Warehouse.
Zheng Wenxiu took out all the supplies from her spatial storage.
On this trip, they passed through a total of seven or eight towns and encountered three or four large supermarkets that still had a decent amount of goods.
“Thirty-four bags of rice, twenty-one bags of flour, 112 boxes of instant food, ten boxes of canned fruit, four boxes of canned meat, and various amounts of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar…”
“More than fifty sets of quilts, over twenty down jackets, and various daily necessities…”
After taking inventory, Zheng Wenxiu concluded, “Every household in the village is growing vegetables and has some stored grain of their own. These supplies should last for a while.”
Wei Yan remained silent.
As his secretary and assistant, Zheng Wenxiu understood his thoughts. “Brother Wei, for over a thousand people in the village, these supplies are indeed insufficient. But for us, this is already the limit of what we can do.”
“We’ve traveled through all the counties and towns around G City, and most of the supplies have already been scavenged. If we want to search for more, we’ll have to go to other cities.”
“But I don’t recommend that.” Zheng Wenxiu stated bluntly, “This cold wave came out of nowhere. G City has never had such low temperatures in September before. We have no idea what will happen next. The best course of action is to stay in the village and observe.”
She had said plenty to persuade him, and Wei Yan was no fool—he understood her reasoning.
“Let’s wait and see.”
He rubbed his temples, but the worry on his face did not ease.
Seeing this, Zheng Wenxiu hit the nail on the head. “Brother Wei, you want to single-handedly ensure that everyone in Hot Spring Village has enough food and warm clothes, living like they’re in a paradise in the apocalypse. That’s simply unrealistic.”
“Going out to search for supplies is not a long-term solution. If we want Hot Spring Village to survive, we either make the village entirely self-sufficient or expand, bring in more survivors, and establish a larger base to create a sustainable resource cycle.”
The first option was achievable, but it would undoubtedly be tough.
The second option was far more complex. Even if they implemented it, things might not go as planned.
Wei Yan fell silent again. After a long pause, he finally said, “After distributing this batch of supplies in a few days, I’ll gather everyone for a meeting to discuss the possibility of expanding the village into a base.”
Zheng Wenxiu looked at the supplies in the warehouse with a bit of regret.
Before the apocalypse, Brother Wei was a great boss; after the apocalypse, he was also an excellent leader.
If not for him, she wouldn’t have become so selfless.
So many supplies—if it were just the three of them, they could live off this for an entire year!
Guan Zixuan must be thinking the same thing, right?
The two of them stayed because they admired Brother Wei’s character and capabilities. It wasn’t out of pure altruism—where in this world are there so many saints?
Wei Yan was unaware of Zheng Wenxiu’s true thoughts. After making the decision to expand the village, he felt as if he had put down a heavy burden.
“Let’s go. After running around outside for so long, we should have a good meal tonight.”
Zheng Wenxiu grinned. “Then I want hotpot! There are still a few packs of hotpot base in the warehouse—giving me that as a reward isn’t too much, right?”
“Take them back.” Wei Yan wasn’t stingy when it came to these things. “Oh, and here, this Grade 3 crystal is for you.”
He tossed her an orange crystal.
Zheng Wenxiu immediately caught it, her face blooming with a radiant smile. “Thank you, Brother Wei! I could work for you my whole life!”
A Grade 3 crystal!
After all this time, they had only obtained four of them in total!
Two had been given to Wei Yan and Guan Zixuan—they were the main force in fighting zombies, and their abilities had to be strengthened.
One had been given to Zou Gaoming.
And now, only the last one was finally allocated to her.
Wei Yan chuckled. “Actually, I’ve been unfair to you. The third one should have been yours.”
But since she had a spatial ability, she had to go out frequently, and there also needed to be a strong ability user left to guard the village. So, they had given the third crystal to Zou Gaoming first.
“As for that Tier-4 crystal…”
That Tier-4 zombie hiding in the supermarket had almost ambushed them successfully, but in the end, they discovered it and used the terrain to eliminate it completely.
However, as for how to handle the crystal… Wei Yan frowned slightly. “I’ll hold onto it for now.”
Zheng Wenxiu had no objections and casually remarked, “I wonder how Zixuan’s side is doing. Hopefully, those outsider ability users behave themselves.”
Hearing this, an unforgettable, charming face flashed through Wei Yan’s mind.
He instinctively replied, “There shouldn’t be any problems.”
…
“You guys will stay here.”
Guan Zixuan led Su Su and the others to a log-style guesthouse. “This was originally prepared for tourists. It’s fully stocked with living essentials. If anything is missing, come find me. I live in the courtyard behind the guesthouse.”
He pointed to a standalone courtyard not far away.
That was where he, Brother Wei, and Wenxiu had set up their operations base. Conveniently, it was right next to the guesthouse—perfect for keeping an eye on the outsider ability users.
“Wow! The decor here is amazing!”
Pang Cancan had already pulled Le Rui along to explore the guesthouse.
Guan Zixuan raised his nose smugly. “Of course! This is a resort guesthouse—during peak season, a night here could go for five or six hundred!”
Standing on the second-floor balcony, Su Su could easily see the small vegetable plots in front of the standalone courtyard.
Originally, they had been growing vegetables, but the sudden cold wave had killed most of them. Only in the far eastern corner, several dozen heads of Chinese cabbage had stubbornly survived.
Guan Zixuan followed her gaze, his eyes flashing with distress. “I grew those myself! Now they’re all dead!”
“That’s still not bad.” Su Su sincerely reassured him.
The outside temperature had already dropped to minus three degrees. Only this hot spring village was five or six degrees warmer than the surrounding area.
“You’d better harvest them soon—before the cabbages freeze to death too.”
Guan Zixuan sharply caught the key point. “You think the temperature will keep dropping?”
“Yes.”
Su Su had no reservations about revealing future events.
“The temperature will keep dropping, and it’s very likely to snow.” She lifted her head, gazing at the vast, overcast sky. “If the snowfall is heavy enough, it’ll turn into a snow disaster.”
The young woman had a slender figure, her small palm-sized face buried in a fluffy scarf, making her red lips and white teeth stand out even more. Because she was dressed warmly, her cheeks carried a healthy pinkish-white hue. When her long, dense eyelashes trembled up and down, they resembled a kitten’s soft pink paw pads gently brushing against an ankle.
Guan Zixuan stared at her, utterly entranced.
That side profile—delicate and exquisite.
That nose—tall, slightly upturned, and perfectly rounded.
That… every single feature seemed to tug at his heartstrings.
For a moment, Guan Zixuan had the sudden urge to gather his courage and ask her—would she consider staying in Hot Spring Village? He could give her all his Chinese cabbages.
Smack!
Su Su turned her head in surprise, only to find Guan Zixuan had inexplicably slapped himself.
“?”
Guan Zixuan snapped back to reality, hastily trying to keep up with the conversation. “G City rarely gets snow in recent years. The cold waves always come fiercely but leave quickly. It’s hard to even see a bit of slushy snow, let alone a snow disaster.”
Su Su smiled faintly. “Have you ever seen a snow disaster?”
Guan Zixuan shook his head.
That explained it.
Su Su had lived in the central-northern region and had witnessed several snow disasters firsthand. The most severe ones had even paralyzed transportation.
People who had never experienced it simply couldn’t imagine how terrifying it could be.
She didn’t elaborate further and simply said, “Until the cold wave passes, it’s best not to leave the village.”
Guan Zixuan still wanted to chat with her for a little longer, but suddenly, a cold, hissing sound of a snake came from behind.
The black snake, which Su Su had casually left on the sofa, had unknowingly woken up and slithered over, following her scent. Its dark green vertical pupils swept over the two humans suspiciously.
These two—what were they doing, leaving it behind?
The black snake slithered to Su Su’s side and, feeling petty, bit down on her pant leg.
Hiss!
“Why are you awake?”
Su Su bent down and struggled to lift it up. After spending so much time together, she immediately understood its dissatisfaction the moment it bit her pant leg.
“You were sleeping just now. I was only gone for a few minutes—how did I abandon you?”
Guan Zixuan silently watched Su Su coaxing a python.
She looked as if she genuinely believed this snake had its own thoughts and emotions, as if it truly needed an explanation as to why she had left it alone just now.
He felt like he was overthinking things.
Just as Guan Zixuan was about to say something, Su Su politely but distantly cut him off.
“We’ll take care of ourselves. You just got back to the village—you must have your own things to deal with, right?”
Guan Zixuan actually didn’t have anything urgent to do, but he understood Su Su’s subtle way of sending him off. Left with no choice, he left the guesthouse, glancing back every few steps.
As soon as he was gone, Pang Cancan poked her head out from the neighboring room. “Sister Su Su, he definitely likes you.”
“Nonsense.”
Su Su instinctively denied it, but then she paused, raising her hand to touch her face.
Perhaps it was because she had lived with scars for so long in her past life that she rarely encountered expressions of admiration. Over time, she had grown desensitized to it.
Now that the scars were gone…
Before she could think further, she suddenly felt a sharp bite on the base of her thumb.
It was Xiao Hei. The moment it heard Pang Cancan’s words, its body suddenly tightened around her.
The long-absent act of “intimidation” had returned!
Su Su immediately cast Guan Zixuan out of her mind and sternly refuted, hugging Xiao Hei close. “Don’t say such things. Xiao Hei is here.”
Pang Cancan: “….”
Wait. What does Xiao Hei being here have to do with anything? Why can’t I say it just because it’s here?
She watched in confusion as Su Su walked back into her room and shut the balcony door completely.
—
Su Su lay on the bed, hugging Xiao Hei, staring at the ceiling in contemplation. Her hand absentmindedly stroked its smooth head.
Hiss~
The black snake’s fangs continued to graze against her wrist, its tail coiled tightly around her legs and waist.
Like?
Its vertical pupils flickered, and its gradually maturing mind recalled the scene it had just witnessed.
Its servant had been standing with another male human. They had even looked into each other’s eyes!
A deep fury instantly surged within the black snake.
As a cold-blooded creature, it was inherently selfish, ruthless, and vengeful. Anything it took an interest in had to be firmly possessed. Now, its body instinctively tightened again, coiling around her in loop after loop, wishing it could swallow her whole.
Allowing those two to accompany its servant on the journey was already the greatest concession it had made.
Suddenly, the black snake shot upright, staring icily at its servant.
If she dared to push her luck and let that male human sit inside that iron beast with them, it would definitely bite him to death first, then… then…
“Ouch!”
Tears welled up in Su Su’s eyes as she glared at the culprit. “Why are you squeezing me so tight?!”
The black snake remained unmoved.
It observed the human closely. Compared to their first meeting, she had changed a lot.
At the very least, back then, she would never have dared to yell at it like this, let alone let her tears fall onto its body. But now, her tone had become increasingly casual, and the way she scolded it was practiced and self-righteous.
…Had its authority weakened?
Su Su noticed that Xiao Hei was once again coldly observing her. She really didn’t like this kind of indifferent stare.
Anger flared up within her, and she fiercely yanked the very tip of its tail.
“What are you glaring at me for?”
“You sleep all day! You’ve been sleeping the entire way here!”
“Now you’re finally awake, and you still have such a bad attitude? If this continues, I won’t like you anymore!”
If earlier the black snake had been indifferent to the words “like” and “dislike,” the moment these words became associated with itself, it instantly understood what they meant.
It wanted to bare its fangs and act aggressive, but it hated the idea of “dislike.”
After a long standoff, the black snake finally reluctantly lowered itself, slithering from her waist upward until it reached her cheek. Then, in a rough and unpracticed motion, it licked her a few times.
Its vertical pupils sneakily glanced at her.
Only after confirming that she wasn’t actually angry did it sulkily coil up at the highest point of her body and settle down.
Su Su finally smiled.
But that smile quickly faded as the black snake involuntarily drifted into sleep again.
“Xiao Hei?”
The black snake barely twitched its tail in response.
Su Su sighed in worry.
Was Xiao Hei’s hibernation just a normal biological process, or…? No, it had to be normal!
—
Under the dark night sky, the temperature unknowingly dropped several more degrees.
Inside the guesthouse, after weeks of continuous travel, everyone quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the standalone courtyard next door, the aroma of hotpot drifted several meters with the wind.
Guan Zixuan kept glancing out the window, the cabbage in his bowl cooling for a long time without him taking a bite.
“What’s wrong?” Zheng Wenxiu picked up a piece of meat, following his gaze to where he was looking—the guesthouse.
Guan Zixuan murmured, “What do you think she’s eating tonight? Should I bring her some food?”
“Why don’t you just invite her over?”
“Really?!”
Zheng Wenxiu: “…No. Eat your food.”
Guan Zixuan sighed and glanced at Wei Yan, who sat with his eyes downcast and silent.
He suddenly felt a deep sense of admiration.
Brother Wei really was different—ever since graduation, he had never been swayed by beauty.
—
“Brother Zou, I brought you some food!”
A shadowy figure crept inside, carrying a plate of cured meat and steamed buns.
Zou Gaoming opened his eyes and grabbed a steamed bun, tearing off a large chunk with his teeth.
“Shunzi, you’re the only one who still thinks about me.”
Shunzi sat cross-legged on the ground, absentmindedly poking at the plate. “Brother Zou, I don’t get it.”
“What don’t you get?”
“Why are you staying here obediently? If you really wanted to leave, Brother Wei would just turn a blind eye.”
Zou Gaoming let out a sneer. “Then you underestimate Wei Yan.”
That guy had a strict sense of principle. Instead of making things worse for himself, he might as well sit tight in the confinement room and avoid adding to his crimes.
Shunzi fell silent for a long moment before lowering his voice. “I’m not convinced.”
“Not convinced about what?”
“The apocalypse is here, and we all have abilities. So why should we be stuck in this village? Before, Brother Wei was a college graduate who came back to start a business. Our village relied on him to survive, so we had to follow him. But now? We have our own strength, yet he still acts like he’s in charge of everything. It’s annoying.”
Zou Gaoming let out a cold laugh. “You think I’m not annoyed?”
Before the apocalypse, he had been a dropout, running food deliveries for a few years. When he heard that his hometown was developing tourism and creating job opportunities, he decided to return and work under Wei Yan.
But before he could make any real money, the apocalypse struck. Now, he was stuck in the village, living alongside a bunch of ordinary people.
A Tier-3 ability! And all he was doing was wasting it here!
“If you ask me, with Brother Wei’s way of doing things, this village will always just be a village. But you, Brother Zou, you’re different. Over the past six months, how many guys have you helped get a wife while Brother Wei was away? Everyone knows it!”
Zou Gaoming clenched his teeth.
This was something that couldn’t see the light of day. If Wei Yan ever found out that the new “wives” in the village had actually been kidnapped by him… and that some of the crystals and supplies had been stolen as well… there would be hell to pay.
No—what had happened today might have already made Wei Yan suspicious.
“Oh, right, Brother Zou, I passed by the warehouse just now and overheard Brother Wei talking to Wenxiu.”
Zou Gaoming raised an eyebrow. “What did you hear?”
Shunzi glanced around cautiously, making sure no one was nearby before leaning in close to whisper.
“I heard Brother Wei say… he has a Tier-4 crystal in his hands.”
Zou Gaoming’s grip on Shunzi’s collar tightened instantly. “Did he say how he’s going to distribute it?”
“Brother Wei said… he’s keeping it for himself.”
The tension in his fingers slowly loosened.
Zou Gaoming leaned back against the wall. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke.
“Shunzi, if I were the leader of this village, what would you do?”
Sowing discord!