The ability users’ side also had to undergo a tier test, so even though there were fewer of them, the line moved slowly.
The ordinary-person line, by contrast, only required a simple registration to get into the base.
When it was Bai Zhuo’s turn, the person handling registration looked her over several times before handing her an ID card.
Bai Zhuo didn’t know why this person was staring at her like that, but there was no ill will in the gaze, so she didn’t dwell on it.
The ID card was everyone’s sole pass within the base. Bai Zhuo pinched the card in her hand and glanced back at Xue Yanhen.
There were still four people ahead of Xue Yanhen in line. She and Bai Zhuo exchanged a look, and she gestured for Bai Zhuo to wait for her.
Bai Zhuo nodded, folded her arms, leaned against the wall beside her, and started spacing out.
The ability-detection device was something the Linzhou survivor base had recently cobbled together. It didn’t compare to Jing City’s, but it could measure an ability user’s tier, which made it a decent thing to have.
Just as Bai Zhuo was getting drowsy, it was finally Xue Yanhen’s turn. Following the staff’s instructions, she pressed her hand onto the device and channeled her ability into her palm.
The number on the display slowly climbed and, under the astonished gazes of everyone around, finally came to rest at 302.
The person handling ability-user registration looked at Xue Yanhen with an odd expression. “You just barely cleared the line, but you’re a tier-three ability user.”
A tier-three ability user!
Even Bai Zhuo raised an eyebrow. She didn’t expect Xue Yanhen’s ability tier to be so high.
Xue Yanhen’s own expression didn’t change much. She took her ID card and walked over to Bai Zhuo’s side.
“Let’s go.”
The people outside watched the two of them walk off. There was some jealousy, but far more envy, envy of Xue Yanhen’s tier-three ability, and envy that Bai Zhuo could team up with a tier-three ability user.
Because Xue Yanhen was a tier-three, the unit the two of them were assigned, aside from being a bit small and having a shared bathroom, wasn’t half bad.
Bai Zhuo had just set down her things when she heard Xue Yanhen’s voice.
“It was the crystals you gave me, they worked.”
Bai Zhuo looked at her, slightly surprised. “You mean those crystals from the zombies’ brains?”
Xue Yanhen nodded. “Those crystals seem to be able to help boost an ability, though the effect is limited.”
Bai Zhuo turned it over in her mind. “That’d be because they’re too small. I wonder whether the zombies will keep evolving from here.”
“Then let’s hope not. If they evolve any further, how would we fight them?”
“Hard to say.”
“Knock-knock-knock—”
Both of them looked up at the same time. They’d only just moved in and already someone was at the door.
Bai Zhuo smiled. “It’s probably for you.”
Xue Yanhen frowned, turned, and went to open the door.
Standing outside was a girl who looked rather delicate. She flashed Xue Yanhen a sweet smile and handed her something.
“I live next door to you two. Please look out for me from now on.”
“No need. Thanks.”
Seemingly not expecting Xue Yanhen to be so cold, the girl’s eyes instantly reddened. “I, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Bai Zhuo came up from behind, glanced curiously at the girl, and then smiled.
“My friend’s just like this. You won’t mind, will you?”
The girl faltered, then clutched the thing in her arms tighter. “I don’t mind.”
“Good, then.”
The door shut in her face with a “bang.” Malice flashed through the girl’s eyes, but in the end she didn’t vent it, she just turned and left.
Xue Yanhen frowned. She felt the girl’s motives might not be so simple. Too fake.
Bai Zhuo patted her. “It’s normal. You are a tier-three ability user, after all, there’re bound to be people coming to win you over.”
“Annoying.”
It was rare to see this kind of emotion from Xue Yanhen, and Bai Zhuo couldn’t help laughing out loud.
Xue Yanhen took out the gauze and medicine, her expression unchanged. “Stop laughing. Come get your dressing changed.”
Bai Zhuo held out her injured hand, while with the other she picked up the paper on the table.
“‘Residency Rules’? Ssss… We still have to pay rent? Huh? Ability users get free rent? Yanhen… gently!”
Bai Zhuo hissed in a breath of cold air with every line she read, the wound really did hurt a bit.
Xue Yanhen gave a soft snort. “Now you know it hurts?”
“I know, I know, I’m not a robot.”
Bai Zhuo drew her hand back and kept reading the Residency Rules.
Aside from the earlier clause, Bai Zhuo tapped the third one.
“‘Everyone must go out to scavenge for supplies and turn in a corresponding quota.’ Heh, don’t most people come to a survivor base precisely for a little peace and safety? Ability users forming squads to go out, fine, but here they’ve even added a bracket: ‘ordinary persons, same as above.'”
Xue Yanhen skimmed it. “It’s fine, I’ll just go.”
“But didn’t you say your ability can only be used on yourself?” Bai Zhuo frowned.
Xue Yanhen paused. “It works the same without using the ability.”
“Forget it, let’s just rest easy for a couple of days, the two of us.”
“Mm.”
Bai Zhuo tossed the paper aside and flopped down onto the bed.
Sleep, sleep. Tomorrow’s problems could wait for tomorrow, the zombies weren’t going to come battering in today.
For once, both of them got a good night’s sleep. Early the next morning, when Bai Zhuo opened her eyes, she still felt a little unaccustomed to it.
Xue Yanhen woke slowly too. “How’d you sleep?”
Maybe because she’d just woken, her voice was a bit hoarse.
Bai Zhuo smiled. “Not bad.”
After getting up, Xue Yanhen went out for a while and came back before long with a bottle of water and a bag of biscuits.
“The ability users’ daily ration. When I went, I saw quite a few people getting ready to head out and keep scavenging for supplies.”
The two of them had no intention of going out, but there was no stopping people from coming to them.
It was that same girl from yesterday. As if nothing at all had happened, she’d come again to bring Xue Yanhen things, and this time invited her out.
“I can show you two around the base. It’s huge inside.”
Xue Yanhen was about to refuse when Bai Zhuo leaned over and nodded with a bright smile. “Sure.”
Xue Yanhen looked over, puzzled, but on seeing the smile on Bai Zhuo’s face she raised an eyebrow. “Fine.”
The girl didn’t expect her invitation to succeed this time, and was a bit surprised, but she quickly recovered and cheerfully led them out.
She really did know the base well, though the truth was there wasn’t much worth seeing inside, especially since there were plenty of places they weren’t allowed to enter.
The girl put on a show of regret. “If only we were ability users. That in there is where the high-tier ability users live, I hear they even have hot water.”
Bai Zhuo cast an interested glance inside, then withdrew her gaze.
Xue Yanhen kept up a completely bland demeanor the whole time. There was no telling whether the girl’s words had caught her interest at all, which left the latter thoroughly frustrated.
Bai Zhuo, still smiling brightly, bid the girl farewell. Once the door was shut, she chuckled softly. “They want to win you over, only I don’t get why they sent over such a brainless one.”
Xue Yanhen stood at the window looking outside. The base’s buildings were packed extremely close together, only in the very center did a little sunlight spill down.
“Probably they’re hoping to replace you.”