“Morning Light Squad?” The young man holding the documents glanced up at the eleven people in front of him.
Eleven members, five of them ability users.
It seemed this newly arrived team had solid strength.
Having worked at the base entrance for a long time and seen many squads come and go, the young man’s expression remained neutral. After inputting the squad’s name and basic details into the computer, he asked the Morning Light Squad to wait for a moment. Shortly after, he handed them eleven badges engraved with the squad’s name, along with magnetic cards for tracking contribution points.
The badges were made of a standard bronze material, plain and unadorned, with the words “Morning Light Squad” engraved in small characters.
At the base, teams could customize their badges for an additional cost of contribution points. For example, the top-ranked Dragon-Tiger Squad had badges adorned with the image of a tiger baring its claws, made of gold, with each member’s name engraved on it.
Ruan Ning took her badge and examined it closely, finding it quite fascinating. She didn’t think the badge looked plain at all.
The name “Morning Light Squad” had been her idea.
Morning light, the faint rays of the rising sun, symbolized warmth and hope.
The other members of the squad approved of the name, finding it far better than some of the odd suggestions from others. It had passed unanimously.
Ruan Ning hadn’t given much thought to the name when she proposed it—it was just a flash of inspiration. But seeing it engraved on the badge gave her a subtle sense of pride.
As a transmigrator, Ruan Ning had always felt a sense of disconnection from this world. Despite everything she had been through, few things had genuinely moved her. But when she received this badge, she felt a sudden sense of belonging—a shared glory with her team.
She had great confidence in the Morning Light Squad. She had no doubt that one day, they would become one of the top teams in China.
And she would be part of that success.
—
The squad members had already undergone medical checks before submitting their team documents. Since no one was injured, they were quickly allowed into the base.
With growing knowledge of zombies and data collected over time, survivors with injuries were now only required to stay in an observation room for six hours before being released.
Every infected person exhibited zombie-like traits within six hours, with no exceptions. Because of this, the base no longer required all injured individuals to remain in observation for a full day.
Excitingly, Base No. 3 was also developing a machine capable of detecting the zombie virus. Once completed, it would greatly improve the efficiency of future screenings.
At a fork in the road, Gu Yicheng stopped and turned to the others. “You all go ahead and find a place to settle down.”
“Brother Gu, you’re not coming with us?” Lin Yang immediately caught the underlying meaning of his words.
Gu Yicheng replied, “I have something to do with Ning Ning. I’ll meet up with you in a few days.”
Ruan Ning, who had been unexpectedly included in his plans, was stunned. What? She and he had something to do? Why didn’t she know about this?
Now it made sense why everyone else had assignments, but she didn’t.
Moreover, on the team registration form, the squad officially had seven ability users, including her, but Gu Yicheng had only listed five. She had thought he was trying to downplay their strength, but now it seemed he had deliberately excluded both of them from the roster.
What on earth was the male lead planning?
Ruan Ning watched the rest of the squad leave with a heavy heart. If she had a choice, she would have preferred to stay with the group.
The thought of spending the next few days alone with the male lead made her feel immense pressure—especially since she had no idea what his plans were.
“Brother, where are we going?”
After following him for about twenty minutes and seeing the environment deteriorate with every step, Ruan Ning couldn’t help but ask.
She had a bad feeling. It seemed like their destination was not a good place.
Looking around, she realized this area must have been an old residential complex before the apocalypse. The architecture resembled something from the 1990s. The people here looked worn-out and somber, their expressions even more grim than those of teams returning from missions. Everyone seemed to be in a rush.
The narrow spaces between buildings were noisy and crowded, resembling a pre-apocalyptic marketplace.
Ruan Ning couldn’t help but recall the first time she had gone to find the male lead in City S’s safe zone. It had been in a similarly chaotic environment, and she had nearly been robbed. Quietly, she moved a little closer to Gu Yicheng.
Why did the male lead always gravitate toward places that screamed trouble?
Perhaps the mindset of a protagonist really was different from that of ordinary people. No wonder he always encountered opportunities, while she encountered nothing.
“We’ll find a place to stay here for the next few days,” Gu Yicheng said.
“Here?!” Ruan Ning exclaimed in disbelief.
She glanced around. This place wasn’t much better than the one in City S.
Although there were no robbers in sight, she had accidentally caught a glimpse of a woman in a revealing dress kissing a man in public. The man didn’t seem to care about others and brazenly slid his hand under her clothes, his actions becoming increasingly inappropriate.
Blushing furiously beneath her mask, Ruan Ning quickly averted her gaze.
If that had been the only issue, she might have just ignored it. But the problem was that no one else seemed surprised or concerned. This meant such behaviour was common here, maybe even frequent… which was downright horrifying.
Ruan Ning hadn’t forgotten the trouble her striking looks could cause. Thankfully, with the cold weather, she was bundled up tightly, and with a mask covering her face, even her own mother might not recognize her.
Most importantly, there was a powerful, intimidating figure by her side. Who would dare covet her beauty with someone like that protecting her?
Thinking this, Ruan Ning felt slightly more at ease. However, her lips still drooped in discontent—she was utterly unwilling to stay in this place.
Why couldn’t the two of them stay with the rest of the squad? Even if there were important matters to attend to, it didn’t mean they had to stay here. Or better yet, she could have been allowed to return and stay on her own.
Of course, that last thought was just wishful thinking.
If the male lead had asked her to climb mountains or cross seas with him on their way to the capital, she wouldn’t dare say no.
Base No. 3 was divided into four zones: A, B, C, and D. Zones A and B housed ability users, Zone C was for strong and skilled non-ability users who could contribute through labour or special talents, while Zone D had the poorest conditions and was home to the weakest survivors.
In his previous life, Gu Yicheng had learned that a healing ability user once lived in Zone D under dire conditions before their abilities were discovered. This person relied on the free monthly contribution points and odd jobs for survival.
At this point in time, that person likely hadn’t yet realized their power’s potential and was still living in Zone D.
“Room rental prices are displayed on the screen. Look carefully before you decide. Next!”
The staff member at the Zone D service centre window spoke curtly, with a disinterested tone. Their attitude was a far cry from the polite service the young man at the base entrance had provided when processing their squad registration.
Such treatment wasn’t surprising to Zone D survivors—they were used to it. After all, most people in Zone D were ordinary individuals with limited abilities. Those with even a shred of capability avoided staying here, using their contribution points to move to Zone C whenever possible.
The base had service centres in all four zones, and the staff were usually ordinary people—relatives of ability users, taking on roles similar to government workers before the apocalypse. However, these positions were often used for favours, so attitudes varied.
Ruan Ning didn’t let the staff’s dismissiveness bother her. She kept calm, knowing it wasn’t worth the energy to argue. Instead, she focused on figuring out where she would stay for the night.
The most expensive room in Zone D cost 20 contribution points per month, while the cheapest was only 2 points.
Since staying in Zone D was inevitable, Ruan Ning decided she would choose the best option available. She wouldn’t compromise her comfort.
But just as she was about to make her choice, she suddenly remembered an important detail: she had no contribution points.
How was she supposed to rent a room?
“The staff at the entrance said each magnetic card comes preloaded with five contribution points,” Gu Yicheng said, noticing her concern.
Each person had five points, so they had a total of ten. But with the minimum rental term being one month, the most they could afford was a ten-point room.
Ruan Ning stared at the screen in frustration. Despite having plenty of supplies in her space, she suddenly felt broke.
“We can trade supplies for contribution points at the exchange counter,” Gu Yicheng added.
That was true—she had almost forgotten. If she and Gu Yicheng exchanged all the supplies in their spaces, they could probably rent out every house in the base.
Thinking this, she felt like a “rich woman.” If the base allowed property purchases, she could have made a fortune flipping houses.
As they walked toward the exchange counter, a burly man suddenly blocked their path. His eyes roved lecherously over Ruan Ning, and he smirked, saying, “Hey, beautiful. Why don’t you come with me? I’ll make sure you get two meals a day and even some meat once a month.”
Ruan Ning froze, disgust washing over her as she realized the man was trying to “keep” her—with just two meals and some meat?
She instinctively moved behind Gu Yicheng, avoiding the man’s revolting gaze. In a soft, pitiful voice, she called out, “Brother…”
With Gu Yicheng by her side, she wasn’t afraid. Even if this brute brought along ten more men, they’d all end up on the ground.
The man must have a death wish to dare provoke her! If it weren’t for the base’s rules against drawing weapons, she would have shot him on the spot.
The man laughed. “Calling for your brother won’t help you. If he’s so capable, why are you two in Zone D? My younger brother’s an ability user—your brother can’t beat me. But if you follow me, you’ll live a good life.”
As he spoke, the man reached for Ruan Ning’s hand, his eyes gleaming with lust.
Just as his hand extended, a larger, stronger hand grabbed his wrist mid-air. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free.
Before the man could swing his other fist, pain shot through his knee. With a loud *thud*, he dropped to the ground on one knee.
Gu Yicheng glared at the man, his dark eyes cold and ruthless. His lips curled into a chilling smile as he tightened his grip. With a sickening crack, the man’s wrist fractured, leaving him writhing in pain and unable to stand.
“If you can’t control your hands, then I’ll make sure you never use them again,” Gu Yicheng said icily.
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