Сhаpter 9: Vаriаblеs in thе Рlot
Not far аwаy, Ji Yunting’s eхpressiоn wаs grim.
It wаs оnе thing fоr him to wаnt tо tеаch Mо Qianqian a lessоn himsеlf, but it was аnоthеr mаttеr entirеlу fоr anothеr tеam tо witness their grouр ostrаcizing Mo Qiаnqian, а weаk individuаl.
“Thank уou for saving mу tеаmmаte,” Ji Yunting said stifflу, his fасе dark.
Mu Shеngzhou didn’t еven spаre Ji Yunting a glаnce. Instеad, Shen Feng, stаnding bеsidе Mu Shеngzhоu, sneered аnd cоntinuеd to moсk, “We darе not ассeрt your thаnks. Who knows if уоu’rе secretly cursing us for meddling in yоur аffairs? A whole grоuр ganging up on а уoung girl—aren’t you ashamed?”
Faced with Shen Feng’s taunts, Ji Yunting remained silent, neither refuting nor arguing.
On one hand, arguing was pointless.
On the other hand, the other side had more people and better weapons and equipment. If a conflict broke out, their small team of fewer than ten people stood no chance of winning.
At this moment, swallowing their pride was the right choice.
“Go collect the Crystal Cores. We’re leaving,” Mu Shengzhou’s voice was as low and stern as his demeanor.
He wasn’t someone who liked to meddle in others’ affairs, but he couldn’t stand the sight of a group deliberately isolating a weak individual.
If they didn’t like her, they should kick her out of the team or simply kill her outright.
This kind of behavior—ostracizing a teammate while supposedly being part of the same team, especially in a situation where they should be united against a common enemy—was what he despised the most.
Shen Feng acknowledged the order and stepped forward, walking to where the two zombie heads had fallen.
He took out a dagger and, as if cutting open a watermelon, sliced open the zombie heads. From the pool of decaying brain matter, he retrieved two transparent crystals.
Mo Qianqian, who had observed everything, immediately understood that those crystals were Zombie Crystal Cores.
They looked disgusting, but Zombie Crystal Cores were hard currency in the Safe Zone. They could be exchanged for points to spend or used for bartering.
After retrieving the Zombie Crystal Cores, the members of the Grim Reaper Mercenary Corps didn’t say another word. They simply turned and strode deeper into the Urban Ruins.
Mo Qianqian stared in the direction the Grim Reaper Mercenary Corps had gone, momentarily stunned.
In the novel’s plot, there was no such scene.
However, in the novel’s plot, there was also no situation where the female lead was ostracized by her team and left to face zombies alone.
Mu Shengzhou’s appearance must have been a variable she had brought about.
She needed to get her hands on the Spirit Spring Space as soon as possible. Otherwise, with too many variables, she feared complications might arise with the Spirit Spring Space.
The Grim Reaper Mercenary Corps had already moved far away, but Ji Yunting’s expression remained dark and stormy.
According to his original plan, he had intended to let the two zombies get closer to Mo Qianqian, to let her suffer a bit more fright.
At the last moment before the zombies could harm her, he would step in and save her.
This way, he could both teach Mo Qianqian a lesson and make her realize that she could only rely on him.
He liked seeing her eyes filled with him, humble and pleading.
Then, he would trample her humble and pleading underfoot, grinding them into dust.
But because of the Grim Reaper Mercenary Corps’ interference, this small punishment had been shattered before it even began.
But it didn’t matter. In the Urban Ruins, there was no shortage of zombies.
He glanced in Mo Qianqian’s direction and curled his lips into a cold, humorless smile. “The deeper parts of the city are dangerous. We’ll hunt zombies and search for supplies in this area.
Steel, gold and silverware, as well as some precise objects from the civilized era that remain undamaged or only slightly damaged—all have value.”These are the most basic common sense for going out to hunt and explore.
Since she wanted to be self-reliant, he didn’t mind giving her some pointers.
“In a moment, our combat personnel will clear out a relatively safe area. You can search for supplies within the Safe Zone we clear out.
However, whether it’s collapsed ruins or inside buildings, even after we’ve cleared them once, there may still be dangers lurking in the shadows that weren’t completely eliminated.
Your findings won’t be included in the team’s distribution. You’ll arrange everything yourself, and you’ll have to carefully consider the risks involved during the process.”
Ji Yunting believed his arrangement was already more than generous.
What he wanted was never Mo Qianqian’s life.
But what caught him off guard was that Mo Qianqian actually rejected his proposal.
“No need for such trouble. We can each explore on our own.”
Mo Qianqian’s voice remained calm. After speaking, without waiting for Ji Yunting to say anything more, she had already stepped forward, heading toward the Urban Ruins ahead.
Ji Yunting watched Mo Qianqian’s departing back with a gloomy expression. He wanted to ask how she, with no strength to even tie up a chicken, planned to explore on her own. If she encountered zombies, what would she use to deal with them?
With that wooden toy in her hand?
He wanted to remind her that zombies weren’t so easy to deal with.
That wooden toy in her hand wouldn’t be of any use.
But looking at Mo Qianqian’s retreating figure, the words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.
This was the second time today that Mo Qianqian had defied his arrangements.
Suffocation and irritation churned within him, only to be quickly suppressed.
Was it another attempt at playing hard to get?
Perhaps he had been too accommodating today.
She really needed to learn a lesson.
“Let’s go clear out the zombies over there,” Ji Yunting said in a low voice.
The direction he pointed to was neither too close nor too far from where Mo Qianqian was heading. He could keep an eye on Mo Qianqian’s situation, but if rescue were needed, it would likely cause some delay.
He intended for Mo Qianqian to get hurt a little and suffer a bigger hardship.
After stepping into the Urban Ruins, Mo Qianqian walked directly along the left side of the road.
The zodiac pendant containing the Spirit Spring Space was hidden beneath a concrete block at the entrance of the third intact building on the left side of the street.
But she couldn’t go directly to retrieve it.
That would be too obvious, as if she already knew there was treasure hidden underneath—it would be hard to explain.
On the outskirts of the Urban Ruins, zombies weren’t too numerous.
As she passed the first intact building, a zombie rushed out from a gap in the structure, clawing and snarling as it lunged toward her.