The highway service area had houses and simple accommodations available. Many supernaturals traveling on the road liked to rest overnight at gas stations or places like this. As soon as Bai Qingqing got out of the car, she noticed a large military vehicle parked not far away.
Several tall men stood beside the vehicle, dressed in combat uniforms and carrying guns. It was evident that they were well-trained supernaturals.
Bai Qingqing immediately caught their attention as soon as she got out of the car. Their gazes almost entirely fell on her, showing a mix of astonishment and curiosity, which made her feel uncomfortable.
She understood that her appearance might attract danger. Since she wasn’t with the team as usual, she had to be cautious.
Therefore, she took out a thin scarf and wrapped it around her head, trying to cover as much of her face as possible. Then she looked towards Shen Mingxuan inside the car.
Since she hadn’t called him to get out, he anxiously sat in the vehicle, eagerly waiting for her, like a puppy waiting for its owner. He seemed worried.
Bai Qingqing hesitated whether to let him out of the car or not. If she had known she would encounter a group of people at the service area, she would have stayed in the car.
The men over there were chatting among themselves, occasionally glancing at her. When they saw her standing by the car without moving, two of them approached her off-road vehicle shoulder to shoulder.
Bai Qingqing hurriedly sat back in the car. She used her appraisal skill and saw the strength of the two men. Both were fourth-rank supernaturals and had considerable power compared to the major bases.
She sighed inwardly. Dealing with zombies was relatively easy—just a headshot would do. But with humans, she didn’t know whether they harboured malicious intent or goodwill. In case of a conflict, she might have to kill them.
Shen Mingxuan sensed the presence of unfamiliar humans. His silver-grey pupils beneath the sunglasses contracted slightly, revealing a beast-like radiance.
Bai Qingqing felt his body tense up, as if he were a beast ready to attack, displaying a hunting state. She immediately grabbed his slender and powerful arm, speaking in a low voice, “Don’t move!”
He couldn’t understand the meaning of lengthy sentences, but he could grasp some simple commands. His blood was restless, craving blood and flesh. His mask was even soaked.
He let out a low growl, “Roar, roar.”
The zombie Shen looked at her with glowing green eyes, the sight of two juicy pieces of meat right in front of him, but he couldn’t eat them. It was agonizing.
He was drooling with desire. If she gave the command, he would immediately tear those two humans into pieces.
Bai Qingqing slapped him on the head, using a low voice to threaten, “I told you not to move. You’re not allowed to get out of the car. If you don’t listen, I’ll whip you.”
She made a gesture as if she was about to whip him, her expression serious and stern. He looked at her with a guilty expression, his eyes evading hers.
The two men approached the off-road vehicle, took a glance at the brand-new car, whistled, and then circled around to the driver’s side, tapping on the car window.
Bai Qingqing locked the car door and pushed it open, almost bumping into one of the men. It made him step back a big step, looking slightly annoyed at her. Soon, that annoyance vanished from his eyes.
“Beauty, all alone?” one of the men asked.
The two men were of similar height, one with dark skin and a long face, the other with an ordinary round face, giving the impression of being honest individuals.
Bai Qingqing maintained her vigilance as she looked at them and replied, “I have one more friend. Do you need anything?”
“Don’t be nervous.” The man with the long face raised his hand and said, “We just wanted to come over and say hello. We have some friends cooking in the nearby rooms. Would you like to join us for a meal?”
The man with the round face had a friendly and inquiring expression as he said, “We’re making noodles tonight with slices of meat. If you’re hungry, you can call your friend to come down and eat together.”
“Thank you,” Bai Qingqing smiled distantly. “We’re not hungry.”
The two men looked at each other after she refused their kind offer and persuaded her again, “You can trust us, we’re really not bad people. Look at this.”
The man with the long face pointed to the emblem on his chest and said, “This emblem represents the abilities of the Central Plains Base. We are regular soldiers on a mission. If you’re going to any base, you can travel with us.”
They were dressed in khaki combat uniforms with an eagle emblem on their chests, bearing the words “Central Plains.”
Bai Qingqing knew that after joining the major bases, supernaturals would receive combat uniforms with the respective base emblems. The Central Plains Base had an eagle emblem, the Snowfield Base had a wolf head, the Southwest Base had a bear, the Radiant Sun Base had a black panther, and the Jingzhou Base had a tiger.
However, that didn’t necessarily mean anything. What if they were bandits who killed the supernaturals on a mission and took their clothes?
Bai Qingqing shook her head and remained silent.
The two men immediately changed their expressions when they realized she wasn’t receptive to their kindness. Their smiles disappeared, and they stared at her coldly.
Bai Qingqing remained calm, pursing her lips and not speaking.
The man with the long face and the man with the round face suddenly felt a creepy gaze emanating from the car. They felt a chilling sensation as if they were being secretly watched by a bloodthirsty beast.
“Damn it!” the man with the long face cursed and grabbed the round-faced man, coldly snorting, “It’s hard to be a good person these days. Let’s go.”
Sweat broke out on the round-faced man’s forehead, and he quickly turned around and followed him.
Bai Qingqing returned to the car and watched their figures receding into the distance. She let out a slow breath of relief and then turned to Shen Mingxuan beside her.
Oh my goodness, Shen the zombie was still fixated on those two pieces of human flesh, staring at them through the thick bulletproof glass. His hands had even torn through the seatbelt.
Bai Qingqing stared at his sharp claws and wondered if she should trim his nails. Otherwise, with those knife-like claws, he could easily cause destruction with a casual scratch.
“Don’t stare anymore!” She tugged at his clothes.
Shen the zombie immediately turned his head back, his beautiful silver-grey pupils showing discontent. He reached out to fix the wrinkles she had caused in his clothes.
Bai Qingqing chuckled. Even though he had become a zombie, he still had his vain side. The clearer his mind became, the more human-like emotions he displayed, and he began to care about his appearance.
“Stop staring.” She took out a crystal core she had obtained from killing zombies on the road from her dimensional space and threw it to him. “Eat this.”
Shen the zombie treated the crystal core like candy. After finishing it, he wanted more and stared at her throat, making strange sounds like “hehe.”
Zombies, regardless of whether they growled, snarled, or roared, all had unpleasant sounds,
like a broken organ pipe, which made people uncomfortable.
Bai Qingqing glared at him. “No more greediness. I’ll give you more tomorrow.”
Shen the zombie felt so wronged. He wanted to eat those two pieces of meat, but she wouldn’t allow it. He wanted to have another crystal core, but she refused to give it to him. It was truly infuriating.
But Bai Qingqing didn’t care about his feelings. She pulled him into her dimensional space and ordered him to lead the chirping little plant creatures to work while she enjoyed herself by the lake, roasting meat and eating with great satisfaction.
After finishing her meal, she took a tour of the territory within her space and checked the various warehouses.
She could use the daily supplies with expiration dates freely, but the grains with a shelf life of six months to a year couldn’t be consumed by her alone. Leaving them there would be a waste.
Bai Qingqing squatted in front of the warehouse, cupping her face in her hands, thinking that if she had her own base like the other male protagonists, she could distribute this food to people in need.
The supplies were all protected by Fu Chen, who helped her search and stockpile them in the dimensional space. He deserved credit for that as well.
Time in the apocalypse passed really quickly. Unbeknownst to her, it had already been half a month since she separated from the team. She wondered where they were now.
She couldn’t help but miss the feeling of being pampered by Fu Chen as his little sister. Whatever she wanted, he would provide, pampering her like a little precious gem.
Shen the zombie finished his work and quickly ran over. Suddenly, he lifted her from behind, startling her. “Ah, what are you doing!”
Caught off guard, Bai Qingqing was lifted up and sat on his shoulders. The position of riding on someone was too intimate and embarrassing for her.
Afraid of falling, she grabbed his hair and shouted, “Put me down! What’s gotten into you!”
Not only did Shen the zombie not put her down, but he also ran with her on his shoulders, with the plant creatures happily chirping behind them.
This zombie was going crazy. Bai Qingqing tightly held onto his hair, biting her lip to suppress the scream that wanted to escape her throat. The wind in the space brushed against her face, and her black hair floated behind her.
Like an excited dog, Shen the zombie ran around with her for a few laps before finally stopping.
Bai Qingqing quickly patted his shoulder and commanded, “Squat down!”
Shen the zombie immediately obediently crouched down. Her face flushed with anger, she jumped off his shoulders and kicked him on the shoulder. “Are you insane? If you dare touch me again, I’ll whip you to death!”
Shen the zombie’s silver-grey pupils flickered, filled with grievances and confusion. He pursed his lips and half-squatted in place.
The chirping plant creatures rushed over and, seeing him being scolded by their master, emitted mocking sounds. Shen the zombie turned his head and growled fiercely, frightening them away.
Bai Qingqing noticed the plant creatures playing a game of human pyramid and looked at the dejected Shen the zombie. She wondered if he saw them playing and decided to imitate them to play with her.
She covered her forehead, truly speechless. It was indeed thrilling, and she was almost scared to death.
Bai Qingqing crossed her arms and watched him in his aggrieved state, feeling somewhat satisfied in her heart.
Once upon a time, Shen Mingxuan regarded her as a worthless weed, trampling on her at will, and even attempted to take her life several times. Yet here she was, holding his fate in her hands.
There was a time restriction in the dimensional space, so she took him outside and ordered him not to sleep and to keep watch. She wrapped herself in a small blanket and prepared to sleep.
They still had a long journey ahead the next day, and she needed proper rest to be alert while driving.
The next day.
The morning mist had just dissipated, and sunlight shone through the glass window, casting a dazzling light inside the car.
Bai Qingqing opened her eyes, rubbed them, and let out a lazy yawn. She turned her head to look at Shen the zombie sitting motionless in the chair, resembling a sculpture.
Just as she was about to come out of the dimensional space after freshening up, the car window was violently knocked. She opened the car door and got out.
A man with a gloomy face questioned, “Did you hear any noises last night?”
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