Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Xie Ning shot Jin Mingzhu a cold glance.

The woman was leaning against a row of supply crates with her head tilted, arms crossed, watching her with a smirk.

’Maybe I’m just overthinking it, but I can’t shake the feeling that this woman—a complete stranger—is... hostile toward me?’

”Do you people have some sort of misunderstanding about our relationship?” Xie Ning said bluntly. ”What, you shamelessly tagged along behind us for a while, and now you think you’re part of our team?”

”I wasn’t aware we were ever partners,” Xie Ning sneered.

”You.” Jin Mingzhu lowered her arms and stood up straight. After a long moment, she scoffed. ”You’re being a bit too heartless, aren’t you, Miss Xie?”

”Xie Ning,” Zhuang Xinyi said meekly. ”I know we said the wrong thing earlier and upset you, but... but we were just worried about Captain Li and the others’ safety. That’s why our tone was a bit harsh.”

Xie Ning strode forward.

A Metal Wire suddenly materialized between her fingers. Her eyes, cold and sharp, locked onto Zhao Yanran, who was blocking her way. ”Get out of my way.”

Zhao Yanran spread her arms to block them. ”You... you can’t just leave like this! If you go, what happens if those people come back to rob us?”

”And what does that have to do with us?” The Metal Wire shot toward Zhao Yanran’s face without a hint of hesitation.

The woman shrieked in terror, ducking and scrambling to the side.

The Metal Wire grazed her scalp, and Zhao Yanran could feel its bone-deep chill.

”Xie Ning!” Zhuang Xinyi cried, growing frantic. ”How could you do that? Attacking someone for no reason! We just wanted you to wait a little. You don’t have to get violent with us, do you?”

”We were classmates, for crying out loud! How can you be so cold and heartless to us?” Zhuang Xinyi’s eyes reddened with indignation.

”It’s just waiting for a little while. That’s no big loss for you, is it?”

Xie Ning had no desire to converse with this naive princess whatsoever.

’What was there to say?’

’The girl was still living in her own fairytale world. The apocalypse had been going on for nearly a month, yet she still hadn’t recognized the reality before her.’

’What could Xie Ning possibly say?’

’As her former classmate, the only thing she could do was wish her continued naive happiness.’

With Zheng Heng, Zha Peng, Li Dawei, and Li Xiang busy moving goods back and forth, it was the perfect chance for Xie Ning to take her team and make a swift getaway.

It was a now-or-never opportunity.

She had wanted to shake off these troublesome people for a long time.

She hated trouble above all else, and to her, a crowd of people was the worst trouble of all!

These people were always trailing her, acting as if they were all close friends.

In reality, they barely knew each other!

”Xie Ning!” Zhuang Xinyi stomped her foot.

”Sorry, He Zhi, we’re leaving now,” Song You’ai called out to her, then followed her daughter out.

”Forget it, Xinyi.” Xu Ling stepped forward and grabbed her arm. ”There are too many of them for us to stop.”

Song Shijun, Song Kexin, and the others all trooped after Xie Ning toward the exit, not pausing for even a second.

Zhuang Xinyi was both frantic and furious. ”How could this be happening? How did she become like this?”

”So what do we do now?” Zhuang Xinyi burst into anxious tears that streamed down her face. ”I... I’ll go talk to her again.”

”Xinyi.” He Zhi opened her mouth, but she felt that constantly stopping them and insisting they stay to help was not only wrong, but utterly unreasonable.

”What choice do I have?” Zhuang Xinyi tucked her hair behind her ear again and again, her heart fraught with anxiety.

”Right now, the core members of our team and Captain Li’s team are all at the shopping center moving supplies. If someone else breaks in, how are a few women like us supposed to handle it?”

When those three groups of people had tried to rob the building earlier, it was only thanks to Song Shijun, Song Youzhi, and the others that they were fought off and the supplies were temporarily secured.

Now they were all leaving with Xie Ning—that was unacceptable!

What if someone came and stole their things? Who would take on that heavy responsibility?

Would it be her? Or He Zhi and Xu Ling? None of them could bear such a responsibility.

”Xie Ning!” Zhuang Xinyi grabbed Xu Ling and hurriedly chased after her.

Zhong Yaying, Chen Man’er, and a few others from Li Dawei’s team also followed them out in a panic, yelling for Xie Ning.

”Ah, Xinyi, Xu Ling, you two...” He Zhi couldn’t help but sigh.

Judging by the utter indifference on Xie Ning’s face just now, she clearly wanted nothing more to do with them. But Zhuang Xinyi and Xu Ling were completely oblivious, dead set on bothering her.

He Zhi felt completely helpless and could only pray in her heart that their captain would return soon.

”Xie Ning! Xie... Xie Ning!” Zhuang Xinyi called out, teetering as she hurried along the pitted, muddy road in her stiletto heels.

She rushed over and grabbed the arm of Xie Ning, who was the last one to get on the bus, and yanked hard. ”Xie Ning, you can’t do this. We were classmates, roommates for over a year! How can you treat us this way?”

”You’re taking your family and leaving with them. What are we supposed to do if a fourth group comes to rob our building?”

”Look, it’s about to get dark, and the night is full of danger. Can you really bear to watch us get robbed blind and die a violent death?”

”Doesn’t your conscience bother you at all? I’m begging you, be a good person! Be a little more responsible! After all those years of education, do you have no sense of morality whatsoever?”

Xie Ning shook the girl’s hand off and looked at her with a sneer. ”I don’t.”

”Since I have no morals, don’t even think about trying to guilt-trip me with your ridiculous sermonizing.”

Zhuang Xinyi stared at her in shock, as if she were seeing her for the very first time.

Xie Ning shoved her out of the doorway. The bus door SLAMMED shut right in front of Zhuang Xinyi and Xu Ling.

”Uncle Yong, drive.” Xie Ning took the large black backpack off her shoulder, set it on her lap, and took the first seat by the door.

Song You’ai handed her a small cup of yogurt. ”It’s chilled.”

Without a word, Zhu Yong started the engine. The minibus scraped past the two girls pounding on its side, spewed a cloud of exhaust, and sped off into the distance.

By the time they returned to the small building, Zhuang Xinyi’s eyes were swollen like walnuts from all the crying.

He Zhi, however, didn’t think the situation warranted that much crying...

But she could only offer words of comfort. ”Xinyi, Captain Li and the others will be back soon. Don’t worry too much.”

”Besides, we’ve already entered the Golden City region. We should be able to reach the Golden City safe zone before ten tonight, so we won’t be in too much danger.”

”Oh my—ah! You, you guys, come over here and look!”

Just then, Jin Mingzhu cried out, covering her mouth. ”Hurry, come here!”

Everyone quickly turned and ran to her side.

”Look, wasn’t there a row of goods here? Where did it go?”

”It was right here a second ago!”

Jin Mingzhu covered her mouth, an expression of pure shock on her face. ”Don’t tell me... during all that chaos, Xie Ning’s teammate with the Space Ability took them away?”