C14 Eat Well and Go on Your Way!

The string of explosions sent a gentle shiver down the street. The folks at Cloud Mountain Base were more curious than anything, really. Shen Chen's ability to supply all that rice at such low prices was already bonkers. So, playing with fresh zombies and setting off explosions didn't seem all that odd by comparison.

The Ocean Mountain Base crowd had their doubts, though. They wondered if Shen Chen was up to something with a secret weapon, considering he was dealing with a hundred fresh zombies. Seemed like a solo mission was asking for trouble.

"Boss Shen's a decent guy, but as an earth-type mutant, he's bottom of the barrel. What's he even trying to achieve?" one of them scoffed.

"Exactly. A level-one earth-type mutant's power is pretty much just dumpster diving for treasure..." But before he could finish, the Cloud Mountain Base crew shot him icy glares. The group quickly zipped their lips, offering sheepish grins.

"Miss Yang, aren't you the least bit curious to check it out? If anything happens to Boss Shen, our bases could kiss that rice supply goodbye," Baldie said, grinning as if genuinely concerned for Shen Chen. Yang Hanshuang's response was frosty: "No need."

Baldie, rebuffed, awkwardly scratched his nose and backed off.

The Ocean Mountain Base had completed their trade, and suddenly, the explosions ceased. An eerie silence fell over the street.

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks. The explosions had been so lively just moments ago; how could it all go quiet so fast?

Could it be...

"Boss Shen didn't get blown to bits, did he?" the whispers began to circulate.

Baldie let out a cold laugh, but after a brief pause and no further blasts, he signaled for the Ocean Mountain Base folks to head out.

Once they were gone, Yang Hanshuang made a beeline for the supermarket. Approaching the door, she instinctively knocked, but before her hand could even make contact, another loud explosion erupted from inside. A wry smile crossed her face—Shen Chen was still kicking.

She turned to leave, but after just a couple of steps, a blood-curdling scream, like that of a pig facing slaughter, pierced the air. Goosebumps rose on her skin as she spun back to the door and called out in a panic, "Shen Chen, are you alright?!"

Outside, the brothers from Cloud Mountain Base heard Shen Chen's agonizing scream. In a flash, a group of them burst into the supermarket, their eyes fixed on the firmly shut door with palpable anxiety. If Shen Chen were dead, it would all be over. They'd be back to scrimping and saving just to get by.

In the yard, Shen Chen was drenched in reeking, filthy viscera.

His outcry was because the last blue crystal he'd tossed into the Zombie's mouth hadn't detonated. He thought he'd succeeded, but before he could even awkwardly dance in celebration, the Zombie exploded once more.

"Damn it all!"

"A hundred percent failure rate? Are you kidding me?"

Shen Chen was on the verge of losing it. Hearing the urgent voices outside, he took a deep breath and, feigning composure, opened the door. That's when he saw not just Yang Hanshuang, but also a bunch of Cloud Mountain Base brothers, all staring at him as if he were a ghost.

Glancing down at his bloodied, organ-splattered self, and the yard that resembled a decayed wasteland, Shen Chen understood their shocked faces.

He managed a sheepish hello, having no desire to explain. The crowd parted, allowing him to pass, their eyes lingering on the revolting mess in the yard, each harboring their own suspicions about what had just transpired.

Had he really taken 100 fresh Zombies from Ocean Mountain Base and blown them to smithereens?

After a shower and a spritz of scavenged perfume, Shen Chen changed his clothes.

...

"Bro, you need me?"

Gouza's eyes were glued to the bowl of rice in front of Shen Chen, his mouth watering. Shen Chen gestured for him to sit and share the meal. Gouza hesitated, "Nah, I can't afford that kind of luxury."

"Cut the crap with me, kid." Shen Chen scooped over half of the steaming rice to him, and Gouza didn't hesitate to dig in, devouring the rice hungrily. Even without any side dishes, the simple pleasure of eating plain white rice was sheer bliss.

"Eat slowly, don't choke yourself," Shen Chen said, handing him a cup of water with a mischievous grin. Gouza paused, a mouthful of rice caught in his throat, "Bro, that smile of yours is giving me the creeps. You're not going to ask me to run another 'errand' tonight, are you?"

"Come on, do I seem like that kind of guy to you? I just want you to help me get the word out." Shen Chen produced a stack of flyers with a flourish, as if by magic. Gouza, intrigued, took them and read, "Exchange millet for 1.5 kilograms of Level-1 Crystal Cores. Act fast if you're interested. The address is... Oh, you want to distribute flyers? That's easy."

Gouza breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Chen shook his head with a sly grin, "I need you to figure out a way to drop these off at the entrance of Han Iron Base tonight. Pull that off, and it'll be a major feather in your cap."

"Han Iron Base?" Gouza's eyes widened. "Bro, I know you're not on good terms with them. After all the crap they've put you through, why would you want to give them flyers? It doesn't seem like you."

"Just focus on handing out the flyers; don't worry about the rest."

Still puzzled, Gouza realized Shen Chen wasn't going to explain further and resigned himself to the task. "Anyway, just leave them at their base entrance. Simple enough."

He thumped his chest, vowing to get the job done. Shen Chen handed him another half bowl of rice, startling him. "Man, you're making this feel like a last meal. It's freaking me out."

"Just eat up. You'll need your strength for the road."

"Buzz off!"

...

After Gouza left, Shen Chen gazed into the dark night and let out a cold laugh. Dog eat dog was always an amusing game. Ocean Mountain Base may have chosen to forget the past, but he felt it was necessary to remind Baldie that some things can't be wiped away by time.

He turned and headed back to his room, ready to sleep. Everything would unfold with the dawn.

At Han Iron Base—

Blind Chung was knocking back his liquor, a pricey batch of strong spirits he'd acquired at great cost. He gave the woman next to him a smack on the rear and tore into a mock chicken leg, chewing thoughtfully. The oil filled his mouth but the flavor was lacking, prompting him to slam his cup down on the table in disgust. "Damn, that's some rotten luck."

"Boss, you gotta see this!" A flustered underling burst in, waving a flyer.

Blind Chung snatched the flyer with a scowl, gave it a quick look, and erupted in a tirade, "Are you out of your mind? Believing in this kind of trashy ad!"

The younger brother hastily shook his head, "No, boss, it's true. We've heard rumors about someone selling rice downtown for a while now and I've been meaning to tell you. A lot of folks have managed to get their hands on it. Word is, even Ocean Mountain Base scored some today."

"You sure about that?" Blind Chung was skeptical. The younger brother nodded vigorously, "Absolutely. Just last evening, I saw people from Ocean Mountain Base going wild catching fresh zombies. They said they were going to trade them for rice later. The zombies were meant to be a gift for Boss Shen."

"Boss Shen? Which Boss Shen?"

"Boss Shen as in Shen Chen, the guy who sought shelter with us and ended up getting smacked and dumped in the trash heap..." The subordinate trailed off, his voice fading as he realized the bad blood between their base and Shen Chen.

Blind Chung had an epiphany and let out a cold laugh, "Ah, so it's him. If I'm not wrong, that kid should've been dead by now. Are you certain it's not someone with the same name?"

The subordinate shook his head uncertainly, "All I know is his name is Shen Chen, and the guy running the show is from Cloud Mountain Base."

"Cloud Mountain Base?" Blind Chung stroked his goatee, lost in thought for a moment. "Okay, first thing tomorrow morning, we'll head over there. Everyone should bring a Level-1 Crystal Core. If it is that kid, heh, I'll make sure we come back with some rice, even if it means a blatant heist."

The younger brother nodded with enthusiasm and hurried off to gather the crew.

Half an hour later, a small group from Han Iron Base set out, buzzing with excitement. It was a modest contingent, just over a dozen strong, mainly on a mission to verify the rumors.

Naturally, as they neared their destination, they encountered more and more scavengers buzzing about the rice exchange, all of them muttering one name: Shen Chen. The mention of that name soured Blind Chung's expression further, "Could it really be that kid?"

Meanwhile, Shen Chen noticed that Ocean Mountain Base's crew had arrived unusually early, led by none other than Baldie.

With a frosty smile, he instructed Amu to prioritize the scavengers for the rice exchange, telling Ocean Mountain Base's people they'd have to wait their turn.