Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”Don’t think you can ignore the base’s rules just because you have Gu Chen and Yu Tianfeng backing you up!” Zhang Biyun held her head high, panting heavily. ”Go back and tell your daughter that if she dares to break the base’s rules again, I don’t care who she is, she’ll be dealt with severely!”

Song You’ai forcefully wrung her sleeve and rushed forward, looking like she wanted to splash a faceful of cold water on the girl to snap her out of it.

But Song Youzhi calmly pulled his sister back and tossed the transparent file folder back at her. ”You think we care about your water storage job? If my sister didn’t feel sorry for the people at the base, she couldn’t be bothered to go and help.”

”Do you really think you can fill all the water tanks with just the three Superpower Users at your base whose water abilities are pathetically weak?” Song Youzhi sneered.

”As if we’re so desperate for your points.”

”That’s right,” Song You’ai said, deliberately trying to anger the young miss. ”We have several points cards from Xiao Gu, Xiao Lu, and Xiao Yu! We have more points than we can spend!”

”Exactly. We’re going shopping right now! We’ll spend every last point on them!” He Shuping nodded in agreement.

”Alright, you’ve said your piece, so get lost! I won’t see you out.” Song Youzhi made a ’please leave’ gesture.

Zhang Biyun was absolutely infuriated by these old-timers.

When she heard that the points cards from Xiao Gu and Xiao Lu were in their hands, she almost fainted from rage.

After a furious stomp of her foot, Zhang Biyun departed in a huff with her group of belligerent City Defense Team members.

”What a piece of work,” Song You’ai said as she SLAMMED the iron gate shut. ”Idiotic trash. It’s not even worth my time to curse her out!”

”Right, right. Let’s not stoop to her level. She’s just a young girl.”

”Young girl? Look at all the powder on her face. She has to be at least thirty, right?”

”Huh??” He Shuping didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”I don’t think so.”

Song You’ai’s expression turned cold as she analyzed the situation calmly. ”This probably isn’t over. This Miss Zhang seems to have it out for our Ningning, mentioning her name over and over again. I think we should start preparing. We probably can’t stay at this base for long.”

”Fine, then let’s go to the mall now. We still have a lot of points we haven’t spent.”

”Right! We have to spend them all!”

”Let’s go!” The two women, all fired up, left as abruptly as they had decided, leaving a dumbfounded Song Youzhi behind.

...

Xie Ning tilted her head and looked with great seriousness at the handsome face right beside hers. ”Shijun? Why are you carrying me?”

Song Shijun almost laughed out of exasperation. ”Oh, for crying out loud, Sis! You’re finally awake!”

”Sis, Sis, are you feeling better? Sis!” Song Kexin and Xiao Huang Mao hurriedly helped her down from Song Shijun’s back.

Xie Ning moved her neck; her head still felt a little dizzy.

”Alright, alright, they didn’t follow us. Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

She turned her head and saw Li Dawei’s group, all of them panting like dogs, so tired they just collapsed onto the ground nearby.

Xie Ning looked up and saw that Lanshan was covered in a great fire, burning with billowing black smoke.

Xu Bailiang walked over to Xie Ning’s group and smiled slightly. ”Miss Xie, thanks again to you and your companions for your help. We were only able to escape safely because of you.”

Xie Ning met his gaze, her mind still a bit fuzzy. She subconsciously nodded and replied, ”Uh, it’s nothing.”

Zhong Shichong walked up to Xu Bailiang with a dark expression on his face and snorted coldly at Xie Ning. ”Your superpower might be impressive, but don’t get too smug.”

Everyone gave him a baffled look.

The guy dropped this line and turned to leave.

Xu Bailiang smiled gently. ”Young Master Zhong was just trying to thank you.”

Song Kexin let out a dry laugh. ”He has a very special way of showing thanks.”

”Sis, have you finished advancing your rank now?” Song Shijun sized her up. ”Still dizzy? If so, I... I can carry you for a bit longer?”

Xie Ning shook her head. ”I’m fine. Let’s head back first.”

She glanced toward Lanshan and muttered to herself, ”If that was a mutated creature, the fire probably won’t kill it.”

”Huh?”

”Wh-what do you mean?” Li Dawei pressed.

Xie Ning turned and walked away. Wang Zongxuan shot him a look. ”Moron! It means this place isn’t safe anymore.”

The group returned to the base’s south gate, looking rather battered, only to be stopped by the City Defense Team.

”The base has a new regulation. Every time you enter the base, you must pay one First-order Crystal Core, collected per team.”

”What Crystal Core?” Li Dawei asked with a blank expression.

”You didn’t know when you arrived? When you registered at the base, didn’t they give you a housing and supplies rental form?” The City Defense Team member shot him an impatient look. ”It listed Crystal Cores as an option for paying rent.”

”But we paid with grain!”

Xie Ning took a Crystal Core from her pocket, tossed it to the City Defense Team, and started leading her people into the base.

Li Dawei angrily called out to stop her. ”Hey, Xie Ning, how do you have a Crystal Core? Where did you get that thing?”

”Oh, stop making a fuss!” Uncle Ge Liang stepped forward and slapped him on the back irritably. ”I’ll pay this time, but you have to pay me back next time!”

As he spoke, he also took a Crystal Core from his pocket and handed it over.

”Uncle Ge Liang, how do you have one of these things too?”

”Are you stupid or something?” Uncle Ge Liang shot him an annoyed glance. ”Zombies First Rank and above all have these in their heads! What did you think?”

”What?” Li Xiang’s eyes widened. ”Oh! So all the crystal cores from the zombies we killed before were all dug out by you and your daughter!”

”That’s because you guys didn’t want them, right??” Ge Yan said, completely self-righteous!

”I... What the hell!” Li Dawei was so angry smoke was practically coming out of his ears.

’This Uncle Ge Liang is so damn shameless. He took so many Crystal Cores from them, contributed one today, and he still has the nerve to ask me to pay him back??’

”Uncle Ge Liang, tell me, how did you know there were Crystal Cores in zombie heads?”

”None of your business how I know.” Uncle Ge Liang’s small eyes darted around. ”Anyway, just remember to pay me back, okay!”

With that, he pulled his daughter and walked away.

”You, stop right there and explain yourself,” Li Dawei said relentlessly. Then, a sudden flash of insight struck him. ”Oh, I get it now. Xie Ning told you, didn’t she?”

”Xie Ning, Xie Ning, you stop right there!” Li Dawei rushed over to block Xie Ning and her group, his face red as he demanded, ”Aren’t you a little too unscrupulous, Xie Ning? Tell me, why did you play favorites? We all came from the Song Family Pavilion together, right?”

”Why did you only tell Uncle Ge Liang and his family about something so important, and not us?”

Xie Ning raised her hand and started pounding on Li Dawei. ”Did you think I fucking didn’t want to tell you? Every time I tried to tell you, weren’t you the ones who told me to shut up and not talk??”

”How many times did you tell me to shut up?

”I’m gonna beat you to death, you damn blockhead!”

The members of the Fierce Tiger Team sighed silently, unable to watch.

Even Li Xiang couldn’t help but frown and shout, ”Brother, Brother, come back.”

’Is my brother an idiot? He knows Xie Ning is a tigress you don’t mess with, yet he still insists on walking into the line of fire and becoming cannon fodder time and time again...’

That night, the base officially announced the value of Crystal Cores and the methods to obtain them.