In addition to helping the townspeople settle in, Miao Suisui also mentioned the factory recruitment. There were still six positions available, and with so many people now present, they were quickly filled.
With the addition of these forty people, the previously empty town suddenly became fully occupied, and its liveliness increased as well. Everywhere one went, there were townspeople strolling around.
After helping the last household complete their check-in, Miao Suisui walked out of the bungalow and saw this scene before her.
“For the host, keep up the good work and develop the town into the largest shelter in the apocalypse,” the system said, unusually without pouring cold water on her.
Miao Suisui clenched her fists. She would definitely do it!
Returning to her mayor’s residence, Miao Suisui eagerly opened the panel and bought the dog she had set her heart on.
Before completing the payment, she had to fill out a form. It required her to provide truthful information, and if there was even the slightest concealment, her qualification to purchase a pet would be immediately revoked.
Miao Suisui did not know how the system determined whether the information was truthful, but she still filled it out carefully, stroke by stroke. After that, she even completed a small test. Only after finishing everything did she finally obtain the qualification to purchase.
Not long after clicking the purchase button, a beige puppy appeared in front of her. It looked at her with watery eyes and tilted its head slightly.
Miao Suisui let out an excited scream inside the house and carefully picked the puppy up into her arms.
The puppy’s damp little nose gently touched her, and it even stuck out its soft pink tongue to lick her fingers.
“How about calling you Mi Li?” Miao Suisui said softly. The puppy let out a soft, babyish bark and wagged its tail, as if it really liked the name.
The girl and the dog played happily in the house, completely forgetting the passage of time.
At dusk, Miao Suisui took Mi Li out for a walk.
“Mayor Miao.”
As she passed by the clinic entrance, a voice called out to her. When she turned around, she saw Chen Xu, who had already left the town earlier that morning. He appeared completely unharmed, likely having been well protected by the robots.
“You’re already back? How did it go? Did you find peaches?” Miao Suisui asked.
Chen Xu shook his head, his tone somewhat low. “There was nothing there. By the time I arrived, it had already turned into a nest of mutated plants.”
The rest of Miao Suisui’s words were stuck in her throat.
“I’ll find time to bring this up with Liu Dong,” Chen Xu said, then limped away from the clinic.
Miao Suisui let out a sigh.
At the same time, on a highway more than two hundred kilometers away from H City, a small car was speeding along.
Inside the car sat a man and a woman. The man controlled the steering wheel with one hand, while his other hand was roaming over the woman’s thigh.
“Damn it, I suffered such a huge loss this time. I’ll definitely get it back. Don’t worry, once we return to the base, I’ll ask the boss for help and get revenge for both of us,” the man said, the malice in his eyes almost tangible.
“Mmm, I knew you treat me best. When the time comes, don’t forget to hand that slut Cui Yingying over to me,” the woman said coquettishly. “I didn’t even do anything, and that town mayor drove me out. I almost died outside. Those so-called teammates didn’t help speak up for me at all, and each of them kicked me while I was down. If I hadn’t run into you, I would have already…”
“If you know I treat you well, then serve me properly. There will be plenty of benefits for you in the future.” The man harshly pinched her thigh.
The woman cried out in pain. Hearing her voice, the man seemed to think of something. The hatred in his eyes grew even stronger, but with nowhere to vent it, he grabbed the back of her head and forced it down beneath him.
At the peak of his agitation, as his face lifted slightly, several scars so deep that bone could be seen were clearly visible. One of his eyes had lost its eyeball, the eyelid hanging loosely, making him look even more terrifying.
“Brother Niu…” After it was over, the woman wiped her mouth, suppressing the fear and disgust in her heart as she leaned into the man’s arms.
The man she called Brother Niu was the same person whose abilities had been stripped away by Miao Suisui a few days earlier.
After leaving the town, he had lost his powers and could only rely on brute strength, using the people around him as shields to escape from H City. He had also managed to find a working car, and along the way he had conveniently saved a woman who was about to be torn apart.
The woman he saved was Zhou Xue.
He had not acted out of kindness. Everyone around him had died, and now that he no longer had abilities, he needed to keep a scapegoat by his side just in case. Moreover, although Zhou Xue was not particularly beautiful, she was still somewhat delicate. Before she died, he could at least enjoy himself thoroughly, and Zhou Xue was willing to cater to him in order to survive.
Later, through conversation, he discovered that one of her enemies was the same as his. The two of them immediately hit it off, sharing the same foul temperament.
…
Miao Suisui had no idea that someone was already planning revenge against her. At this moment, she was still standing at the clinic entrance, reflecting on the unpredictability of life.
“Mayor! Mayor! There’s a pregnant woman here, her water just broke on the road!” An urgent voice from nearby interrupted her thoughts.
Miao Suisui was startled and turned to see Pan Tong running toward her with Yu Juan on her back. Behind them followed Han Xiaojun, carrying a bag of vegetables and pork. It looked like something had suddenly happened while they were on their way home from grocery shopping.
“Quick, get her into the clinic!” Miao Suisui, still an unmarried young woman, was experiencing this kind of situation for the first time, and her voice trembled slightly.
Pan Tong’s steps, however, were steady as she ran straight into the clinic.
Han Xiaojun followed behind the adults helplessly, his eyes red, his gaze fixed tightly on Yu Juan, afraid she might disappear.
Seeing this, Miao Suisui held his shoulders. “Xiaojun, take the groceries home first, then go notify your father, alright? Don’t worry, your mother will be fine.”
After a long moment, Han Xiaojun nodded with reddened eyes, then turned and ran off again.
By this time, Yu Juan had already been placed onto the operating bed by Pan Tong, hooked up to an IV, and was being pushed toward the operating room by robot doctors and nurses.
Miao Suisui followed beside the bed, looking at Yu Juan, whose forehead was covered in sweat from the pain. Clumsily, she used her hands to wipe the sweat away while saying, “It’s okay, Sister Yu, it’s okay.”
Before entering the operating room, Yu Juan tried her best to squeeze out a smile at Miao Suisui. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to tell Miao Suisui that she was fine, but another wave of intense pain struck, leaving her unable to speak at all.
The operating room door closed with a soft click. Only then did Miao Suisui lean against the wall and sit down on a nearby chair.
Pan Tong was still beside her. Miao Suisui glanced at her and sighed. “Is giving birth really this scary?”
After asking, she suddenly remembered Pan Tong’s own past experience and realized she had said the wrong thing. Just as she was about to subtly change the topic, Pan Tong had already answered seriously.
“Once you’ve given birth, you’ll know it’s not as frightening as you imagine. The pain only lasts for a while, it depends on how you look at it. For me, a child is like a seasoning in life. I’ve tasted all the flavors, sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, so I’ve never regretted it.”
As she spoke, Pan Tong revealed a faint, nostalgic smile.
Miao Suisui, however, felt a trace of sadness. Mi Li gently nudged against her leg.
After waiting for a while, Han Wei arrived, maneuvering his wheelchair.
The wheelchairs in the town were controlled by a joystick and could automatically detect obstacles, making them both intelligent and safe. At this moment, Han Wei was operating his wheelchair at high speed. The safety system continuously emitted warning beeps for overspeeding, and eventually even forcibly limited the speed.
“It’s my fault. I should have accompanied her when she went out these past few days,” Han Wei said after understanding the situation, somewhat frustrated as he pounded his leg.
With Han Wei staying here, Pan Tong prepared to leave. “The little girl is still waiting for me at the pet shop. I need to go back, or she’ll get anxious.”
Just as she finished speaking, a crisp voice sounded from the end of the corridor.
“Auntie?”