Chapter 51: Next Step Plan

Wang Zhi and the others arrived at the second floor restaurant, which was nearly empty. In recent days, the number of people going out had peaked.

After buying the food, just as Wang Zhi was about to leave, he saw a familiar face.

“Hey, An Qing, why are you with the guard team?” Wang Zhi asked as he walked over to An Qing’s table.

An Qing’s heart brightened when she saw Wang Zhi. “Brother Wang? I just joined the guard team. This sister here is the team leader, Jie Xi, and she’s here to guide me.”

“Joined the guard team?” Wang Zhi was puzzled. An Qing was a refugee, and he hadn’t helped her buy a citizenship, so how could she suddenly join the guard team?

“That’s great. Did Jie Xi take the initiative to approach you?” Wang Zhi asked.

“Yeah! She said you recommended me,” An Qing replied.

Recommended her to join the guard team? Wang Zhi was confused. He had no idea about this, but since An Qing was now with the guard team, he didn’t show his confusion.

“Ah, I recommended you. Do well in the guard team,” Wang Zhi said.

“Also, Jie Xi asked me about your past. I was worried she might hold it against you, so I didn’t tell her anything,” An Qing added.

“That’s how it is. Sorry you had to go through that,” Wang Zhi said, patting her shoulder.

“Eh? How did you know…?”

“Hehe, it’s nothing. She likes to assert dominance over others, but she’s actually a good person,” Wang Zhi remembered the time when Jie Xi almost crushed his shoulder when they first met.

“Alright, we should get going. See you,” Wang Zhi said as he turned to leave with Liu Li.

When they returned, everyone was still asleep. Wang Zhi put the food on the coffee table and woke up the others.

“Morning, everyone! Whoa, Wang Team, where’d you go?” The Fatty saw the boxes on the floor, filled with supplies Wang Zhi and the others had brought back.

“Oh, we happened to pass by a store on the way out, and everything was well preserved,” Wang Zhi said, opening a bottle of “Fat Happy Water” (cola).

“Whoa, this is the legendary cola? I haven’t had it in over two months, how nostalgic!” Fatty exclaimed dramatically.

Wang Zhi chuckled but didn’t say anything. He opened four more bottles and handed them out, one for each person.

“Hey, Wang Team, why did you come back so quickly this time? Tell me what you got,” Fatty asked eagerly.

“…About the same,” Wang Zhi briefly recounted what had happened.

“This is a goldmine! Earning 5000 storage points was really easy,” Fatty marveled.

“A goldmine? What are you talking about? If we hadn’t been well-equipped, we would’ve been done for outside,” Wang Zhi was annoyed at Fatty’s casual tone, as he had risked his life for the haul.

“Wang Zhi is right. We were training hard, and so were the zombies. If you don’t train well, next time you might not be so lucky,” Lao He chimed in.

“Got it, big brothers. I’ll train harder, 16 hours a day, suicide training!” Fatty replied, making a mock salute.

After breakfast, Wang Zhi opened Lingling Yao. With November approaching, the weather outside would soon get much colder, so they had to prepare for proper insulation. At the same time, Wang Zhi noticed a new message—it was from Jie Xi, asking him to meet her.

Wang Zhi smiled at the message. He had been planning to ask about An Qing, and now Jie Xi was taking the initiative to meet him.

“I’m going to see Jie Xi,” Wang Zhi said, closing Lingling Yao and informing the others.

“Liu Li, go with Wang Zhi,” Su Mu Ying, lying on the couch, instructed Liu Li to accompany Wang Zhi.

Looking at Liu Li following him, Wang Zhi found it amusing. Su Mu Ying had found a true eye for monitoring him, arranging for Liu Li to follow him around. Was she worried that he might go astray? But having Liu Li with him wasn’t a bad idea—she was quiet, obedient, and with low presence, which could be useful in unexpected situations.

Wang Zhi walked to the guard headquarters. When the guards saw him, they didn’t stop him and let him in directly.

Arriving at Jie Xi’s room, Wang Zhi knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The voice of Jie Xi came from inside. Upon seeing Wang Zhi and Liu Li, Jie Xi closed her book, placed it on the table, and said, “Congratulations on your triumphant return.”

“Thank you, Captain Jie Xi. I brought back some sweets from outside, for you,” Wang Zhi said, placing a box of Dove chocolates from their cabin on the table.

Jie Xi glanced at the chocolates. “Looks like you got a good haul. This box of chocolates could sell for quite a few storage points here.”

“We’re old friends, so giving small gifts is normal. By the way, I heard you brought An Qing into the guard team?” Wang Zhi changed the subject and sat down.

“Yes, it was Dr. Yang Liu’s request. She didn’t want An Qing to know it was her request, so I just said it was your recommendation,” Jie Xi explained, brushing off Wang Zhi’s question.

“Tell me about it, how’s the outside world?” Jie Xi asked.

Wang Zhi knew this question was coming, so he recounted the process he had told several times before.

“You mean… you encountered infected animals?” Jie Xi asked.

“Yeah, their speed is almost twice as fast as the uninfected ones, very difficult to deal with. Bullets almost can’t hit them,” Wang Zhi recalled the zombie wolves from that night. Some zombies were also abnormally fast, and when encountering them, it was difficult to hit their heads with bullets. Usually, Liu Li handled them with her knives.

“Yeah, this is a known issue. They’re undergoing subtle mutations. Soon, most small teams will experience a sharp increase in casualties,” Jie Xi said.

“Do you have any next steps planned?” Wang Zhi asked.

“Yes.”