Category: Running a Hotpot Restaurant in a Post-Apocalyptic World

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Not too long after, she found the last high-level zombie hidden underground. Truly quite clever, even knowing how to hide in a place that wasn’t easy for her to find.

Its hiding place was another underground area. It seemed there were quite a few basements on this island, and judging by the layout as well as the remnants left behind, it’s clear this place must have once been a military facility, with the basements primarily used for storage—whether it be for food or weapons. But now, it has been reduced to nothing more than an empty, cold cellar.

This place was indeed well-hidden, but unfortunately, this time, the zombie had encountered Jiang Ci. Ten minutes later, Jiang Ci held another crystal core in her hand.

With the control of the psychic zombie gone, the survivors could finally catch their breath.

Following the survivors’ directions, Jiang Ci found those who had been imprisoned underground. When the sound of the basement door opening sounded once more, the survivors felt a momentary panic. The previous group had just been captured, so how could someone be coming again so soon?

But the next second, what they heard wasn’t the sound of zombies but human voices.

In the end, quite a few survivors were rescued. Most of them were thin and pale, reduced to skin and bones, their bodies deformed from remaining crouched for so long. Several had already suffered mental breakdowns under the oppressive environment and stress. Jiang Ci could only take them back to get treatment later.

It was unclear how so many zombies had gathered on this small island. Apart from those they had killed on the high platform, the rest were kept in another open area.

When Jiang Ci and the others arrived, they immediately caught sight of the scattered human remains on the ground.

The survivors who had come to help turned their faces away, unable to bear the sight.

The survivors were brought to an open area outside where Jiang Ci set up a makeshift camp. A large pot of plain congee bubbled over the fire.

These people were in poor physical condition and mentally unstable, so for now, they could only manage simple, liquid food—congee with a few side dishes.

Among the survivors, Jiang Ci recognized a familiar face—it was a regular customer of Gourmet City. It seemed they hadn’t been imprisoned for too long. Upon seeing Jiang Ci, they immediately broke down in tears, as if they had just reunited with a long-lost relative.

“How did you end up here?” Jiang Ci asked.

“It’s all because of those traitors!” the survivor exclaimed angrily. “A few humans actually tricked us into coming here. There are actually humans conspiring with these high-level zombies!”

This statement left Jiang Ci momentarily stunned. Various doubts she had that had gone unanswered started to make sense, like how exactly had the zombies brought people to the island? And how had they come up with the idea of keeping low-level zombies in captivity?

High-level zombies possessed intelligence, but they weren’t on the same level of intelligence as humans.

After hearing this survivor’s account, Jiang Ci finally understood the full truth—to think it was all thanks to a fellow human’s assistance.

“What could they possibly gain by helping the zombies?” Jiang Ci wondered.

“The crystal cores of those low-level zombies are taken by those humans. With the high-level zombies leading the way, they can move through malls or other zombie-infested areas as if they were walking on flat ground.”

“He’s right. I’ve been here for a month, and they usually come every half a month to a month,” another survivor added. “Judging by the usual timing, it’s probably about time for them to bring in another batch of people.”

Jiang Ci had originally planned to rest for a while before leaving, but after hearing this, she found herself unable to move for a long time. Although there weren’t any more high-level zombies left here, these humans were still a looming threat.

Having spent so long with her, Song Jinchuan could tell what she was thinking just by seeing her frown.

The survivors had been moved to a sheltered area in the withered forest on the other side, where several large tents were set up for them to rest. Meanwhile, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan set up their own tents closer to the shore, lying in wait.

Due to the terrain, any boats that wanted to dock would have to come to this side, so Jiang Ci patiently kept her eyes trained on that area.

Soon, night fell, and the large tents on the other side soon lapsed into an eerie silence. It seemed that after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they were now catching up on sleep in their tents, as if trying to make up for all the rest they had missed during this time.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan sat at the entrance of their tent, watching the moonlight spill down, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility.

They waited like this for two days. During this time, the survivors gradually regained their strength, at least enough for them to converse and laugh with their companions. When Jiang Ci cooked, the survivors also came over to help with whatever they could. As for the few survivors who were still mentally unstable, they were unusually quiet and were being watched over by some of the others.

On the evening of the second day, Jiang Ci finally spotted a boat approaching from a distance.

From her vantage point, she could see that there were quite a few people on the boat, with heads bobbing everywhere.

The boat drew closer soon after, and Jiang Ci saw many survivors disembarking. Some of them had their hands and feet bound and their mouths gagged—likely those who had been tricked or kidnapped over here.

Perhaps because the island was unusually quiet today, the survivors at the front seemed to sense something was off and slowed their pace.

A bald man raised his hand to signal the others to stop.

A man with a small braid behind him asked in confusion, “What’s going on? Why haven’t the zombies come out yet?”

Someone behind him chimed in, “Yeah, what’s the deal? Normally, they’d have smelled us and come out by now.”

Jiang Ci put down her binoculars. If she wasn’t mistaken, the man with the braid and the one behind him were all familiar faces to her—it was Chen Hanjiang and his followers, the very ones who had defected from the A City base.

Jiang Ci had later heard from Old Cheng and Fan Zhipeng about the aftermath. The A City base had undergone a major purge, and all of Chen Hanjiang and Sun Yimin’s people had been expelled. Those who needed to be arrested were arrested, and though a few key figures had escaped, they had been on the run ever since. She hadn’t expected them to be the ones who were involved with the zombies.

Once everyone from the boat had disembarked, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan quietly moved in.

What Chen Hanjiang and his group wanted wasn’t just a few crystal cores or the ability to move freely among the zombies. No, their goal was actually to use these mindless zombies to retake the A City base, with even the idea of occupying other bases taking root in their mind.

They didn’t trust the zombies. Although they had temporarily established a cooperative relationship using a psychic ability user in their team, the zombies could still turn feral and attack at any moment, so they had kept a backup plan.

But despite all their schemes, they probably hadn’t expected humans to be lying in ambush here. After all, just dealing with all of the high-level zombies was no easy task.

However, when the abilities were unleashed on them, they realized with shock that this really was an ambush.

They reacted quickly and fought back immediately, but against Song Jinchuan and Jiang Ci, it was to no avail, and they were all quickly subdued.

In the end, Chen Hanjiang, Sun Yimin, and the man with the braid were all tied up by Jiang Ci, while the other survivors all turned into nourishment for the black mist.

Chen Hanjiang also recognized Jiang Ci. The two had previously clashed before, and he hated her to the core, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

There were twenty-three survivors who had been abducted and tied up. After untying them, Jiang Ci took them to the temporary camp.

Since it was already completely dark, it was better for them to stay the night before heading back.

Because C City’s Gourmet City was so famous, many of them knew Jiang Ci, and seeing her brought them a sense of reassurance.

Early the next morning, they all packed up and left the island.

Before leaving, Jiang Ci stored the boat that Chen Hanjiang and his group had used in her space. Although it looked old and worn, it could still be patched up and used again. She now had nearly an entire city to support, so she had to save where she could and only spend where necessary.

The survivors boarded the ship. After a few days of recovery, their spirits were clearly much better. The newly rescued survivors were also filled with lingering fear—if it weren’t for Jiang Ci, they would have surely become food for the zombies.

Just hearing the scenes the other survivors described made them shiver with horror, and they instinctively moved closer in Jiang Ci’s direction in order to seek a sense of security.

Some of the survivors who were physically fine parted ways with Jiang Ci and her group near the train station after disembarking from the ship and taking a bus with them. The rest wanted to follow Jiang Ci to the C City Gourmet City—even if they didn’t eat there, they could at least visit the hospital.

On the way back to C City, Jiang Ci made a detour to A City to hand over Chen Hanjiang and his group, who had been tied up for two days, to Old Cheng and his people.

Seeing the person they had been chasing for so long suddenly thrown in front of them like trash, Old Cheng and Fan Zhipeng were momentarily stunned.

What followed was of course, their gratitude, and they warmly invited Jiang Ci and her group to stay and enjoy themselves.

However, Jiang Ci still had a group of survivors in her bus, some of whom were in poor mental condition, so she could only inform them that they’d visit another time.

Chen Hanjiang’s fate was obvious to everyone and he looked utterly defeated, not even able to muster the energy to curse.

After bidding farewell to Old Cheng and his group, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan drove back to C City.

Two more days passed before they finally arrived back in C City. Unlike before, they were able to see the massive amusement park with its towering castle as soon as they entered the city.

The survivors were first taken to the hospital for treatment based on their physical conditions, while Jiang Ci prepared to check her mission rewards.

She had already set up the food street while they had been driving back, arranging each snack shop one by one in a way where all the popular snacks she had previously dragged Song Jinchuan to try were included.

Although the food street hadn’t officially opened yet, all the shops were already set up and were just waiting for the staff to be reassigned.

The barbecue and dessert stalls that were originally outside the hotpot restaurant had been relocated here, making the area more organized.

Jiang Ci quickly found staff to man the stalls. Some of them had experience in running snack stalls before the apocalypse, so they quickly got back into the swing of things.

The lively atmosphere of the food street was something all of the survivors loved. Walking from one end to the other, almost everyone ended up holding a snack in their hands, their faces beaming with smiles.

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Du Chengde and his teammate, John, had come from the distant M Country. Before the apocalypse arrived, Du Chengde had wanted to return to his homeland to see it once more, but he never found the opportunity. It was only recently that he got the chance to board a ship and make the journey back.

Upon setting foot on solid ground, Du Chengde was soon overwhelmed with emotion. It was already the twentieth year of the apocalypse, and he had finally returned.

“Du, your homeland even has a functioning train system. That’s so cool,” John exclaimed from beside him.

Du Chengde turned to look at the train station and the trains, wondering if he was hallucinating.

But soon, the murmurs of other survivors around him confirmed that it wasn’t a hallucination—this was indeed a train station.

“You didn’t know? We came to China this time to purchase supplies from C City,” a blond, blue-eyed foreign survivor said in a foreign language next to Du Chengde. “I heard C City has been transformed into a grand city. We’re also going to broaden our horizons.”

Even as he boarded the train, Du Chengde felt as if he were still dreaming.

When the train arrived in C City, the scenery around them changed completely. Unlike the ruins and debris of the apocalypse, there were skyscrapers, amusement parks, straight and intact roads, as well as green trees lining the sides.

This place had already become a fully functional city; one that was completely out of place in the post-apocalyptic world.

The surrounding crowd was immediately stirred up into gasps of amazement. Even the blond, blue-eyed foreign survivors hadn’t seen such a vibrant city ever since the apocalypse began.

Soon, they arrived at a place called Gourmet City. Regardless of how much the outside environment had changed, Gourmet City remained the backbone of C City. Countless survivors were still coming and going, creating a bustling atmosphere.

At that moment, Du Chengde saw several adults leading a group of children out of the entrance. They were walking in an orderly line, with the teacher at the front saying, “Our first stop today is the botanical garden. After that, we’ll go to the zoo, and finally, the amusement park. These tickets were all sponsored by Boss Jiang…”

The rest of the words gradually faded into the distance as they walked away, but the name “Boss Jiang” wasn’t new to Du Chengde. She seemed to be a beacon of hope for these survivors, with her name being mentioned everywhere he went.

The various shops in Gourmet City felt novel to Du Chengde. It had been nearly twenty years since he last ate such things.

Not only that, but the people living in this city had their own identity cards and phones to communicate with each other. This didn’t just appeal to Du Chengde, but also John and the other foreign survivors, all who were deeply impressed.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ci was in her courtyard, watering the plants with Song Jinchuan.

The two had now been together for almost ten years, yet their relationship remained as strong as when they first got together. To reassure Song Jinchuan, they had even gone to the real world to get a marriage certificate.

Of course, that was just the official story. In reality, one day after they had finished sleeping together, Song Jinchuan had embraced her tightly and suddenly burst into tears. He asked Jiang Ci if her feelings for him were fading and if he was about to be abandoned. Like a drowning puppy, he clung to Jiang Ci and cried for half the night.

Jiang Ci was stunned. Honestly, in the real world, she had rarely seen a man cry like this, especially someone like Song Jinchuan, who had a tough exterior and seemed like the epitome of restraint.

Although she was shocked, she still patiently coaxed him for half the night. Finally, when she was too tired to continue, she agreed to get the marriage certificate to finally calm him down.

Recalling the scene, Jiang Ci still found it both funny and sweet.

The flow of time for the two of them had now synchronized. Spending ten years in this world equated to just over a hundred days in the real world. It had been less than a year over there, so their appearances had barely changed over the years, yet they still had many, many more years to spend together with each other.

“Looks like I’ll be tied to you for the rest of my life,” Jiang Ci said, lifting her head from the flowers with a sigh.

Song Jinchuan wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

At that moment, a ding sounded in Jiang Ci’s mind as the system issued a new mission, [Head to X City to rescue survivors in distress. The mission continues. Host, please keep up the good work in order to create a better world.]

Jiang Ci took Song Jinchuan’s hand and smiled, “Let’s go. Time to complete another mission.”

The road ahead was long, but at least she had someone by her side.

The two of them walked hand in hand, their figures casting a long shadow in the sunlight.

The End.

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finally finished! this marks my first completely translated novel (i can finally add the ‘completed’ section to the website header I”M GOING TO CRY LMAO)! this is one of the first novels i ever read so although it isn’t my favourite anymore, it was one of the first post-apocalyptic novels i read so it still holds a special place in my heart TAT

if you’d like to support me or buy the pdf and epub to read online, head over to my kofi shop, and feel free to check that out! any tips are also appreciated! <333

if you’d like to support the author, the link to the novel’s raws are in the table of contents page! if you have the intention of tipping the author but can’t access the website/don’t know how, please let me know, either in the comments or on discord!

once again, i’d like to thank everyone reading for supporting hotpot restaurant’s journey and bearing with me despite my long ass hiatus! please leave a like, comment, or simply share what you thought about the novel on this post or under novelupdates page! hoping we’ll see each other again in one of my other projects! thank you all for your support once again!
⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

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check out some of my other translations:

the socially anxious side character is too cute
[fluff, romance, transmigration, entertainment industry, mind reading]

retiring from the entertainment industry to collect rent
[comedy, entertainment industry, wealthy family]

i can hear the inner thoughts of animals
[comedy, animals, live streaming, crime solving, fantasy (hints of cultivation)]

grassland veterinarian [60s]
[slice of life, farming, china period era, animal-rearing, found family]

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Having spent so many years in the post-apocalyptic world, Song Jinchuan’s skin had turned a healthy wheat color. However, he was tall and handsome, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving off a very steady and reliable demeanour.

Mother Jiang smiled slightly, “You didn’t have to bring so many things when visiting us. Come on in and sit down.”

The four of them entered the room that served as the living room. Jiang Ci placed the breakfast she had bought on the dining table, and the family gathered around to eat.

Mother Jiang spoke in a gentle tone, while Father Jiang’s gaze carried a hint of scrutiny as he scanned Song Jinchuan up and down. Through their interrogation, they roughly understood Song Jinchuan’s background.

He had served in the military, then retired and now worked in the same company as Jiang Ci. He gave a mix of truth and half-truths about his information.

Mother Jiang seemed quite satisfied, her eyes softening further. By the end of the meal, even the picky Father Jiang nodded in approval and privately told Jiang Ci that he seemed like a steady person.

Jiang Ci followed her mother to the kitchen to bring out fresh vegetables and fruits for everyone to eat.

Both of them adapted well. Father and Mother Jiang had already explored the nearby area, even knowing which store had cheaper vegetables and picking up quite a bit of the neighbourhood gossip.

Compared to her own social anxiety, they were practically social bandits.

Upon learning that her parents were doing well, Jiang Ci felt a bit more at ease.

In the evening, Jiang Ci brought Song Jinchuan back to the apartment. Along the way, Song Jinchuan kept asking Jiang Ci about her parents’ opinions of him. When he found out they looked at him rather favourably, his heart finally settled.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan stayed here for several days. She took him around, went over the accounts of the hotpot restaurant, and also showed him a few scenic spots as well as her former company.

The hotpot restaurant, thanks to a series of promotional activities during its opening, combined with its genuinely delicious taste, fresh ingredients, and fair prices, was still doing very well. Every day, there was an obvious long line of people waiting to get inside to eat.

Manager Huang was doing an excellent job, and several promotional events she had organised had been highly successful. Jiang Ci felt that she had made a great choice in hiring her as a manager.

The money in Jiang Ci’s bank account was also steadily increasing. During these few days back, Jiang Ci ran into some of her former colleagues at the hotpot restaurant. When they found out she was the boss, they were all shocked.

Since Jiang Ci had always maintained a good relationship with them before, she gave them a few 50% discount coupons.

The rest of the time, she took Song Jinchuan around the city.

Hui Hui and her family followed along. People on the street found it quite novel, as it was the first time they had seen someone walking around with such a large tortoise.

After sightseeing for a few days and spending some time with her parents, Jiang Ci and the others prepared to leave. Before leaving, Jiang Ci signed her parents up for an expensive, one-on-one service travel package, so they could go out and have a good time.

Jiang Ci’s parents were not the type to fuss over money or complain to their daughter about her spending it, so they happily accepted their daughter’s suggestion and flew off the same day.

By the time they returned, it would almost be time for Jiang Ci to come back on her next day off.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan also returned to Gourmet City early the next morning. Now back in the apocalypse, Song Jinchuan’s dizziness still hadn’t subsided. Jiang Ci understood the feeling, as she had also taken some time to adjust when she first arrived.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

As soon as they returned, the system assigned Jiang Ci another mission. Completing this mission would reward her with a food street, where she could set up various food stalls.

She didn’t even have time to look at the mission details before accepting it.

This time, the destination was quite far, located on a small island outside the mainland.

Hundreds of survivors were trapped there, held captive by several high-level zombies.

[These are max-level zombies, with intelligence similar to humans. They keep humans as livestock for food, and their strength is not to be underestimated,] the system reminded her.

Jiang Ci nodded. She wouldn’t underestimate any opponent. For this trip, she brought along Hui Hui and the three little ones as insurance, just in case.

Perhaps because Hui Hui had formed a contract with her, the three little ones had also automatically formed a contract with her when they were born.

This journey took Jiang Ci the farthest she had ever gone. Even by bus, the trip took five days, mainly because a section of the road had completely deteriorated beyond repair, forcing them to take a much longer detour.

Upon reaching the seaside, they switched to the boat. The journey to the island wasn’t short, and it was Jiang Ci’s first time spending the night at sea on a boat. There was a room prepared for her—a small, simple one, but it was sufficient for her to rest in. She even managed to take a shower on board.

By noon the next day, they finally caught sight of the island’s outline. To her surprise, the island was quite large, with remnants of its past structures still visible on the horizon. From a distance, there seemed to be no sign of any humans or zombies.

Their ship docked at the deserted shore. As soon as they stepped onto the land, both Song Jinchuan and Jiang Ci sensed an overwhelming pressure.

Ever since Jiang Ci had awakened her abilities, she had become more sensitive to danger, far more than others.

“There’s a max-level ability user or zombie here,” Song Jinchuan frowned, voicing what Jiang Ci had also just sensed.

“Be careful,” Jiang Ci warned, then cast protective shields over Song Jinchuan, Hui Hui, and the rest of their family. She also equipped Song Jinchuan and herself with guns they had confiscated from other survivors before, ensuring they were fully prepared for the upcoming threat.

With the two of them leading the way and accompanied by four tortoises, they began their adventure on the island.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, deep underground, survivors were being held captive in separate basements. These basements that had existed for years were now filthy and cluttered, with unknown debris in the corners that had now turned into pools of foul-smelling liquid.

Crammed in the small space, they could barely straighten their backs, though that was hardly the worst of it all. The most terrifying part was the hordes of low-level zombies as well as a few high-level zombies with terrifyingly high intelligence that surrounded them.

Some had tried to escape before, but they had all been quickly discovered and torn to pieces.

These survivors were sometimes taken out to be fed to the low-level zombies, as if they treated them like livestock.

They were in complete despair, trapped on an island surrounded by the sea, with no way for other survivors to know of their plight or come to their rescue.

Just then, the basement door opened, and the stench of decay unique to zombies wafted in.

A few high-level zombies seemed to be discussing something, and one of them used vines to drag several survivors out. The door was then shut again.

Some of the survivors felt secretly relieved they hadn’t been the ones chosen, while others felt a deep sense of sorrow, knowing that eventually, everyone would meet the same fate.

The captured survivors were taken outside to a high platform, while below them, a dense crowd of zombies awaited. It seemed these survivors had been chosen as the next “meal.”

The zombies around them continued to howl incessantly, seemingly communicating in their own way.

A young man amongst the ones to become a “meal” nearby trembled with fear, unable to control the sounds escaping his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with despair, as if he could already foresee his grim fate.

The mindless zombies below began to grow restless upon catching the scent of humans.

The survivors slowly closed their eyes, resigning themselves to wait for death to arrive.

At that moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred, and their anticipated pain did not come. The survivors opened their eyes to find a massive sphere of water before them, within which a black mist seemed to flow slowly.

Wherever the black sphere moved, zombies were sucked in one after another, disappearing without a trace.

Along with the black sphere came a trail of flames as well as a small tornado, and when combined, they felt as if they were watching a walking machine of destruction.

There were also vines and black stones—clearly the result of various abilities mixed together—crashing down on the horde of zombies.

The survivors, who had originally been in the hands of the zombies, were also swept over by the vines.

When the survivors saw the humans and the tortoise before them, tears nearly fell from their eyes. They had thought they were sure to be doomed today, but unexpectedly, there was such a turn of events!

There were simply too many zombies here, continuously gathering under the control of the higher-level zombies.

Jiang Ci set her sights on the high-level zombie standing on the platform. She exchanged a gesture with Song Jinchuan and quietly approached the platform from the side.

Having fought together for so long, their tacit understanding was seamless, and with just one gesture, Song Jinchuan immediately understood what Jiang Ci intended to do. Although his gaze held a hint of concern for her, he quickly returned to his own battle.

On the platform, three of the zombies were howling, seemingly communicating, and had not noticed Jiang Ci approaching them.

Jiang Ci’s presence had been concealed by the system, so she went unnoticed even as she got closer.

At that moment, Jiang Ci’s black mist silently appeared behind them. By the time the three zombies sensed the impending danger, the black mist was already upon them.

These high-level zombies reacted quickly, dodging the black mist and swiftly counterattacking, immediately unleashing their abilities. However, to the black mist, these abilities were like a clay ox sinking into the sea, unable to cause even a single ripple.

The black mist quickly caught up with them and completely engulfed the three high-level zombies.

Without the control of the intelligent high-level zombies, the lower-level zombies became like headless flies, simply stirred into a mad frenzy upon catching a whiff of humans.

Jiang Ci allowed the three high-level crystal cores to be absorbed by the system while she went to help Song Jinchuan deal with the lower-level zombies.

Although they were lower-level zombies, there were still some that were at the third or fourth-level, making them much more agile than ordinary zombies.

By the time they finished clearing all the zombies, an hour had passed.

Just as they were preparing to leave, several nearby survivors suddenly felt a sharp pain in their heads, almost as if a piercing sound was now ringing in their ears.

“It’s… a psychic zombie,” one of the survivors said with difficulty.

Jiang Ci immediately unleashed her healing ability, both to sooth the effect of the psychic zombie as well as sense its presence. This was another application of her ability, which she had only recently discovered.

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127?!??? did someone say 127????! wait….i….can’t control….myself…..

neo got my back…. culture things…. tech tech on my mind….

LMAOOOOOO i couldn’t help myself HAHHAHHA

HAPPY 127 CHAPTERS YAYYYYYY
next chapter is the last one!

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Just as they finished talking, Huang Mao looked up and saw their usually cold and reserved team captain walking toward them.

Moments later, a stack of highly sought-after amusement park tickets appeared on their table.

Song Jinchuan, who was usually a man of few words, sat down in front of them and casually said, “My girlfriend gave these to me and insisted I pass them on to my friends.”

“She’s really too thoughtful, even to my friends, so take these and use them. Don’t thank me—thank my girlfriend. And make sure to spend more at Gourmet City in the future.”

The members of the Cheetah Squad stared at Song Jinchuan, whose lips were curling into an uncontrollable smile, with expressions of utter disbelief.

This wasn’t his usual style, was it? Normally, he’d speak to them with a stern face, almost as if they owed him money—and it was especially the case during the time when Jiang Ci was absent. Back then, he’d barely utter a word to them, just exuding an icy demeanour, like he was a walking refrigerator.

Huang Mao wanted to throw the tickets back in his face and angrily say to him, “Having a girlfriend doesn’t make you special!” But he chickened out in the end, muttering a “Thanks, Captain,” and took the tickets meekly.

“Alright, I’ve delivered the goods. I’ve got to go now. My girlfriend will start worrying if she doesn’t see me soon,” Song Jinchuan said before gracefully leaving.

Huang Mao watched his retreating figure and clicked his tongue several times. “Did you guys see the captain? He’s like a peacock showing off his feathers. What happened to the cool guy he used to be? Did a dog eat him or something?”

“You’re holding the tickets he gave you, and now you’re badmouthing him? That’s like biting the hand that feeds you,” said the current captain of the Cheetah Squad, who was also Song Jinchuan’s comrade before the apocalypse. “I actually think he’s better now—more human. Before, he was like a machine that only knew how to fight.”

Unaware of the discussions that followed his departure, Song Jinchuan had told the others that Jiang Ci would start to worry if she couldn’t find him, but the truth was, he actually couldn’t bear to be apart from her for even a second. He felt anxious if he didn’t see her for even a moment.

He realized he was completely smitten, utterly poisoned by someone named Jiang Ci.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ci was at the farm, inspecting the growth of the latest batch of fruits. As the weather warmed up, she had started cultivating various fruits, and now they had all ripened, hanging heavily from the branches or lying in the fields.

She plucked a strawberry the size of her palm and popped it into her mouth. The pure sweetness of the strawberry was accompanied by a hint of creamy fragrance, the exact texture Jiang Ci loved.

The watermelon field nearby was thriving as well, each fruit round and plump with juice. With just a light tap of her fingertip, she could hear the crisp sound of the rind breaking.

The flesh inside was a vibrant red and was completely seedless. Jiang Ci picked up half a watermelon and started digging in. The crisp, sweet flesh turned into juice the moment it touched her tongue.

When Song Jinchuan arrived, he found Jiang Ci happily munching on a watermelon.

Seeing him, Jiang Ci immediately scooped up a spoonful of watermelon and stuffed it into his mouth.

It had been ten years since the apocalypse began, and Song Jinchuan couldn’t remember the last time he had tasted such fresh and sweet fruit. For a moment, he was stunned, but soon, memories buried deep within him came flooding back.

This batch of fruit was the first to ripen. The survivors had no idea what Jiang Ci was up to, nor did they know that a huge surprise awaited them.

The farm workers spent several days harvesting all kinds of fruit. Jiang Ci kept some for herself and her parents, then took the rest to the farmers’ market to sell.

When the survivors entered the farmers’ market, before they could even check out the fresh meat available that day, their eyes were drawn to the neatly arranged, vibrant, and plump fruits on display.

The survivors were beyond thrilled. As they approached, the mouth-watering aroma of the fruit enveloped them.

Regardless of the season, whether they were tropical or common fruits, they were all beautifully displayed before their eyes.

Before they could fully process what they were seeing, the piles of fruit in front of them began to dwindle one by one. Realizing this, the survivors quickly rushed over, scrambling to grab as much as they could, afraid that if they were too slow, there would be nothing left.

And that truly was the case, as the fruit was quickly snatched up. By the time other survivors heard the news and rushed over, the fruit section was already empty.

Those who wanted to buy fruit would have to wait until the next day when the stock was replenished.

The growth cycle of fruit was longer than that of vegetables, but the farm had recently hired more workers, including some special ability users brought back from the village and several researchers from various bases.

The research institute specialized in agriculture and had developed cultivable soil in their labs. However, the cost of producing it was high, making mass production impossible, so when they saw Jiang Ci’s farm, their eyes practically lit up with excitement.

With their help, the farm’s output increased dramatically.

Early the next morning, the survivors gathered at the farmers’ market, eagerly waiting. Through the glass windows, they could see the workers carrying baskets of fresh fruit to restock the shelves.

The survivors pressed their faces against the glass, gazing longingly at the fruit inside.

As soon as the doors opened, the survivors rushed in, and the fruit section was instantly packed with people.

The fruit’s popularity was no surprise to Jiang Ci. Its recent buzz was almost on par with the newly opened amusement park.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

With everything gradually falling into place, Jiang Ci decided it was time to visit her parents. She planned to bring some fruit home for them, and this time, she wanted to take Song Jinchuan along with her too.

Upon hearing the news, Song Jinchuan, for the first time, didn’t cling to Jiang Ci and went out on his own for two days. He returned with several sets of jewelry and a few bottles of aged fine wine that looked like they had been around for quite some time.

It was unclear where he had gotten them from, as the exterior of the products still looked quite new. The older the wine, the better it becomes, and after ten years, it would’ve been even more mellow and fragrant.

He also used his points to buy a suit from the clothing store, making the occasion seem particularly formal.

Jiang Ci found his nervousness amusing, “You don’t need to be so tense, my parents are very nice.”

Although Song Jinchuan nodded in acknowledgement, his expression still remained as serious as if he were facing some major event.

This was the first time Jiang Ci was taking someone through time and space. She even packed Hui Hui and her family in her backpack. Hearing that Jiang Ci was taking them out to play, even the usually laidback Hui Hui seemed a bit excited.

After making all the preparations, Jiang Ci held Song Jinchuan’s hand and told the system they were ready. After a flash of white light, they opened their eyes to find themselves in the small apartment Jiang Ci had bought.

She had bought this place specifically for situations like this, and now it seemed her decision had been correct, as it was very convenient for her to travel like this.

This was Song Jinchuan’s first time traveling through time and space in this manner. He stood still for a while to let the dizziness in his head subside.

As Song Jinchuan regained his senses, he heard the long-unheard noises of bustling activity and car horns, which took him a while to process.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jiang Ci asked, holding his hand with concern.

Song Jinchuan shook his head, squeezing Jiang Ci’s hand back and giving her a reassuring smile.

Jiang Ci led Song Jinchuan to the floor-to-ceiling window of the apartment. Outside, the sun was shining, trees were lush, and there were tall buildings and noisy streets everywhere. This was a scene he hadn’t seen in almost ten years.

“Is this… the world you live in?” Song Jinchuan’s voice was soft, with a hint of underlying worry as he held Jiang Ci’s hand even tighter.

“Yes, this is the world I’ve lived in since I was a child. I wanted to bring you here to see it,” Jiang Ci nodded, looking around. She had bought this apartment the last time she was here, a fully furnished one, though she hadn’t really looked at it closely. The transportation around here was quite convenient, with a subway station right downstairs and a tranquil park with a shimmering lake across the street.

The two stood on the balcony for a while. It was already dusk, and since they hadn’t informed her parents about their return, a sudden visit might only burden them with inadequate preparations. Plus, Song Jinchuan needed some time to adjust first, so Jiang Ci decided they would return early the next morning.

It had been less than a week since she last left the real world, so the place was still clean, and they only needed to change the bed sheets and covers.

While it was still early, Jiang Ci took Song Jinchuan for a walk downstairs. There were many small eateries, and they chose one at random for dinner.

Song Jinchuan thought the food wasn’t as good as the shops Jiang Ci had, but the relaxed atmosphere still caused him to be immersed in the flow of this world.

After dinner, they walked around the park before heading home.

Once home, Jiang Ci gave Song Jinchuan his various identification documents, which the system had helped to arrange for him.

Song Jinchuan looked at his identification card, which bore his current face. It was just a small piece of identification, but he turned it over and over, examining it several times.

Many questions he had about Jiang Ci that had previously been unclear to him gradually became clear after entering Jiang Ci’s world. For instance, why Jiang Ci seemed somewhat naive about situations that many post-apocalyptic survivors were well aware of, and why she always harbored a sense of compassion for the survivors of the apocalypse.

At night, Song Jinchuan lay in bed, gazing at Jiang Ci’s sleeping face beside him. His anxious heart slowly calmed down.

After resting for the night, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan took the subway to the hotpot restaurant early the next morning.

In the alley behind the hotpot restaurant, she also bought various types of breakfast.

Song Jinchuan carried bags of various sizes, following behind her. Due to the contractual relationship between Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, Song Jinchuan’s points could also be used in this world. He usually ate and lived with Jiang Ci, so he didn’t need to spend many points, so over the past two years, he had actually saved up quite a sum.

With Jiang Ci’s help, he had exchanged some points for cash the day before and bought a bunch of nutritional products, tea, and skincare items.

However, he still couldn’t control his nerves, and his expression grew increasingly tense.

Jiang Ci had already called her parents the night before to say she was coming back and bringing her boyfriend with her. So, early in the morning, Father and Mother Jiang had tidied up the house and were waiting in the yard.

Mother Jiang had even dug out her cheongsam, while Father Jiang wore a suit, showing just how much they valued this prospective son-in-law.

To Jiang Ci’s parents, their daughter had only been away for a week, but to Jiang Ci, it had been over half a year since she last saw them.

“Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Song Jinchuan,” Jiang Ci introduced him to her parents after hugging them, with Song Jinchuan still holding gifts behind her.

“Uncle, Auntie, these are a few gifts I bought for you,” Song Jinchuan appeared outwardly calm, but Jiang Ci, who could be said to know him inside-out, could tell his voice was slightly tense and trembling.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Once on the ship, Jiang Ci handed them a stack of clean clothes and instructed them to change in the rooms inside.

The survivors were overwhelmed with gratitude at this point. The state of their clothes could no longer be described as merely unpleasant. The recent hot weather had caused their clothes to be soaked with sweat and seawater, then dried by the sun, and then soaked again, with this cycle repeating several times. Now, they were too embarrassed to even smell themselves.

Ever since they had boarded the ship, a sour stench had permeated the entire vessel. It wasn’t until they changed their clothes that the air became fresher.

Their previous clothes were thrown into the sea, and soon after, a massive mutated beast devoured the garments that carried the survivors’ scent.

Once the survivors had changed into clean clothes, the aroma of food wafted into their nostrils. Jiang Ci had prepared steaming hot meals on the deck. A large iron pot was bubbling with food, with the swirling steam filling the entire vessel with its smell.

Having endured days of hunger, exhaustion, and terror, the survivors, now dressed in clean clothes and enveloped by the comforting smell of hot food, felt their eyes well up with emotion.

Jiang Ci seemed to understand their feelings and, without saying a word, began serving them food, one bowl at a time.

As the ship sailed away from the island, it didn’t take long before Jiang Ci saw another massive wave rise from the sea, and in an instant, the island was completely swallowed up by the sea.

Upon witnessing this scene, the survivors were filled with dread. If Jiang Ci and her crew had arrived any later, they would have likely met the same fate as the island, swallowed by the depths of the ocean.

Looking at the island that had silently disappeared just like that, the survivors, now satiated, fell into a contemplative silence.

On the way back, Jiang Ci used her black mist to dissolve a few more mutated beasts that had foolishly approached the ship.

This trip had been quite fruitful for Jiang Ci. Not only had she received the mission rewards, but her account also saw a significant increase in numbers due to the crystal cores too.

The mission reward this time was something Jiang Ci took a particular liking to. It was a spacious amusement park.

When she saw the colorful 3D rendering of the amusement park, Jiang Ci felt a surge of excitement. It had been two years since the apocalypse began, and even before that, due to her years of grinding in the big city, she hadn’t visited an amusement park in a long time.

The amusement park covered an area larger than a typical park. Jiang Ci glanced at the city’s layout and chose a suburban area on the other side as the foundation for the amusement park.

It almost occupied the entire plot of land.

In fact, the leaders of various bases in C City had already hinted at their desire to join Jiang Ci. However, seeing the sheer number of people, Jiang Ci was still considering the idea.

However, if more and more buildings continued to be constructed, it was likely that the entire C City would eventually come under her control, and those bases might have to merge with hers.

As Jiang Ci pondered these matters, the ship gradually approached the shore.

The survivors on the ship had already fallen asleep on the deck. They were utterly exhausted, their faces pale. Although the deck was hard, they slept soundly.

By the time the ship docked, the sky had already darkened slightly. Jiang Ci had no choice but to wake the sleeping survivors.

After getting some food and sleep, their complexions looked much better than before.

One by one, the survivors disembarked, and with a sense of reality, stepped onto solid ground.

“What are your next plans? Will you come back with me, or go to another base?” Jiang Ci inquired.

The survivors whispered among themselves for a while and finally expressed their desire to follow Jiang Ci back.

Jiang Ci nodded in response, then took out her own bus and let the survivors board.

After they disembarked from the ship, Jiang Ci stored the ship in her space. The system had always been generous; once a vehicle was given out, it was usually not taken back. So, Jiang Ci directly stored the ship in her space, planning to use it the next time she came to the seaside.

Watching such a large ship disappear under Jiang Ci’s hand and another bus appear out of thin air, the survivors gained a new understanding of Jiang Ci’s abilities.

After getting on the bus, the group headed towards C City.

Everyone sat in the bus, feeling a bit out of place upon looking at the clean interior, but soon, Jiang Ci’s deliberate efforts to steer the conversation soon relaxed them.

By the time they returned to C City, it was already the next day. Jiang Ci took the survivors to the base, then went back to her own courtyard to catch up on sleep. When she woke up, it was already dark.

Song Jinchuan seemed to have heard the commotion and pushed the door open from outside, holding the food he had prepared for her.

Seeing Jiang Ci about to get up, he quickly stopped her and brought the food to the bedside to feed her.

Jiang Ci was both amused and exasperated, “I can eat by myself.”

Song Jinchuan smiled gently, his sharp facial features softening a bit, “Still, allow me to occasionally exercise my rights as a boyfriend.”

Jiang Ci’s heart softened, and she didn’t stop him anymore. After eating, she took a shower and continued to laze in bed. Song Jinchuan tidied up and came back to lie beside her, pulling her into his arms.

The two had started living together a month ago, and it hadn’t been as difficult to accept as Jiang Ci had imagined. Loving someone seemed to make her willing to be with him all the time.

Jiang Ci leaned in Song Jinchuan’s arms, checking the construction progress of the amusement park. Due to its large area, it would take about half a year to complete.

She also checked the recent situation and income of the base’s train station and Gourmet City. The business was very stable, with considerable profits.

Song Jinchuan quietly accompanied her, occasionally giving into the urge to kiss the top of her head.

By the time Jiang Ci finished checking all her businesses, it was already very late.

Seeing her turn off the screen and yawn drowsily, Song Jinchuan pulled her into his arms, turned over, and pressed her down, gently pecking her lips. His voice was low, with a hint of grievance, “Since you’ve neglected me for so long, can I ask for some compensation?”

Jiang Ci chuckled, pulling the person in front of her down by the neck. The temperature gradually rose, and the air seemed to thicken with tension between them.

The next day, Jiang Ci got up late, while Song Jinchuan had already gone out for a refreshing walk.

After living together for a month, although this kind of thing happened frequently due to Song Jinchuan’s deliberate manoeuvring, Jiang Ci still hadn’t gotten used to his terrifying stamina.

Because their first time had been too quick and rushed, Song Jinchuan seemed to have a point to prove every time they did it, with the end result always being her legs weakening when she got out of bed.

Seeing Jiang Ci glare at him again, Song Jinchuan wasn’t annoyed. He smiled, showing off his gleaming white teeth, and went forward to massage her waist and her sore legs, providing her an exceptionally thoughtful aftercare service.

Jiang Ci looked at his soft, fluffy hair and the overflowing love in his eyes, and found she just couldn’t muster up any anger against him.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. Jiang Ci had completed numerous missions, and Gourmet City expanded once again, adding Western restaurants, Chinese restaurants, and a grand banquet hall capable of hosting large-scale events.

Gourmet City was becoming more and more deserving of its name, and nearly all the survivors in the entire nation had heard of C City’s Gourmet City. During this time, Jiang Ci had also taken over several more bases, one of which had grown so large that it had to be expanded.

Meanwhile, the amusement park in the suburbs had always been a focus of attention among the survivors. When they heard that the amusement park had been completed and was now ready to open, survivors immediately started to flock over by train.

It was the first time anyone had seen the amusement park without any construction barriers in place. Through the large iron gates at the entrance, they could see the beautiful buildings and various themed areas inside, which looked incredibly fun.

Due to the large number of people, Jiang Ci continued to implement a reservation and ticketing system for entry. The staff inside the park were also well-prepared, standing at their posts with smiles as they watched the surging crowd outside.

At exactly eight o’clock, Jiang Ci had the gates of the amusement park opened, and the survivors lined up to have their tickets checked before entering.

During this time, two people who tried to sneak in were caught and immediately thrown out by security.

As the gates opened, the prepared balloons flew into the sky, colorful and vibrant, instantly capturing the attention of the survivors.

For a moment, it felt as if they were back in the pre-apocalyptic world, heading to the amusement park with friends and family.

Upon entering, they were each given a wristband that contained a map of the park, information on crowd density, and estimated wait times for attractions. With this wristband, they could grasp all the details of the park with just the wristband.

It was somewhat similar to the amusement park apps from before the apocalypse, but even more detailed.

Once inside, they were greeted by a lush, vibrant environment filled with blooming flowers and greenery, a stark contrast to the desolation of the apocalypse outside.

There were also dreamlike castles and various amusement rides.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan walked hand in hand among the crowd. Since there were so many people today, Song Jinchuan had Jiang Ci half-embraced against him, practically shielding her in his arms.

In fact, the two of them had already explored the entire park a few days before the opening, so they didn’t join the bustling crowd in queues but instead strolled around leisurely.

Apart from the amusement park rides, Jiang Ci had also invested heavily in the landscaping.

At the time, the system had offered several plans, including a basic one that required no additional cost but was rather plain. Jiang Ci opted for the most expensive option for landscaping and decorations throughout the park.

Even the lights and trash bins in the park were designed to blend seamlessly into the environment.

Taking a walk here made it feel as if even the air was sweet.

There were numerous restaurants in the park, and the prices were fair, unlike the exorbitant food prices in pre-apocalyptic amusement parks.

After wandering around for a while, the two of them took a break and had something to eat at a restaurant. The place offered a variety of cuisines, including Chinese, Western, and fast food, as well as simple options like bread and milk.

The park was bustling with activity, filled with people coming and going the entire day.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan spent the morning exploring and left in the afternoon. Before they left, Jiang Ci gave Song Jinchuan a few tickets to pass on to his friends.

She knew that Song Jinchuan still kept in touch with the Cheetah Squad. After all, they had been through numerous life-and-death situations together for years, and such bonds weren’t easily severed. Even though Song Jinchuan was now her man, she didn’t restrict his social circle. Knowing that he considered these people friends, she handed him the tickets to give to them.

Song Jinchuan understood that she was thinking of him and flashed a bright smile, happily planting a kiss on her lips before taking the tickets to find the Cheetah Squad.

As it turned out, Huang Mao and the others hadn’t managed to snag tickets and were sitting in A Hotpot Restaurant, lamenting their misfortune. They were talking about the scenes they had witnessed outside the amusement park earlier, their voices filled with envy.

Recently, Huang Mao and the others had joined Jiang Ci’s base, and their daily lives had stabilized as a result of that. Huang Mao had even taken a liking to a girl and was currently pursuing her, hoping to take her to the amusement park for a date.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

The park was surrounded by beautiful, clean white walls, abundant with green plants that looked vibrant and exceptionally beautiful against the post-apocalyptic backdrop.

Inside the park, lush trees and thriving flowers created a fragrant atmosphere, with even the wind carrying a sweet scent.

As more and more survivors gathered outside, Jiang Ci opened the park’s large iron gate under their expectant gazes.

The survivors immediately surged in, though upon entering, they instinctively softened their footsteps. The park was filled with various plants and flowers, as well as birds and butterflies.

Such lively creatures hadn’t been seen in the post-apocalyptic world for a long time.

The butterflies and birds the survivors saw regularly were those that had undergone mutations, appearing both grotesque and strange.

A little girl entered with her family and was amazed by the butterfly that landed on her shoulder, her initial fear transforming into delight.

The air inside the park was exceptionally fresh, devoid of the faint mustiness found in the outside air. The survivors felt as if their lungs were being purified the moment they stepped in.

The most unique feature of the park was undoubtedly the training base. Here, not only were there virtual targets for practicing martial arts, but also shooting ranges as well as training fields for real combat.

As soon as Wang Liu and his companions entered the park, they headed straight for this training base. Their interest in the training base was clearly much greater than in any other area.

The first zone they entered was the hand-to-hand combat area. To their surprise, their practice targets were not the rigid straw dummies or wooden stakes they had expected, but rather highly agile robots. The training field would simulate a practice opponent based on the survivor’s own abilities, with the shooting range operating in a similar fashion.

The most exceptional area was the real-life combat simulation field, which was also the only area that required a small payment of crystal cores. It simulated a realistic post-apocalyptic scenario, allowing survivors to navigate through challenges.

Survivors who tried it once were almost guaranteed to fall in love with the training methods here.

Jiang Ci remarked that it was indeed impressive. After all, she had invested a significant amount of money to make this training base as advanced as it was.

As time went on, more and more people came to the park. Due to limited space, Jiang Ci had no choice but to start restricting the flow of visitors by implementing a reservation system.

Shortly after this system was introduced, within less than ten minutes, the entire month’s schedule was fully booked.

The park instantly became the most popular attraction in the vicinity of Gourmet City.

After the severe cold weather passed, the temperature gradually warmed up. Without much of a transitional period, the weather quickly changed to that of the heat of summer.

Survivors who had been wearing thick coats just a few days ago now switched to cool summer attire.

The heavy snow melted almost instantly, and due to the high temperatures, the ground dried quickly.

With the return of warmer weather, Jiang Ci’s Gourmet City reached an unprecedented level of popularity. Even the hot springs and bathhouses didn’t see a decline in business due to the weather.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

However, Jiang Ci wasn’t at Gourmet City at the moment. Instead, she stood with Song Jinchuan before a vast, pitch-black sea.

She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked ahead. In the distance, there seemed to truly be a faint black protrusion on the sea’s surface. This must be the isolated island the system had mentioned.

According to the system, the island hadn’t always been this small. After several high tides, more than half of the island had already been submerged beneath the sea. The survivors living on the island were now forced to huddle closer and closer together. A recent wave had accidentally swept away their means of transportation, cutting them off completely from the outside world. Apart from the scarcity of food, the most deadly threat was the elusive mutated sea creatures.

Jiang Ci’s mission this time was to rescue these survivors.

The system’s tasks always aimed to preserve as many survivors as possible in this post-apocalyptic world. Having received so much from the system, Jiang Ci naturally did her best to fulfill these missions.

Since there was no wind at the moment, the sea was relatively calm. Beneath the dark surface, however, an unseen turbulence started to churn. Who knew how many mutated creatures lurked beneath the waves.

Survivors were more wary of the mutated sea creatures because they were difficult to deal with. Even the supernatural abilities possessed by ability users were less effective in the water. Combined with the surrounding environment, people generally avoided targeting the sea creatures. As a result, survivors still didn’t know to what extent these creatures had mutated to.

Previously, a base had used underwater detectors to investigate, but the pitch-black waters revealed nothing, and the detectors had been destroyed halfway through their voyage.

The system had prepared a boat for Jiang Ci, allowing her to sail to the small island.

The boat wasn’t small, but as it floated on the vast ocean, rising and falling with the waves, it seemed rather unreliable.

Hesitantly, Jiang Ci boarded the boat and silently conversed with the system in her mind, “It definitely won’t capsize, right?”

[It won’t. Don’t worry, host. Even if we encounter a mutated beast attack, this boat still won’t capsize,] the system replied with certainty.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan boarded the boat. Neither of them knew how to operate it, but fortunately, the boat provided by the system was quite simple to handle. All they had to do was set the destination, and it would start the automatic navigation, helping them avoid obstacles along the way too.

The island was quite a distance from the mainland. At their current speed, it would still take some time to reach it.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan stood on the deck eating lunch. Just as they finished eating, Jiang Ci suddenly felt the boat start to tremble.

“There’s something beneath the boat,” Song Jinchuan whispered.

Hearing this, Jiang Ci leaned over the railing to look down. What she saw instantly sent chills down her spine.

Beneath their boat, a massive shadow could be seen, slowly moving. The shadow was nearly twice the size of the boat. As Jiang Ci peered down, she seemed to catch a glimpse of a huge, crimson eye within that blurry silhouette—an eye that was already larger than her entire body.

Jiang Ci wasn’t afraid of mutated beasts, but she had a slight case of megalophobia. Staring at the enormous creature, her entire body stiffened out of fear.

Noticing her discomfort, Song Jinchuan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. “If you’re scared, don’t look.”

Jiang Ci nodded. Soon, however, another thought crossed her mind. As the shadow moved past the boat, she released her black mist, attempting to devour the massive mutated beast.

Almost immediately, the black mist’s approach triggered the beast’s instinct to attack. Water splashed high into the air, nearly forming a giant wave. But just as the system had said, no matter how turbulent the sea became, their boat remained steady, only swaying slightly.

Seawater sprayed onto the deck, and Song Jinchuan shielded Jiang Ci in his arms, blocking the towering waves.

The struggle in the sea continued. Despite the beast’s enormous size, it still seemed to be no match for the black mist. After a while, its movements gradually ceased.

Jiang Ci retracted the black mist, which spat out a large crystal core, somewhat different from those of the mutated beasts on land.

[Host, the energy contained in this crystal core is even purer than those from land,] the system said, sounding pleased. After all, its goal was to collect the scattered energy of this world.

Jiang Ci let the system absorb the crystal core. After absorption, she was astonished to find that the points granted by this single core reached a staggering nine digits.

Jiang Ci now gazed at the dark sea, her fear slowly subsiding. This wasn’t some terrifying mutated beast—it was clearly a glowing pile of gold!

Since the sea was now pitch black, Jiang Ci couldn’t determine the location of the mutated beasts, making it impossible to track them with the black mist. All she could do was wait for the beasts to come up on their own.

However, her concern was soon alleviated, as the waters around the small island were now densely packed with mutated sea creatures, circling the island and eyeing the humans on it with malicious intent.

Every now and then, one or two would leap out of the water, and Jiang Ci finally got a glimpse of their true forms.

The word, “ugly”, perfectly described these mutated sea creatures. They were grotesquely ugly. These fish-like creatures were so hideous that Jiang Ci felt she would have a lasting aversion to fish after this.

From a distance, Jiang Ci could see the survivors on the island. There seemed to be quite a few of them, and from their postures, it was clear they were doing their best to dodge the occasional attacks from the leaping beasts.

Just as Jiang Ci had anticipated, Zhou Qi and the other survivors were indeed doing their utmost to avoid the attacks from the leaping beasts.

Although the creatures couldn’t move on land, they would open their large mouths and try to bite those on the shore during their leaps.

The survivors were already soaked with seawater, doing their best to stay in the center of the island. But as the island’s area above water continued to shrink, their space to move around was also diminishing.

“Everyone, try to stay in the middle, don’t go near the edges,” one of the survivors shouted as a reminder.

But they had been without food for too long, and the survivors’ strength was almost completely depleted. Combined with the intense mental strain of constantly being on guard against these beasts, several of them were beginning to think that being eaten might actually be a form of relief.

Just then, the sound of a ship’s horn echoed from the distance. The survivors’ hearts leapt with hope, and they looked up to see a ship approaching! Were they finally being rescued?!

As the ship drew closer, Jiang Ci released the black mist to feast.

These ugly creatures were no burden for the black mist to consume, and it eventually spat out a pile of cores, as if discarding their bones after eating.

The mutated beasts surrounding the island were thus dealt with by the eerie black mist. The survivors watched the mist with caution, but after it finished off the beasts, it obediently returned to the ship. Gradually, they began to relax.

The ship slowly docked, and Jiang Ci descended the side ladder to see the survivors looking like wilted eggplants, sitting or standing listlessly, still drenched in seawater.

Seeing Jiang Ci, Zhou Qi stepped forward, “Thank you for your help.”

“It’s nothing. Can you all still walk? Let’s get on the ship first. It’ll be dangerous by the shore if the mutated beasts start to come again,” Jiang Ci asked.

“Yes,” Zhou Qi replied, his eyes lighting up at the confirmation that Jiang Ci was indeed here to take them away. He quickly urged the other survivors who were still sitting on the ground.

Everyone was overjoyed at the news, and despite their lack of strength, they did their best to stand up.

One by one, the survivors boarded the ship’s deck. During this time, some mutated beasts attracted by the humans approached, but Jiang Ci swiftly dealt with them using the black mist.

Only after all the survivors were on board did the mutated beasts finally calm down from their frenzy.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Taking advantage of the chaos, Jiang Ci used her black mist to engulf all the survivors in the corridor.

The black mist, now satiated, churned even more vigorously, soon spitting out a pile of crystal cores, supplies, and weapons for Jiang Ci.

Jiang Ci quickly gathered them up and then walked straight to the innermost door. Using the black mist, she melted a large hole in it, revealing a descending staircase.

Below was a pitch black darkness, impossible to see through. Jiang Ci had to activate the lighting in the system on her body to illuminate the path around her.

The two of them descended the stairs, the basement’s air damp and foul, mixed with various other odors.

The passage to go downstairs was narrow, connecting to a series of rooms.

Jiang Ci had seen the map before and knew the general location where the survivors were being held.

Just then, she suddenly heard a scream, sharp and piercing, immediately shattering the silence of the night.

Xu Yi held on tightly to Zhou Nian, the thin boy beside her. They were huddled in a corner of the room, with the air still carrying the lingering scent of blood. A head rolled to a stop in front of them, its eyes wide open, as if it had suffered immense injustice and pain.

Standing before them were three people, all wielding knives to dismember the human torso in front of them.

The entire scene was bloody and horrifying. The two of them shrank into the corner, trembling with fear. Xu Yi even began to retch involuntarily, but having not eaten, all she could do was only dry heave.

Beside her, Zhou Nian’s eyes were wide open, seemingly having lost the ability to think independently, his body shaking uncontrollably.

The two of them were from the same base but hadn’t been particularly close. But at this moment, all they could do was rely on each other for support.

The three people in front of them had clearly brought them here intentionally to witness this, aiming to break their psychological defenses.

The smell of blood grew stronger with their subsequent movements. Xu Yi felt as if her vision was entirely filled with a red haze, unable to see anything else besides that colour.

One of the survivors, with a belly as large as a hill, chuckled and moved closer to them, “These two look rather tender.”

The two instinctively took a step back, but all they could feel was the wall behind them, leaving them no room for retreat.

“How do you two want to die? I, Old Zhu, am in a good mood today, so I’ll make it quick for you.” The man in front of them approached, his massive body shaking as he did so, making it seem as if the very ground were trembling.

A greasy, blood-stained hand reached out and touched Xu Yi’s face, causing her to shake uncontrollably.

Their reactions clearly pleased the men in front of them, and their laughter grew more unrestrained.

But the next second, the laughter stopped abruptly, startling Xu Yi and Zhou Nian into immobility.

Soon, the three figures standing in front of them disappeared. Xu Yi could sense a somewhat dangerous presence stopping in front of them, seemingly with no intention of harming them.

“Are you two okay?” A clear female voice then rang out beside them.

At this moment, had someone come to rescue them?! Xu Yi could feel Zhou Nian’s tense body beside her. She could only try to call out, “We’re… we’re okay.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, she realized her voice was trembling, and the fear she had just suppressed seemed to be fully exposed through her tone.

“I’m Jiang Ci from C City’s Gourmet City. I’m here to rescue you. Follow me out first, and after we save the others, we’ll leave together,” Jiang Ci said.

“I know you!” Xu Yi’s voice suddenly became excited. They had been captured on their way to C City’s Gourmet City, so naturally, they knew of the famous boss of Gourmet City.

Hearing Jiang Ci’s voice, Xu Yi felt her last bit of worry slowly dissipate, and she let out a sigh of relief as all her strength drained away.

The two of them struggled to drag their legs, which had gone weak from fear, out of the room and followed behind Jiang Ci, not daring to look back even once.

Jiang Ci naturally saw this scene. The room was filled with a strong smell of blood, and she frowned before turning to leave.

Not long after, footsteps could be heard one after another. Someone had also entered this basement. Jiang Ci told Xu Yi and Zhou Nian to hide behind her while she and Song Jinchuan went to confront the people who had come down.

The survivors were clearly surprised by the sudden invasion of outsiders in this basement. It seemed they were indeed formidable, with quick reactions to boot. Unfortunately for them, they had encountered Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, and thus, could only silently disappear in this basement.

Xu Yi stood behind Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, feeling an overwhelming sense of security.

After dealing with these people, the footsteps upstairs continued unabated. It seemed the commotion they had caused had indeed caused quite a stir, though this was also good, as it made Jiang Ci’s actions easier to execute.

The corridor here connected to many rooms on both sides, not all of which held people. The map hadn’t clearly marked them, so Jiang Ci had to search each room one at a time.

The basement was quite large, so it took Jiang Ci some effort to find everyone.

Just as she had finished opening all the doors, the basement door suddenly clicked shut, and a voice, as clear as if it were speaking right next to their ears, came from nowhere.

“Welcome, intruders. Now that you’re here, please enjoy the meal I’ve specially prepared just for you.”

As soon as the voice sounded, Jiang Ci heard a hissing noise, like the sound of a balloon leaking air.

“Oh no, it’s poison gas!” one of the survivors shouted.

At this moment, the black mist that had been vigilantly guarding Jiang Ci’s side began to stir, and then, it actually leaped out of Jiang Ci’s palm and started absorbing the toxins in the air in waves.

Although the black mist had no emotions or expressions, Jiang Ci inexplicably felt its joy.

“Everyone, stay calm, don’t be afraid,” Jiang Ci said as she distributed gas masks to the survivors. “Put these on, and you’ll be fine.”

Under Jiang Ci’s reassurance, the panicked survivors gradually relaxed. They found that this time, the poison gas really didn’t affect them as it usually did, often causing them to have difficulty breathing or stiff bodies.

While distributing the gas masks, the black mist was still actively absorbing the poison gas. Jiang Ci didn’t pay it any mind and walked to the staircase. Sure enough, the door had been firmly shut and wouldn’t budge.

At this moment, the black mist was still devouring the poison gas, but Jiang Ci wasn’t in a hurry. Since the people upstairs seemed very confident in this poison gas, they would likely come down to check on them later.

Sure enough, after a short while, the sound of the door opening echoed, accompanied by the sound of voices. Jiang Ci, who was hiding in the shadows, soon learned that the crisis above had been resolved. It was clear that now they had decided to deal with the major crisis down below.

After releasing the poisonous gas, they waited for about ten minutes, presumably to ensure that those below had fully absorbed the toxins. Then, they activated the air circulation system to expel the gas from the lower levels.

Jiang Ci’s black mist had returned to her side once the gas was fully absorbed.

Seemingly confident that those below had been subdued by the gas, the survivors spoke without restraint, discussing how to handle the intruders amongst themselves.

They didn’t believe the intruders were here to rescue anyone; instead, they believed that they were also thieves who had stumbled upon this place by mistake. After all, there had been a precedence of such people before.

Those who dared to steal from them must pay the corresponding price.

However, as they descended the stairs, what awaited them was not the intruders who should be barely clinging onto life, but the ferocious black mist and wall of flames.

The descending survivors were either swallowed by the black mist or turned to ashes.

Jiang Ci guarded the entrance, collecting supplies until her pockets were almost full. The survivors behind her were dumbfounded—could things really be done this way?

The people upstairs seemed too afraid to come down. Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan instructed the remaining survivors to stay put while they went up to investigate.

As soon as they reached the top, the sound of gunfire rang out, followed by the strong scent of gunpowder filling the air.

Thanks to the system’s protection and the protective layer she had applied to Song Jinchuan before setting out, Jiang Ci dared to stride confidently into this area that had been set up as an obvious ambush.

For anyone else, the combination of poisonous gas and gunfire would have surely been fatal, and surviving would have been due to sheer luck.

“Are they dead?” a voice asked after the smoke cleared.

“They should be. We fired a whole magazine after all,” another voice replied with certainty.

“Check first. Those two are a bit strange. Confirm their deaths first before we proceed…”

But before they could finish, a dragon made of fire and a seemingly sentient black mist appeared before them, and soon after, their screams also filled the air.

“Brothers, let’s talk this out. Whatever you want, we can give it to you. Or you can stay, and we’ll treat you with the highest regard,” another voice rang out, tinged with an obvious urgency.

Jiang Ci didn’t bother responding, continuing to work with Song Jinchuan to eliminate the survivors who were still resisting.

Jiang Ci felt her hands growing steadier, and the weapons, crystal cores, and ability beads she collected were increasing rapidly.

Soon, the entire building had been declared as completely cleared by them, leaving it empty, with not even a single scrap of clothing remaining. Those observing from outside were terrified and fled at the sight. Song Jinchuan noticed the commotion and gave chase, while Jiang Ci stayed behind to guide the survivors downstairs upstairs.

She took the vehicle out from her space and placed it outside, allowing the survivors to board one by one.

The air conditioning inside the car completely isolated the blizzard outside, and the warm atmosphere soothed the survivors’ anxious hearts.

Xu Yi noticed that Zhou Nian had been acting strangely ever since he came out of that room. He seemed dazed and didn’t speak, and his eyes stared blankly ahead, as if he was still shell shocked.

Having gone through such an ordeal together and sharing countless hardships, Xu Yi couldn’t possibly just ignore him. She helped him into the bus and called out to him several times, but there was still no response.

Just then, Jiang Ci also boarded the bus, and Xu Yi, concerned, stopped her and explained the situation.

Seeing Zhou Nian sitting silently in his seat, Jiang Ci frowned slightly. Indeed, such events could easily cause mental trauma due to extreme fright.

She crouched in front of Zhou Nian. He was sixteen, but was too thin, with dark skin and long hair that covered his eyes, seemingly also blocking him from the light.

Jiang Ci placed her hand on his, and a gentle white light suddenly appeared, slowly flowing from her hand into his.

When Zhou Nian regained his consciousness, he felt as if he was immersed in a warm spring, with warmth flooding not just his body, but even down to his bones too.

Jiang Ci saw Zhou Nian’s eyes begin to focus again, and his pupils started to shake. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that her method was effective.

There were more than twenty survivors, all of whom were from different bases, and each with different destinations initially, all having been kidnapped to this base.

“Originally, there were more than forty of us, but now… only we remain,” one of the survivors spoke up.

The atmosphere quickly turned somber, with a hint of heavy gloom in the air.

Soon, Song Jinchuan returned, carrying someone who seemed to be barely alive. Seeing Jiang Ci, he said, “This person has dual abilities.”

Jiang Ci immediately understood his meaning and got out of the car to let the black mist consume him. The man, upon seeing Jiang Ci, wanted to say something, thinking women were more soft-hearted, but before he could speak, he was completely engulfed by the black mist.

Jiang Ci collected the dual-colored ability orb. The chance of encountering someone with dual abilities was small, with the chance to consume them being even smaller. As a result, she hadn’t collected many such ability orbs yet.

Before leaving, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan thoroughly combed through the buildings and found a few survivors who had been imprisoned to research the poison gas. They took them along as well, and Jiang Ci didn’t waste the remaining poison gas, letting the black mist consume it all.

Jiang Ci noticed that after the black mist consumed the poison gas, it seemed to become even darker and more active.

The mission had been successfully completed without much harm done to them, and the park had also been claimed by Jiang Ci, though it hadn’t been placed anywhere yet.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan parked the bus outside the train station. Survivors who needed to return to their respective bases could take the train from here, while those heading to C City could go with Jiang Ci and the others.

Xu Yi and the remaining survivors from the base were originally planning to seek refuge with Jiang Ci in C City, so they stayed in the car without getting off.

Zhou Nian had recovered a bit, but his spirits were still low. Although the apocalypse had already been harsh enough, they had never directly faced such a brutal scene before.

The one who had been killed earlier was a woman who had just been locked in the same room as them. Before that, she had spoken to Xu Yi and the others, saying that if her children were still alive, they might have been around the same age as them.

Zhou Nian’s heart felt heavy. In truth, when those people came to capture them, they had initially intended to take him instead, but the woman stood up and blocked them, so she had been the first to be seized.

By the time they met again in the same room, the woman had already been tortured to the brink of death. When she saw them, she managed one last smile at them, but in the next second, her head was immediately severed.

After sending off the other survivors, only five people remained in the vehicle, including Xu Yi and Zhou Nian.

These were the people who had originally been planning to seek refuge with Jiang Ci. On the way, Jiang Ci briefly explained the rules of the base to them. They were simple, with few restrictions, as the rules were mainly targeting survivors with ulterior motives.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

The return journey wasn’t as rushed. Jiang Ci opened the map and noticed a red light indicating a delivery order not far from them. After discussing it with Song Jinchuan, they decided to take a detour.

The survivors in the vehicle had no objections either. Jiang Ci had prepared meals and hot water for them, and with such a spacious vehicle, they didn’t dare to voice any other complaints.

The vehicle quickly approached the red dot marking the mission location.

Lin Ya swung her long blade, her breath coming out in increasingly rapid white puffs. Blood dripped steadily onto the ground, and her consciousness began to blur. She felt as if she couldn’t hold on much longer.

Beside her, her brother, Lin Tang, and father, Lin Jun, were also struggling, their movements growing more sluggish as time passed by. In front of them was a massive mutated bear. Bears were already large to begin with, but after mutating, its fur had become as tough as iron, making it extremely difficult to penetrate.

“Hold on a little longer. I’ve already ordered takeout. Boss Jiang will surely come to rescue us once she sees the delivery request,” encouraged Lin Ya’s mother, Tang Xing, her hands trembling as she gripped her weapon.

As soon as she finished speaking, the enormous mutated black bear slammed its massive paw down, sending snow flying and creating a large crater in the ground. The earth seemed to tremble from the impact.

The group barely managed to dodge, gasping for breath. Who could have imagined that such a deadly creature would be hidden in this snowy expanse?

Perhaps frustrated by the agility of these tiny humans who kept evading its deadly strikes, the mutated black bear let out a deafening roar, causing the surrounding snow to cascade down.

It was at this moment that Jiang Ci arrived. Seeing the mutated black bear, which was as tall as a building, and the four small figures in front of it, she and Song Jinchuan quickly parked the vehicle and rushed over to help.

“We should go and assist them,” one of the survivors in the vehicle stood up.

“No, stay put,” Jiang Ci said curtly before leaving swiftly.

The survivors could only remain in the safe, warm confines of the vehicle. While they were moved by the protection, they also felt a sense of unease, stemming from the fact that they were unable to do anything but wait.

“Ah Ya! Be careful!” The howling wind and the heart-wrenching cries of her loved ones filled Lin Ya’s ears. Instinctively, she crouched down and covered her head, feeling a pang of sadness. The thought that she was now going to die, yet hadn’t even had the chance to bid her family a proper goodbye clouded her mind.

However, the anticipated pain never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure standing in front of her. Between the person and the mutated black bear was a large sphere of water.

The sphere of water quickly enveloped the mutated black bear, and no matter how much it struggled, it couldn’t escape.

On the other side, Song Jinchuan swiftly dealt with the mutated beasts and zombies that had been attracted by the scent of blood in the air.

Jiang Ci turned to look at her, “Are you alright?”

Lin Ya stared in awe at Jiang Ci, who seemed to have descended from the heavens like a divine warrior. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she threw herself into Jiang Ci’s arms, bursting into loud sobs.

Jiang Ci stood frozen in place, while Song Jinchuan’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Lin Tang, Lin Jun, and Tang Xing scratched their heads awkwardly in response.

“It’s okay now, everything’s fine,” Jiang Ci said, freeing one hand to pat Lin Ya on the back, comforting the sobbing girl.

After crying for a while, Lin Ya finally realized her own embarrassment and glanced at Jiang Ci sheepishly, “I’m sorry, Boss Jiang, I couldn’t help it.”

Jiang Ci nodded, “I know. Let’s get to the bus and tend to your wounds. The mutated beasts and zombies are starting to gather around us again.”

The group quickly followed Jiang Ci to the bus. Blood was everywhere, especially from Lin Jun, whose blood had almost formed a small river. As soon as he got into the car, he collapsed onto the floor due to excessive blood loss.

“Sorry, Boss Jiang, we’ve made a mess of your bus,” Tang Xing apologized, casting a worried glance at Lin Jun.

“It’s fine,” Jiang Ci replied, knowing this wasn’t the time to worry about such things. She used her healing abilities to treat the most severely injured, Lin Jun and Lin Ya, with one of them in each hand.

Simultaneously healing two people was almost unheard of among healers. Overuse of abilities would drain the ability user’s energy and stamina, especially for healers, which is why they typically treated one person at a time.

Unaware of the survivors’ thoughts, Jiang Ci’s hands glowed with a white light. Gradually, the incessant bleeding came to a stop.

After treating all four of them, although their bleeding had ceased, their lost stamina and blood couldn’t be immediately restored. They would still need time to recover.

“Where are you planning to go next? Back to your base?” Jiang Ci asked.

Lin Jun and Lin Ya had already fallen asleep, but Tang Xing and Lin Tang were still awake, sitting in their seats and talking to Jiang Ci, “We’re not going back. Our base is too cold-hearted. Boss Jiang, can we join you?”

“Of course, we can all head to my base,” Jiang Ci nodded.

Tang Xing spoke about their base, where even with such heavy snow outside, the survivors were strictly required to hand in a set number of crystal cores with no room for leniency, “Our neighbors were forced to hand in their crystal cores. Even in this snowstorm, the couple were still forced to go out and never returned, leaving behind a little girl who had to be taken in by other relatives. It’s so tragic.”

“We all think the rules are too rigid. The current base leader is worse than the previous one. Everyone protested, but he had his ways to deal with it, like cutting off our electricity and supplies, so we ran away,” Lin Tang said. “But before we even reached the train station, we somehow encountered this mutated black bear.”

Jiang Ci nodded, “A management style like that really is too authoritarian.”

As they talked, night quickly fell. As the bus drove across the flat terrain, they could see a sky full of stars when they looked up.

Jiang Ci glanced back and saw that everyone had already fallen asleep from exhaustion. “You should rest too. There’s no rush now. We can continue driving at dawn.”

Song Jinchuan obediently stopped the car. With so many people in the vehicle, it wasn’t convenient for them to rest in tents, so they made do by curling up in their seats for the night.

When Jiang Ci woke up, the car was already back on the road. Song Jinchuan was in the driver’s seat. Sensing her gaze, he turned his head and smiled, even reaching out to squeeze her palm.

Outside the window, the sunlight that had been absent for days finally streamed down, seemingly heralding the end of this harsh winter season.

After returning to the base, Jiang Ci took the survivors to get settled, then returned to her room with Song Jinchuan to discuss where the park should be located. They finally chose a plot of land adjacent to the base.

The park covered a vast area, even larger than the entire Gourmet City. Once it was established, this large piece of land would also come under Jiang Ci’s jurisdiction.

Because of its size, the construction took nearly a month to complete. By then, the sun had fully emerged, finally melting the remaining ice and snow, signaling the end of the severe cold.

On the day the park’s construction covering was unveiled, many survivors gathered for its opening. Although the park had been under construction for a month, they had heard numerous rumors about it—its expansive size, the free training facilities, and more.

So Jiang Ci wasn’t particularly surprised as she stood inside the park’s large iron gate, looking out at the dense crowd.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

There was also a backyard here, and judging by the decor, it seemed to be specifically designed for raising chickens or other poultry.

As Jiang Ci looked around, she estimated how many people she would need to bring here. After returning, she chose a quieter time to hold a staff meeting and selected a few skilled bakers and cooks to be assigned to the two new shops.

The newly opened shops naturally caught the attention of the survivors, especially the soft, pink cake shop.

As soon as the survivors saw it and caught the scent wafting from inside, they couldn’t resist stopping by.

Upon entering the cake shop, the survivors saw all the glass display cases filled with freshly baked cakes and bread.

Coffee was brewing at the counter, and the air was filled with the delightful aroma of coffee and milk tea.

As soon as they entered, the survivors couldn’t resist just looking without buying a single one of the goods. In times like these, a single slice of cake and a cup of coffee could bring them joy for most of the day.

After leaving the cake shop, the aroma from next door aggressively invaded their noses.

A small slice of cake and coffee couldn’t possibly fill their stomachs; it whetted their appetites instead. At this point, a bit of savory and tasty firewood chicken would be perfect.

Several days had passed since Jiang Ci had finished setting up the new store.

She finally had some free time to visit Shen Tao and the others.

A few days should have been enough for the people from their village to familiarize themselves with the base. When Jiang Ci arrived, she saw Shen Tao and Cai Qiang standing by the residential building, talking about something.

Seeing Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, Shen Tao and the others came forward to greet them. Song Jinchuan, who was standing beside her, subtly took Jiang Ci’s hand in his.

“How have you been adapting these past few days?” Jiang Ci asked.

“It’s been great! Before coming here, my sister and I were worried, but now those worries seem completely unnecessary. Life here is very convenient, you can buy anything you want here,” Cai Qiang chimed in before Shen Tao could speak.

Judging by the expressions of the others, they clearly agreed with this sentiment.

“That’s good to hear,” Jiang Ci smiled.

Jiang Ci had come specifically to discuss arrangements for the villagers. For example, the ability user who was particularly skilled at farming could work in the farm, while the survivor with the ability to make clothes could join the cotton factory.

In short, every talented survivor could find a well-paying job through Jiang Ci.

Over the past few days, they had already talked to survivors working in the base or Gourmet City, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many were starting to feel tempted.

If Jiang Ci hadn’t come to them today, they would have gone to find her first.

After making arrangements for them, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan left the base. The road from the base to the Gourmet City was bustling with survivors, either coming to or from Gourmet City.

The train station had also brought in many survivors from other cities.

Seeing such a lively scene, Jiang Ci couldn’t help but feel deeply moved. She remembered when there had only been a small hotpot shop here, yet now it had grown into such a large, well-planned Gourmet City.

As days went by, Gourmet City expanded, and the shops became more spacious. During this time, Jiang Ci went back to her world once without Song Jinchuan, just to check the store’s accounts and handle a few trivial matters. She returned to the apocalypse after a week.

Back in the apocalypse, she embarked on a new mission. The severe cold front was gradually receding, but before it completely disappeared, a massive blizzard struck. Jiang Ci stood by the window, watching the snow that almost completely obscured her view. Song Jinchuan hugged her from behind.

Because of the blizzard, she had given Gourmet City a break, so now they both had some rare leisure time. The two lovebirds, both experiencing their first relationship, became inseparable, spending almost every day together.

Jiang Ci even suspected that Song Jinchuan had some sort of skin hunger disorder, needing to be close to her at all times.

The once serious and steady man had turned into a little puppy who constantly sought her for hugs and kisses, though Jiang Ci quite liked this transformation.

In the base, there were many survivors, and some bold ones had tried to pursue her before. Previously, Song Jinchuan felt as if he had no standing to stop them, so he could only silently exude an icy aura. But now, before those people could even get close to Jiang Ci, a single frigid glare from Song Jinchuan would now send them packing.

Whenever they went out, he would grip her hand tightly, as if that would make sure everyone knew she was his. Gradually, those bold suitors disappeared, and Song Jinchuan was quite satisfied with this outcome.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

It was during this heavy snowfall that the system assigned Jiang Ci a mission: to rescue trapped survivors from a base in the east. Upon completing this mission, the system would reward her with a park—and not just any park, but a completely toxin-free park with fresh air.

Not only could people breathe fresh air there, but they could also exercise. However, the usual fitness equipment would be replaced with more intense training facilities. Furthermore, this park would be freely open to all survivors.

Jiang Ci sighed and had no choice but to set out with Song Jinchuan.

After getting into the bus, Jiang Ci learned the general information about the base that they were heading to from the system.

The people of that base were utterly wicked, surviving on robbery and cannibalism. The base had originally been converted from a prison, covering a large area with a complex layout.

The system also provided Jiang Ci with a map of the terrain. After a quick glance, she realized just how complicated it was—multiple buildings, underground levels, with the topography itself looking quite intricate.

The prison walls were built very high, with sharp shards of glass embedded in them as well as an electric fence. Although the fence was likely no longer functional, the shards of glass were still a significant hindrance to their entrance.

Moreover, this base was unlike any Jiang Ci had encountered before. It was strictly managed, with patrols coming in waves almost without interruption.

Sneaking in seemed like a daunting task. Jiang Ci glanced at the map again and saw that the survivors were being held in several underground cells, meaning they would have to get inside to reach them.

After studying the map for a while, Jiang Ci only realized it was already noon when the bus came to a stop.

When she closed the map, Song Jinchuan had already laid out the food, “Come and eat before it gets cold.”

Jiang Ci nodded and sat down beside him to eat. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn’t serve herself any food. Seeing this, Song Jinchuan focused on serving her, barely eating himself.

Only after Jiang Ci had eaten her fill did he finish the now slightly cold meal.

The bus continued on its way, moving slowly due to the heavy snow. As night fell, Jiang Ci decided to set up a tent on a small patch of open ground behind the vehicle. Since it couldn’t be fully extended, the space inside was quite cramped.

Song Jinchuan didn’t mind at all. He simply held Jiang Ci as they slept through the night, waking up refreshed the next morning to continue driving.

By the afternoon of the second day, they finally arrived near the mission location.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan parked their car a fair distance away and observed the surroundings. Although the heavy snowfall was obstructing their vision, they could still make out the figures of survivors patrolling atop the walls.

“Let’s enter from here. I just observed that this is a blind spot, and with such heavy snow, they probably wouldn’t expect anyone to sneak in from here,” Song Jinchuan suggested. His practical experience far surpassed Jiang Ci’s, and he quickly identified the best point of entry.

Jiang Ci glanced in the direction he pointed, then studied the map before deciding to proceed from that spot.

Before they got out of the bus, Song Jinchuan carefully wrapped a scarf around her, adjusted her mask, and fitted a hat on her head. Only then did he take her hand and lead her out of the vehicle.

Even despite being fully bundled up and equipped with winter gear, Jiang Ci still felt the biting cold of the wind as soon as they stepped outside, making her reluctant to speak.

Song Jinchuan walked ahead of her, shielding her from as much of the wind as possible. Using the snowstorm and various obstacles for cover, they quickly reached their designated location.

Jiang Ci looked up at the towering wall before them. Entering now would likely alert the survivors, so they decided to wait until nightfall. Sitting in the bus would make them too conspicuous, so she took out a tent and set it up at the base of the wall. She and Song Jinchuan then crawled inside.

Once inside the tent, the harsh wind was completely blocked out. Jiang Ci shook off the snow and finally relaxed.

Song Jinchuan had already fetched warm water from the restroom for her to wash her hands and face. Although he had always been considerate, now that they were together, he had somehow become even more attentive. Jiang Ci half-joked that if he could, he’d probably even help her use the restroom so she wouldn’t have to go herself.

Still, she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being pampered by her boyfriend.

Seeing her obediently close her eyes as he wiped her face, Song Jinchuan’s heart softened into a puddle. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

The two slept in the tent, had dinner, and finally waited for nightfall.

When they emerged from the tent, Jiang Ci packed it up and used her black mist to create an opening in the prison gate.

As expected, this was a blind spot. There was no one around, and the fallen debris provided additional cover for them. However, while they were hidden behind the debris, they would occasionally hear the sound of footsteps and voices.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan hid for a while, waiting for the patrol to pass before continuing forward.

After finally reaching the first prison building, Jiang Ci used her black mist to engulf a few survivors that were standing guard, allowing them to enter.

Unlike the residential areas outside, this place exuded a sense of gloom and mould. Although the walls, which were already cracked from age, had been patched up, the decay of the place was evident.

The narrow corridor led them to an open area surrounded by circular prison cells, each with an iron door.

Judging by the disarray, it seemed the survivors had been living in these cells.

There was a faint light up ahead, indicating that electricity was still available.

With quite a few people around, they couldn’t simply walk out in the open. Song Jinchuan threw a fireball into the area, causing chaos, and they took advantage of the confusion to slip inside.

The entrance to the basement was at the end of the corridor ahead, behind a door. As they walked down the hallway, Jiang Ci noticed many survivors running toward them. The narrow corridor left no room for them on either side to hide.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

They didn’t know much about Gourmet City and the base in C City, only that it seemed very lively and had abundant supplies.

Shen Tao and his group, who had seen the train station before, knew a bit more.

What they feared most was that the base would use their formidable power to restrict their freedom, which was why they chose to be independent.

While they were discussing amongst themselves, Jiang Ci considerately did not disturb them. Instead, she went with Song Jinchuan to look at their fields, which were quite damaged but still showed signs of their former lushness. These people were truly remarkable; it was no wonder the system had for the first time ever, asked her to bring these people back to the base.

On the other side, Shen Tao and the others had also made their decision to first follow Jiang Ci to the base for observation, and if suitable, they would settle down there.

Jiang Ci had anticipated that they would follow her and gave them time to pack their things. Naturally, they would also take the unspoiled grain from their fields, and finally, everyone came out carrying large and small bags.

Jiang Ci went down the mountain with them, and when they reached the foot of the mountain, she took out the bus from her space.

This move gave another big shock to Shen Tao and his group. During the battle, Jiang Ci had already displayed two types of abilities, and now there also seemed to be a spatial ability? Moreover, each of her abilities was quite different from those of the ability users in the apocalypse.

But looking at it from another perspective, following Jiang Ci did seem to guarantee their safety.

Once on the bus, Shen Tao, as the representative of the group, came out to discuss the details of living in the base with Jiang Ci. Shen Tao also clearly stated that they had established their own village because they did not want to be restricted in any way.

“There aren’t many requirements for going to my base. There are quite a few job positions there, and you can choose whether to work there or not,” Jiang Ci briefly explained the situation at the base.

Upon hearing that Jiang Ci also had a farm and a factory, the survivors were somewhat pleased.

“All these train stations were built by me as well. Our base and Gourmet City employees enjoy special privileges,” Jiang Ci pointed out the train stations that occasionally passed by through the window of the bus.

The survivors who had never seen these train stations before couldn’t help but exclaim in awe. At this moment, a glimmer of hope for the future began to emerge in their hearts.

The journey was long, and it took more than a day to return to Gourmet City. This was the busiest time in Gourmet City, with many survivors walking around.

When people saw the bus, they knew Jiang Ci and her group had returned. Smiles spread across their faces as they greeted Jiang Ci.

Witnessing this scene, Shen Tao and his companions were also surprised. They hadn’t expected the place to be so lively.

The bus stopped at the base entrance. Jiang Ci had everyone get out and then led them inside.

Along the way, the survivors were completely awestruck by the base, so much so that what Jiang Ci was saying didn’t even end up registering in their minds.

Seeing their dazed expressions, Jiang Ci smiled. After processing their ID cards, she let them go to their rooms to rest. The rest could be discussed later.

Shen Tao looked at Jiang Ci with gratitude. Yesterday, he had seen her as an incredibly powerful figure. Today, after seeing all this, his heart was struck hard—not in a negative way, but in a way that made it race. Perhaps it was his admiration for strength that made his eyes sparkle as he looked at Jiang Ci.

Song Jinchuan, who was standing nearby, frowned upon seeing this. Seeing that Jiang Ci had already taken care of everything, he immediately pulled her away.

On the night the mission was completed, Jiang Ci had already spun the wheel and won the cake shop she had been longing for.

After returning, Jiang Ci placed the cake shop in Gourmet City. Next came the mission reward: the firewood chicken restaurant.

The shop had a wooden theme, and the dining environment was quite comfortable. There was even a small courtyard in the middle. Since it was now the height of winter, the 3D simulation Jiang Ci saw showed the courtyard covered in pristine snow, creating a rather poetic scene reminiscent of an ancient scenic spot.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

After setting up both shops, Song Jinchuan came to knock on her door, calling her for dinner.

The meals ordered from the system were laid out in the air-conditioned room, and the aroma of the food quickly filled the space.

As they ate, Song Jinchuan, as usual, served Jiang Ci a few dishes. While eating, his gaze lingered on her. After a while, he finally said, “That Shen Tao was looking at you in a strange way.”

Jiang Ci paused her chewing. Song Jinchuan’s words carried a hint of cautious probing and jealousy.

Jiang Ci suddenly felt like laughing. This tall, imposing man now seemed somewhat pitiful in her eyes, like a little puppy waiting for its owner’s command.

“Hmm? No way, he wasn’t,” Jiang Ci decided to deliberately tease him.

“Yes, he was,” Although Song Jinchuan’s tone was as calm as usual, Jiang Ci could still detect a trace of grievance hidden within it. It was strange. After realizing his feelings for her, all his expressions, and even the tone of his voice had become exceptionally clearer to her.

Song Jinchuan was still waiting for Jiang Ci’s response. He lowered his head to peel a piece of shrimp for her, but in reality, his ears were perking up intently, eager to hear what she would say. After all, Jiang Ci had been chatting happily with Shen Tao the entire journey back, and he had long been seething with jealousy.

After not hearing her response for a long time, Song Jinchuan looked up in confusion, only to find Jiang Ci already standing in front of him. She cupped his face and planted a soft, gentle kiss on his lips.

Song Jinchuan hadn’t expected things to unfold this way. His hand froze mid-air, his dark eyes locking onto Jiang Ci intently.

Jiang Ci had already returned to her seat, but she was far from as composed as she appeared. After all, this was still her first kiss! Her heart was pounding, and her palms grew damp with sweat.

Song Jinchuan’s eyes darkened, though he stood rooted to the spot, still stunned. It took him a moment to regain his senses before he abruptly stood up, causing the chair behind him to fall to the ground with a loud thud.

Jiang Ci was startled and looked up at him, only to see him stride over to her in a single step. In the next moment, his warm, large hand pulled her close, followed with a scorching kiss.

Before Jiang Ci could say anything, she was swept away by the intensity of the kiss.

When she finally regained her composure, Song Jinchuan was already holding her in his arms, his face buried in the crook of her neck. His breathing, which was heavy and restrained, brushed against her ear.

Seeing the way he nuzzled against her like a big, affectionate dog, Jiang Ci couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke his hair.

“Alright, let’s eat first,” Jiang Ci pushed him lightly, her voice soft.

Only then did Song Jinchuan straighten up and return to his seat, though he refused to let go of her hand. His usually somber dark eyes now shone with unmistakable joy.

He placed the peeled shrimp into Jiang Ci’s bowl and then calmly began eating with his left hand.

After the meal, Song Jinchuan didn’t leave immediately as he usually would. Instead, he stayed with Jiang Ci.

“Are you willing to be my girlfriend? I’ll give you everything I have, including my life,” Song Jinchuan said, sitting close to Jiang Ci in the warm room, holding her hand firmly as he made this seemingly heavy promise in a steady voice.

Jiang Ci turned to look at him and smiled, “I thought I’d already given you my answer earlier.”

Song Jinchuan held her small, soft hand in his palm, kneading it gently. “Well, I still wanted to tell you myself. I didn’t say it before because I felt I wasn’t good enough for you.”

For someone as formidable as Song Jinchuan, who was widely recognized as a powerhouse in the post-apocalyptic world, to say something so lacking in confidence—truly, only Jiang Ci could evoke such a response from him.

Jiang Ci reached out and touched his head. Song Jinchuan looked up, and for the first time, a soft smile appeared on his usually expressionless face. His sharp features seemed to soften under the light, giving him a youthful, and strikingly handsome appearance.

Then, Song Jinchuan’s lips pressed down on hers again.

When Jiang Ci woke up the next day, her lips still felt tender and sore. In the mirror, her fair and beautiful complexion was accentuated by her strikingly red lips. It was as if she had applied a beauty filter on herself.

Who knows if Song Jinchuan had suddenly figured something out last night, but he became increasingly adept at kissing her incessantly. It wasn’t until Jiang Ci, annoyed, sent him to the next room that he finally stopped.

Just as she was thinking about this, there was a knock at the door.

Jiang Ci opened the door to find Song Jinchuan standing there. His dark eyes swept over her overly red and alluring lips, causing his gaze to darken further.

In his hands, he held breakfast—all of which were Jiang Ci’s favorites.

After setting the breakfast down, he walked into the bathroom and hugged Jiang Ci from behind, kissing her cheek. “I’m sorry, don’t be mad.”

Blame it on his lack of self-control. Once he got involved with Jiang Ci, it was like being addicted to drugs—he simply couldn’t let go of her.

“I’m not mad,” Jiang Ci said, patting his head to soothe his uneasy heart. She pointed to her lips, “It just really hurts.”

Song Jinchuan gently stroked her lower lip with his fingertip, his eyes darkening even further. However, he restrained himself and only gave her a light kiss on the lips. “Alright, I’ll be more careful next time.”

After having breakfast, Jiang Ci went with Song Jinchuan to Gourmet City. Two new shops had opened today, and she needed to check them out and arrange for staff to work there.

On the way there, Song Jinchuan walked beside her as usual, but after a while, he took Jiang Ci’s hand.

Along the way, they ran into former members of the Cheetah Squad, who greeted them with a round of teasing whistles. Song Jinchuan’s expression didn’t change at all, though the way he looked at them was completely different from the way he looked at Jiang Ci.

Jiang Ci glanced at him, and Song Jinchuan, sensing her gaze, turned to look at her. The tenderness and affection in his eyes were almost overflowing.

Jiang Ci smiled at him, and the two continued walking toward the new shops.

The cake shop was entirely decorated in a cute pink color, with a vividly painted cake on the signboard that looked incredibly appetizing.

Even before entering, Jiang Ci caught a whiff of the sweet aroma unique to a cake shop.

The system said this was an additional attribute of the cake shop, designed to attract customers.

And sure enough, even though Jiang Ci had already eaten breakfast, the smell of the cream still made her mouth water.

Upon entering, she saw clean glass counters surrounding the space and in the center. The first floor seemed to be the cake display area, while the second floor was furnished with tables and chairs.

The kitchen was semi-transparent, with the workstations visible through the glass, allowing customers to see the desserts being made at a glance.

Next door, the firewood chicken shop had a more rustic ambience. Brick-laden firewood stoves were neatly arranged in the courtyard and inside the building. The courtyard featured a small garden with a few trees in the middle that complemented the overall style.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

She felt her presence was being overshadowed and quickly cleared her throat a few times. “I’m Jiang Ci from the C City Gourmet City and I’m here to help you.”

“Help us?” Shen Tao, standing at the front, spoke with confusion, though the name C City Gourmet City did seem vaguely familiar.

“Brother Tao, it’s the place we heard about on the road,” Cai Qiang whispered from behind Shen Tao.

During their recent journey, they had noticed that every city now had a new train station, which already seemed astonishing enough. They had followed the crowd and gotten on for a ride. On the train, the most talked-about topics were the C City Gourmet City, A Base, and Boss Jiang.

They glanced at Jiang Ci. Though they had never met the renowned Boss Jiang before, they instinctively felt inclined to trust her.

Seeing their hesitation, Jiang Ci pulled out a stack of flyers from her space and handed one to each of them, seizing the opportunity to advertise.

“Actually, I have a bit of a selfish motive for helping you,” Jiang Ci added. “I know that many of you possess unique abilities, so I hope you can join my base and work for me. Of course, the benefits and compensation will be generous.”

The expressions on Shen Tao and his companions varied. They hadn’t expected Jiang Ci to be so direct right from the start.

However, they had chosen to live in seclusion here precisely because they wanted to avoid dealing with the malicious nature of humans outside.

Noticing their silence, Jiang Ci continued, “It’s fine. The most important thing right now is to save people. We can discuss the rest after that.”

“Thank you, Boss Jiang, for your generous assistance,” Shen Tao said without elaborating. Saving people was indeed the top priority at the moment.

“Boss Jiang, do you have a plan?” Shen Tao asked anxiously. They had lived here for nearly a decade, and the villagers were like family to them.

“Let’s rescue them first, then deal with the others,” Jiang Ci thought for a moment. Saving lives was undoubtedly the most crucial.

This idea aligned perfectly with Shen Tao and his group’s thoughts. Ensuring everyone’s safety was the first step to reclaiming their home.

“We’ve already secretly observed that the people from our village are being held in the warehouse over there,” Shen Tao said. By now, Jiang Ci and Shen Tao’s group had arrived at a spot outside the village with many withered trees, which conveniently allowed them to conceal their presence.

Jiang Ci looked around. To enter the village without going through the main gate, they would have to cross a sharp and densely built wooden fence.

However, Jiang Ci had her black mist, so the fence wasn’t much of an obstacle.

“Can we destroy this?” Jiang Ci pointed at the wooden fence outside, feeling compelled to ask since it was part of someone else’s village.

“Yes, but if we damage this wooden fence, the people inside will probably hear it,” Cai Qiang said with a furrowed brow, his gaze filled with concern as it fell on the warehouse. His younger sister was still inside, and he had no idea how she was doing.

“Don’t worry, leave it to me,” Jiang Ci quietly summoned a black mist.

Shen Tao and the others were surprised. They hadn’t expected the seemingly delicate Boss Jiang to be an ability user. But what kind of ability was this black mist? They had never seen anything like it before. The next moment, the survivors were even more astonished, their jaws nearly dropping. The black mist’s approach was silent, and as soon as it touched a section of the fence, it immediately started to corrode, leaving a large gaping hole behind.

What on earth was that?! Shen Tao felt a sudden wave of relief that he hadn’t offended her earlier.

The commotion here didn’t alert the patrols in the village. The cold weather and the remote location made the patrols less vigilant, which worked to their advantage.

Jiang Ci, Song Jinchuan, and Shen Tao’s group entered through the hole and quietly made their way around to the back of the warehouse.

The area was all farmland, so they carefully navigated around it. Unfortunately, they encountered a man relieving himself by the corner of a wall. Song Jinchuan threw a fireball at him, instantly reducing him to ashes, ensuring Jiang Ci didn’t see anything unpleasant.

Shen Tao and the others fell even more silent, quietly trailing behind the two.

They finally reached the back of the warehouse, where faint footsteps could be heard from the front, likely from a passing night patroller.

Jiang Ci directly used the black mist to create another hole in the back of the warehouse.

Shen Tao and his group, seeing the dilapidated fence and warehouse of their village, didn’t dare to speak.

The people inside weren’t asleep; rather, they couldn’t sleep, anxious about their current situation and their family members who hadn’t returned.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

At that moment, a faint light seeped into the dark room. Ye Jing and Cai Xin instinctively looked toward the source of the light.

Under the moonlight, they saw that a large hole had appeared on the other side of the warehouse, with several shadowy figures standing at the entrance.

Ye Jing immediately became alert. “Who’s there?”

“Little Jing? It’s me, Shen Tao,” Shen Tao’s voice came from the entrance.

The survivors in the warehouse erupted in excitement. It was Shen Tao and the others! They had come! They were saved!

“Is Cai Xin here?” Cai Qiang couldn’t help but call out.

“Brother, I’m here,” Cai Xin’s voice was choked with emotion. The drastic changes to their home, the absence of her brother, and the immense pressure she had been under finally found an outlet upon hearing his familiar voice.

“Alright, this isn’t the time for small talk. Everyone, come out first,” a strange voice suddenly interjected, startling the survivors for a moment.

Shen Tao then remembered he hadn’t introduced Jiang Ci and quickly said, “This is Boss Jiang. She’s here to help us. Everyone, come out quickly. We’ll talk more once we’re outside.”

At that moment, footsteps approached from the distance, likely drawn by the commotion.

Jiang Ci frowned slightly and said to Shen Tao, “You take them and go ahead. I’ll handle the people that are coming.”

Her words were crisp and decisive, leaving Shen Tao momentarily stunned. After a moment, he reacted, “We’ll help you.”

Jiang Ci waved her hand and led Song Jinchuan away, saying, “No need. There aren’t many people. We’ll handle it quickly.”

After silently praising them in his heart, Shen Tao turned around and directed everyone to come out of the warehouse.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan quietly circled around from the back and soon spotted a group of survivors approaching. They were armed with knives, guns, and sticks, looking well-equipped.

Jiang Ci didn’t want to alert them, so she resorted to her familiar black mist.

The sky was already dark, and with the cover of night, the black mist in Jiang Ci’s hand blended in perfectly, almost unnoticeable. However, it still gave off an eerie sense of danger.

The man at the front raised his hand, signaling the others to stop. But even though they sensed something was wrong, they couldn’t escape. In an instant, the black mist engulfed them all, leaving behind two ability orbs for Jiang Ci.

The last survivor turned to run, shouting as he did, but the black mist quickly caught up with him.

However, because of his shout, others in the village heard the commotion. Soon, voices as well as the sound of chaotic footsteps could be heard.

Jiang Ci hurried back to the warehouse and urged everyone to move faster. “Someone’s coming. Go wait outside.”

Shen Tao instructed Cai Qiang and the others to lead the group outside while he and his teammates stayed behind to assist Jiang Ci.

At this point, the survivor known as Brother Hu hadn’t yet realized the severity of the situation, so he only sent a small group of survivors to investigate the commotion.

Shen Tao and his team were still tense, but they didn’t even get a chance to act. Jiang Ci’s massive water sphere and Song Jinchuan’s fire dragon descended from the sky, wiping out the approaching survivors.

The black mist, now more sentient, spat out the weapons of the survivors for Jiang Ci, along with a few more ability orbs.

As it consumed more, the black mist became increasingly more sentient, learning to distinguish what was useful to Jiang Ci.

Song Jinchuan, meanwhile, efficiently collected all the supplies, crystal cores, and ability orbs.

Shen Tao and his team helped pick up a few, but they didn’t keep any for themselves, handing everything over to Jiang Ci.

Perhaps sensing that something was amiss, Brother Hu sent out more people this time, and the number of survivors was much larger, allowing Shen Tao and his team to join the fray.

But with Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan on their side, it was like having two cheat codes, and they soon overwhelmed the enemy.

The glow of various abilities flickered in the darkness, and soon, Brother Hu finally emerged from the house.

Seeing the situation, he was naturally furious. Having survived the apocalypse for so long, he had plenty of ability users and weapons at his disposal, and his journey had been relatively smooth.

He himself was a high-level ability user, so he immediately targeted who he thought was the strongest opponent—Song Jinchuan—and completely overlooked Jiang Ci. As a result, he missed the sight of his men being devoured one by one by Jiang Ci’s black mist.

At this moment, the water sphere in front of Jiang Ci had already merged with black mist. During the recent battle, she had learned to fuse two types of abilities together, finding it unexpectedly effective.

Although Brother Hu was a high level ability user, he quickly found himself unable to fight back against Song Jinchuan.

On Jiang Ci’s side, whether it was the small fry or the ability users, they were all cleared out like they had been bulldozed.

Only when Brother Hu fell to the ground did he realize that none of his subordinates seemed to be left. It was then that he became aware of the terror that was Jiang Ci, which he had previously overlooked.

With Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan involved, the battle ended quickly with no casualties, although the village was severely damaged in the process.

However, since everyone was still alive, the damage didn’t seem so important anymore.

In this battle, Jiang Ci unlocked a new way to use her abilities and also gained a lot, including weapon cores and a few supplies that had been on their bodies.

After the battle, Shen Tao called the villagers back.

Jiang Ci was certain that Shen Tao must have told the other villagers about the requirements Jiang Ci had previously proposed while he was calling them back.

In fact, now that the village was so damaged, it would take a long time to restore it to a livable condition. With the weather so cold, they certainly didn’t have the luxury of time to stay outdoors for long.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Upon learning that consuming this orb would grant her a coveted ability, Xie Ling’s eyes welled up with tears, and her hands trembled as she held the orb.

Jiang Ci took the opportunity to present a contract, “This is a pact of eternal loyalty to me. Don’t doubt a single word in it.”

She was no saint. While nurturing a group of ability users, she also needed to secure her own safety.

Xie Ling had never doubted the items in Jiang Ci’s hands. After all this time, each one of the things brought out by her had been enough to astonish anyone.

She glanced over the contents of the document. If she betrayed Jiang Ci, besides being expelled from the Gourmet City as well as the base, she would also face tangible punishments like being struck by lightning. Other than that, there were basically no other requirements.

Without hesitation, Xie Ling signed the contract in her hand, her tone resolute, “Don’t worry, Boss Jiang. From this life onwards, I, Xie Ling, am your person!”

Jiang Ci smiled and took back the contract, handing the ability orb to Xie Ling.

Xie Ling looked at the irregular, fingernail-sized stone in her hand, with purple light flowing inside. Jiang Ci had told her it was a lightning-type ability orb.

She tilted her head back and swallowed it. Unexpectedly, the orb slid smoothly down her throat as soon as it entered her mouth.

Jiang Ci had mentioned that taking the ability orb might cause a high fever, so after bidding farewell to Jiang Ci and the others, she returned to her room to lie down.

It was natural for everyone to yearn to be stronger, and Xie Ling was immensely grateful for this opportunity. As the dizziness set in, she slowly closed her eyes.

After Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan had arranged everything, they soon drove the bus away from Gourmet City.

After their last mission, during the lottery wheel spin, Jiang Ci had her eye on a cake shop but didn’t win it. Looking at the picture of the pink, two-story cake shop, Jiang Ci felt an itch of want in her heart and decided to hurry and complete missions to try and win the cake shop before the wheel refreshed its options.

The reward for this mission was a restaurant mainly selling firewood chicken.

Jiang Ci hadn’t eaten it in a long time. Back in her hometown, chicken cooked in earthen pots and stoves with firewood were exceptionally fragrant and tender, with the side dishes so delicious that one couldn’t help but give a silent thumbs up.

Although the portions were too large for one person, they were just right for family gatherings, so Jiang Ci actually ate it very rarely, though it didn’t stop her from salivating at the thought.

Song Jinchuan drove the bus forward, and soon, they left Gourmet City and the base behind them.

Jiang Ci ate the snacks she had brought back from the real world, thinking to herself that she could also set up a snack processing plant here.

She came back to her senses and looked at Song Jinchuan beside her, handing him the snacks she was holding.

Although both of them knew their feelings for each other, neither had broken through that thin layer of window paper between them. Song Jinchuan felt he wasn’t good enough for her, while Jiang Ci thought the current atmosphere was still fine.

Seeing something being offered to his mouth, Song Jinchuan instinctively opened his mouth to bite down on it, but his lips accidentally brushed against something soft, causing his heart to suddenly beat violently.

Jiang Ci hadn’t expected this either and also blushed slightly.

Both fell silent for a moment. Upon seeing Jiang Ci’s reddened face out of the corner of his eye, Son Jinchuan suddenly felt much better.

The location of this mission was far away and remote, situated in a northern area with few survivors and almost no bases. The snow here was much thicker than elsewhere, with debris scattered everywhere, the entire place in a state of abandonment.

Thus, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan’s journey this time was much more difficult, forcing them to take a few detours, and even with the bus, it took them two days to reach the destination.

The place where these survivors were hiding was extremely secretive. Not only was it hard for them to find, but even mutated beasts and zombies might not be able to locate it.

Their destination was in a mountain. Although there were no lush flowers, plants, or trees here, withered branches and dead trees were everywhere. Mutated beasts and zombies had clearly been cleared out prior to their arrival, and there were several obvious traps containing the skeletal remains of some mutated beasts and zombies.

It was no longer possible to drive up any further than they had, so the two had to store the bus in Jiang Ci’s space and proceed on foot.

Even with Jiang Ci’s tools, the uphill path was not easy to navigate. Seeing this, Song Jinchuan crouched down in front of her and said, “Hop on, I’ll carry you.”

Jiang Ci didn’t hesitate any further and climbed onto his back, whispering in his ear, “Am I too heavy?”

The warm breath brushing against his ear made Song Jinchuan’s palms sweat slightly, but he showed no sign of it on his face, “Not heavy at all. You should eat more, you’re still too thin.”

Resting on his broad back, Jiang Ci felt an unusual sense of security well up from within her and couldn’t help but tighten her arms around his neck.

Song Jinchuan walked steadily, careful to not jostle her around on his back.

Feeling both at ease and somewhat happy, Jiang Ci wondered if this was the joy that came with being in love. At this thought, she tightened her grip on him again.

Noticing Jiang Ci’s movement, Song Jinchuan’s lips curved into a slight smile.

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, there was a village where wooden houses had been built. The roofs were now covered in snow, and the fields outside were planted with potatoes and sweet potatoes—a surprising sight in this post-apocalyptic world where nothing usually grew. There was even a small, gently bubbling river and green trees.

This place truly resembled a picturesque pre-apocalyptic village nestled between mountains and water.

At this moment, Ye Jing and her group were sweeping snow in the yard, surrounded by survivors armed with real guns and bows; all of them were subordinates of a man called Brother Hu.

Not only were they armed, but several people among them also seemed to be powerful ability users.

On their side, they only had one strong lightning ability user who had already been beaten by them so badly that one arm and leg were fractured, along with various internal injuries, leaving him bedridden. The rest were weaker in combat, so they were practically defenseless against Brother Hu’s formidable team.

Now their village had been taken over, and they were forced to work for Brother Hu, watching as the vegetables they had painstakingly grown were devoured by him and his men.

The thought of this made Ye Jing clench her teeth in anger. They had already retreated to the mountains, not competing with outsiders for resources, and lived self-sufficiently. So why had they still been targeted?

“You there, go pull up some potatoes!” shouted one of Brother Hu’s men at Ye Jing’s group. “Brother, can we take a break? Aunt Guo is about to collapse,” Ye Jing anxiously stepped forward, looking at the pale and unsteady Guo Meixiang beside her.

Guo Meixiang was one of the older villagers, renowned for her skill in making clothes. After gaining her ability, she could even use withered leaves to create garments, with even animal skins becoming comfortable clothing in her hands.

Although she was an ability user, her physical condition was relatively poor due to lingering health issues from the past. After a full day of labor, her body couldn’t hold up any longer.

“Stop wasting time!” The person in front of her kicked her down. “Get to work!”

Guo Meixiang was also kicked down and couldn’t get up for a long time. Ye Jing quickly helped her up, glaring resentfully at the retreating figure of the assailant.

They were only allowed to rest after working late into the night.

The wooden house they used to live in had been taken over, and they were now forced into a rural storage warehouse, where dozens of people huddled together in the darkness.

“Auntie Guo, are you okay?” Ye Jing sat next to Guo Meixiang in the dark, her voice filled with concern.

“I’m fine,” Guo Meixiang coughed lightly. “It’s just my old ailment acting up. Don’t worry about me. Did you get hurt when you were kicked?”

“I managed to fall with the force, so I wasn’t hurt too badly,” Ye Jing sighed. “How much longer will this go on for? I wonder when Brother Shen Tao and the others will return.”

Shen Tao and his team were the village’s main combat force. They had left some time ago to hunt for mutated beasts and zombies.

Although they were mostly self-sufficient, winter was approaching, and they needed to prepare animal hides for warmth and bones from mutated beasts to make basic tools or weapons. As a result, Shen Tao and his team had been away from the base for a while now.

“I wonder if they’ll notice something’s wrong in the village,” Cai Xin, a short-haired girl, said worriedly. Cai Qiang, who was in the same team as Shen Tao, was her brother.

If they returned as usual, completely unprepared, they would surely run into Brother Hu’s men. It was unclear whether they would have the upper hand in a direct confrontation.

Everyone was anxious, cold, and hungry, their nerves stretched to the breaking point. Meanwhile, outside, Jiang Ci was also facing a small crisis.

They had been stopped by a group of survivors clad in animal hides and armed with weapons. These tall, burly individuals now had their weapons trained on Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan.

“Leave now! No outsiders are allowed here!” The speaker was none other than Shen Tao, the very person Ye Jing and the others had been talking about.

Shen Tao and his team had just returned today and immediately noticed something was off. The traps they had set on the mountain had been tampered with, and there were footprints leading up to the base that hadn’t been entirely covered by snow.

They didn’t raise any alarms, as the villagers were usually in sync, and they trusted that no one would reveal their presence. Their return now could be advantageous.

After observing, they realized the intruders were well-armed and numerous, having already taken control of the entire village.

Their immediate concern was how to rescue the villagers and drive out the intruders who had taken over their home.

Before they could come up with a feasible plan, they spotted Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan.

Their village was located in a remote area, surrounded by tangled branches and dead trees, making it hard to find. Yet, not only had the intruders discovered it, but these two outsiders had also managed to find their way here.

This reality made them wonder if their village would truly become increasingly unsafe in the future.

With this thought, their expressions darkened, and they spoke less politely to Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, urging them to leave quickly. After all, the village was still occupied by those dangerous, armed individuals.

Jiang Ci glanced at them and, after consulting the system, learned that they were not affiliated with Brother Hu. They were likely villagers from the settlement.

“Don’t be nervous,” Jiang Ci stood before them, her petite frame making her seem like a dwarf who had accidentally wandered into a land of giants.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈