. He finally asked a question that had been on his mind for a long time:

"Cheng, how did you manage to snag Brother Nian back then?"

Brother Nian was already skilled at fighting back in school, and the two of them, their vibes totally clashed at the time.