C11 Safe and Sound

After running out for a bit, the supermarket just collapsed.

Witnessing this, Ho Lan stared at Chu Yue, her face etched with shock.

Chu Yue gestured with his hands, signaling that he was just as clueless about the situation.

After a moment, Chu Yue inquired,

"Is this the only supermarket around here?"

"Yes, it's the only one in the vicinity and it's the closest to Yanjing Normal University."

They had sensed something off about the supermarket from the start, but couldn't quite put their finger on it; now, they finally understood the problem.

There couldn't possibly be only a handful of zombies in the supermarket. Clearly, someone had intentionally left those few zombies there.

The collapse of the supermarket made sense then; they had been ensnared in someone else's scheme from the get-go.

But who could it be? Zhang Zuosi wouldn't have foreseen this, and Zhao Loong didn't have the brains for it. At least they were out of danger for now.

As these thoughts raced through his head, Chu Yue felt a chill run down his spine. Who could it be? Surely no one had discovered Chuxue's secret?

Unable to come up with a suspect, he decided to stop pondering. Whoever had orchestrated this must be quite clever.

There were definitely spies nearby, keeping a watchful eye on them.

For now, his priority was to rescue his sister before considering their next move.

He hoped they were still in the dark about Chuxue. That would be somewhat of a relief.

"Don't worry, it probably collapsed due to age."

He reassured Ho Lan and Chuxue with these words, mainly directing them at Chuxue.

"Let's go!"

"Have you all eaten enough? It's time to take care of business."

"Yep!"

"I'm full."

"I'm full!"

They both declared in unison.

"We need to find a place to sleep now."

"I know a place nearby!"

"Is it safe?"

A zombie-free zone would be ideal.

"Hmm..."

"It should be safe; it's just a small storage box."

"Okay then, you lead the way!"

As night fell, finding a secure place to rest was crucial. Without sleep, they wouldn't have the energy to search for his sister.

Chu Yue understood this well.

Upon reaching the storage box Ho Lan had mentioned, they realized it was indeed just a box, completely empty with not even a bed inside!

"I stumbled upon this box by chance. Little did I know that the apocalypse would hit just days later."

"Ugh!"

"..."

"No problem, you can stay here."

While Ho Lan was lost in her thoughts, Chu Yue had already scouted the nearby terrain for any Zombies or Infection Beasts.

Finding it safe, he approached Ho Lan and called out,

"Miss Xue, come on out!"

"Alright!"

Chuxue emerged from the backpack, stretching lazily; she seemed quite weary.

Chu Yue noticed.

"You've had a rough time."

"No worries, I'm fine!"

He removed his backpack and spread it on the ground to give Chuxue something to rest on.

Then he took off his coat and draped it over Chuxue.

The door creaked shut as Ho Lan secured it.

Chu Yue gave her a look but said nothing; he simply lay down next to Chuxue and immediately fell asleep.

Ho Lan glanced his way, and sleepiness quickly overtook her. Her eyelids started to fight the inevitable.

She found a spot, closed her eyes, and also drifted off to sleep.

In that moment, Chu Yue opened his eyes, took another look at Ho Lan, then closed them again and went back to sleep.

"..."

The door creaked.

Ho Lan and Chuxue's eyes snapped open.

Standing at the doorway, stretching, was Chu Yue.

"You're awake!"

"Yeah!"

Chu Yue hadn't expected that simply opening the door would wake them both.

"I was just stretching and catching some sun; I didn't mean to wake you two!"

"It's okay."

Chuxue quickly interjected.

After speaking, she realized something was off. Once words are spoken, they can't be taken back.

She hurriedly lowered her head, sneaking a peek at Chu Yue to gauge his reaction. Seeing none, she settled down.

Yet, a sense of disappointment lingered within her.

Ho Lan noticed all this. Women tend to be more sensitive to these nuances.

As she watched Chu Yue, that unexplainable feeling grew stronger.

"Could I actually be falling for this cold-hearted creature?"

She shook her head, dismissing the thought at once.

"Even though he is quite handsome!"

"What am I even thinking!"

Chu Yue never anticipated things would turn out this way.

"..."

"Useless, all of you are useless!"

"If you can't handle a simple person, what good are you!"

"Sorry... we will take care of Chu Yue as soon as possible, rest assured!"

"I expect you to bring me good news next time, or else..."

"Then there's no need for you to return!"

"Understood!"

Zhang Zuosi uttered these words to a shadowy figure in the night before departing.

Gradually, a person emerged from the darkness—it was Zhang Cheng, the captain of the Cold Night Team.

Clenching his teeth, he muttered,

"Just you wait! Chu Yue, don't get yourself killed by someone else before I have the chance to do it."

Zhang Zuosi returned to his quarters and settled onto the sofa.

"How's Chu Yao doing?"

"Everything is proceeding as planned!"

"Good, that's what I want to hear. There's no room for error here. If anything goes wrong, don't bother coming back to see me!"

"Got it, Jin?"

"Understood!"

"Off you go!"

With that, Jin exited Zhang Zuosi's room.

"..."

Chu Yue was unaware of Zhang Zuosi's schemes. His current focus was on finding his sister and seeking vengeance.

It was fortunate he had found some fitting clothes at the villa; otherwise, constantly wearing his 'blood-stained uniform' would have been far from ideal.

He also managed to find a set of men's clothing for Ho Lan, which fit her perfectly.

Chuxue had likewise found some clothes at the villa. They were a tad large, but they fit well enough.

Now, they were en route to the Survivor Base.

Once he was set on their direction, they began their journey.

To get to the Survivor Base, they needed to cross a small forest—a perfect place for an ambush to go unnoticed.

This was Chu Yue's concern, not to mention the possibility of encountering Devouring Period Infection Beasts.

Taking a detour would mean several extra days of travel.

After weighing his options, he decided to go through the forest to save time. He was eager to reunite with his sister.

He was confident that even if they encountered a Devouring Period Infection Beast, he could handle it, despite having an extra person to look out for.

With this in mind, he glanced over at Ho Lan.

Unaware of Chu Yue's thoughts, Ho Lan caught his gaze and, mistaking his attention for insight into her own feelings, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Upon witnessing the scene, Chu Yue was utterly perplexed, clueless as to why Ho Lan's cheeks were flushed with red.

He couldn't fathom a girl like Ho Lan ever blushing.

But he shrugged it off and decided not to dwell on it.

With that, he made his way toward the small forest.

"…"

Initially, nothing seemed amiss as he entered the forest. But deeper in, he stumbled upon several bodies strewn across the ground. He scrutinized them and felt a vague sense of recognition, yet couldn't pinpoint exactly where he had seen them before.

"Do any of you recognize these people?"

Ho Lan shook her head, signaling she did not.

Chuxue also stared for a while, sensing that they seemed familiar.

Then, out of the blue, she uttered, "Cold Night Team."

That jogged Chu Yue's memory; indeed, these individuals were members of the Cold Night Team.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The roars echoed from ahead. Following the sound, they discovered Zhang Cheng, the captain of the Cold Night Team, along with several team members.

They were engaged in a fierce battle with a horde of Infection Beasts and were clearly losing ground.

Their disadvantage wasn't due to a lack of strength; rather, the sheer number of Infection Beasts was overwhelming.

At that moment, Zhang Cheng caught sight of them.

They continued to fight, moving in Chu Yue's direction.

It was apparent they were trying to pull Chu Yue into their fray.

"Humph!"

Chu Yue, with a dismissive snort, fully grasped their intention.

Yet retreating was no longer a viable option.

Another pack of Infection Beasts had appeared behind them, encircling them rapidly!

With no alternatives, they were forced to join forces with Zhang Cheng and his team.

Zhang Cheng, an Ability User with powers akin to the laser-eyed character from the X-Men, was still far from mastering his abilities. He was merely an ordinary Ability User, and reaching the pinnacle of his powers, like that of the laser-eyed hero, would classify him as a Transcendent. For now, his ability to see further than most offered little advantage.

Why he hadn't foreseen the arrival of the Infection Beasts was a mystery.

Before the apocalypse, he was blind and often faced ridicule. When the end times came, someone had brought him to the Survivor Base. I was the most skilled doctor there at the time, and Zhang Zuosi had me examine his eyes. I had to tell him the harsh truth: his corneas were necrotic, beyond any hope of recovery, unless he received a cornea transplant.

After I left, I was unaware of who donated their eyes to him, but he subsequently began following Zhang Zuosi. It appears that Zhang Zuosi had him take certain drugs and, after exposure to a peculiar radiation, he awakened his super ability.

Ever since, he has served as the leader of the Cold Night Team.

Zhang Zuosi seems to hold him in high regard.

Yet, I'm puzzled as to why he came here. Then it dawned on me—I had killed a few of his team members. Surely he isn't here for that reason, is he?

That would be petty. He didn't seem to mind when his people were after me.

I only killed them to prevent my own death.

If Zhang Cheng could hear Chu Yue's current thoughts, he'd be livid to the point of spitting blood!

Right now, Zhang Cheng is desperate to escape, well aware that his abilities are of no use at the moment.

"Chu Yue, can we negotiate a deal?" he asked.

Chu Yue didn't even acknowledge him.

"Chu Yue, aren't you curious about your sister's whereabouts?"

Zhang Cheng realized that no matter what he said, Chu Yue wouldn't help him escape danger, so he resorted to mentioning his sister.

That might be the only way to persuade Chu Yue to assist him!

Upon hearing there was news of his sister, Chu Yue immediately responded, "Where is she now?"

Zhang Cheng thought that by bringing up Chu Yao, Chu Yue would certainly not let him perish, considering she was his only sister.

But he had underestimated Chu Yue's intelligence.

Chu Yue had anticipated that Zhang Cheng was likely using this tactic to persuade him to save him.