Because of that single bottle of water, Ruan Ning successfully closed the distance between herself and the group, gaining their goodwill.
Through their conversation, she learned that all the nearby water sources had been contaminated and that it now cost one contribution point to exchange for just 100 millilitres of clean water at Base Three.
To put it in perspective, a first-tier transparent crystal nucleus could only be exchanged for two contribution points.
In this regard, Ruan Ning couldn’t help but marvel at how much more advanced and organized B City’s Base Three was compared to S City.
They had already established a rudimentary but effective resource exchange system, replacing pre-apocalyptic money with contribution points. What’s more, they offered ordinary people, who had no combat skills, various opportunities to earn contribution points.
Even though ability users were powerful, ordinary people still made up the majority in the apocalypse. By providing a way for them to survive through hard work, Base Three avoided the kind of unrest that some other bases had to suppress with brute force. This method ensured the base’s longevity.
To implement such a system within a month and successfully roll it out was an achievement few bases in the entire country could match.
It was no wonder that Base Three had emerged as one of the top three safest bases in the apocalypse in her previous life. Efficient management had undoubtedly played a major role.
—
Since the water sources were contaminated, Yao Yiyi hadn’t been able to drink freely for a long time. Every sip had to be carefully calculated to ensure she drank only what was absolutely necessary.
Now, after drinking nearly half the bottle of mineral water, Yao Yiyi instinctively started to feel guilty. She carefully tightened the cap and stored the bottle safely.
When she looked around, she noticed her teammates were doing the same—each had only taken a few sips before tucking their bottles away.
After all, this bottle of water was worth three contribution points. Drinking it all at once would feel like a huge waste.
Their team typically earned about 100 contribution points per trip, and that was split among nearly twenty people. After distribution, there wasn’t much left for each person. Those points had to cover both food and water. While they managed to get by, they were far from living comfortably.
Ruan Ning observed their behaviour and further confirmed just how precious water was in Base Three.
She made a mental note to avoid casually handing out water in the future.
It wasn’t that she begrudged them a few bottles; rather, the principle of “wealth should not be flaunted” always applied, especially in the apocalypse.
Still, she was grateful to these people. They had given her valuable insight into B City’s situation.
“By the way, where are you heading?” asked a man with a buzz cut, curiosity evident in his voice. “Are you planning to go to Base Three?”
Earlier, when Ruan Ning clarified that she wasn’t a water-ability user and had merely brought water from S City, where the sources weren’t yet contaminated, the group had looked slightly disappointed. However, given the team’s strength, the presence of a water-ability user seemed less significant.
“No, we’re here to look for someone,” Ruan Ning replied.
Perhaps feeling indebted for the water, the buzz-cut man became even more enthusiastic. “If you’re coming to B City to find someone, you’re in luck! Our team often interacts with regular survivors, and Xiao Chu’s brother-in-law is the deputy leader of the base. As long as the person you’re looking for is at the base, we can definitely help.”
“Isn’t that right, Xiao Chu?” The buzz-cut man winked at Chu Yu.
Understanding her captain’s intention, Chu Yu chimed in, “Yes, we can definitely help you find someone. If it weren’t for you, we’d probably be dead by now.”
A team as strong as this one would undoubtedly attract attention in the safety base. As Chu Yu’s brother-in-law often said, forging connections with powerful teams like this could only bring benefits. After all, they had saved them today—who knew if there would be a next time when they needed help again?
Ruan Ning smiled politely but didn’t commit to anything. She wasn’t sure how Gu Yicheng would handle this group yet.
However… she suspected they would probably agree. Jiang Jingchao, as one of the male lead’s closest companions, had a significant relationship with him. If these people could help find his family, Gu Yicheng would surely keep them around.
Meanwhile, Gu Yicheng and the rest of the team were steadily pushing back the mutated animals. Soon, only three of the dogs remained, still putting up a futile resistance.
Dogs were naturally intelligent, and these three had evolved exceptionally well among mutated animals. Realizing they couldn’t win, they began retreating, step by step, trying to escape the area.
Animals sometimes held grudges even better than humans. With their sharp sense of smell, if they were allowed to leave, they might cause trouble in the future.
Gu Yicheng had once suffered a similar setback in his past life. About a month after the apocalypse began, his team had encountered a mutated hunting dog that had been specially trained before the outbreak. Despite severely injuring it, they failed to kill it. When they passed through the same area later, the dog, now stronger, ambushed them, injuring many of his teammates.
It took longer than expected to deal with the last three mutated dogs.
Gu Yicheng’s expression turned cold as he slashed open one of the dogs’ abdomens with his Tang blade. Blood poured out as its body twitched, its crimson eyes fixed on him. With another strike, he severed its head, which rolled to the ground, splattering blood everywhere—some of it landing on him.
The sticky blood on his hands and clothes made Gu Yicheng frown in irritation. He couldn’t stand the sensation.
“Brother Gu, here.” Ruan Ning approached and handed him a damp handkerchief she had prepared earlier.
It occurred to her that, as a “younger sister,” she was quite thoughtful and attentive.
While she couldn’t help the male lead with major issues, she was more than happy to handle these small details—like now.
Gu Yicheng took the handkerchief and wiped the blood off his hands, his expression visibly softening. He then shrugged off his bloodstained coat.
“Brother Gu, I’ll hold it for you,” Ruan Ning offered tactfully.
Gu Yicheng glanced at the blood on the coat and then at her pale, slender wrist. “No need,” he said calmly.
Ruan Ning didn’t insist. If he didn’t want her to carry it, that saved her the trouble. Why would she argue?
Gu Yicheng used his Tang blade to retrieve the crystal nucleus from the dog’s head. Mutated animals also had crystal nuclei, located in their skulls, and these were larger and clearer than those found in zombies.
“What about these people?” someone asked, referring to the group they had saved.
Buzz-cut man, understanding the dilemma, quickly said, “Our car is nearby—about fifteen minutes away on foot. If it’s okay, could we go and retrieve it?”
Ruan Ning relayed what they had mentioned earlier about helping find Jiang Jingchao’s family. After a moment’s thought, Gu Yicheng looked at the group and agreed.
The buzz-cut man, holding his breath as he waited for a response, finally let out a sigh of relief. The aura around this man was overwhelming; even looking directly at him made it hard to speak.
Leave a Reply