The convoy quickly disappeared into the designated passageway.
Outside the base, calm was restored once again. After all, ability users were the minority, and the fame and privileges were reserved for only the most elite among them. Most people still had to wait in line quietly, hoping for a chance to enter the city and start a new life.
Qu Wen withdrew her gaze and looked at Su Su with concern. “What about you?”
Ability users could only bring one ordinary person inside. Since she was taking Ji Junzhi, what would Su Su do?
“It’s fine. You guys go ahead.” Su Su smiled easily. “I’ll line up in the passage for ordinary people. Besides, once I enter the city, I’ll need to find my relatives anyway.”
Qu Wen wanted to say more, but Ji Junzhi tugged her hand. “Let’s go. If we wait any longer, it’ll be dark soon.”
Su Su also persuaded her, “The earlier you get in, the better your chances of picking a good place to stay.”
“…Alright.”
Qu Wen sighed and led Ji Junzhi into the special passage for ability users.
Their departure didn’t stir even the slightest ripple in Su Su’s heart.
She had long been accustomed to partings and fleeting encounters. The appearance of Qu Wen and Ji Junzhi was merely another moment in the myriad stories of the apocalypse.
…And it had also let Xiao Hei see something it shouldn’t have.
Su Su shifted her backpack to the front and puffed her cheeks before giving it a firm slap.
The black snake curled inside instantly opened its eyes.
Earlier, when she accidentally pressed against it inside the van on the highway, it had struggled in dissatisfaction.
But now, even when Su Su deliberately slapped the bag, it only opened its eyes lazily before closing them again.
She waited for a reaction but got none, feeling somewhat disappointed.
It was like punching into cotton.
Hmph.
“Queue up here to enter the city! Have your supplies ready for submission! If you can’t hand them over, your entry qualification will be revoked immediately!”
The staff members managing the ordinary people’s passage were almost all Tier 1 ability users. With them stationed here, no one dared to cut in line or cause trouble.
But even ability users couldn’t stop human nature.
Anyone who had survived the initial zombie outbreak and endured the blizzard to make it here was either physically strong or had hidden trump cards.
Su Su’s presence was like throwing a meat bun into a pack of hyenas.
No abilities, alone, seemingly weak and easy to bully, with delicate and attractive features… All these traits combined in one person, making her an instant target for the filth lurking in the shadows.
Ignoring the countless scrutinizing gazes, Su Su calmly stood at the very end of the line.
She actually could have taken the special passageway.
But if she did, she wouldn’t be assigned to the city’s outer villages—nor would she get to meet the person who had helped her the most in her past life.
“Xiao Hei, shrink down a bit.”
“And take out a cigarette.”
The lowered voice carried into the backpack, and before long, the weight inside abruptly decreased.
The line inched forward slowly.
When only a few dozen people remained ahead, a staff member stood up and announced, “Today’s entry quota is full. Those still in line can wait until tomorrow.”
Everyone in the queue was an ordinary person. Even if they were anxious or dissatisfied, no one dared to cause trouble in front of the ability users.
All the passageways into the base closed simultaneously.
Just like in her past life.
Even so, not many people left. Most simply sat down on the spot, preparing to endure the night.
Su Su hugged her backpack and also took a seat on the ground.
— Sssht.
The zipper of the backpack was pulled open. Inside, the large black python had already shrunk down to a small, slender snake, about the length of an arm and the width of a thumb.
This tiny form felt so distant from the present reality. She still remembered how, when they first met, Xiao Hei had dangled from a tree branch and scared her.
A faint smile surfaced in Su Su’s eyes as she reached a finger into the backpack and nudged the little snake. “Little snake.”
— Hiss!
The black snake caught the teasing in her tone and bit her finger lightly, rubbing against it several times in protest.
“Oh? What good stuff are you hiding in your bag?”
A grating voice shattered the moment of warmth.
A crew-cut man at the back of the line pushed through the crowd, striding directly toward her with precision.
Without hesitation, he squatted in front of Su Su and grabbed her backpack.
“Hand it over and let Grandpa take a look!”
The bag was snatched violently, and the crew-cut man reached in without a second thought.
— AAAAAAAHHHH!!!
As expected, a scream of agony rang out.
The man yanked his arm back as if burned, revealing two fresh bite marks at the base of his thumb.
— Hiss!
The backpack tumbled to the ground, and the thumb-thick black snake slithered out leisurely. It climbed up Su Su’s pant leg and coiled its way back into her palm.
“A snake! You actually keep a snake!”
The crew-cut man collapsed onto the ground, and as soon as the surrounding people heard the word snake, they immediately recoiled five or six meters in fear.
Su Su cradled Xiao Hei in her palm, watching coldly as the man writhed and rolled on the ground.
“I forgot to warn you—my snake is highly venomous.”
The indifferent gazes of the onlookers quickly shifted to fearful ones.
Any lurking thoughts of malice among the crowd were promptly extinguished after witnessing the fate of the first fool who tried.
— Hiss~
Having revealed its true form, the black snake coiled around its female master’s wrist, circling again and again, unwilling to return to the backpack.
Su Su didn’t force it.
Since Xiao Hei took the initiative to keep watch, she half-closed her eyes, her calm demeanor deterring most people.
The crew-cut man’s corpse remained nearby, and for the rest of the night, no other fool dared to provoke her.
— Creak—
Early the next morning, the base gates reopened.
The passing staff paid no attention to the corpse that had met an untimely end. They only managed the daytime—whatever happened at night was nothing more than the natural law of the apocalypse: survival of the fittest.
Su Su understood this well, which was why she never worried about killing someone at the base entrance.
Around ten in the morning, it was finally her turn in line.
“Hand over your supplies.”
Su Su took out an entire carton of cigarettes from her backpack. The staff member, a man, immediately lit up with excitement at the sight.
“Not bad, that’s worth enough.”
Handing over three packs of cigarettes was enough to enter the city. This was an entire carton—ten packs inside!
The man’s eyes gleamed for a few seconds before Su Su lowered her voice. “The remaining few packs… consider them a gift from me.”
It was rare to see such a tactful ordinary person outside the base.
The staff member gave Su Su a meaningful look, then smirked. “Don’t worry. I’ll arrange a good place for you, somewhere close to the ability users’ apartments.”
Su Su’s appearance carried no sense of aggression.
Almost everyone who saw her for the first time would instinctively assume, She must be looking for a powerful ability user to rely on.
Su Su shook her head. “I want to go to South District, City Village No. 44.”
A flicker of surprise crossed the staff member’s eyes.
Just from the name, it was clear that City Village No. 44 was not a good place. At first, people avoided it because of the unlucky number. Later, it became a slum for the lowest-class survivors—a place riddled with chaos and disorder.
“You’re sure?”
Su Su nodded. “I have relatives there.”
That explained it.
The staff member, unfazed, glanced at the black snake coiled around her wrist. Although he could tell she had some hidden cards, he still warned her, “With your looks, you’d better find someone to protect you. City Village No. 44 is a mess.”
It wasn’t discrimination—just reality.
In the apocalypse, law and order had collapsed. The base could only ensure basic survival needs; it had no capacity to manage anything beyond that. Anyone with a desirable appearance was like a child carrying gold through the streets—an open invitation for trouble.
Not to mention…
The staff member looked at her again, sighing inwardly. She’s too good-looking. She’d be better off taking my advice, choosing a place near the ability users, and easily finding protection.
Su Su acknowledged his well-meaning warning. “I understand.”
After fingerprint and facial recognition, she received a new base identity card. Her assigned residence was in City Village No. 44.
Compared to before the apocalypse, the urban area of the Southern Base had shrunk by nearly four times.
Part of it was due to the reduced population.
The other reason…
Most of the eastern region was blocked off by a dense horde of millions of zombies. Every day, ability users had to fight continuously to prevent them from advancing toward the base.
The shuttle bus heading to City Villages No. 40-50 arrived quickly.
Su Su’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted. Carrying her backpack, she stepped into City Village No. 44.
The cramped alleys were packed with aging handshake buildings, their facades so densely packed that they seemed to press against each other. Clothes hung haphazardly from every possible space, and the concrete streets had long since lost their original color.
In front of the ground-floor shops, groups of idle men and women loitered—some shirtless, some with feet propped on stools, some with backs covered in tattoos. They carried the roughness of the lowest social class, as well as the sharpest gazes.
No matter what they were doing—whether picking their teeth, playing mahjong, working, or chatting—whenever someone passed by, they would all instinctively lift their heads in unison, their eyes following the passerby until they disappeared into the depths of the alley.
— Hiss!
The black snake coiled around Su Su’s wrist bared its fangs, scaring off a middle-aged man who had been staring too intently.
“A newcomer… Why would she come to our place?”
“She looks gorgeous… Is she an ordinary person or an ability user?”
“She keeps a snake… Is it venomous?”
“Not sure…”
The people living inside the base didn’t have the constant life-or-death urgency of the outside world, which made them a little more patient. Many watched, observing this girl who was completely out of place in City Village No. 44, curious about her final purpose.
Su Su had long since grown used to these stares.
In her past life, they had looked at her the same way—but back then, they were discussing the two thick scars that ran across her entire face.
— Hiss!
Xiao Hei, however, was not used to it.
Its serpentine body tensed as its vertical pupils swept coldly over every human who dared to look. Judging by its irritated demeanor, it looked ready to bite or burn them all to death!
“Don’t be mad, don’t be mad,” Su Su kissed Xiao Hei’s head. “There are too many people living here. It’s normal to be watched.”
Xiao Hei didn’t like it.
But it reluctantly allowed itself to be pacified, though its gaze remained icy as it glared at the surrounding humans, waiting for some fool to step out of line—so it could bite one at random and establish its dominance.
To the snake’s disappointment, no one made a move.
After safely navigating through three narrow alleys, Su Su finally arrived at her destination—a particular old handshake building.
The entire ground floor had been converted into a spacious shop.
A sign at the entrance read: A’Po’s Forging Workshop.
The moment Su Su stepped inside, a deep, furious roar erupted from within.
“Two Grade 2 crystals?! Are you trying to rob me?!”
“A damn broken butterfly knife, and you want to charge such a high price? Believe it or not, I’ll smash your shop to pieces!”
Su Su saw with her own eyes—three ability users surrounding an elderly woman who looked to be in her sixties.
The leader of the group brazenly snatched the butterfly knife from the table, along with a Grade 2 crystal.
“If you don’t want it, then don’t take anything!”
“This butterfly knife is your tribute to me, old hag!”
“If you dare to keep yapping, I’ll not only wreck your shop—I’ll beat you up too!”