Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Lin Jiashu's mood had visibly improved since she stopped returning home. The worry that once clouded her brow was gone, replaced by a newfound cheerfulness.

Naturally, this was due to the absence of those vexing issues.

Cheng Zhiyu had recently harvested the alfalfa he'd planted for the fawn from his spatial ability, thus acquiring alfalfa seeds.

He discussed with Fang Guowei and the others the possibility of planting a field of alfalfa.

Original alfalfa grew exceptionally fast, typically ready for harvest in 25-30 days. The mutated alfalfa grew even quicker, maturing in under twenty days.

"Plant alfalfa? Are you planning to raise livestock?" Fang Guowei immediately asked, understanding alfalfa's primary use.

"Yes, the food problem is solved, so we need to address the meat supply too," Cheng Zhiyu replied with a smile.

Fang Guowei smiled back, saying, "Of course, no problem. In the past, even if our base's superhumans hunted ordinary animals, they didn’t dare bring them back to raise because people didn’t have enough to eat, let alone the animals. If we want to raise livestock, we need to start preparing now. Once the livestock department is established, our base might even achieve meat independence."

Cheng Zhiyu shared the same sentiment. They had to prepare meticulously to avoid chaos later.

He also discussed this with Lin Kang, who, given its relevance to the base's livelihood, naturally didn't object: "Besides planting alfalfa, should we also construct some pigsties and similar structures?"

Cheng Zhiyu was about to suggest that himself. Building pigsties would require labor, but ordinary people could handle it, and it would also allow them to earn contribution points.

After their discussion, Lin Kang instructed his people to recruit workers, then turned to Cheng Zhiyu: "What about my earlier proposal? Have you given it any thought? Our base has actually entered a stable period. Taking over now would be much easier than when I faced."

Cheng Zhiyu smiled: "But you worked so hard to get through that period. Isn’t it a pity to stop now?"

Lin Kang considered it and agreed: "Well, mainly I feel I'm not suited for leadership. Perhaps I'm better suited for a technical role?"

He added, "Please think about it again. I'm serious."

This time, Cheng Zhiyu finally gave it serious thought and said, "I'll consider it."

"Good, take your time to think it over." Lin Kang felt it was better for Cheng Zhiyu to consider it slowly. If he had agreed impulsively, Lin Kang would have been more concerned.

After all, managing a base was no small matter.

He used to think it was just a village and should be easy to manage, but once he took charge, he realized how complicated it was—constantly worrying about this and that.

However, after Cheng Zhiyu and the others returned, and because Cheng Zhiyu also took initiative—worrying about what the base's people would eat and what to plant—Lin Kang felt much more relaxed.

Now that the food problem was solved and the wheat was growing well, Cheng Zhiyu was already preparing to tackle the meat issue. It was truly excellent.

Cheng Zhiyu handled things meticulously, so Lin Kang no longer needed to worry about these matters.

"Yes, I will." Cheng Zhiyu was actually somewhat uncertain about managing the base. He had never imagined himself in that position, but to be honest, he was somewhat tempted.

Although Lin Kang trusted him now and rarely opposed anything he suggested, Lin Kang was still the top administrator in the base. Whatever Cheng Zhiyu did, he always had to run it by him.

But if he became the manager, wouldn't that avoid this extra step?

Cheng Zhiyu suddenly realized that his ambitions were rather grand. He wasn’t satisfied with just a small base. Along the way back, he had seen too much. He wanted to build an absolutely safe utopia.

In the apocalypse, as long as the base was strong enough, people inside could live peacefully, untroubled by zombie attacks, just like before the apocalypse.

But he knew it was difficult. Their base was called a base, but its scale wasn't even considered a small-scale base.

Moreover, the crops weren’t ripe yet, and with so few people, they hadn’t even reached a point of self-sufficiency in food.

They were still far from what he envisioned.

"Zhi Yu?" Cheng Mo, who was beside him, snapped him out of his thoughts.

Cheng Zhiyu blinked: "What’s up?"

Cheng Mo said seriously: "Zhi Yu, I’ll support you, no matter what you do."

Cheng Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Okay."

"Then shouldn’t you praise me?" Cheng Mo seized the opportunity: "Or, give me a reward?"

"How can you be like this?" Cheng Zhiyu crossed his arms: "Just supporting me once, and you already want a reward?"

Cheng Mo coughed lightly: "Come on, can’t you be a bit more generous?"

Cheng Zhiyu couldn’t help but laugh.

Tian Qiao, who was nearby, found it too lovey-dovey. He wanted to get away from the couple. Who would have thought Cheng Zhiyu would be like this when in a relationship?

Zhou Min’s expression said: I’m totally here for this!

Tian Manman asked: "What are we eating today?"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. Truly, only Tian Manman’s food-obsessed character never wavered.

Tian Manman scratched his head, confused, and laughed along foolishly.

Cheng Mo: These extra people are so annoying.

Not long after, the base posted a notice recruiting a group of people to build animal pens.

Many people crowded around to read the notice.

"Is the base planning to raise livestock again?"

"Great, does that mean we’ll all be able to eat meat in the future?"

"What nonsense! We can’t even feed ourselves, and they’re raising livestock? Isn’t the base being too hasty?"

"What do you know? This is just preparation. I heard the farming department is planting alfalfa again. It must be for raising livestock."

"Haha, now you’re relieved. No animals are stealing your food. You’re quite protective of your food, aren’t you?"

"Go away, stop teasing me. I’m just worried about the base. But since they’re planting alfalfa, we really don’t need to worry."

"They know what they're doing. Why would we need to worry about this?"

"I’m still a member of this base, you know. How can you say that?"

Some were also discussing signing up for work.

"Ten contribution credits a day, plus a meal. I’d sign up just for the meal."

"Building enclosures for animals? Doesn't everyone know how to do that? It’s simple. I’m going to apply."

"Are you going?"

"Absolutely! Only a fool wouldn’t go!"

The group exchanged glances, each seeing through the other's ulterior motives. They cleared their throats and said, "I think this job seems pretty rough..."

"Yeah, it's pretty exhausting. Count me out."

"I'm not planning to go either, haha."

While saying this, they were inwardly cursing each other for being cunning. Who would believe they weren't going? It was obviously a trick to lull others into letting their guard down, so they could sneak off to apply quickly and avoid competition.

But no one was foolish enough to fall for it. When they finally showed up at the recruitment site, the few who had claimed they wouldn't go exchanged glances, laughed it off, and acted as if they had never said those things.

The base was buzzing with cheerful energy. Cheng Zhiyu also had something to be happy about—Little Umbrella had matured to Level 1.

He opened Little Umbrella’s details and learned that it was a defense-type plant.

The System Space successfully upgraded from 20x20 to 21x21, and the storage space doubled, now reaching 80 cubic meters.

Cheng Zhiyu was delighted—finally, he could store more things. From now on, when they went out, they could even put the car in the space, as there was plenty of room now.

He happily busied himself planting new crops.

—

The base was a hive of activity because building the livestock pens came with great benefits, and many ordinary people were scrambling to sign up.

Having more people for the construction wasn't a problem—more hands meant faster work. So, during recruitment, those with skills or strength got hired.

With many people working, they made quick progress, and the pens were completed within a week.

Cheng Zhiyu went to check it out and saw that the workers had done solid work and the pens were sturdily built.

Since they would likely raise pigs and cattle in the future, and the smell of pigs, in particular, was quite strong, putting the pens too close to residential areas would really disrupt daily life.

Therefore, the location was chosen far from the residential area, next to the base’s farmland—a perfect spot.

First, it was far from living quarters, so the smell wouldn't carry. Second, being close to the farmland meant feed could be delivered directly.

Nearby, the alfalfa had already sprouted, though still short. It wouldn't be long until it grew taller.

The wheat fields, too, looked a lush green from a distance, forming a stark contrast to the dried-out yellow everywhere else. Anyone who came for a look couldn't help smiling.

It felt alive with energy.

It seemed that it was about time to search for suitable animals to raise.

Coincidentally, word was that a superhuman, while out on a mission, spotted a pig in the distance. He approached to catch it but found it had already disappeared, so he headed back.

Now, hearing that the base planned to raise livestock, he mentioned it.

Cheng Zhiyu thought, since he didn't have much going on in the base, he figured he'd go check it out. But first, he needed to confirm the other person hadn’t been mistaken.

So, he had the superhuman come over.

"Where did you see the pig? Was it a domestic pig or a wild boar?" Cheng Zhiyu asked.

The superhuman, scratching his head, said, "It was pale and plump—definitely a domestic pig. The location is a bit far. You know that run-down house about a kilometer from here? I saw it there. I originally wanted to go inside and check, but it was pitch-black, and I got scared, so I didn’t dare enter."

At this, the superhuman seemed a bit embarrassed. He was pretty timid by nature. The only reason he went out that far was that after the last zombie wave, most nearby zombies had been taken care of. Along the way, he hadn’t seen many.

But he didn’t dare go any farther, especially not into that dark, run-down house. It was a villa originally built by a wealthy city person who wanted to retire to the countryside.

The person had applied for a building plot and, preferring quiet, built far from the village. Though their village wasn't exactly nearby, news of something that unusual still spread there.

At the time, everyone said, "That rich person must be crazy. Why leave the city to live in the countryside?"

"What do you know? They’ve made their money and are coming back to retire and enjoy life. Think about it—the city might sound nice, but people live in little boxes. My relative lives in the city; I’ve visited a few times. Their place is tiny! And yet, it costs over 10,000 per square meter. Working your whole life just to live in a birdcage? I’d still prefer the village."

"You don’t get it. The city has better educational resources—kids get better schooling. Nothing like what we have here in town."

"That’s true. But why build a villa so far away? It’s just them, all alone. How comfortable can that be?"

"Maybe they like quiet?"

"Come on, I passed by that place once. It’s literally out in the boonies. No matter how nice the house is, I wouldn’t want to live there. I wouldn’t dare go out at night—it’s creepy."

"Hey, do you think that rich person was scammed?"

"Who knows?"

As it turned out, the villagers were right. Whether the person felt the location was unsuitable or something else, the house was nearly finished when they suddenly stopped construction.

The place was abandoned. Occasionally, passersby would see the isolated house and find it eerie.

No wonder the wealthy person gave up after almost finishing—what a waste of money!

This was a hot topic in the village back then. Cheng Zhiyu had heard about it and had passed by the location, so he knew where it was.

"Are you sure you didn’t mistake it?" Zhou Min asked. "Don’t send us on a wild goose chase."

The superhuman nodded confidently. "No mistake. That pig was pale and plump—how could I mistake such a big pig? I figure it must be living inside the villa. Ah, I regret not going in to check. The more I thought about it after returning, the more I regretted it."

Cheng Mo looked at Cheng Zhiyu. "Zhi Yu, do you want to go check it out?"

Cheng Zhiyu nodded. "Let’s go. It’s also a good chance to clear out any zombies in the area."

When superhumans went on missions, it wasn’t just about the task itself—they also needed to clear nearby zombies. Otherwise, over time, zombies could accumulate and easily form another horde.

Cheng Mo naturally agreed with whatever he said.

Tian Qiao and the others rubbed their hands excitedly. "Hehe, here we come, fat pig!"

Zhou Min swallowed. "I want pig trotters!"

Tian Manman: "I want braised pork knuckle."

Tian Qiao: "Braised pork belly!"

Cheng Zhiyu was speechless. "That pig is for raising, not for you to eat."

Tian Qiao: "No worries. Once it breeds, we’ll get to eat it eventually."

These guys hadn’t even set out yet but were already planning how to cook the pork.

The superhuman who provided the information didn’t leave after speaking. Instead, he stood there, hesitating as if he wanted to say more.

Cheng Zhiyu asked, puzzled, "Is there something else?"

As soon as he asked, the other suddenly bowed to him and said firmly, "I'm sorry!"

Cheng Zhiyu: "?"

Cheng Mo narrowed his eyes nearby.

The Superhuman blushed and explained, "I used to follow Yang Kai and secretly talked trash about you many times. Back then, I really admired Yang Kai—he was the most powerful Superhuman in the base, so I tagged along with him..."

Cheng Zhiyu said, exasperated, "Shouldn’t a person’s character be the most important thing to care about?"

The Superhuman awkwardly replied, "I... I was blinded back then. I thought as long as someone was strong, whatever they said was right. It’s only recently that I’ve come to understand... I’m really sorry."

Cheng Zhiyu didn’t say much, only responding, "As long as you understand now. Yang Kai's character is questionable—following him might not do you any good."

The Superhuman scratched his head. The main reason he stopped following Yang Kai was that his image as a strong figure had shattered. Beyond that, he hadn’t given it much thought.

After confirming the location, Cheng Zhiyu set off with Cheng Mo and the others.

Tian Qiao was pressed against the window, looking outside: "Hey, this road doesn't look the same as it used to."

In the past, this area was filled with lush green farmland, but now the land lay barren.

Whenever they encountered zombies along the way, they dispatched them quickly.

The journey went surprisingly smoothly. Out of caution, they stopped about a hundred meters away from the villa.

Cheng Zhiyu looked around. Behind the villa were trees, already parched from lack of water, their bark completely gnawed off.

Cheng Mo observed, "That pig probably did this."

"Does that mean the pig is inside the villa?" Zhou Min’s eyes lit up.

"Maybe. It lives in the villa for shelter, and there’s tree bark to gnaw on behind it," Tian Qiao mused, stroking his chin.

"That pig!" Tian Manman suddenly exclaimed.

They all looked over and indeed saw a pig at the entrance. Spotting them, the pig immediately panicked and ran away.

Exchanging glances, they quickly moved toward where the pig had appeared, only to find it had already bolted into the villa.

"Should we check it out?" Zhou Min suggested.

Cheng Zhiyu frowned: "Something feels off. Logically, the noise we made coming here wasn’t exactly quiet—why would the pig dare to come out?"

Cheng Mo sneered: "It’s probably bait."

"Bait?!" Tian Qiao exclaimed, realizing it might indeed be possible.

"Like that Superhuman said earlier, he saw a pig from afar and watched it enter the villa," Cheng Zhiyu said. "It feels like it was luring him in. It’s the same with us—that pig seemed desperate to make sure we saw it go inside."

"Damn, is this pig really that smart? That’s kind of creepy," Zhou Min said, rubbing the goosebumps on his arm.

"Then should we still go in?" Tian Qiao asked.

Cheng Zhiyu hesitated, reluctant to enter. They didn’t know the situation inside the villa, and it wasn’t worth risking it just for a pig.

"Ah, what a wasted trip. Let’s go back and warn the base, so nobody else falls for it," Zhou Min sighed, not opposing Cheng Zhiyu’s decision. After all, they had no idea what was inside.

"Right, who knows what’s in there? It’s too cunning!" Tian Qiao grumbled, annoyed that their trip had been in vain.

"Hey, Little Roll, stop messing around," Zhou Min patted the vine wrapped around his waist, muttering under his breath.

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the quiet Little Roll on his wrist, frowned, and quickly turned to look. He saw Zhou Min had a vine wrapped around his waist—and the other end of the vine led inside the villa!

Several other vines stretched out, attempting to drag them in.

Cheng Mo had also initially thought it was Little Roll and hadn’t paid attention.

"Watch out!" Cheng Zhiyu swiftly dodged the vine aiming for him and tried to cut the one wrapped around Zhou Min. However, the vine was too fast, pulling Zhou Min into the villa.

Zhou Min: "Ahhh! What the hell!"

He tried to slash the vine with his knife, but as soon as he raised his arm, it was also ensnared.

Watching Zhou Min get dragged into the villa, Cheng Zhiyu and the others looked grim.

They had planned to leave, but now that Zhou Min had been taken, they couldn't just leave now.

"Damn! What’s inside that thing? It’s so cunning!" Tian Qiao gritted his teeth.

Cheng Zhiyu said darkly, "Let’s go in and see."

They entered the villa. The building was only half-finished, with windows not yet installed—bricked up instead. Light seeped in only through the gaps between bricks, making the interior exceptionally dim.

Tian Qiao felt like he’d stepped on something round. Looking down, he was startled—it was a human skull.

The place felt even creepier now.

To avoid another vine ambush, they were on high alert. But since they were prepared, another sneak attack wouldn’t be so easy.

"That thing is on the second floor," Cheng Mo said, looking up.

"Damn, it didn’t eat Zhou Min, did it?" Tian Qiao was extremely anxious.

Suddenly, they heard a noise. Cheng Zhiyu took a high-power flashlight from his space and turned it on, illuminating the area nearby.

There were about a dozen wolves!

This was a wolf den.

"How are these wolves so smart? They even know how to use bait," Tian Qiao felt a chill down his spine.

"Wolves are naturally intelligent animals," Cheng Zhiyu frowned. "Besides, they’ve mutated—they’re probably not easy to deal with."

Wolves are highly united—they follow the alpha’s commands and know how to coordinate attacks.

The wolves didn’t charge immediately, seemingly observing them.

Cheng Zhiyu had no intention of drawing this out. These wolves might not be exceptionally powerful, but they were clever, knowing how to lure in the unsuspecting.

The bones scattered on the ground were likely mostly from such victims.

Cheng Zhiyu and the others exchanged glances and launched the first attack.

One of the wolves was struck by a lightning bolt as thick as a bowl and collapsed instantly. The other wolves roared in fury and immediately attacked.

Individually, these wolves weren’t formidable, but they coordinated well and outnumbered the group, making it difficult to finish them off quickly.

Upstairs, Zhou Min was tied up by vines but still managed to observe his surroundings. A massive wolf stood at the staircase, seemingly assessing the battle below.

He shifted his gaze and was surprised to find not just himself but two men and a woman also bound nearby. They looked pale and had their eyes closed.

Zhou Min glanced at the giant wolf, scooted, and nudged the closest man with his elbow.

The man slowly opened his eyes, saw the dim surroundings and the giant wolf, then pursed his lips.

"Hey man, what's your deal? Were you tricked into coming here?" Zhou Min inexplicably felt that Cheng Zhiyu and the others would definitely rescue him, so he was still pretty calm.

The man gave a bitter smile. "We didn’t want to linger here either, but two people in our group were lured by that pig and wanted to check things out. Who would’ve thought…"

"Are they those two?" Zhou Min glanced at the two still unconscious nearby.

The man shook his head. "No, those two have already been eaten."

He continued, "We… are basically emergency rations."

Emergency rations? Zhou Min: "What?"

The man was even in the mood to joke: "Just like that pig over there, except that pig is useful, so it might live a bit longer than us."

Zhou Min remained optimistic: "It’s fine, my friends are here too. They’ll get me out."

The man asked, "Are you Superhumans?"

Zhou Min: "Why?"

The man: "The reason we haven’t been eaten yet is either because we’re ordinary people or our abilities are too weak. Those two companions who were eaten had very strong abilities. These wolves like eating Superhumans with strong powers."

Zhou Min: "…"

Shit, that’s scary.

He turned to look at the pig in the corner. That pig was really well-behaved, not moving around recklessly, so it wasn’t bound by the vines.

The man was right—they were all emergency rations. The only difference was that the pig could lure people in, so it hadn’t been eaten yet.

Zhou Min figured the giant wolf could definitely hear their conversation, so he kept it vague. Secretly, he pulled a dagger from his waistband, planning to cut through the vines.

But it wouldn’t be easy. That wolf was clearly a plant-type Superhuman—who knew if cutting them would tip it off?

Still, he couldn’t just wait around.

Just as Zhou Min was hesitating, he saw the giant wolf suddenly move, walking toward him.

Zhou Min: "!"

Was it going to eat him first? Although his ability wasn’t offensive, it was indeed quite strong.

The wolf bared its sharp teeth. Zhou Min got chills, and he was about to cut through the vines fast when, instead of biting him, the wolf bit through the vines itself.

Zhou Min: "?"

The guy next to him: "?"