This time, they arrived smoothly at the provincial capital.
Hong Zhengyuan seemed to be having too much fun in the back, disdaining to return as the driver, but his figure could always be seen during rest stops. He would often joke around with Chi Jing over the walkie-talkie, and Chi Jing would retort with sharp remarks, only for Jin Xiao to frown and stop them as usual.
"It's nice to have friends."
Tang Nai said to the system, "Friendship is one of the most enviable human emotions."
In the past, because of her mistakes, she had troubled everyone and lost many friends. If she became human like them, she hoped to win them back after returning.
[That's not necessarily true…] the system replied.
The commotion from the walkie-talkie echoed throughout the vehicle, but for some reason, Chi Jing's expression held little joy.
Tang Nai didn't understand Mr. Xi's implied meaning. She watched the increasingly dense high-rises and knew the mission was about to begin.
The provincial capital had a large population, and after the virus outbreak, it became a massive gathering place for zombies. However, during the day, zombies moved slowly, and without forming large-scale clusters, they posed little threat. Moreover, with four vehicles of supernatural ability users, as long as they didn't encounter a zombie tide, there was no reason to fear.
Yet, as Tang Nai stared at the blood-smeared red on the car window and felt the vibrations of the modified vehicle crushing corpses, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the leather seat beneath her. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she thought of something and opened them wide.
Mr. Xi had said she needed to overcome it in advance.
Jin Xiao was discussing the next steps with Chi Jing when he suddenly heard the increasingly rapid breathing of the person beside him.
He frowned. "What's wrong?"
Tang Nai took a deep breath. "I'm just excited about reaching the provincial capital."
She wasn't a supernatural ability user, so she couldn't get out to scavenge. What was there to be excited about? Unless… she thought this mission could help replenish her makeup bag. Jin Xiao's mouth gradually tightened.
"This mission is to search for survival supplies. There is no time or manpower to take anything unrelated. If you have any requests, don't mention them. Stay quietly in the vehicle, and do not leave even half a step without my permission."
Rather than a notice, this was a blatant warning.
Chi Jing's fingers, gripping the steering wheel, lifted slightly before pressing back down.
Tang Nai showed a disappointed expression and reluctantly nodded.
Breaking through the zombie circle, they stopped at a commercial district. The terrain here was wide, and after being cleared once, only a few zombies lingered in the distance. Although there were many shopping malls, they had likely been scavenged early in the apocalyptic world. Now, they were just trying their luck. But their team was already at their wits' end; finding even a little something to fill their stomachs would be good enough.
Jin Xiao jumped out of the vehicle and counted the subordinates assigned to the mission.
The supernatural ability users behind him were already eager, stretching their bodies in preparation for a thorough scavenging. Jin Xiao stood at the front, his brow slightly furrowed. "This time, I'm giving you only one hour. Form teams of three. Prioritize medicine when searching for supplies, followed by food. Remember, you're here to gather survival supplies, not to go on a shopping spree!"
His orders were crisp and decisive, and the stern aura around him instantly made all his subordinates rein in their casual expressions. "Yes!"
"Additionally, in areas where zombies gather, they are prone to mutate. They not only use hearing and sight to hunt humans but may also rely on smell or various mutations to sense their surroundings. Our goal is supplies, not slaughter. Don’t linger in battle—withdraw immediately once time is up!"
"Yes!"
Jin Xiao’s gaze shifted to the convoy: "Lastly, during our operation, if anyone gets out of the vehicle and ends up being chased by zombies, I won’t allow anyone to rescue you. You’ll be on your own."
Rather than addressing the people in the vehicles, these words seemed directed at Tang Nai, who lowered her head.
Hong Zhengyuan stood not far away, idly rubbing a small flame between his fingers, his gaze subtly drifting toward the vehicle.
Jin Xiao gave Chi Jing a look, and Chi Jing responded with a reassuring gesture. The group quickly vanished from sight.
In the original text, after Jin Xiao left, Hong Zhengyuan was left to watch over Meng Siyao. However, Hong Zhengyuan had already grown utterly disgusted with her and didn’t wait long before abandoning her to join Jin Xiao. This gave Meng Siyao the chance to sneak into the mall.
But now, Hong Zhengyuan had been replaced by Chi Jing.
Chi Jing remained silent in the front seat.
As long as he stayed, Tang Nai couldn’t figure out how to slip away. She tapped the seat lightly and glanced at Chi Jing.
Chi Jing’s gaze remained fixed ahead, his fingertips idly tapping the steering wheel. Tang Nai asked, "Aren’t you… going to help?"
"You’d better not talk to me."
Chi Jing conjured a blade of grass and chewed on it. "If you think you can get me to bring you something, you’re mistaken."
"Oh."
Tang Nai nodded and fell silent.
She asked Mr. Xi what to do now, and the system suggested doing something Chi Jing disliked to force him out of the vehicle.
What did Chi Jing dislike? It seemed he couldn’t stand the "perfume" scent on her.
Tang Nai glanced at the driver’s seat and slowly removed her jacket.
Underneath, she wore a tank top and shorts. Meng Siyao’s bag contained almost no long-sleeved clothes or pants, and this was the most practical outfit she could find. Without the jacket’s cover, her exposed skin met the air, and she instinctively shivered.
By noon, the sun beat down mercilessly. Without the scent of blood Jin Xiao had left in the vehicle, the sweet fragrance from the back grew more distinct. Chi Jing rolled down the window, but the hot air swirled inside, filling the space with a warm, caramel-like sweetness.
He remained silent for a moment before suddenly pulling out a cigarette from the console.
White smoke curled inside the vehicle, growing thicker with each puff.
Tang Nai coughed twice. Chi Jing exhaled a cloud of smoke and said, "Stay put in the car. If the boss gets angry, no one can protect you."
With that, he slammed the car door shut.
Tang Nai watched him smoke half a cigarette in front of the vehicle before heading into the mall. It actually worked! She waited a moment and tried to open the door, only to find it locked. She tugged hard, pressed the buttons repeatedly, but nothing worked. Panic began to set in.
"Mr. Xi, the car is locked."
[This vehicle has been modified. He locked the doors before leaving.]
But in the original text, Hong Zhengyuan never locked the doors—he didn’t even glance at Meng Siyao before slamming the door and leaving.
Seeing Tang Nai sweating anxiously, the system sighed: [I can’t help it. I’ll make an exception just this once. Press the blue button in front twice.]
Tang Nai pressed twice, and the car door clicked open. She immediately let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Mr. Xi!"
She carefully got out of the car, slipping into the building from a blind spot to avoid being spotted by Gu Qing. In the original story, after Meng Siyao entered the mall, she felt right at home, wandering around freely. She wasted time in the clothing section and ended up trapped by a zombie.
When Jin Xiao returned and found her missing, his expression darkened. It was already nighttime, and zombies in the distance were gradually gathering at the sound of movement. If they didn’t leave soon, they risked encountering a zombie tide.
Hong Zhengyuan irritably said they should leave her to her fate, letting her survive or perish on her own. Chi Jing adjusted his glasses and remarked that searching such a large mall would be difficult. Jin Xiao smoked half a cigarette and told everyone to leave first while he went to rescue her himself.
Hong Zhengyuan couldn’t understand, angrily saying Jin Xiao must have been hit on the head to choose to save Meng Siyao. Chi Jing held Hong Zhengyuan back, explaining that Jin Xiao was stubborn—the more you tried to persuade him, the less he’d listen. Hong Zhengyuan sarcastically accused Chi Jing of siding with that willful and capricious woman. Chi Jing smiled without replying, thinking to himself that Hong Zhengyuan had no idea: the more Meng Siyao was indulged, the more Jin Xiao’s sense of responsibility would be drained.
Sure enough, after finding Meng Siyao, Jin Xiao threw her back to the convoy and sternly warned her once. This incident became one of the reasons he later killed Meng Siyao without hesitation. Unfortunately, Meng Siyao at the time didn’t realize this and continued racing down the path to her own demise.
Now, Tang Nai slipped into a mall, covering her nose and breathing in small gasps. Although she knew she would inevitably encounter a zombie this time, she hoped to delay it a little longer.
"Mr. Xi, if there’s a zombie nearby, could you warn me?"
The system: [I’ve already helped you once. You must overcome this on your own.]
Tang Nai bit her knuckle and nodded. Mr. Xi had already made an exception once; she couldn’t push her luck further. The mall was huge, with a supermarket on the ground floor, upscale restaurants on the top floor, and women’s clothing on the fourth floor.
The elevators had long stopped working. Tang Nai crossed the lobby, where she could still see bloodstains and red scratch marks on the marble floor. She walked hesitantly, tripping over something. Looking up, she saw a desiccated corpse lying behind a cosmetics counter. The person wore a uniform, mouth agape, the facial muscles shriveled into a thin layer of skin. Most severe were the pits and hollows all over the body, as if countless beasts had torn away the flesh, leaving only a crimson skeleton.
Tang Nai lay on the floor, staring blankly, as if all her strength had drained away, unable to move.
Suddenly, the corpse’s eyelids twitched, and a pair of pupil-less eyes stared directly at her.
She gasped and quickly scrambled backward, covering her mouth as she cautiously watched it.
Fortunately, the corpse only stared without moving. Tang Nai sighed in relief, propped herself up against the counter, stood up shakily, and hurried away.
Luckily, the stairs weren’t far. She cautiously climbed to the fourth floor. The higher she went, the dimmer the lighting became. Only a sliver of sunlight fell on a corner of a clothing display. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and dust floated in the air. She knew a zombie was hiding somewhere on this floor.
That zombie was originally a clothing salesman. After being bitten, it frenzied into a zombie, and because it had stayed in the dark for too long, its hearing became extremely sharp. Therefore, as long as Tang Nai made no sound, it was almost impossible for it to detect her.
She covered her mouth, thinking that if she "cheated" to keep the zombie from discovering her, and then waited here for Jin Xiao to find her, it would still count as completing the task. It seemed as if the heavens had heard her thoughts—she circled around the area and didn’t spot a single "human" figure.
Suddenly, the system called out to her: 【Tang Nai.】
It had always referred to her as "host," but this was the first time it called her by her name. Tang Nai was stunned, and then instantly realized something, turning her head sharply.
Right behind her, a zombie with no eyes, abnormally large ears, and its head slightly tilted upward was facing her. Its mouth was almost split to the roots of its ears, and a long tongue hung just above her neck, barely missing her skin.
Tang Nai’s pupils contracted sharply. She quickly covered her mouth, swallowing all her shock. She forced her trembling legs to retreat rapidly, but even the slightest sound of her footsteps made the zombie let out a howl and lunge toward her.
Tang Nai’s pupils contracted again. The zombie was guarding the stairway entrance, making it impossible for her to escape. Fortunately, there was a fitting room in the shop behind her. She pushed over a mannequin to block its path and turned to hide inside a store.
A row of fitting rooms lined the wall. She found the innermost one, locked the door, and tightly covered her mouth to ensure she made no sound.
She remembered that in the original story, Meng Siyao had narrowly escaped by hiding behind a mannequin in the display area. As long as she remained silent, she would surely be safe.
Thinking this, she pulled her feet up onto the platform, hugged her knees tightly, and lowered her head.
But then she felt a slight sting. Puzzled, she touched her knee and felt a damp spot. She sniffed it—it was blood.
It was a scrape from when she had fallen earlier.
"Shua—shua—" The sound of rotting feet scraping against the floor echoed. Tang Nai heard increasingly heavy panting, like the desperate howls of a beast that had been parched for too long, rising from its chest.
How… did it find her here?
"Bang!" The door was violently slammed, and a long tongue slithered in through the gap beneath it!