Mission Accomplished

The sky seemed shrouded in a thick curtain. Raindrops pattered down, forming a trickle that washed away the bloodstains on the ground. Suddenly, the lights in the supermarket came on.

However, Xiang Nanchuan’s pupils suddenly shrank. In the light of the supermarket, he saw that the outside was filled with zombies. The zombies had swarmed the streets, and it seemed that all the zombies in the buildings had escaped. The sheer number of them made Xiang Nanchuan shudder.

This was like a zombie den.

So many zombies had come out to get wet, which meant there was definitely something wrong with the rain!

Xiang Nanchuan couldn’t help but feel thankful for Chi Yan, who hadn’t been caught in the rain.

Chi Yan had also noticed the situation outside. His face was as gloomy as water, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

 Xiang Nanchuan feigned a casual glance at Chi Yan, estimating him to be about 1.9 meters tall. Judging by his features, he was about 25 years old, with deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and strong features. He was remarkably handsome. Xiang Nanchuan noticed his eyes were light brown, suggesting a mix of blood and other cultures.

His black windbreaker had been ripped by some sharp object, leaving it looking rather dirty with blood. He wore a dark gray turtleneck sweater underneath. Judging by his attire, he must be either wealthy or aristocratic. Xiang Nanchuan was, after all, a second-generation wealthy man, so he had some discerning eye. The mechanical watch on his left wrist alone must have cost at least seven figures.

Xiang Nanchuan immediately concluded: This man is a fat sheep.

The next second, a faint smile curved his lips. “Mr. Chi, are your injuries all right?”

As Xiang Nanchuan studied him, Chi Yan was also observing him. Xiang Nanchuan was a handsome man, with clear features and a cheerful demeanor, exuding a certain gentleness. When he curled his lips into a faint smile, Chi Yan seemed to see twinkling stars in his eyes.

In this zombie-infested commercial street, the cold outside was oppressive, but inside this small shop, it was so warm that it made one relax. Even through a wall, zombies could smell the scent and follow, but this shop seemed isolated from the world, completely untouched by zombies. What concerned Chi Yan more was how that bus outside appeared.

 “Mr. Chi?”

Chi Yan came back to his senses, his lips pressed into a straight line. “Excuse me, what were you talking about?”

“Is your injury okay?”

Seeing the two still dithering, unsure how long the pleasantries would end, the system couldn’t help but urge, “Two more minutes!”

Xiang Nanchuan’s breath hitched. Time was running out. He didn’t care about offending anyone and immediately dragged Chi Yan to the shelf. “Want to buy anything? Apples or oranges?”

Chi Yan: “?”

Xiang Nanchuan said to himself, “How about a little of both?” He picked up a few apples and oranges, stuffed them into Chi Yan’s arms, and dragged him to the cashier to pay.

“Do you have money?” Xiang Nanchuan suddenly remembered something. “No, they don’t take cash here. What can you pawn…”

Chi Yan looked down at the apple in his arms. His stomach, which he had ignored for so long, felt a dull ache, as if it were about to melt with acid. He had been starving for days. He took off his watch and placed it on the counter. “Is this okay?”

Xiang Nanchuan picked up the scanner and swiped it. “Ding-ding!”

Xiang Nanchuan was stunned. Was he mistaken? A watch worth a million could only be exchanged for a hundred gold coins?

As if the system could hear Xiang Nanchuan’s inner thoughts, it said with a certain coldness and nobility, “This kind of mechanical watch is worthless here. I’m giving you these hundred gold coins because it’s handmade.”

“Why?” Chi Yan asked, seeing Xiang Nanchuan’s surprised expression.

The system reminded him again, “Thirty seconds remaining.”

Xiang Nanchuan spoke quickly, “This watch can only be exchanged for a hundred gold coins. Are you sure you want to exchange it?”

Chi Yan was very frugal with his words. “Exchange!”

“Okay.” Xiang Nanchuan quickly paid. “An apple is thirty-eight gold coins, an orange is twelve gold coins. Your current gold coins can only buy… um… two apples and two oranges. If you’re sure, please pay here.”

Chi Yan nodded.

 Xiang Nanchuan smiled, “Dear customer! Remember to give me a five-star rating~”

With a beep, the monitor indicated payment success.

The system’s voice chimed again, “First mission completed. The mission reward has been sent to the warehouse. Please check it promptly, store manager.”

Not only had he completed the mission, but he had also earned two reputation points. Xiang Nanchuan breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down at the cashier counter and said to Chi Yan, “Eat it.” He picked up an apple from the counter, brought it to his lips, and took a bite.

He then opened the warehouse and checked the mission reward.

[Odor Blocker: After use, zombies cannot smell the target’s scent for half an hour.]

It was truly a relief to be handed a pillow just as he was about to doze off. Xiang Nanchuan was extremely pleased with the mission reward, but it was a shame it could only be used once. He needed to think carefully about how to use it.

Chi Yan, left out in the cold, surveyed his surroundings. If he was mistaken, this was a fruit shop? But it was too spartan. There were only a few shelves, and the only fruit on display were apples and oranges. No one would believe it was a fruit shop.

He grasped the large red apple in his hand. It was juicy and tender, and his nose could faintly smell its sweetness. It didn’t look like it had been stored for over a month. Similarly, the orange had a thin skin and plump flesh, as if freshly plucked from the tree.

Fruit that hadn’t changed in a month, and this tightly wrapped, suspicious-looking stock clerk.

This person moved so swiftly that it was almost impossible to detect with the naked eye.

 Chi Yan stared at Xiang Nanchuan. “Are you a human or a ghost?”

Xiang Nanchuan, having received his mission reward, was in high spirits. Hearing Chi Yan’s question, he didn’t get angry, but instead smiled and asked, “What do you think?”

He quickly called the system. “What should I do? Is he suspicious of me?”

The system replied, “Tell him you’re an employee of Tengxun Technology Co., Ltd.”

Xiang Nanchuan asked, “Is there Tencent in this world?”

The system corrected him, “It’s Tengxun.” Afraid Xiang Nanchuan wouldn’t understand the two characters, it conjured a small blackboard and wrote the words “Tengxun” in bold.

Confused, Xiang Nanchuan said, “…You’re a copycat company, right?”

System: “Hmph!”

“Do you have branches in this world?” Xiang Nanchuan asked again.

Xiang Nanchuan called out several times, but when the system ignored him, he cleared his throat and said to Chi Yan seriously, “I’m an employee of Tengxun Technology Co., Ltd.”

Tengxun? The suspicion in Chi Yan’s eyes gradually faded. Tengxun was a very mysterious company in Country C. It was said that this company possessed the most advanced technology in the world, yet no one had ever seen their boss. Even their employees were elusive. If he was a Tengxun employee, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Chi Yan’s gaze fell on the ninja stock clerk. “Is he one of your employees?”

Xiang Nanchuan stroked his chin. “I guess so. He’s our company’s latest robot invention.”

“What about that bus outside?”

“That’s our company’s driverless bus.” In reality, it was just a supermarket bus used to attract customers. It was parked in the warehouse, and Xiang Nanchuan could send it anywhere with a thought.

Chi Yan nodded and didn’t ask any more questions. As a man of few words, he quietly ate his apple.

The rain outside wasn’t going to stop for a while.

 Xiang Nanchuan considered how to get this man out. When he slept, the supermarket automatically closed. He had never tried to keep anyone in a supermarket overnight, and there was a good chance they would kick him out when it closed. With so many zombies outside, throwing him out would be tantamount to sending him to his death.

Xiang Nanchuan checked the time. It was already 6:30. He hoped the rain would stop before midnight.

The atmosphere was a bit dull, and Xiang Nanchuan fumbled for words. “Have you been in the electronics mall?”

Chi Yan shook his head and said, “No, I was in the department store the day the apocalypse broke out.”

Xiang Nanchuan was puzzled. “Then why didn’t you stay in the department store? There’s so much food there. Maybe you could hold out until the army arrives.”

Chi Yan’s eyelashes drooped. The department store belonged to his company. He had happened to be there that day doing research when the apocalypse broke out. Protected by several bodyguards, he had avoided the initial chaos and waited for rescue with the survivors in the mall.

 But soon, all communications were cut off. Some people began to seize territory, some of them awakening supernatural powers. Chi Yan and his bodyguards were no match for them.

He was forced to leave the mall with his bodyguards, but upon exiting, he was ambushed and grabbed by a zombie on the back of his hand. The bodyguards, assuming he was infected, left him some food and water before leaving. He hid in the electronics store, but instead of becoming a zombie, he awakened his supernatural powers. He was too weak at the time, and had been suffering from a fever for a week. He had long since finished the food the bodyguards had left him. He only felt better last night and came out looking for food.

Xiang Nanchuan asked, “Are there any survivors in the electronics store?”

Chi Yan replied, “There were a few when I went in, but I haven’t seen them since.”

It seemed that the people Chi Yan was referring to were the ones Xiang Nanchuan had seen two days ago. This meant there were no survivors left in the electronics store.

Thinking of this, Xiang Nanchuan felt a little heavy.

 “Do you have paper and a pen?”

Xiang Nanchuan pulled a pen and notebook from the cash register drawer and handed them to him.

Chi Yan, scribbling in his notebook, asked Xiang Nanchuan, “Are there any survivors in the restaurant across the street?”

Xiang Nanchuan thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen any survivors in the last few days. Are you going to find something to eat? Can you take me with you?”

Xiang Nanchuan added, “I promise I won’t hold you back.”

Since Xiang Nanchuan had saved him today, Chi Yan didn’t refuse. He said, “If the rain stops, we’ll act tomorrow morning.”