Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”Mom, so were you happy today?”

”Of course I was! Oh man, you should have seen it. I never knew setting up a stall could be so much fun. It was an absolute blast.”

Xie Ning smiled from the heart. ”As long as you’re happy, Mom.”

Song You’ai beamed at her daughter. ”Even though I sold them at a loss, my earnings today were still pretty decent.”

As she spoke, she tossed a plastic bag of Crystal Cores onto the table. ”Look, four hundred Crystal Cores. Not bad, right? This is what I made from selling ice for half a day. I think it’s pretty good.”

The whole family laughed as they sat around the dining table.

Xie Ning collected the Crystal Cores from the table, then brought out two hundred pouches of Energy Water from the living room. She handed one to her mother. ”Mom, take a few sips and see.”

Song You’ai took the pouch and gulped down a few mouthfuls, then looked at her in astonishment. ”This water...?”

”How do you feel?”

Song You’ai closed her eyes to feel the effect, then opened them, her face a picture of delighted surprise. ”My Water Ability... one-fifth of it has recovered.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up as they stared at her—or more accurately, at the pouch in her hand.

”Yeah, this is... Energy Water. Xiao Gu gave it to me earlier. A few sips every hour can restore twenty percent of your superpower energy.”

”Those of you with superpowers, each take ten pouches. Keep them in your own backpacks for emergencies.”

”Xiao Xian, you put the rest away.”

”Don’t let word of this get out. That includes what I told you before about Xiao Gu’s purification ability. All of it must be kept secret.”

”And later, don’t casually mention the inhibitors Yu Tianfeng is making for our non-superpowered teammates either.”

Everyone nodded in unison, their expressions solemn.

Song Kexin happily stored away her ten pouches. ”This is great. Now we’ll have an extra layer of security, even if we get into danger.”

Xie Ning glanced around the room, her eyes landing on Cres. ”Where’s your backpack?”

”Me? Why would I need a backpack for dinner? It’s downstairs.”

”From now on, no matter what you’re doing, your backpack must be within your line of sight. Especially for those of you without a Space Ability.”

”I get it, you nag.” Cres tilted his head back and huffed. ”You should worry about yourself first, always using your Spiritual Ability ahead of time.”

Xie Ning shot him a look that said, ’I did not, I am not, don’t talk nonsense,’ then picked up her bowl. ”Eat!”

”What’s for dessert today?”

”Cheese rolls.”

Zhu Nanxing’s shoveling of rice slowed silently, his eyes sparkling as he looked toward Xie Ning.

Xie Ning said expressionlessly, ”One small piece per person!”

Little Zhu Nanxing started shoveling rice faster again. ’One small piece won’t be enough...’

Cres exclaimed indignantly, ”One small piece isn’t even enough to fill the gaps in my teeth! Don’t tell me you’re planning to split a 300-gram cheese roll among this many people!”

”Sharing is caring!” Song Shijun teased. ”Don’t be mad. Too many sweets are bad for a kid’s teeth!”

”I can eat it for you!” Song Kexin said, beaming.

”Get lost!”

...

Jingxin Study Room

For the entire day, Huang Shi Yao’s heart had been anything but calm.

After multiple failed attempts to contact 00009425, she was already in a foul mood.

To make matters worse, at two in the afternoon, her bodyguard Zhong brought her more bad news.

”She’s very strong. She subdued several members of the Avalanche Team with one hand,” Zhong said with a frown. ”And for some reason, the Avalanche Team’s captain, Yan Zhong, and vice-captain, Zhao Jian, actually jumped out of the vehicle and killed themselves on the way back.”

”One of their team’s Beast Taming Superpower Users, Lin Yiyi, has been muttering nonstop that the Spiritual Ability User in Xie Ning’s group killed them.”

Huang Shi Yao shot up from the table, the hand holding her wine glass trembling slightly—with rage!

”Her team has a Spiritual Ability User? Who?”

”Apparently a kid from Country Y who escaped from Lanshan Tower Lake with her. In any case, he must be very strong.” Zhong mused, ”It’s said this powerful Spiritual Ability User can see the true situation of any Superpower User weaker than himself at a glance.”

”Even the Space of a Space Ability User is completely transparent to him.”

Huang Shi Yao flew into a rage and smashed her wine glass on the floor.

”Who the hell does she think she is? How did she manage to recruit a Spiritual Ability User like that? 00009425, 00009425, answer me!”

In her fury, Miss Huang had ended up shouting aloud what she had been chanting in her mind.

Zhong silently lowered his gaze.

As his lady’s loyal supporter and powerful protector, he didn’t need to hear, remember, or think about anything. He only needed to obey her absolutely.

Furious and flustered, Huang Shi Yao paced back and forth in the room on her stilettos, unable to conceal the resentment in her heart.

Were things starting to slip out of her control?

’How could this be happening?’

She desperately hoped 00009425 would revive and return to tell her everything.

”Miss, what should we do now?”

”What should we do? You’re asking me?” Huang Shi Yao snarled, stalking forward and slapping the man across the face. ”If it weren’t for you useless bastards messing things up, would I be in this pathetic, passive position now?”

”I’m sorry, Miss. The enemy was too strong, and we were too weak.”

Huang Shi Yao gasped for breath, one hand pressed to her heaving chest, unable to stop the blood from rushing to her head. ”Go back and wait for news. Don’t make a move for the next few days.”

Zhong’s head snapped up. ”Miss, the Spiritual Ability User on their team massacred everyone in the Avalanche Team. That’s an excellent excuse.”

Huang Shi Yao struck him across the face again. ”Are you stupid? It’s not like she killed them inside the base. Outside, who cares who lives or dies?”

”Besides, do you have any proof? You think you can pin them down just because that Lin Yiyi is spouting baseless accusations?”

”And you want to go charging up to her door with a group of people? Do you even know where she lives? She lives next door to Zuo Li!”

”That woman, Zuo Li, has never gotten along with my father. Are you trying to hand her leverage against us on a silver platter?”

”Yes, yes, this subordinate was inconsiderate,” Zhong apologized, his head bowed and his face flushed red.

Huang Shi Yao took several deep breaths, pressing a hand to her chest. She waved him away. ”Get out of here. Without my order, don’t do anything for the next few days.”

”Yes, Miss.”

”Come back,” Huang Shi Yao called out coldly. ”Go find that Lin Yiyi for me. Is she on her own now?”

”No. Lin Yiyi has joined the Swift Leopard Team.”

”Swift Leopard?” A trace of disdain flashed in Huang Shi Yao’s eyes. ”Is that the team with that woman who goes around the base spreading charity all day?”

”Yes, it’s Captain Zhuang Lei’s team. His girlfriend is Xu Yu, the Water Ability User who often goes to the shantytown to deliver water and food.”

Huang Shi Yao scoffed, the disdain in her eyes intensifying.

’Such a phony woman.’