Chapter 243

Chapter 243

The journey began with Jian Cheng and Tang Yi taking the driver's seats while the others discussed route plans with a map before falling into easy conversation.

Jiang Nian, feeling refreshed, blew bubbles with his gum as he leaned lazily against Cheng Jing’s shoulder, watching his teammates joke around. He felt a lazy, comfortable contentment:

*I really hope the apocalypse ends soon so everyone can truly relax and be happy.*

Cheng Jing glanced down at his lazy grin and chuckled softly.

"Director Wang said that once we finish this round of work, we can move into a new home. They’ll try to arrange the best living facilities for us."

It meant a lot that their leader went out of his way for them—this was the perks of teamwork.

*Pop!*

The bubble burst, and Jiang Nian’s eyes lit up.

"We’ve gotta throw a party for the new place! It’s the result of everyone’s hard work."

After Director Wang promised them a house, the team had silently and unanimously started picking out furniture and appliances, even setting aside a storage space for them.

A tight-knit group, encouraging and helping each other—with hope, they gained more courage and perseverance to face hardships.

"Absolutely," Cheng Jing agreed, opening the floor for discussion.

Listening to everyone chipping in, Jiang Nian recalled the days when he had just been reborn, sneakily stockpiling supplies.

Back then, Jing had his back no matter what. Later, to save their teammates, he had used training as an excuse to stockpile food and avoid going out in the rain.

And though the others had their doubts, they always chose to respect and believe in him…

From their initial caution to their pretty much carefree state now—it hadn’t even been two years, yet it felt like a lifetime, mainly because of everything they’d experienced and dealt with.

The team had changed a lot, but one thing remained the same: their unity.

No backstabbing, no one leaving, no drama, no falling out.

Few teams could go this far without disagreements or conflicts of interest—even families might not manage it.

"..."

As they talked about their new home and personal preferences, the conversation naturally turned to life before everything went to shit.

Suddenly, Qian suddenly perked up with a mischievous grin at the two leaning against each other.

"Hey, random question, Cheng and Nian, did you guys tie the knot before the world went to hell?"

After reconciling with Jiang Nian, her brother had excitedly called her, saying he’d get married as soon as he returned from his business trip—before things could go sideways.

Jiang Nian smiled and shook his head.

"No, but the rings count, right?"

Cheng Jing added,

"We originally planned to, but after my business trip, things got busy. Then my powers kicked in early, and with Nian Nian’s nightmare warnings, we were buried in work. By the time we finished handling everything, the rain was coming down."

Just after getting back together, he discovered his beloved was stockpiling supplies, then heard about the so-called 'harbinger of doom,' followed by his own superpower manifestation. A series of bizarre events left him overwhelmed.

Moreover, freshly reborn, he couldn’t explain it to anyone, and his mind wasn’t on that matter—so putting the marriage license on hold.

"What a shame."

Liao Yu felt regret for them.

But Cheng Jing shook his head with a smile:

"It’s fine. We’ve already discussed it and applied in advance with Department Head Wang. Once the Civil Affairs Bureau is established in the Southern City Base, the first marriage certificate must be issued to us."

Jiang Nian nodded in agreement:

"Exactly. Maximum sentimental value—I love it."

Before the apocalypse, getting a marriage certificate was ordinary. But after enduring the trials of the apocalypse, being able to obtain one was truly rare.

"..."

The group had nothing to say, simply raising their thumbs in approval. This PDA—they’d cheers to that.

Upon learning this was possible, Lu Ningzhou and Zhao Lei discussed going to get in line early to apply for marriage later.

Zhou Rongbin, Tang Yi, and Jian Cheng—the trio of single guys in the team—went from grinning to expressionless.

It wasn’t that they lacked romantic prospects—quite the opposite. But in these circumstances, most relationships that came their way were more transactionally motivated than genuine affection.

Hooking up was easy; finding true love was hard. If a relationship required constant wariness, it was too exhausting—better to stay single.

...

With an airplane, travel time was cut by several times. This way, the team had enough time to casually deal with minor zombie clusters they encountered on the road.

They also pitched in to help human teams engaged in firefights with zombies.

They hit hard and bounced fast—saving people but not recruiting them. If asked where they came from, they simply said the Southern City Base.

Faced with guilt-tripping, they turned and walked away without hesitation. If someone tried to backstab them, they took them out for good.

Those who survived this long weren’t wet behind the ears. If someone came at them with clear intent knowing they were Superpowered, it was intentional—no benefit of the doubt.

So, when faced with apologies after failed backstabbing attempts, they politely told the offenders to try harder next time.

Thus, while fighting zombies along the way, they discovered traces of a full-blown zombie wave near the Z Base—one that was above their pay grade. They had no choice but to report the situation.

A few days later, the team arrived at the Z Base like clockwork.