C13 What the Hell Was He Going to Do?

Upon returning to the bank intersection, Shen Chen noticed it was bustling with people today. Those who had exchanged for rice were visibly thrilled, their eyes practically glowing. They greeted him with such sweetness, calling him Mr. Shen and Boss Shen at every turn.

The old adage rang true: "Whoever provides, is revered as the provider."

Shen Chen wasn't too concerned with the accounts; with the brothers from Cloud Mountain Base around, everything was under control. His priority was finding a place to house the zombies.

A large, nearby supermarket had been picked clean by those surviving the apocalypse, its shelves stripped bare by the base, leaving nothing but vast empty space and scattered newspapers.

The space was ample for experiments, but Shen Chen wasn't ready to share the secret of the small blue crystals with anyone just yet.

Upon entering the supermarket and finding an expansive, separate courtyard, he decided, "This is the place."

Pleased with his find, Shen Chen accepted 300 Level-1 Crystal Cores from Yang Hanshuang, who looked at him quizzically. "What are you up to, acting all mysterious?"

"You'll see in time," he replied, offering no further explanation. Catching Yang Hanshuang's still puzzled expression, he flashed a mischievous grin. "I'm about to take a shower. Care to stick around and watch?"

"Shameless," she retorted, leaving the supermarket with a swift turn. Once she was gone, Shen Chen quickly shut the door and headed to the courtyard to begin purifying the newly acquired Level-1 Crystal Cores.

The purification device billowed with white smoke, carrying a pungent odor that Shen Chen recognized as the vaporized toxins from the zombie-infested crystals.

"This is intriguing."

As a pristine blue crystal settled in his hand, Shen Chen gazed at the dimming sunset, the pure light casting a dreamlike reflection in his eyes. The crystal's cool touch was inexplicably soothing.

"I wonder if this refined crystal could enhance my superpower."

Lost in thought, he gazed at the deep blue crystal, a daring idea taking root in his mind. Unable to resist any longer, he impulsively brought the crystal to his mouth.

The instant the blue crystal touched Shen Chen's tongue, he was struck by the gruesome image of a Zombie exploding into fragments. A shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly bent over, frantically clawing at his mouth to retrieve the crystal. After a harrowing effort, he finally managed to fish it out, his heart still pounding from the scare.

"Idiot..."

Shen Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, grumbling to himself as he shoved the azure crystal into his pocket and smacked his head, vowing to never be so foolish again.

He resumed the meticulous task of purifying the remaining level one crystals. Purifying a hundred crystals was no small feat. After tinkering with the purification device for what seemed like ages without finding a bulk option, he reluctantly abandoned the idea, hoping that a future upgrade might include such a feature.

An entire hour passed before he finished purifying the hundred small blue crystals.

Shen Chen mopped his brow and stretched, just as he was packing away the machine, the door burst open. A brother from Cloud Mountain Base rushed in, his voice ringing with excitement, "Mr. Shen, Ocean Mountain Base has delivered a bunch of fresh Zombies. It's quite the spectacle!"

Elated, Shen Chen quickly made his way out, but he didn't even need to step outside the supermarket to hear the guttural groans of Zombies filling the street. Peering out, he was greeted by the sight of fresh Zombies, strung together in a long line, an impressive and bizarre parade.

This odd spectacle drew curious looks from onlookers. But since the Zombies were from Ocean Mountain Base, no one was in a hurry to hunt them down.

Baldie's expression soured at the indignity of escorting such a horde of fresh Zombies. But the promise of white rice made him bite his tongue. With the rice in hand, he could overlook the rest.

Shen Chen wasted no time with pleasantries, directing them to corral the Zombies into the yard behind the supermarket.

Baldie didn't bother to question further. Yang Hanshuang gave him a chilly once-over, signaling Amu to start the rice exchange with the Ocean Mountain Base crew.

The visitors from Ocean Mountain Base were ecstatic, their eyes glued to the rice, while the Yunshan Base brothers tasked with oversight couldn't hide their simmering hostility.

Shen Chen observed the longstanding grudges between the bases in silence, well aware that such deep-seated issues couldn't be resolved with mere words. With the current stakes involving the allocation of valuable resources, the fact that no conflict had broken out was fortunate enough.

As the folks from Ocean Mountain Base took their leave, they were exceptionally cordial towards Shen Chen, even addressing him respectfully as Mr. Shen.

With a gracious smile, Shen Chen thanked them and gestured for them to collect their rice. Once they had departed, he discreetly summoned Yang Hanshuang.

Yang Hanshuang's voice carried a hint of mischief as she inquired, "All the 'merchandise' you requested has arrived. Surely you're not expecting me to witness you engaging in some unsavory acts with the zombies?"

Shen Chen nearly choked on her words, her bizarre stare making him feel like he was being accused of being a psychopath.

"I need you to keep watch at the door. Don't let anyone in," Shen Chen whispered, his eyes darting to the Baldie who kept casting dubious glances their way. Unsure if he might try to sneak a peek, Shen Chen could only rely on Yang Hanshuang's vigilance.

Quick to catch on, Yang Hanshuang agreed without hesitation upon noticing Baldie's shifty eyes. As Shen Chen turned to enter, she softly cautioned him, "Be careful. Those might be the weakest fresh zombies, but they're still dangerous. Make sure you don't get bitten."

Flicking his bangs aside, Shen Chen quipped, "No worries. I'm too good-looking for them to take a bite."

"Tch," came Yang Hanshuang's scoff.

Ignoring her scorn, Shen Chen dashed inside and swiftly locked the door behind him. He spun around only to be met with a gaping, foul-smelling maw that nearly made his meal come back up.

A swift kick sent the zombie before him tumbling, triggering a domino effect as a row of zombies collapsed in a heap—a sight both bizarre and amusing.

Shen Chen stepped back and whistled, tossing a small blue crystal towards the bellowing zombie's open mouth. Anything that came close was sure to be swallowed by them without a moment's hesitation.

With a sly grin, Shen Chen silently counted down in his head: three, two, one...

Boom!

The explosion erupted with a sound that wasn't particularly loud but was nauseating nonetheless. The blast sent waves of a repulsive, sticky liquid and decaying innards flying in all directions. Despite Shen Chen's distance from the blast, he was still drenched in the mess.

"No, must keep going..."

Shen Chen wiped the filth from his face and persisted in tossing out more small crystals.

...

Meanwhile, on the streets outside, the residents were continually startled by the muffled blasts. They exchanged bewildered glances, rooted to the spot in confusion.

The noises were unmistakably emanating from the supermarket, indicating that Shen Chen was the source of the disturbance.

"What's Boss Shen up to?"

"Who can say? He's all secretive, stirring up such a ruckus with a hundred fresh zombies..."

"Do you think Mr. Shen might be doing something... indescribable with the zombies?"

Murmurs filled the air among the onlookers.

Yang Hanshuang managed a wry smile, but upon noticing Baldie's restless demeanor, she suppressed the urge to go in and see for herself what was happening.

Back in the courtyard, Shen Chen had become desensitized. He inwardly cursed the system for its faulty experiments and the abysmally low success rate. He had abandoned individual trials in favor of simultaneously experimenting with batches of ten small crystals. Yet, not a single zombie managed to survive.

"Explosion after explosion, just keep on exploding, damn it!"

Boom—