The vehicle sped through the streets, occasionally catching glimpses of mutated animals tearing and biting at each other. Sometimes large patches of stark white bones could be seen, a scene of post-apocalyptic devastation everywhere. Xie Anze drove, his lips pressed into a straight line as he watched these images.
Jiang Zhiying lay sprawled on the passenger seat, pondering which type of evolution to choose.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Zhiying unhesitatingly chose the wisdom-type evolution. Of the two evolution paths, one was oriented toward the mental/spiritual direction, and the other toward physical strength. Based on her experience reading novels, the ceiling for the mental evolution path would be higher.
After selecting her evolution path, Jiang Zhiying felt her body grow lighter, and several large characters appeared before her eyes.
[Evolution Complete.]
[Race: Wise Cat (Juvenile Form)]
[Title: Slayer]
[Skills: Appraisal LV.2; Poison Resistance LV.2; Life Recovery LV.2; Cat Paw Strike LV.3; Stealth LV.3; Body Enhancement LV.3 (Passive)]
All her skills had leveled up by one. Jiang Zhiying happily twitched her whiskers.
The off-road vehicle drove to Century Plaza, where a large crowd had gathered. Xie Anze found a corner to park the car. He didn't get out, instead sitting in the vehicle and observing the situation in the plaza.
Most people were ragged and disheveled, their faces slightly sallow, their eyes carrying a hint of exhaustion, yet their faces still held expectation. It was just the beginning of the post-apocalyptic era, and many people still harbored the belief that the apocalypse would soon pass. They didn't know that as time went on, mutated flora and fauna would become increasingly powerful, and humanity could only eke out a precarious existence under siege from both.
Several trucks drove back from outside. Xie Anze looked over and saw a few familiar-looking young men jump down from the vehicles, carrying off various supplies and mutated animals. The crowd stirred restlessly. Ordinary humans had no resistance whatsoever against mutant beasts, relying solely on the base's protection. The base was short on food, and these people could only depend on the daily rations handed out to survive.
A few young men butchered the mutated animals cleanly, threw them into large pots to cook, while others distributed the food.
"Master Qi, what are you looking at?" A tall, thin young man curiously asked the person beside him.
Wang Qi's eye sockets were somewhat everted, his eyeballs bulging, like the eyes of a vulture. His cold, sharp pupils rotated a few times, the surrounding muscles slowly writhing, and his eyes returned to their normal state.
His gaze was venomous as he said coldly, "I spotted an enemy."
Wang Qi was the eldest young master of the Wang family. The Wang family also operated a massive corporation, but when competing for a project, they had used despicable tactics against Xie Anze in collusion with another company. After discovering that the Wang family was behind the dirty tricks, Xie Anze launched a frenzied retaliation. The Wang family quickly couldn't hold on, and their company gradually headed toward bankruptcy. His father, unable to withstand the pressure, jumped to his death from a building just a few days before the apocalypse arrived. Wang Qi harbored deep resentment toward Xie Anze, but at the time Xie Anze's power was too great, and he had no way to take revenge.
After the apocalypse came, he was lucky enough to become an evolved human. His eyes had mutated, allowing him to see things from very far away. He had noticed Xie Anze the moment he arrived at the plaza.
He had originally assumed that a cripple would have died long ago in the chaos of the apocalypse, never expecting that he had managed to survive until now. But this was perfect—he could avenge his father with his own hands.
"Just find an opportunity to kill him, that's all." The tall, thin young man said nonchalantly. His name was An Hai, and he had been a small-time thug before the apocalypse. After it arrived, he quickly realized that this was now a world where the strong ruled. A crippled pretty boy—kill him and it's done; no one would say anything.
Those old-fashioned military types still relied on them to maintain the base's safety. As long as they weren't too obvious about it, they wouldn't come looking for trouble.
"Once night falls, we'll do it like this…" Wang Qi's voice was cold, his gaze toward Xie Anze filled with venom.
Xie Anze didn't know that he had encountered an enemy the moment he entered the base. He was currently scolding the little kitten in his arms.
"Don't you dare rush forward when there's danger again in the future, got it?" He lectured in a low voice, his slender fingers flicking her ear tip.
Jiang Zhiying sat upright and proper on his lap. Her sensitive ear being flicked, she let out a pitiful meow, and her ear instantly flattened into an airplane ear pressed against her head.
"No pretending to be pitiful. From now on, when there's danger, hide behind me. Did you hear me?" Xie Anze showed no mercy.
"Meow!" Her two little paws wrapped around his wrist, and Jiang Zhiying shamelessly pressed her entire body against it, her tail gently sweeping across his arm.
Her round, glossy eyes looked at Xie Anze innocently.
Being distracted by such a clingy little thing's coquettish antics, all of Xie Anze's anger dissipated. He hugged the soft little creature tightly and let out a sigh. "Mimi, you just need to stay obediently by my side. I'll protect you."
"If something happened to you, what would I do?" His voice was low and hoarse, making Jiang Zhiying's heart soften.
Her pink, tender paw pads patted the back of his hand as she nestled in Xie Anze's arms.
My great villain, I will always be by your side.