Chapter 170: Agreed to Leave
“The Capital is far from here, especially with this weather. We don’t know what dangers we might face on the road. I can’t guarantee my own safety, let alone yours. I hope you take responsibility for your own safety.” Lu Weiyi looked at his companions, who had been through life and death together.
He continued, “Once Ai Yi’s health improves, we’ll leave. In the meantime, please think about it carefully.”
“Once we get to the Capital, will you stay there forever?” Li Zhuang asked, chewing on a lollipop as if it were a cigarette.
“…” Not forever.
The Capital was chaotic, filled with various forces. Without power or influence, a person could easily be trampled upon. Although Zhuang Mingxu’s family had some standing there, powerful families valued interests. With Zhuang Mingxu now powerless, he would likely be restricted, and it could bring trouble to everyone. They would have to pick a side.
Besides, the Capital wasn’t exactly safe…
Lu Weiyi recalled the helplessness of his past life, absentmindedly rubbing his fingers, silent for a moment.
“If you have any ideas or plans, say them out loud. Let’s discuss and figure out a way forward. It’s the same no matter where we are,” Li Zhuang said.
“The Capital’s power structures are complicated. It’s not a good place to stay for the long term,” Zhuang Mingxu remarked when Lu Weiyi mentioned going to the Capital. He had already thought about the situation. He had assumed Lu Weiyi hadn’t considered it.
But in that moment of silence, he realized that his young friend understood everything. Despite his leg, Lu Weiyi was still determined to face the most dangerous challenges.
Thinking this, Zhuang Mingxu’s lips curled into a soft smile, but he also made the situation clear to everyone. “My family may have some influence there, but with my current condition… if we all go together, I might become a pawn of my family’s power. Whether that’s good or bad, no one can guarantee.”
“Once you heal Brother Mingxu’s leg, where do you want to go?” Xu Sa asked Lu Weiyi.
Lu Weiyi turned to glance at Zhuang Mingxu, who nodded. He, too, was curious.
“…Yue Banwan,” Lu Weiyi replied.
The group exchanged puzzled looks, having never heard of this place. Xu Sa cautiously asked, “Sounds romantic?”
Zhuang Mingxu shot him a blank look and explained, “It’s the name of a private island, located southeast of the Capital.”
“Oh, I remember now! It’s the island you bought for Lu Weiyi as a coming-of-age gift, the crescent-shaped one?” Wu Yue exclaimed with sudden realization.
“…Poverty limits my imagination,” Gu Qingyue said, looking bewildered.
“Jealousy has distorted my face,” Xu Sa added.
“Envy makes me fall apart?” Gu Qingjie chimed in, completing the joke.
Zhuang Mingxu ignored their banter, asking curiously, “That place is surrounded by the sea. To get there, you need a yacht or private plane. It’s safe, but somewhat isolated, don’t you think?”
Lu Weiyi shook his head. The earthquake had shifted the earth’s crust, causing nearby islands to merge, creating an island with a shape similar to Hainan Island.
In his past life, Lu Weiyi remembered Zhuang Mingxu mentioning that the island had been taken over by a earth-type ability user, who had built a powerful base there. It was one of the most significant bases in the country.
After the apocalypse began, Lu Weiyi immediately thought of going there, but because of Zhuang Mingxu’s leg, he had to consider other options. However, if he wanted to go anywhere, that island was undoubtedly the best place.
He couldn’t share all of this with them, so he remained silent for a while, then said, “Based on my estimation of the earthquake’s movement, that island should be closer to the mainland, near Pingjin City. It would be convenient to find supplies, it’s isolated, and it’s defensible. It’s an ideal place to survive.”
“How big is it?” Li Zhuang asked.
“…A few dozen square kilometers, I guess,” Lu Weiyi answered ambiguously.
“That’s bigger than many small countries in the West. How much money did you spend to buy such a large island?” Antonio, feeling rich himself, suddenly felt poor in comparison.
“Mm-hmm, very rich,” Dean chimed in, giving Zhuang Mingxu a thumbs-up.
“…” Zhuang Mingxu, who knew the size of Yue Banwan best, realized Lu Weiyi’s words must come from his almost prophetic ability. He didn’t expose him and continued tapping his finger on his knee. After a moment, he said, “What do you think about setting up our own secure base there?”
The group was stunned for a moment, then exchanged looks. Gradually, smiles appeared on their faces.
“I agree,” Xu Sa said, raising his hand first.
Liu Rui nodded.
“Approved.”
“+1.”
“+2.”
…
None of them opposed. Everyone agreed, and Lu Weiyi was surprised. He hadn’t expected Zhuang Mingxu to have such grand ideas.
But thinking about it, it seemed to align with his character. After all, he was always a leader wherever he went. Even with his leg injury, Lu Weiyi didn’t believe he would remain down for long.
“Still, we need to consider the risks on the way. Establishing a base is a complicated process, and we’ll face many challenges. Everyone should think it through carefully,” Zhuang Mingxu added, momentarily turning his dream into a cautionary note.
“Whether we go or not is something we’ll think about later. But shouldn’t we take this chance to gather more supplies?” Li Zhuang suggested, pointing outside, “The base’s population has been reduced by more than half, and most of the supplies are flooded. Maybe we can find some leftovers.”
“Let’s hold off on scavenging from others. We still have over ten thousand pounds of frozen potatoes in the Green District. They’re probably flooded by now. I wonder if they’ve been washed away?” Zhuang Mingxu said, feeling a bit disappointed about the frozen potatoes, but still reluctant to lose them.
“Luckily, we took out the supplies from the military warehouse early on. Most of it is now in the space, so the losses aren’t too bad,” Wu Yue said, relieved that Zhuang Mingxu had arranged for the supplies from the military warehouse to be taken out before they were ruined.
“Hey, does this mean we can dive and take some of other people’s supplies…” Ning Yuan said with a sly smile, rubbing his fingers together.
“I have the possible locations of the major family warehouses in the base,” Bai Miao said eagerly, eyes gleaming.
They were all a group of wolves. After a few words, they reached an agreement, and after verifying the locations, they decided to start the operation the next day. Once the plan was set, they all went off to rest, though not for long.
Before anyone could fall asleep, the voice of Li Qing calling out to them from outside broke the silence.
The next day, several ability users decided to go out to scavenge. The flood outside made it unsafe, and the night watch was assigned to two ordinary people—Lin Yimu and Shen Xing.
The rain had stopped, and with the speedboat approaching and Li Qing’s shout, Lin Yimu immediately sensed it and moved closer, shining a flashlight. Li Qing, with a joyful tone, called out, “Captain, are you okay?”
“It’s fine. Why are you here so late? Is something going on?” Lin Yimu asked, ready to call someone if needed.
In the pitch-black night, Li Qing’s bright white teeth stood out. He smiled and said, “Nothing, Chen Zhong and the others asked us to help them get here. I also wanted to see you, so I came over.”
“Old Lin,” Chen Zhong’s voice came from behind the speedboat as he helped his wife and child board.
“I’m glad you’re okay. Hurry up and get on…” Lin Yimu extended a hand to help Chen Zhong. As he moved aside, he immediately spotted Yun Lu and her mother hiding at the back. He paused for a moment before speaking.
“They… want to come too?” Chen Zhong knew the team’s attitude toward Guan Tong and her daughter, and he thought it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring them along. But Yun Lu, with her ability to use Lu Weiyi’s name, had spoken up, and Lu Weiyi’s ambiguous stance made it difficult for others to decide.
Lin Yimu nodded without saying much.
Chen Zhong’s family consisted of his wife and a 13-year-old daughter. In a team mostly made up of men, it wasn’t easy for them to go in and out. They lived in the Green District and usually helped with odd jobs under Bai Miao. Chen Zhong went on missions with the team, so their life was still manageable.
“The Green District is too crowded. I…” Chen Zhong, being an ordinary member of the team without significant abilities, hadn’t contributed much. Now, with no supplies left in the area, his family had gone hungry for an entire day. He had no other choice but to come here and ask for help.
“We’re all part of the team. There’s a lot going on here, and we’ve been distracted. It’s good you came back. We won’t have to go out to get you,” Lin Yimu said, looking at the two people following Chen Zhong. “Take your wife and child inside first. Shen Xing, see if you can find any dry clothes and warm food.”
“Okay, Brother Chen, follow me,” Shen Xing led the family out of the room and toward the other side.
Facing Guan Tong and her daughter, Lin Yimu didn’t know what to say, so he simply nodded and gestured for them to follow Chen Zhong.
“Excuse me, where is Weiyi? Can I go find him?” Yun Lu, being a young girl, instinctively sought the one she felt safest with.
Li Qing raised an eyebrow, tying the speedboat to the window sill and pretending not to hear. Lin Yimu opened his mouth but wasn’t sure what to say to a child. He turned to Guan Tong, “Take her over there.”
Yun Lu still wanted to say something, but Guan Tong immediately pushed her to follow Chen Zhong and the others out of the room.
“Captain, what’s going on here? She told me she’s Lu Weiyi’s girlfriend. Is Lu Weiyi planning to have two relationships at once?” Li Qing turned to Lin Yimu, asking.
“Don’t talk nonsense. The young master… must have his own plans. He hasn’t paid attention to them since he came back. How could she be his girlfriend?” Lin Yimu said, rubbing the damp clothes on Li Qing’s body with a frown. “I’ll find you some dry clothes.”
“Ah, okay,” Li Qing followed Lin Yimu out of the leaking room, quietly asking, “Haven’t you asked Lu Weiyi what he thinks?”
Lin Yimu shook his head. It was too personal, and no one could interfere.
“What about Zhuang Mingxu? Why didn’t he ask?” Li Qing thought this was unlike him, “It doesn’t seem like him.”
Lin Yimu sighed, unsure of how to answer.
