Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Zhuang Chen’s Method – The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse

Chapter 59: Zhuang Chen’s Method

When Gu Ning came over, she carefully changed back into the clothes she wore during the apocalypse, ruffled her hair a bit, and said, “No, I just went in to see if there was anything useful.”

Third Brother didn’t think much of it and, while heading to the bathroom, said, “Then you should hurry and eat breakfast, or else those little rascals will finish it all.”

Gu Ning imagined the well-groomed Third Brother from the other world and compared him to this unkempt version. She couldn’t reconcile the two images as the same person.

Over time, she wondered if she might go crazy.

Gu Ning silently thought this and then returned to her room.

How to use special abilities in combat?

This was the question Gu Ning raised during breakfast.

The few people who had just awakened their special abilities and were still in the excitement phase immediately calmed down because of Gu Ning’s question.

Currently, the only ones with combat experience using special abilities were Xiang Xu, with his elusive spiritual power, and Third Brother and Cheng Ming.

At everyone’s request, these two explained in detail how they used their abilities to attack.

“It’s basically about what you want your ability to do—it can do it,” Cheng Ming said. As soon as he finished speaking, a corner of the curtain was sliced off by a wind blade.

Immediately after, a water ball appeared in front of Zhong Xu. Under his careful control, it split and transformed into several water arrows, which he excitedly shot outward!

Everyone followed outside, where the water arrows hit a young jujube tree, cutting it in half.

Next was Xiang Xu’s mini-lesson on special abilities.

Xiang Xu had already organized his thoughts on the subject and, combining his experience, said, “The special energy stored in the human body is limited. If you use it continuously without rest, it will deplete too quickly, and if you don’t replenish it in time, you’ll run out. Once depleted, recovery will be very slow, and the body will become weak. It takes at least two hours or more to recover. However, if you consume crystal cores, it will significantly speed up the absorption of energy.”

“So, you must know how much energy you have stored and avoid depleting it. Also, practicing your abilities regularly will improve your control, which is beneficial for future battles.”

Zhang Xiaobai, watching Xiang Xu speak so clearly and logically, exclaimed, “Xiang Xu, I feel like you’re our intelligence officer! Gu Ning, where did you find him?”

Xiang Xu smiled at Gu Ning, as if saying, “See, I didn’t let you down, did I?”

After clarifying these matters, they prepared to head out.

The deaths of the three soldiers weighed heavily on Third Brother’s heart. Since the apocalypse began, too many people had died. Every day, people he knew and didn’t know—friends, family, comrades—died at a pace so fast that there was no time to grieve before new pain arrived.

They had grown accustomed to not talking about the dead.

But Third Brother still wanted to protect those who were still alive.

So, he decided to have everyone who hadn’t evolved special abilities, including Gu Ning and Xiang Yi, stay at the gathering place and wait for them to return with crystal cores.

Gu Ning disagreed: “I don’t agree with this arrangement.” She looked at Third Brother seriously and said, “If we’re destined not to evolve special abilities, then now is the best time to train. Ordinary people must find a way to survive, not hide under the protection of those with abilities. At least, that’s what I think.”

Xiang Yi shrugged and said somewhat self-deprecatingly, “I’ve tried many times. Although I haven’t given up, it’s possible I’m just an ordinary person. I agree with her. Ordinary people must find a way to survive.”

The four soldiers who had been assigned to stay behind yesterday reacted even more strongly, vehemently demanding that Third Brother let them go out too.

Third Brother was moved by Gu Ning’s words but was also getting a headache from the soldiers’ clamor. He simply handed the task over to Gu Ning: “Then you decide. How should we arrange it?”

“My parents will stay, Huang Mengyao will stay, Shi Tou will stay, Luo Long will stay.” Gu Ning looked at Hong Jie and asked, “What about you, Hong Jie?”

Hong Jie gestured toward Third Brother with her chin and said, “If he, at his age, can go out, I certainly won’t hold you back.”

“What about me…” At some point, the door to the room where the child was sleeping had been pushed open a crack. A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy stood there awkwardly. When everyone’s eyes turned to him, he lowered his head slightly, timid but mustering the courage to look at Gu Ning and say, “Can I go out with you to kill monsters?” He tried to appear as brave as possible, puffing out his thin chest.

In normal times, the adults might have laughed, but no one did now.

Jia Daozhang walked over and roughly ruffled the boy’s hair into a mess, then asked, “What’s your name?”

The boy had one single eyelid and one double eyelid, a youthful face, and slightly dark skin, but he was quite handsome. He casually smoothed his hair, not angry, and replied, “Wu Sen.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirteen!”

Jia Daozhang shook his head: “Too young!”

“What about her? She’s younger than me.” Wu Sen pointed a dirty finger at Xiang Xu.

“Kid, she’s more powerful than me!” Zhang Xiaobai said with a laugh.

Xiang Xu gave Wu Sen a somewhat unfriendly look and snorted lightly.

Wu Sen was half-convinced.

Third Brother said, “Kid, when you can hold a gun, then you can come out with us. Gu Ning, it’s getting late. Let’s go.”

Gu Ning nodded, slung a gun over her back, picked up a long sword they had found here, and followed the group out.

Compared to the last time, when they were excited but also uneasy, those who had awakened their abilities now seemed confident and determined.

Gu Ning was still in the same vehicle as Third Brother.

“This time, we’re not in a hurry to collect crystal cores. Plus, all the walkie-talkies are broken. Let’s stick together as a team. What do you think, Gu Ning?”

Gu Ning nodded: “Yes. Once we arrive, if we encounter a small group of zombies, let those without abilities handle them. You guys focus on protection and support. If it’s a large group, you’ll need to take the lead.”

Third Brother agreed: “That’s what I was thinking too.”

As the vehicle moved, those who had evolved their abilities didn’t idle either. They practiced manipulating their abilities to improve their proficiency.

As the two military trucks carrying Gu Ning and the others gradually drove away…

A large red off-road vehicle stopped at the entrance of the gathering place.

Such a conspicuous vehicle immediately drew many eyes as soon as it stopped.

The front door opened.

A long, beautiful leg stepped out of the vehicle, followed by a stunning red-haired woman. She casually tossed her hair to the side, looked at the gathering place’s gate, sighed in relief, and then walked to the back to open the door. A pale young man leaned weakly against the seat, opening his eyes slightly to look outside, and said, “Found a place to stay?”

If Gu Ning were here, she would have been shocked to find that these two were none other than Zhuang Chen and Fang Fa, who should have been on their way to the capital.

Zhuang Chen glanced at the bandaged wound on Fang Fa’s thigh and his pale face, her beautiful brows tightly furrowed. She said, “Wait a moment. I’ll have them open the gate.” Then she strode toward the gate on her long legs. Fang Fa nodded weakly and closed his eyes again.

Zhuang Chen walked to the gate and said to the guards, “Please open the gate. Our vehicle needs to come in.”

The guards exchanged glances and said to Zhuang Chen, “We need to inspect it.”

Zhuang Chen frowned, glanced back at the vehicle.

Two guards walked over, opened the door, and saw Fang Fa lying inside. They immediately noticed the hastily bandaged wound on his thigh. After exchanging looks, they said to Zhuang Chen, “Sorry, but our rule is that injured people can’t enter the gathering place.” Ever since Gu Ning killed Wang Jizhong’s nephew at the gate, the guards’ manners had improved significantly, fearing they might offend someone they couldn’t handle and end up the same way.

Their politeness made it hard for Zhuang Chen to get angry. She just frowned and said, “The wound on his leg isn’t from a zombie bite. It’s from a knife. Can’t he still come in?”

“Sorry, it’s the rule of the gathering place. We can’t do anything—”

“Zhuang Chen?” Suddenly, a surprised voice rang out.

Zhuang Chen was slightly startled and followed the voice. Her eyebrows raised in surprise: “Yin Qi?” Her gaze fell on the man in the white shirt beside him, and her eyebrows lowered: “Yin Sang, you’re here too.”

The ones who had unintentionally passed by the gate were the man in the white shirt and Yin Sang. They were also surprised to see Zhuang Chen here, as they thought she should have already returned to the capital.

A guard respectfully asked Yin Qi, “Seventh Master, her friend is injured. Should we let them in?”

Before Yin Qi could speak, Yin Sang coldly said, “No.”

Yin Qi frowned at Yin Sang: “Yin Sang?”

Zhuang Chen didn’t even glance at Yin Sang, looking at Yin Qi instead: “Yin Qi, since you two are here, White Wolf must be here too. If you won’t open the gate, call him out. I’ll talk to him directly.”

“You—” Yin Sang had only managed to say one word before her voice abruptly stopped. A strand of hair was sliced off her bangs, drifting down to the ground.

Zhuang Chen’s sharp gaze fixed on her, coldly saying, “If you don’t shut up, I’ll make sure you never speak again.”

Yin Qi looked at Zhuang Chen in shock: “Wind-based ability—”