Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Zhang Yi, along with Uncle You, Fatty Xu, and his loyal battle pet Hua Hua, headed out to West Hill Base.

The group boarded a snow vehicle, with Hua Hua sitting on Zhang Yi’s lap as he activated the autopilot mode.

This wasn’t their first trip to West Hill Base, so they were fairly relaxed.

Looking at Hua Hua, Fatty Xu blinked and asked Zhang Yi, “Boss, why do I feel like Hua Hua’s a bit different?”

Zhang Yi glanced down at the obedient cat on his lap, stroking its soft fur.

“Oh? How so?”

Fatty Xu thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I can’t say exactly. It’s just a feeling, like something has subtly changed.”

“That’s natural,” Zhang Yi replied with a knowing smile.

Though he didn’t fully understand the mechanism, he knew that some mutated creatures possessed a shared absorption ability. For instance, he, Ling Feng, and Hua Hua all had the power to absorb other Superhumans’ abilities to evolve.

Last time, Hua Hua devoured several Superhumans, and its abilities had become stronger. But exactly how much stronger, they’d only know after some combat testing.

After Zhang Yi, his team, and Hua Hua left, Yang Xinxin suddenly wheeled herself out of her workshop into the living room, where she spotted Zhou Ke’er watching TV.

She asked, “Where’s my brother?”

Zhou Ke’er blinked and replied, “They went to West Hill Base to gather supplies. Do you need something from him?”

Yang Xinxin furrowed her brow slightly. “I just organized some data I wanted him to see. I guess it’ll have to wait until he’s back.”

Curious, Zhou Ke’er leaned over with a grin. “What interesting data? Let me take a look!”

Yang Xinxin rolled her eyes and smirked. “Cousin, you’re not a combatant, so there’s no use in you knowing!”

Zhou Ke’er puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. “Hmph, I’m an important support team member! Don’t underestimate me!”

“Ha!” Yang Xinxin stuck her tongue out and then wheeled away.

She had no intention of sharing critical intelligence with anyone but Zhang Yi. Secretly, she also liked that the data she provided was valuable to him; her worth to Zhang Yi lay in information and network security.

What if Zhou Ke’er took credit with her intel?

Returning to her workshop, Yang Xinxin used the supercomputer at her console to contact Zhang Yi en route.

“Hey, brother, have you reached West Hill Base yet?”

Receiving her message, Zhang Yi glanced out at the snowy landscape and replied, “Not yet! We’re about halfway there.”

“Okay, there’s something I just discovered that I need to report.”

“Oh? Sounds important.”

“Yep! I’ve uncovered intel about other major armed groups in Tianhai City. Since you’re out, I thought I’d brief you, just in case you encounter them.”

Zhang Yi’s expression grew serious. “Alright, go ahead.”

Yang Xinxin explained, “According to intel from West Hill Base, there are a total of four large-scale military shelters in Tianhai City. They’re located in the West Hill, Qingpu, Yangsheng, and Chaoyu areas.”

“These shelters were established by the government years ago and have been maintained for sudden wars or natural disasters.”

“Each of them has underground shelters, massive arsenals, and extensive wartime supplies.”

Zhang Yi nodded. “I’ve heard about these.”

The information wasn’t surprising. Having lived in Tianhai City for years, he’d heard rumors, and he even recalled news reports showing glimpses of these underground shelters years ago.

“So, besides West Hill Base, there are three other major military powers: Yangsheng, Chaoyu, and Qingpu. Each of these areas is quite far from our Shelter,” he mused.

“But given what happened at West Hill Base, it’s likely these forces will take notice.”

The commotion at West Hill Base that night had been significant enough to attract attention.

If they learned that the West Hill Base in the Xishan and Lu River areas had been destroyed, there was a chance they’d expand their reach here.

“No, there’s one more unique faction,” Yang Xinxin added. “Based on the data from West Hill Base, there’s a heavily populated region around Tianfeng and Changlan. It’s become a force to be reckoned with, though the records on them are limited.”

Zhang Yi nodded. “That’s not surprising. With so many people in Tianhai City, it’s natural for dozens of factions to form.”

“It seems like these powers don’t know much about each other yet.”

“Probably because the apocalypse hasn’t been around long enough. They’re all too busy ensuring their own survival and development.”

For example, West Hill Base was destroyed before it even gathered full information on its neighboring districts.

In fact, the attempt to take him down likely stemmed from their internal desire to secure their territory.

The other factions were probably in similar situations.

“Excellent work, Xinxin. This information is very useful.”

Yang Xinxin blushed happily at his praise. “Brother, I’ll keep compiling information on them. When you’re back, I’ll give you a full report, alright?”

Zhang Yi chuckled and nodded. “Of course!”

After the call, Zhang Yi noticed Fatty Xu and Uncle You looking at him curiously.

Without hiding anything, Zhang Yi relayed what Yang Xinxin had told him.

“So, the other armed forces in Tianhai City are as large as West Hill Base? That’s a bit worrisome. Let’s hope they keep their distance,” Fatty Xu said with concern.

Zhang Yi, however, was calm. “It’s to be expected. But Tianhai City is vast; as long as we don’t actively provoke them, there shouldn’t be any conflict.”

“With at least 90% of the city’s population gone, the remaining resources are more than enough for the surviving factions. No one’s eager to risk their lives fighting.”

Uncle You, who had been silent, suddenly sighed. “Let’s just hope things go that smoothly. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be running into them soon enough!”

Author’s Note