Chapter 246

Chapter 246

Upon spotting the zombie horde, Jiang Nian didn’t hesitate before blasting them with his rocket launcher. After that, he followed up with his Purify-infused mutated Thunder Fire, expanding outward from their location.

Purify was devastatingly effective against zombies—even if it didn’t eliminate them immediately, it crippled their movement.

Even against Superpower Zombies, as long as their numbers were small and they lacked special attributes, they were incinerated before they could retaliate.

Their coordination was flawless. The damage the two inflicted on the horde surpassed that of most rescue teams.

Over the course of nearly a full day and night, they wiped out twenty small zombie groups, varying from dozens to thousands strong.

Jiang Nian looted so many crystal cores his arms went numb. On the way back to Z Base, he couldn’t help but complain,

"We barely had a real fight, and now I’m aching all over."

But at least he’d blown off all his steam.

Cheng Jing raised an eyebrow.

"This place was too grimy. Next time, I’ll find a better place to give you a proper time."

He didn’t have a habit of fooling around outdoors, but if his little menace liked it, he’d oblige.

Jiang Nian didn’t respond, his ears flushed crimson as he turned away.

Every time he threw out a risqué remark and Brother Jing answered so seriously, it made him feel especially embarrassed.

Cheng Jing always had him figured out. Seeing him flustered, he added tenderly,

"Nian Nian, we’ve got two hours left before we arrive. Get some rest. With you beside me, I won’t doze off."

"Oh… okay."

Jiang Nian adjusted his posture. The combat high had kept exhaustion at bay, but now that they’d stopped, the fatigue hit him. Physically, he was still a bit weaker than Brother Jing.

…

After reuniting with their teammates at Z Base, the evacuation proceeded smoothly.

The zombie horde approaching Z Base was growing rapidly and had already been tagged by military surveillance.

Once the horde reached the assessed threshold, they’d call in the big guns for a concentrated strike—this cut down on ammo waste and prevented excessive destruction.

Yang Kai shot Cheng Jing daily updates on the legion’s progress:

More Superpowered individuals had joined them, and the "Bounty Guild" initiative was advancing without delay. Once this wave of zombie attacks was dealt with, the Southern City Base would undergo expansion.

With Teacher Gao overseeing things, zombie disturbances weren’t a concern. Barring any unforeseen events, Southern City Base would become humanity’s first restored city—a win for every survivor living there.

Everything seemed chaotic yet was progressing smoothly—except for an unexpected incident on Chu Yi’s side.

While moving military supplies from an underground warehouse, Tang Ji suffered a fractured hand after being struck by falling debris.

Though not severe, Tang Yi—who acted like they shared blood—was deeply worried, calling Chu Yi morning and night for updates.

As friends, Chu Yi remained patient, sometimes discussing work plans after updating Tang Ji’s condition and syncing up their return plans to Southern City Base.

Things were fine until a couple days later, when Tang Ji contacted Tang Yi acting kinda weird:

"Hey bro, quit bugging Chu Yi all the time. He's really busy these days... I'm fine. Once we're back at the base, the healer can have me fixed up in no time."

"..."

Tang Yi, who was busy directing survivors onto vehicles, was confused:

"Huh... Did Chu Yi say something?"

Officially speaking, Chu Yi was their leader. Even though they were friends, he would speak up directly if he felt disturbed—he wouldn't sugarcoat it.

Realizing the misunderstanding, Tang Ji blurted out:

"No, no, it's just me saying that. I've seen—he’s really busy... I’m just lying in the temporary medical room, unable to help with anything, and still making him take care of me. It's kinda awkward..."

"Ha... I thought something was up..."

Tang Yi laughed and reassured him:

"We're all tight. As the leader of this field mission, and since you two are roommates, it’s normal for him to keep an eye on you a bit more. No need to be so polite."

"Ah... It’s not that... I'm seriously cramping his style. Bro, if you want to ask anything, just call me directly. Don’t bother him... Otherwise he keeps dropping by morning and night..."

Tang Ji was hemming and hawing, and Tang Yi could tell something was up. Knowing pushing wouldn't get him anywhere, he could only agree:

"Alright, got it. Get some rest for now. I’ll call you later when I’m done here."

"Okay, bro. Bye."

Afraid of being questioned further, Tang Ji quickly hung up.

"..."

Tang Yi stared at his phone for a beat before straight-up calling Chu Yi’s number.

Chu Yi picked up after two rings:

"Tang Yi, what's going on?"

"Ahem..."

Tang Yi hesitantly asked:

"Chu Yi, uh... is Xiao Ji doing alright?"

"Yeah, he’s recovering well. Just preventing infection now. Once we’re back at the base, the healer with superpowers can fix him right up, and he’ll be good as new."

Chu Yi said breezily, then couldn’t resist teasing:

"You asked this morning and now again at noon—what are you, his dad now?"

"No, no..."

Tang Yi was embarrassed by the joke and awkwardly explained:

"I was just worried he might be bothering you... Uh... He called me earlier and sounded a bit off. Maybe he feels guilty about causing you trouble with his injury."

We're family—just say what's on your mind.

"..."

Chu Yi on the phone suddenly went quiet. After a moment, he stopped joking around and replied seriously,

"Not at all. I'm not busy either. Maybe he's just feeling down because of the injury. I’ll check on him when I bring him food later. Shouldn’t be a problem."

"Alright, then please comfort him a bit more."

Tang Yi finally relaxed. Tang Ji had been through a lot, and ever since joining them, he always wanted to contribute more. Getting injured probably made him a little fragile.

On the other end, after hanging up, Chu Yi let out a tired sigh and went back to the underground warehouse to check the progress of moving things.

Just then, he saw Xiao Ya transferring the last small compartment containing special equipment out of the main underground structure.

She wore her hair in a ponytail and was dressed in a blue-and-white school uniform, looking calm and collected. Beside her stood a female guard in full gear responsible for overseeing her.

"Mr. Chu, this is the last compartment that needs to be completely moved. Please inspect it."

Xiao Ya had just used her superpower, and her face was slick with sweat. She looked a bit pale—transferring objects in bulk was really draining.

Chu Yi nodded.

"Nice job. You’ve saved us a ton of trouble. Go rest upstairs and get ready for dinner."

Xiao Ya wiped the sweat from her face, took her collar back from the guard, and put it back on.

"Okay. I’ll take food to Tang Ji first."

"Uh..."

Chu Yi hesitated briefly before stopping her.

"Don’t worry about it today. I’ll take care of delivering Tang Ji’s meal. You go ahead and eat, then rest. You’ve been pushing yourself lately. We’ll be heading back in three days anyway."

"Oh..."

Xiao Ya fidgeted with her sleeve and asked,

"Then... after we return, can I see Jiang Nian?"

Chu Yi smiled.

"Sure, I’ll arrange it. He’s been messaging me these past couple of days asking about you."

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Chu."

Xiao Ya’s shy eyes lit up. With a quick bow, she followed the guard out.