Chapter 23: Plans

Yan Mo stood behind Shu Xin, following her gaze to the distant figure of Ye Yu’an. He did not miss the fleeting glint of murderous intent in her eyes when the two people arguing with her turned away.

That trace of killing intent vanished almost instantly, too fast for an ordinary person to catch. Most would dismiss it as an illusion or a trick of the light. But Yan Mo was certain—it was real.

Ye Yu’an was far from simple. The emotions in her eyes and the aura she exuded were utterly incongruous with her age. Even from a distance, Yan Mo could sense the hostility emanating from her. Though she was clearly trying to suppress it, the aggression still leaked out through her subtle movements.

To think such a dangerous existence was living in their community. It was a stark reminder that vigilance could never be relaxed.

This minor incident was quickly forgotten by the crowd. Soon, everyone’s attention was drawn to the distribution of government relief supplies.

The aid distribution began precisely on time. At exactly eight o’clock, the first person in line received a supply package—a large black plastic bag that concealed its contents.

Upon opening the package, the recipient found a ten-pack of instant noodles, ten pounds of potatoes, ten pounds of cabbage, ten pounds of rice, two bundles of dried noodles, a slab of meat weighing just over a pound, and ten candles. The provisions were surprisingly abundant and diverse.

This amount of food was more than enough for one person to last seven days, with some even left over. Yet, there were still those who grumbled, their greed leading them to complain that the government was being stingy.

The supplies were scheduled for distribution every seven days. Whether the next batch would be as substantial remained uncertain. As time passed, the quantity and quality of free provisions would only decrease. When the day came that resources ran out completely, people would no longer have the luxury of being picky—they would be grateful just to have something edible.

Armed soldiers were stationed around the area to maintain order, ensuring that the distribution proceeded smoothly. Since Shu Xin and her group had arrived relatively early, it took them less than half an hour to receive their supplies.

Wasting no time, they quickly returned home. Despite wearing raincoats, the relentless downpour had soaked them to the bone, leaving them drenched and uncomfortable.

To avoid catching a cold, the four of them hurriedly took hot showers and changed into dry clothes before slumping onto the living room sofa. The brief outing had left them utterly exhausted, more so than even their training sessions at home.

Going out drained their mental energy, while training at home taxed their bodies. Both were tiring in their own ways.

For lunch, Shu Xin wanted to eat the iron pot stew she had stored in her space. After discreetly consulting Yan Mo and gaining his approval, she secretly retrieved the food and handed it to him, making it appear as if he had taken it out himself. This way, everything remained perfectly reasonable.

Living together day and night, it was only a matter of time before her spatial ability was discovered. There was no need for unnecessary secrecy. After discussing it, Yan Mo and Shu Xin decided to reveal the existence of the space to Bu Xiangwen and Mu Qimai. Both were people they trusted completely, individuals who would never betray them.

However, in this post-apocalyptic world, the emergence of supernatural abilities was unpredictable. There was always the risk of someone developing the ability to read minds or extract memories. To minimize the danger, Yan Mo decided that when they told Bu Xiangwen and Mu Qimai about the space, they would claim it belonged to him rather than Shu Xin—an extra measure to protect her safety.

Shu Xin, knowing that Yan Mo would eventually awaken a psychic-type ability, wholeheartedly agreed with this plan.

Memory-reading abilities were merely a branch of psychic powers. If the reader’s spiritual strength surpassed their target’s, the target would have no way to resist. But in the novel, Yan Mo was a high-level psychic ability user. As far as Shu Xin had read, no one had ever surpassed his mental strength—extracting his memories was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Even if someone managed to uncover the existence of the space, they would only believe that Yan Mo was its owner. And with Yan Mo’s formidable combat prowess, he was not someone who could be easily defeated.

As for Shu Xin, she had no fear of her own memories being read. The jade pendant’s space had its own protective mechanism—automatically shielding any related memories from prying eyes, ensuring that outsiders could never learn its secrets.

With Yan Mo’s protection and this additional safeguard in place, Shu Xin had no reason to worry about her space being exposed. As long as she remained cautious, her safety was guaranteed.

Once people started awakening abilities, she could simply pretend that she had developed a spatial ability. That way, she could retrieve supplies openly without arousing suspicion.

After a few days, Yan Mo subtly revealed to Bu Xiangwen and Mu Qimai that he possessed a space. Given that they had already come to terms with the impending apocalypse after Yan Mo’s earlier warnings, their reaction was far more composed than before.

They weren’t nearly as shocked as they had been the first time. In fact, they accepted the news rather calmly—almost as if they wouldn’t even be surprised if Yan Mo had told them the Earth was about to explode.

With that matter settled, Shu Xin fully indulged herself. Every meal for the past few days had come from the high-quality provisions stored in her space. Not only did this satisfy her cravings, but it also saved her the trouble of cooking. Moving forward, taking out delicious food would be far more convenient—a win-win situation that left Shu Xin thoroughly pleased.

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