Bai Qingqing saw the strange pustules on Yang Li’s face, resembling plant spores, and her blood turned cold.
– That woman is a mutant.
“Step aside! Otherwise, I’ll shoot you both!”
Soldiers would not allow any infected individuals who posed a threat to humans to enter the base, even if the person was still human, as they could turn into monsters at any moment.
Within a few days of the outbreak in the dock city, a safe zone turned into a playground for monsters, with human corpses and limbs scattered everywhere. Rotten zombies destroyed everything.
Mutants were even more terrifying than zombies. Regular zombies would aimlessly attack humans, but mutants possessed superpowers and a bloodthirsty instinct. Their explosive attacking power made it difficult for even their peers with supernatural abilities to deal with them.
Moreover, mutants could infect their companions during the latent period, and the moment of outbreak was completely uncontrollable.
The human survivors’ base was right in front of them. Zhou Hang and his girlfriend had struggled to reach this place filled with hope, only to be denied entry.
Their six-month-long hope was shattered in an instant, and despair and desolation engulfed him and his girlfriend.
He had to get in! They were humans, not infected individuals or monsters. They were comrades of humans and wanted to go home!
The soldiers, wearing combat protective suits, raised their guns and surrounded them, with the cold barrels pointed at Yang Li’s head.
Zhou Hang shielded his girlfriend behind him. The despair in his eyes turned into hostility as he shouted angrily, “I said, she’s not infected! Look carefully!”
No one believed him, and no one dared to believe him.
Wang Feifei and her boyfriend, the long-haired man, looked scared as they distanced themselves from Zhou Hang and Yang Li. Their hearts were filled with panic and resentment, praying that they hadn’t been infected.
Bai Qingqing was pushed back by the crowd. Yesterday, the couple had still been filled with hope, but today, they had to face death. The post-apocalyptic environment was so cold and cruel.
The soldiers only trusted the testing instruments. No matter how Zhou Hang explained, it was in vain.
“Step aside! I’ll give you three seconds. If you don’t, I’ll execute you all together!”
Bai Qingqing tightly held Cheng Rui’s hand, and a hint of pity flashed in her eyes—for the couple and for the survival of humanity.
Cheng Rui glanced at her, lowered his gaze, and silently comforted her by holding her.
Yang Li’s eyes were hollow and despairing. Faced with the encirclement of guns, her heart ached, and she felt suffocated.
“Don’t kill him!” She pleaded tearfully, “I’m the only infected one. Just execute me. Please!”
Zhou Hang, with red eyes, turned back and shouted at her, “Don’t say that! I promised I would bring you into the base!”
He had promised her that no matter how the world changed, he would give her a future, a home.
Within the crowd, some sighed while others criticized him for being emotional, saying that he would harm everyone in the end. They yelled at the soldiers to quickly deal with the infected individuals and those who disobeyed orders.
“Zhou Hang, I… I…” Yang Li trembled all over, and a strange roar came from her throat as she suddenly coughed up blood.
Zhou Hang noticed the abnormal change in Yang Li and anxiously supported her, asking, “Lily, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Bai Qingqing softly said with complex emotions, “She’s starting to mutate.”
Cheng Rui was not unfamiliar with the mutations of superhumans. He looked at the scene indifferently. The guards at the city gate were of high rank, and it would be easy for them to deal with a second-tier mutant.
The soldiers immediately started shooting at Yang Li. Zhou Hang instinctively used his sand-based ability to block the bullets and protect himself and Yang Li.
“Disperse!” The soldiers commanded the people standing in line.
Bai Qingqing and Cheng Rui followed the flow of the crowd and reached the edge of the iron cage passage. The soldiers kept shooting at Zhou Hang and Yang Li, but all the bullets were blocked and couldn’t penetrate.
“Ah!” Zhou Hang suddenly covered his neck in pain.
The sand barrier fell to the ground, revealing a horrifying scene. Yang Li’s eyes turned pale, her face turned purplish-blue, and she tightly trapped Zhou Hang with her limbs. Like a wild beast, she bit his neck and tore at it.
Zhou Hang didn’t instinctively resist; instead, he caressed her head, showing a look of despair and sorrow.
The soldiers surrounded them, ready to kill the couple. Zhou Hang let out a loud roar and swiftly rushed in one direction, carrying the most important woman in his life on his back.
Bai Qingqing’s heart pounded intensely as she stared intently at them, unable to express her thoughts.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” People screamed in fear.
The commander ordered in a stern voice, “Quickly! Don’t let them escape! Chase after them!”
No one had expected that Zhou Hang, who had hoped to enter the base, would choose to desperately flee with his future wife, even in the face of death as his girlfriend tore into him.
Staying behind meant they couldn’t enter the survivors’ base, and escaping meant becoming mutants.
In the end, death or survival among their own kind became their chosen fate.
Similar incidents occurred almost daily at the entrance of the base’s inspection gate. People in line would panic, but the inspection personnel had grown numb, urging them to hurry with the checks.
Before parting ways with Bai Qingqing, Cheng Rui instructed her, “Wait for me at the entrance once you’re inside.”
He still remembered how Bai Tiantian had been sold at the auction after running around aimlessly.
Bai Qingqing nodded. “I understand.”
The inspection process was quick, taking only half an hour. As the night approached, the two entered the base.
Upon entering the Yaoyang Base, regardless of their identities, everyone had to live in the quarantine area for two days before being allowed to go elsewhere. Regular humans and superhumans were still separated.
Superhumans could be utilized by the base and were often sent out to hunt zombies and search for supplies. Their living conditions were better than those of regular humans.
Bai Qingqing and Cheng Rui were assigned a good room and settled in for the night.
The room was very simple, with just a bed and a table. They made do and slept through the night. The next day, Cheng Rui went out for half a day and came back, asking her to join him on a car ride to another place.
Cheng Rui’s foster mother’s son was a high-ranking individual in the Yaoyang Base, currently a third-tier superhuman. He lived in a small villa, a large house spanning several hundred square meters.
Bai Qingqing moved in with Cheng Rui and met Cheng Rui’s stepbrother, Cheng Yan, in the evening.
“Hello, I’m Cheng Yan, Cheng Rui’s older brother.” The man was tall and looked to be around thirty years old, exuding an aura of superiority.
Bai Qingqing pretended to be coy. “Hello, I’m Bai Qingqing.”
Cheng Yan was not one to smile easily. “You will be living here with Cheng Rui from now on. If you need anything, just tell the maid.”
“Okay.” Bai Qingqing politely smiled.
Cheng Rui instructed her to rest in the room first and went to the study. “Big brother.”
The two brothers had a good relationship since childhood. Cheng Yan was a few years older than Cheng Rui and took care of him. They hadn’t seen each other for several years after Cheng Rui left home.
Cheng Yan was one of the leaders in the base. From Cheng Rui’s account, he learned how Cheng Rui had arrived at the Yaoyang Base and got separated from his teammates while entering the base. “Don’t worry, I’ll send people to find them.”
Cheng Rui promised his older brother that he would stay in the Yaoyang Base and lead alongside him. They discussed matters related to the base in the study for a while.
After finishing their work-related discussion, Cheng Yan remembered the young girl Cheng
Rui had brought back and said, “Do you like that girl?”
Cheng Rui admitted, “Yes, big brother.”
Cheng Yan’s first impression of Bai Qingqing was that she was a delicate and timid beauty. If she were let out, she would undoubtedly attract the attention of many men.
“In that case, you must keep her well hidden,” Cheng Yan spoke frankly. “The post-apocalyptic world is different from before, and Bai Qingqing is too beautiful. Many people will try to snatch her.”
Cheng Rui pursed his lips and said, “Big brother, we’re only friends for now.”
Cheng Yan’s face darkened instantly, suspecting that his younger brother couldn’t handle it. “You haven’t dealt with her yet?”
Cheng Rui clearly didn’t want to discuss it further and said, “It’s New Year’s Eve tonight, big brother. I’m going to see what we can eat.”
Cheng Yan got up and patted his shoulder, saying, “You better work hard, kid. Don’t even fail to win over a girl.”
Men like them, who were in the military, usually had a straightforward nature. They would directly approach the girls they liked without any twisted pursuit.
The base was a little livelier than usual on New Year’s Eve, with lights on in the area for supernaturals, gathering at home for a meal.
As one of the leaders of the Yao Yang base, Cheng Yan’s living and dining standards were higher than those of ordinary people. The cook in his house was a famous chef from before the apocalypse.
Dinner was served on the table, and Cheng Rui, Cheng Yan, Cheng Yan’s woman, Bai Qingqing, the four of them took their seats.
Bai Qingqing had a small appetite and didn’t eat much despite the delicious food that was even tastier than what they had in the car before.
Cheng Rui sat beside her and used his chopsticks to pick up a lot of dishes for her. This caught the attention of his elder brother, whose dark eyes flickered with a glimmer.
The meal was quickly finished, and there were no entertainment programs. Bai Qingqing went back to her room to wash up. She lazily soaked in the bathtub, foaming and daydreaming.
It had been several days since the team split up, and her brother and the others hadn’t arrived at the Yao Yang base. Bai Tiantian was the female lead in the Heavenly Way, and they were all protagonists. Nothing should have happened, right?
The system hadn’t transmitted the sound of a failed side mission, so the professor and his wife should be fine too.
Bai Qingqing could tell that Cheng Rui had some doting thoughts towards her. In her heart, she hoped that Fu Chen would hurry to the Yao Yang base. She didn’t want to be trapped by Cheng Rui just when she had successfully conquered the second character.
However, Yao Yang base was indeed one of the major surviving bases, equipped with various facilities, and the life of the supernaturals was no different from before the apocalypse.
After soaking for a while, Bai Qingqing dried her body, put on her pajamas, and went out. It was still early, and she couldn’t sleep, so she went to the kitchen to pour some water to drink.
There was a slender figure standing on the balcony. Cheng Rui, dressed in black home clothes, stood there, holding a cigarette in his hand. His handsome face carried a cold and tough expression.
The muscles on his body were well-defined, and the clothes he wore were slightly taut, highlighting his robust and masculine charm. He exuded a strong masculine scent.
Bai Qingqing held the water, unsure whether she should greet him or not.
Hearing the footsteps, Cheng Rui turned and saw her standing in the living room. He stubbed out the cigarette and walked over.
The living room wasn’t lit, and the lighting in the room was dim. She, wearing slippers, revealed her fair feet, which slightly curled up as he approached.
Cheng Rui glanced at her anxious toes and asked in a deep voice, “Can’t sleep yet?”
“Yeah,” Bai Qingqing replied softly, clutching the glass tightly.
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