More than fifty lives were not something to take lightly. The balance in Miao Suisui’s heart had already tipped.
Perhaps her conflicted and pained expression was too obvious. Meng Ye, who had just passed by, stepped back and returned to her side. In a low voice, he asked, “Do you need help?”
Miao Suisui snapped out of it and quickly waved her hands. “No, no. You’ve been working all day, go get some rest.”
“No rush. I was about to head to D City anyway. I still have some free time before that,” Meng Ye replied, his expression unchanged.
“D City? You’re going there too?” Miao Suisui was stunned.
“Yes. We need to deliver the snake gall we retrieved to Guangming Base in D City,” Meng Ye explained briefly.
Miao Suisui understood. She had not expected such a coincidence. “I’m also going to D City. Do you want to ride with me? Though I’m not going to Guangming Base, I’m heading to Tiancheng Base.”
“Tiancheng Base? Looking for family?” Meng Ye frowned slightly.
Miao Suisui shook her head and gave a bitter smile. “I’m going to rescue people. I got information through a special channel that Tiancheng Base has already been breached by zombies and mutated beasts. The base has fallen. Only fifty six people are left, and they can only hold out for half an hour. If I don’t go, they’ll all die.”
She seemed to be convincing herself more than explaining to him. Taking a deep breath, her gaze grew firm.
“No time to talk. Every minute matters,” she said, turning away and accepting the emergency mission in her mind.
After only a few steps, Meng Ye appeared beside her. He wore a white T shirt and carried a large backpack. “Let’s go. I’ll take your ride. I’ll accompany you to Tiancheng Base first, consider it payment for the trip.”
“That’s not necessary. You can go handle your own business once we reach D City. I can manage,” Miao Suisui said quickly.
Meng Ye glanced down at her slender arms and legs, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.
Miao Suisui’s face flushed. “I have security robots!”
“There are always situations where robots can’t cover everything. Don’t worry, once your task is done, I’ll leave,” he said calmly.
“That’s not what I meant…” Miao Suisui muttered.
As they spoke, they arrived at the entrance. The familiar express train was already waiting.
Meng Ye paused for a rare moment of surprise. The vehicle looked like a sleek bullet, far beyond anything he had expected.
“Let’s go,” Miao Suisui called from inside.
Meng Ye stepped in and sat by the window. Moments later, someone sat beside him. Turning his head, he met a pair of mechanical eyes.
He awkwardly greeted the robot. It stared back without response. He quietly withdrew his hand.
Watching the entire exchange, Miao Suisui bit her lip to suppress her laughter.
…
At Tiancheng Base, the once sturdy outer wall had been breached with a massive hole. Mutated beasts and zombies poured in endlessly.
The base had descended into chaos. Limbs were scattered everywhere, and the stench of blood filled the air, driving the creatures into a frenzy. Mutated plants even fought over severed limbs.
The base had become a living hell.
In the underground shelter at the center, fifty six survivors crowded into a single room, listening to the roars above, despair filling their hearts.
They could hear footsteps of creatures running overhead.
Then, something was discovered at the tunnel entrance. A wet, dragging sound echoed closer and closer.
They all thought of the giant mutated python they had seen earlier. It had swallowed a person whole in one bite. The venom dripping from its fangs glowed faintly blue, lethal upon contact.
Everyone held their breath, praying it would not find them.
But their prayers were futile. The scent of so many humans excited the creature. It slammed its tail repeatedly against the metal door.
The door began to give way.
People pushed inward, away from the entrance.
A couple holding a small child were forced against the door. The three year old girl trembled silently in her father’s arms, her tiny hands covering her mouth as she had been taught.
Her father held them tightly, using his body as a shield.
It was tragic, but no one could spare them sympathy.
With a loud crash, something unexpected happened. The door still held, but the ceiling above them broke open.
A massive mutated gorilla thrust its head inside. Its grotesque face dripped with foul saliva, bits of flesh stuck between its teeth.
Delighted, it reached in with a huge hand, grabbing several people at once and biting them in half. Blood rained down.
Screams and terror filled the room.
At the moment of complete despair, a thunderous noise came from outside. Something slammed into the python, followed by an explosion.
Moments later, the weakened door collapsed.
Behind it stood a sleek, bullet shaped vehicle, and the giant python lay limp on the ground.
A man stood nearby, slicing open its body with a sharp blade and retrieving the gallbladder.
A young girl stepped out of the vehicle and shouted, “Get in!”
With the gorilla still reaching inside, the survivors rushed forward like drowning people grasping for salvation.
The family of three boarded first, followed by the others.
The gorilla reached again, finding nothing. Enraged, it roared.
Meng Ye calmly threw a burst of fire. The flames spread instantly across the creature’s arm. It howled and smashed the ground, collapsing the underground chamber.
But the vehicle had already sped away.
When they emerged into daylight, many instinctively closed their eyes. Some began to cry, having believed they would never see the sun again.
Miao Suisui counted the survivors. Out of fifty six, only forty remained.
Her mission was complete, but she felt no relief. She was no longer an outsider, she was part of this world now.
Outside the base, monsters filled the area, yet strangely, they ignored the vehicle as it passed. Those in the way were simply knocked aside.
The vehicle remained completely undamaged.
After leaving the base, Miao Suisui dropped Meng Ye off in a safe area.
“Thank you for earlier,” she said sincerely.
When they had reached the tunnel, she had been frightened by the massive snake and fallen. Meng Ye had stepped in, using lightning in one hand and fire in the other to weaken it before the robots finished it off.
Meng Ye waved it off. “It’s nothing. I’ll give you the crystal cores from the snake gall when I return.”
“No need. Keep it,” she said.
He did not respond, only waved before leaving.
Miao Suisui sighed. She had truly embarrassed herself. She had always been afraid of snakes, even before coming to this world. Facing such a massive mutated one had nearly made her legs give out.
The vehicle doors closed, and it continued on.
Turning back, she met a pair of timid eyes.
It was the little girl from the first family to board.
Her eyes were moist, like a small deer’s, softening anyone’s heart.
Miao Suisui took out her unfinished canned peaches, opened it, and offered a piece.
The girl blushed and looked to her parents.
“No… thank you,” they said politely.
“It’s fine. It’s really sweet. Try it,” Miao Suisui insisted, bringing it to her mouth.
The sweet aroma lingered. The girl finally took a small bite, her eyes lighting up. “It’s really sweet.”
Miao Suisui smiled and placed the can in her hands.
She truly loved gentle and well behaved children.
The others in the vehicle swallowed quietly, watching with envy, but no one asked for any.
Even if someone had the thought to grab it, the presence of the robots and Miao Suisui’s calm demeanor made them think twice.
In this world, no harmless looking girl would dare to walk alone into a fallen base and rescue so many people.