After settling on a plan, everyone got into the car. Ye Shuyao drove, Chen Yi sat in the front passenger seat, Shi Ran and Zhou Nuocheng took the middle seats, and the three boys squeezed into the back.
As the supermarket faded into the distance, Shi Ran felt like she had forgotten something. Whatever—must be an illusion. Probably just tired.
With Chen Yi’s barrier, they smoothly drove up to the mall entrance. Tang Yao used earth to seal the main doors, and Gu Ming immediately froze them shut.
Fortunately, the county mall wasn’t too large—there were only four entrances. With Ye Shuyao’s driving skills, they managed to seal the first three without even getting out of the car. By the time they reached the fourth entrance, only ten minutes had passed.
Sharing a single large barrier, they entered through the last door and sealed it behind them.
Inside the mall, zombies wandered about. However, in this type of department store, floors were only connected by elevators and stairwells—there was no direct line of sight between levels.
They quickly sealed off the passage between the first and second floors. Then Zhou Nuocheng released a clone, who jumped onto an open display platform holding a loudspeaker.
The speaker was connected to the MP3 Shi Ran had brought. As soon as “Zhou Nuocheng” pressed play—
“I am the queen! Confidence shining bright! If you—”
The clone nearly went deaf, and even Zhou Nuocheng himself felt a ringing in his ears. He turned to Shi Ran with a resentful look. “Are you secretly a sign language teacher? Planning to deafen me so I’ll enroll in your classes?”
Shi Ran smiled sweetly, holding out her palm. “I don’t look at money, only fate. So… how much are you planning to give?”
Spoiled you too much, you dog of a man.
At the noise, all the zombies on the first floor rushed toward the sound from every direction, trying to grab the speaker.
Zhou Nuocheng withdrew his clone. The team stood around the speaker, unleashing their abilities at the zombies climbing toward them.
They formed a circle with Chen Yi at the center, making it easier for him to maintain the protective barrier.
“Alright—stop!” Zhou Nuocheng ordered.
Everyone ceased their attacks. They wouldn’t exhaust all their energy. About half the zombies had already been eliminated, leaving only scattered ones still rushing toward the speaker.
As more zombies clustered around it, Shi Ran condensed a larger surge of lightning and unleashed it into the mass. The zombies were connected in a chain—electricity arced from one to another.
Although the lightning’s power was somewhat reduced, it was enough to paralyze them. None could escape.
Seizing the moment, Zhou Nuocheng formed a fireball in one hand. His clones spread out in a line and attacked the horde simultaneously—flames soared skyward.
Everyone watching was stunned.
That kind of power… was beyond words.
Chen Yi dropped the barrier, and the team began cleaning up the remaining zombies. Each of them handled it more smoothly than before.
“The first floor is a grocery area. The second floor has clothing, furniture, and some outdoor supplies—kind of a mixed selection. The third floor is children’s clothing, and the fourth floor has entertainment venues,” Chen Yi explained.
Gu Ming scanned the area. “There are no zombies left on the first floor. In that case, we can head to the second.”
“No, I need a break—my legs are shaking,” Ye Shuyao said, leaning against Shi Ran. Looking at what they had just accomplished, she felt a lingering fear. It was her first time killing so many zombies—there was no way she wasn’t shaken.
They were only seven people… and they had cleared an entire floor.
This was what it felt like to be surrounded by powerful teammates—thrilling, intense, and deeply reassuring. A sense of unity and cohesion rose naturally among them. Facing so many zombies, not a single person had faltered.
“Alright,” Gu Ming said softly. Seeing Ye Shuyao’s shaken state—so different from her earlier calm decisiveness—he couldn’t help but feel a bit tender.
Since no one had fully exhausted their abilities, after about an hour of rest, they had mostly recovered.
Under Chen Yi’s barrier, they moved up to the second floor. They first sealed off the connection between the first and second floors again, then blocked the stairway to the third floor, ensuring no zombies could slip through. Using the same strategy, they cleared the second floor.
Fortunately, there weren’t too many zombies there, so the Jingyun Squad didn’t have to expend much effort.
Shi Ran grew more excited the more she fought. With so many goods around, she felt that not emptying the place would be a waste of all the energy they had spent.
“Shi Ran, we’ll follow your lead—how do we move everything?” Zhou Nuocheng leaned casually against a shelf, watching her animated expression.
Tsk, that smile… so sweet. Is she even an adult yet?
Shi Ran said excitedly, “There are shopping carts on both floors. Everyone just grab whatever you want and load your own cart. Here—this is the apocalypse survival checklist I made. It covers all seasons. Take whatever you need—I’ll take everything else!”
“Shi Ran, you must’ve been a fairy in your past life!” Xu Zimo exclaimed. He hadn’t expected a free-for-all shopping spree like this in the apocalypse.
“Look at your lack of ambition. I’m obviously a fairy in this life too,” Shi Ran shot back.
Then she turned to Zhou Nuocheng, eyes shining with anticipation. “Zhou Nuocheng! Let’s go check the warehouse supplies, okay? My knowledge is limited—I only recognize basic food. Help me see what else is important.”
She knew Zhou Nuocheng understood far more than she did. She didn’t want to miss out on valuable items just because she lacked experience—like seeds, for example. She had no idea which ones would survive best in the apocalypse.
As a “background character,” she had come to a realization:
the main character’s role… was to be thoroughly taken advantage of.
From strength to knowledge—she’d make full use of everything. Others plucked feathers as geese flew by—she? She’d pluck them bald.
Zhou Nuocheng’s lips curved upward—he was clearly in a good mood. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
Just like a doll…
“Since you’re asking so sincerely, I’ll reluctantly tell you.”
Shi Ran slapped his hand away, reminding herself to stay patient for the bigger plan, forcing a bright, slightly foolish smile.
Seeing her “angry but not daring to protest” expression, Zhou Nuocheng pressed his lips together to hide a smile. “Next time, act a little better. That was too fake.”
Even so, he turned and grabbed her wrist, leading her toward the warehouse.
“Yaoyao! Don’t forget my share! Love you!” Shi Ran called out as she was dragged away.
The others stood there, stunned.
Chen Yi couldn’t help asking, “Are they… a couple?”
“Ahem—kid, don’t talk nonsense. Our boss… he…” Xu Zimo faltered. He had never seen their boss care about a girl like this before.
“Of course they’re not a couple. Our Ranran is amazing—who wouldn’t like her? Zhou Nuocheng doesn’t even make the cut!” Ye Shuyao said confidently. From what she saw, Shi Ran didn’t seem to like him at all.
Gu Ming brought everyone back to reality. “Even though there are no zombies, don’t go alone. I’ll team up with Ye Shuyao and Tang Yao. Xu Zimo, you’re with Chen Yi. Once you’re done, return here.”
Ye Shuyao could control wind—handling three or four shopping carts alone wasn’t a problem. But since they had already stocked up before the apocalypse, they didn’t need much and helped Gu Ming and Tang Yao instead.
Tang Yao also took responsibility for Zhou Nuocheng’s share.
Xu Zimo had it even better—when his cart overflowed, Chen Yi used vines to weave a net to carry more for him.
For a moment, they all experienced the joy of shopping freely.
After all, only you truly know what you need. Shi Ran saved herself the effort, and everyone picked what they wanted happily—no one felt forced, even though none of them were particularly picky.