When Yu Yao found Luo Mei, she was sitting leisurely in the snack aisle leaning against a collapsed shelf, munching on some chips.
Seeing Yu Yao approach, she whispered, “Sis, sis, got any room for me to stash some snacks?”
Yu Yao gently nodded and waved her hand, instantly packing the dozen or so boxes of snacks Luo Mei had gathered into her backpack compartments.
Luo Mei’s eyes sparkled with joy and admiration.
“Now that’s what I call a spatial ability! Zhao Han’s is just some gimmick, having to pick up stuff one by one—what’s there to brag about?”
Before leaving, she had noticed Zhao Han packing their luggage.
Not only did Zhao Han have to reach out to touch each item individually, but she was slow, making Luo Mei, who was impatient by nature, feel anxious for them.
Saying that, she curled her lips in disdain and popped another chip into her mouth.
Yu Yao was silent for a moment, thinking the misunderstanding was quite big.
After all, Zhao Han’s was the real spatial ability.
She… was just a fake.
…
After collecting supplies from the supermarket, the two didn’t choose to go upstairs but instead left the supermarket directly.
For some unknown reason, the other survivors in the mall didn’t show up.
Yu Yao didn’t bother with it to avoid causing other problems.
Once outside, they set their sights on the stores on the ground floor.
There were many shops here, all newly opened or about to open.
Everything—decorations and goods—was brand new and worth collecting.
At the supermarket entrance, there was a pharmacy; the two went in to pick over supplies.
After leaving the pharmacy, they quickly found a relatively undamaged barbecue restaurant.
They took all the tables, chairs, and utensils, as well as all the gas stoves and gas canisters from the storage, including several liquefied gas stoves and tanks.
There were some food items in the kitchen refrigerator about to thaw, which Yu Yao collected as well.
Even the wilted vegetables and condiments in the kitchen were not spared.
Thinking of finally having some hot meals to eat, Luo Mei’s flushed face lit up with excitement, and she urged Yu Yao to go to a nearby hot pot restaurant.
After gathering all the ingredients and base soup from the hot pot place, they went to a plum store and a candy store.
These snacks, which almost no one would take, were all collected by Yu Yao, warehouse and all, leaving none behind.
After finishing, they didn’t forget to pop a sour plum candy each into their mouths, making Luo Mei squint her eyes at the sourness.
…
Thus, the two spent an entire afternoon collecting from every worthwhile shop nearby.
In Luo Mei’s eyes, they had gathered enough supplies to last more than half a year.
But compared to what Yu Yao had collected earlier, it wasn’t even a speck of dust.
Fortunately, they encountered plenty of zombies, allowing Yu Yao to practice while gaining lots of experience—a fruitful haul.
Seeing the sky growing dark, Luo Mei reluctantly got into the car and looked expectantly at Yu Yao.
“Sis, want to keep collecting?”
“Do you want to?”
Luo Mei nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes! Who at this point would say no to more supplies?”
Honestly, she had never imagined she’d become such a greedy “hoarder.”
But times change hearts, and now all she could do was work hard and live well!
She added, “Don’t worry, I won’t steal these supplies. Everything in your place is yours. I’m just a tenant—I exchange crystal cores for my food and clothes.”
Yu Yao caught the seriousness and sincerity in her eyes, smiled, and said, “Alright, then let’s go collect. Who’d say no to more supplies?”
Luo Mei cheered excitedly and floored the accelerator.
…
Along the way, Luo Mei hummed a tune but kept watch on their surroundings.
Soon she spotted a relatively intact bookstore café and asked, “That place looks okay, wanna go?”
Knowledge is a seed—better to keep it if possible.
“Let’s go!”
Luo Mei happily agreed and quickly found a parking spot.
They got out, dealt with a few zombies swarming them, broke the café’s door lock, and took all the books, coffee beans, coffee machines, snacks, and utensils inside.
Because all supplies had been scattered by the earthquake, sorting took quite some time.
By the time they finished, night had completely fallen.
Luo Mei looked outside the window and said to Yu Yao, “It’s dark now, and there are quite a few zombies outside. How about we just settle here for the night?”
“Okay, I’ll tidy up a spot,” Yu Yao replied.
“Alright, then give me some ingredients and cooking tools—I’ll cook.”
Yu Yao said, “Whoa! You can cook?”
A pleasant surprise.
It wasn’t that Yu Yao was short-sighted—Luo Mei looked like a fiery, carefree type who didn’t seem like someone who could cook.
Luo Mei crossed her arms arrogantly, head held high, eyes full of pride.
“Who are you looking down on, sis? People like us, always on missions in the woods, without some cooking skills we’d have starved hundreds of times by now.”
Yu Yao raised an eyebrow. “People like you…?”
Luo Mei’s expression briefly faltered, then she said, “You probably guessed by now—I’m a mercenary.”
She and her brother were kidnapped to a base for training at age five, and at fifteen, they and their teammates rebelled against the inhuman organization to form their own faction.
As long as the pay was right, they’d kill, loot, fight terrorism, provide security, go undercover, gather intelligence.
Anything except crossing the line.
Luo Mei didn’t see herself as a good person, especially compared to a girl like Yu Yao who grew up under the red flag.
But she didn’t want to hide the truth from Yu Yao.
She sincerely hoped to be good friends with her and fight side by side in the future.
Because of this, though she spoke calmly, the unease and nervousness underneath were impossible to conceal.
Yu Yao was silent for a moment, and Luo Mei quickly explained, “Don’t be afraid. We’re not completely bad people. We have our limits. We’re not the kind to do anything just for money. Before each mission, we do detailed investigations on the targets and employers. We don’t kill good people, don’t help tyrants, and don’t harm the country. So, don’t be scared.”
Her speech was fast, even skipping pauses at punctuation, showing how nervous she really was.
She had never felt inferior about her profession before. After all, she had been kidnapped into a training camp shortly after she could remember.
More than ten years of living on the edge of death had made them stay away from normal people and normal life.
She never cared what others thought of her.
But now, facing the clean and pure Yu Yao and looking into those eyes, Luo Mei suddenly felt the bloodstains on her hands corroding her heart little by little.
Her once strong emotional defenses were slowly breaking down.
Yu Yao gazed into her flickering eyes, and after a moment, silently gave her a thumbs up.
“Cool!”
Under Yu Yao’s clear, smiling eyes, the light in Luo Mei’s eyes gradually brightened.
After a few breaths, she finally smiled with relief.
“You’re… you’re flattering me, hehe, hehe~” After the silly laughter, she immediately returned to her bright and optimistic demeanor.
Hands on her slim waist, she said, “I’m happy today, so I’ll give you a chance to order something~”
“How about a bowl of noodles with meat sauce?”
Luo Mei was a little surprised, “That simple?”
“Isn’t it???” Yu Yao’s eyes were clear but puzzled, making Luo Mei pause for a moment before smiling, “Alright, alright, noodles with meat sauce it is~”
Luo Mei said that and immediately went to clear the front desk.
After Yu Yao handed over the ingredients, cooking utensils, gas stove, drinking water, and other supplies to Luo Mei, she went to tidy up a suitable sleeping spot.
During that time, she could hear Luo Mei preparing food in an orderly way—it was obvious she was used to cooking regularly.
As Yu Yao’s appetite was gradually teased by the aroma, Luo Mei finally served the cooked noodles, pouring the meat sauce and toppings over them.
“Time to eat~”
At that moment, Luo Mei’s voice was suddenly accompanied by gunshots from outside the door, causing their expressions to change.
The two exchanged a glance and instinctively looked out the window.
No matter what, the apocalypse arriving in a peaceful era meant such large-scale use of firearms could only be from either the mafia or the military.
As expected, on the nearby street, a group of young people in green military uniforms was surrounded by a large horde of zombies.
The darkness gave the zombies a natural advantage, making it difficult for those in green uniforms to resist.
The use of firearms would attract even more zombies; though powerful, it had fallen into a terrifying cycle.
Behind them was a military truck filled with ordinary people, faces full of fear, huddling and trembling.
Yu Yao narrowed her beautiful eyes, her fingers twitching slightly as they rested on the windowsill.
Seeing this, Luo Mei softly asked, “Go in?”
“Go!” Yu Yao replied.
With that, she grasped her dual blades and headed straight to the front door, rushing in with Luo Mei who also held her weapon.
They were not exactly saints and lacked much mercy.
But when it came to these people—most without awakened abilities—who still bravely stood at the front lines…
They couldn’t bear to be cruel.
…