Chapter 521 | Chapter 522 | Chapter 523 | Chapter 524 | Chapter 525
Chapter 521: Supporting the Newcomers
Wu Yue was extremely generous—he took out 10,000 purified crystal cores from his storage space and handed them to Zhao Yu.
“This is our base’s gratitude for the two of you coming here. Once our base leader successfully advances, we’ll personally come and thank you.”
Although Zhao Yu was unhappy about being stuck here for an entire month, seeing a pile of crystal cores large enough to crush him immediately mellowed him out. His attitude warmed, and he graciously elevated the bond between the two sides, then cheerfully boarded the plane with Dong Xiaoxiao.
Compared to Zhao Yu’s gift, what was given to Eric was only a palm-sized pouch. Eric examined it and revealed a surprised expression—it contained two A-grade psychic crystal cores and three A-grade water-elemental crystal cores.
For high-level ability users like them, ordinary crystal cores were just currency. True power advancement required rare high-grade elemental cores, especially those that matched one’s attribute—almost impossible to come by.
“I hope we can continue to cooperate in the future,” Wu Yue said meaningfully as he shook hands with Eric.
“Of course. The Hunters have always been Half Moon Bay’s most loyal partners.”
The “Hunters” were a roaming team of ability users secretly backed by Half Moon Bay, established by Eric.
Wu Yue maintained a friendly expression as he watched the plane take off and disappear into the sky. Only then did the smile fade from his face.
Now that only the base’s military personnel remained, Wu Yue signaled for everyone to stay alert. With a few quick steps, he climbed a towering tree and used binoculars to observe the distant figure, almost buried in weeds.
The area covered by the psychic power was shrinking over time, and its intensity was slowly weakening. However, it was still not a zone they could enter safely.
Mutant animals were killed off again and again, but new ones kept entering. They were now drawing closer to Lu Weiyi. The ones who had tried to sneak in with bad intentions were already reduced to skeletons—their flesh devoured by insects. From afar, the place looked like a graveyard.
Wu Yue sighed. He didn’t know what kind of plan Zhuang Mingxu had come up with.
*
Autumn was the season of harvest, and the fields of Half Moon Bay were bustling with activity as everyone rushed to reap the crops.
After receiving word that Antonio had woken up, Zhuang Mingxu made another visit to the underground lab.
With joint efforts from Zhuang Mobai and Shen Xiuyin, and the help of psychic ability users, they had developed the first prototype of a device that could resist psychic invasion. However, psychic users were hard to advance, and the base currently had no high-level ones. It remained uncertain whether the device would be effective against Lu Weiyi.
“Your taste is really awful. Can’t you design something that looks decent? How many times have I seen helmets now?”
Zhuang Mingxu, who had been growing quieter lately, finally voiced a rare complaint. Previously, crystal cores used to control zombies were installed in helmets; later, they used helmets again to suppress zombie energy in ability users. Eventually, they were simplified into headbands for easier wear. Now it was back to helmets again.
“The crystal core is located in the brain, and psychic attacks target the brain too. Naturally, that’s the area that needs protection first,”
Zhuang Mobai, ever composed, hadn’t changed at all from living in isolation. In fact, with no worries about sourcing experimental materials, he seemed more at ease than ever.
Shen Xiuyin picked up the helmet and helped Zhuang Mingxu adjust it. She shut him down with a blunt remark:
“As long as it works.”
Zhuang Mobai gave Zhuang Mingxu a suspicious look. “You’re testing it yourself?” He studied him, and his eyes flickered with realization. “You had a falling out with Lu Weiyi? Now you’re preparing for him?”
Zhuang Mingxu didn’t answer. After adjusting the device, he turned to the ability users assisting with the experiment.
“Let’s begin.”
After spending the entire day in the lab, Zhuang Mingxu emerged pale and visibly shaken from psychic energy exposure. He barely made it outside before vomiting violently.
The experimental device was still in its early stages. For someone like Zhuang Mingxu, who had zero resistance to psychic energy, it was extremely difficult. Relying on sheer willpower to get out of the lab, the dizziness overwhelmed him, and he collapsed into the puddle of his own vomit.
Li Qing, who had come by after work to find Lin Yimu, spotted him and rushed over to support him.
“You—what happened?”
The ringing in his ears made it hard to distinguish voices. Zhuang Mingxu squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again to recognize Li Qing. He waved his hand weakly.
“I’m fine.”
Li Qing ignored his protest, discreetly buried the vomit, cleaned him up in the backyard, and placed him on a lounge chair under the pavilion.
Even when both his legs were broken, he had never looked this miserable. His tone became a little sharp.
“What exactly are you researching down there? So many ability users and none of them are enough for testing?”
Zhuang Mingxu drank some ice water and gradually sobered up. He replied teasingly,
“Equality for all. How could I let others do the tests?”
Li Qing gave him a deadpan stare. “Cut the crap.”
Knowing Li Qing was annoyed, Zhuang Mingxu fell silent for a long while before asking,
“Li Qing, what do you think of separating military and government in the base?”
“Hasn’t it always been separate?”
Lu Weiyi was always in charge of the military, while Zhuang Mingxu handled everything else outside of it.
“I mean a complete separation of powers.”
Right now, it looked like the two were separate, but everyone knew that with Lu Weiyi gone, the entire base—military and government alike—answered to Zhuang Mingxu. Because of their relationship, the power division wasn’t clear. In fact, they often crossed into each other’s responsibilities.
Li Qing immediately sensed the change in tone. Thinking about Zhuang Mingxu’s actions over the past month, he gave him a hard look.
“You want to support a new leader?”
“Yes,” Zhuang Mingxu answered without hesitation. “Ning Yuan and the others have been rescued, and it won’t be long before they’re fully recovered.”
He turned to Li Qing with a serious tone.
“I want to go take a look at Lao Mountain.”
“You’re crazy, over there—”
Zhuang Mingxu raised a hand to cut Li Qing off. “Our base only appears stable right now. Mutant animals in the surrounding area have overbred and are already disrupting the local ecosystem. Just a few days ago, our sentries reported that some animals are forming into groups.”
Seeing Li Qing’s confused expression, Zhuang Mingxu emphasized, “I’m talking about animals that are typically solitary—like tigers and leopards.”
“I suspect they’ve developed an awareness of using crystal cores to level up. According to reports, some carnivorous animals are intentionally hunting others—not for food, but solely to eat their heads.”
“You mean their intelligence has improved?” Li Qing asked, his back going cold.
“Not certain. It could just be an instinctual drive toward profit, sensing some benefit in eating the brain. But who’s to say the effect of animals consuming the crystal cores of their own kind wouldn’t be the same as humans consuming those of ability users?” As one of the few territories inland with unrestricted reproduction, if this continues, it’s hard to say how many high-level mutant animals could emerge.
These mutants could very well turn their sights on any base with ulterior motives—or worse, set their sights on Half Moon Bay.
“And now, the zombie horde has begun moving again. Some bases have reached out to the Capital Base for support. It’s only a matter of time before they contact us.”
Back when they made their promise, Half Moon Bay still had Lu Weiyi, the top ability user, guarding the place. Supporting others was a simple matter of saying yes. But now, given the situation, going would risk leaving their own base vulnerable, while refusing would look bad.
Li Qing’s expression turned grim. “They can organize enough manpower from so many bases?”
“I heard Zheng Yi has been in seclusion, trying to level up his powers…”
“Leveling up?” Li Qing thought of the internal warnings that had circulated. “What happens if he keeps pushing it?”
“I don’t know either,” Zhuang Mingxu shook his head. “Xiao Yi sensed something was wrong and said he’d tell you all after he succeeded… but then—”
Everything had changed so suddenly.
“Zheng Yi clearly didn’t believe him.”
“With how he’s acted before, I’d guess he’s afraid we’ll retaliate.”
“The most we’d do is distance ourselves from the Zheng family. What, does he think we’d seek revenge?” Li Qing sounded exasperated.
“A rift with Half Moon Bay means losing access to our instruments, limitations on purified crystal cores, and a halt in team growth. Why do you think all these bases have their greedy eyes on us?” Zheng Yi simply didn’t want his team to lose its current prestige. If Zhuang Mingxu were in his shoes, with that kind of power, he’d probably make the same choice.
Zhuang Mingxu was that kind of person, so it was easy for him to understand.
“Word is that he’s about to level up. Some teams are already rallying behind the Zheng family and planning to demand Half Moon Bay share its technology and research…”
“Dream on!” Li Qing gritted his teeth. They’d come so far through blood, sweat, and tears. The base had countless ordinary people; their progress had relied on just a few powered individuals. Now others thought they could just waltz in and reap the rewards with a few words? Not happening.
“It’s just a rumor—it might not be true.” Zhuang Mingxu patted Li Qing’s shoulder, urging calm. “That’s assuming he doesn’t succeed. If he does, then things will only get harder for us.”
“And on top of that, the zombie horde is approaching, and mutant sea creatures are gathering…”
Zhuang let out a deep sigh. He understood all the challenges the base was about to face, yet he still chose to walk away. That made him feel like he was letting down the comrades who had fought beside him.
“I’m sorry.”
Li Qing sensed what he was about to say and stared at him for a long moment. “You’re going to find him?”
Zhuang Mingxu listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and looked toward the horizon, his tense features softening. “If there’s anyone left in this world that he can’t let go of… it’s me and the child.”
If he couldn’t let Zhuang Aiyi take the risk, then he’d have to go himself.
Good or bad, he had been prepared for this from the start.
“You—” Li Qing opened his mouth, at a loss for how to dissuade him.
Zhuang Mingxu, now fully recovered, stood and stretched, changing the subject. “Who do you think in our team is suitable to be placed in government?”
Chapter 522: Gradual Awakening
Most members of Team One were ordinary people before the apocalypse. They had no experience in political scheming, let alone navigating inter-base diplomacy.
As for the military—most of them were straightforward thinkers. Perfect for front-line roles, but putting them in politics would be asking too much.
Zhuang Mingxu understood this. From the moment he learned of Lu Weiyi’s situation, he had started making preparations. But this base had been built with Lu Weiyi’s sweat and sacrifice. No matter who it was handed to, Zhuang Mingxu couldn’t bring himself to fully trust them.
If he never returned, he hoped to leave behind someone the others could rely on—someone who wouldn’t let them be exploited or wiped out.
And if he did return someday, he hoped the base would still be one where Lu Weiyi’s word held absolute authority.
Perhaps he was just being greedy.
Lighting a cigarette, Zhuang Mingxu took a long drag. He needed to be more meticulous with his selection.
On the day Zhou He’s team returned, the psychics—who had been training for over a month—were immediately deployed to clear the mental residue from their unconscious teammates.
That night, the first to wake up was Lu Xi.
“Who are you people?” Lu Xi opened his eyes, alert and trying to keep his expression neutral as he covertly surveyed his surroundings.
“You… don’t recognize us?” asked Dean, who had a good relationship with him. His gaze flicked between Lu Xi and the wheelchair-bound Antonio with concern.
Lu Xi’s eyes lingered on both of them for a moment, hiding his surprise. “What are you trying to do, kidnapping me?”
Everyone in the room exchanged uncertain glances. Zhuang Mingxu’s gaze turned to Xing Zhou, the lead psychic.
Xing Zhou pointed to his own head and mouthed the word, “Confused.”
Lu Xi was still immersed in the illusion and hadn’t snapped out of it.
Xing Zhou glanced at the psychic-type ability user who was with him and gestured for assistance. He then focused his mental energy once again, probing Lu Xi’s mind.
But the now-awake Lu Xi was clearly on alert. Thanks to Lu Wei Yi’s training, the moment he sensed the mental intrusion, his body instinctively reacted. Unconsciously, he activated his own psychic power to counter the attack.
Xing Zhou let out a hiss of pain, clutched his forehead, and staggered back two steps. The other two with him collapsed to the ground, clutching their heads. Thankfully, they were all professionally trained soldiers—despite the pain that made their veins pop, they managed to retain some composure.
The sudden turn of events immediately put everyone in the room on edge. Zhuang Mingxu didn’t miss the fleeting sarcastic smile that flashed across Lu Xi’s face after his initial shock. He quickly gestured for the others to stay silent and looked at Lu Xi with a gentle but firm tone. “Xiao Xi, retract your psychic power.”
Lu Xi looked at him. Zhuang Mingxu opened the photo album on his phone and handed it over. “You were injured earlier, and your mind’s a bit confused—you don’t recognize us right now. I’m your brother’s boyfriend, Zhuang Mingxu.”
He made a polite gesture, signaling Lu Xi to check the photos and short videos. “How old do you think you are right now? Where do you think you are?”
Lu Xi did recall that he had an older brother who had a long-term boyfriend. But based on the sighs and complaints from their father, he knew that this so-called boyfriend’s relationship with his brother was far from harmonious.
Ignoring Zhuang Mingxu’s question, Lu Xi opened the photo album. It was filled with photos of Lu Wei Yi.
Him sleeping under the morning sun with faint hickeys on his exposed skin; elegantly drinking porridge at the breakfast table, glancing sideways with a cold expression; relaxing lazily in the sea breeze—and… holding children?
Lu Xi’s eyes widened when he saw a photo of himself, Lu Wei Yi, and two kids together. He hurriedly played a video, which showed him playing with two children on the beach.
“What is this?” He looked suspiciously at Zhuang Mingxu.
“These are me and your brother’s sons, Zhuang Aiyi and Tao Tao. They’re currently with your father.”
The shock in Lu Xi’s eyes faded into indifference, and even a trace of mockery appeared. He silently mouthed, “Lies. Now you’re just making things up.”
Zhuang Mingxu was forced to once again explain the origins of the two children for what felt like the hundredth time.
After a long conversation and carefully checking all the photos and videos for signs of editing (and finding none), Lu Xi begrudgingly accepted Zhuang Mingxu’s identity. But after Zhuang Mingxu explained the current state of the world, Lu Xi fell into complete silence.
“In your memory, how old are you…?”
“Fourteen. I was with the National Defense Science and Industry Commission…”
In his memory, Lu Xi was at the peak of his life—young and talented, contributing to a breakthrough technology alongside his mentor. He had just been appointed as the youngest expert consultant for the Defense Commission and was basking in admiration.
But thinking of this made Lu Xi pause. His expression grew guarded again. Now he suspected these people were foreign agents trying to manipulate him. No matter how Zhuang Mingxu questioned him after that, Lu Xi refused to say another word.
No one had expected this outcome—especially considering that Lu Xi’s psychic abilities were second only to Lu Wei Yi’s. When on guard, no one else could influence him mentally.
Zhuang Mingxu turned to consult with the now-recovered Xing Zhou on what to do next. Meanwhile, Dean, ever the mischief-maker, eagerly stepped up with an innocent look and introduced himself to Lu Xi as someone he had met after the apocalypse.
By the time Lu Xi realized what was happening, Dean had already launched into an elaborate story—under the amused gazes of their teammates—about how the two of them had fought side-by-side in the post-apocalyptic world, forging an unbreakable bond.
The story was dramatic and action-packed, like something straight out of a novel. Lu Xi, believing himself to be only fourteen, was left stunned. No one stopped Dean; instead, they listened with great interest.
“Antonio,” Zhuang Mingxu snapped, glancing coldly at the applauding Antonio, “if you show him any more nonsense like this, you can kiss your vacation days goodbye.”
Antonio chuckled sheepishly and quickly waved Dean away.
“He’s already confused enough, and now you’ve completely messed with his head,” Zhuang Mingxu scolded as he waved them all out. “Get lost.”
Once everyone was cleared out, Zhuang Mingxu felt like the chaos would never end. He rubbed his temples wearily, only to hear Lu Xi ask curiously, “Am I… really that powerful?”
Zhuang Mingxu gave him a complicated look and replied bluntly, “Kid, do you not have any clue what your power level is?” He was so exasperated he spat on the floor and barely held back a curse. “Seriously?”
“But I just used my power to beat them up, didn’t I?” Lu Xi said indignantly, head held high.
“Heh,” Zhuang Mingxu scoffed. “You should be thanking your brother. He went all out to give you extra training and helped you level up your ability however he could.”
Lu Xi gritted his teeth in childish frustration.
Zhuang Mingxu gave him a general overview of the current base situation. “Your mind has been affected by your brother’s psychic power, which is messing with your perception. There’s no one here you knew before the apocalypse. Tomorrow I’ll have a team take you to your dad’s place. Familiar faces might help you calm down and focus on identifying and expelling the foreign psychic influence in your mind.”
Teenagers were naturally rebellious, but fortunately, Lu Xi cared about Lu Xiao. When Zhuang Mingxu hinted that Lu Xiao wasn’t doing too well, Lu Xi immediately agreed to the plan.
After leaving Xing Zhou behind to teach Lu Xi how to repel psychic invasions, Zhuang Mingxu finally turned to check the ability evaluation report submitted by Zhou He.
Zhou He had brought over more than 800 people. Besides the top eight, who had all successfully upgraded to S-class, the rest had at least advanced by one minor rank. Under strict monitoring, even the weakest among them had reached mid-level A-class.
But what concerned Zhuang Mingxu more at the moment was Lu Xiao’s situation. “How many of Major General Lu’s men have returned?”
“They’ve all returned.” After making rounds to settle everyone and briefing Zheng Jun, who was departing the next day, Zhou He finally had the time to report in person.
“How’s the upgrade situation?”
“Two have advanced to S-rank, one wood element and one water element. Sixteen have upgraded to A-rank. The others have also improved,” Zhou He paused briefly, “But their supply of crystal cores is insufficient. If they could upgrade as recklessly and regardless of quantity like we did, the number would definitely be higher.”
Currently, all major bases in the capital were focused on eliminating mutated animals. However, these over-breeding creatures had pitifully little energy in their cores. It was said that crystal cores used for trade were no longer measured by quantity, but by energy levels, using newly developed detection devices.
This lack of quality cores limited the growth of ability users who relied on them, and all teams were quickly depleting their crystal core reserves. Zhou He figured that Lu Xiao probably didn’t have much left, either.
But at this point, Half Moon Bay was also in a high-consumption phase and couldn’t spare much in terms of supplies. However…
“The mutated animals in Lao Mountain’s primeval forest haven’t overbred. Have you noticed signs of large zombie gatherings in the surrounding areas?”
“Yes. The zombies around Panshui Base haven’t been effectively cleared. Plus, some neighboring uninhabited areas have pretty much turned into zombie kingdoms.”
“Alright. Got it. You all did great on this mission—you didn’t waste the crystal cores we invested in you. Go get some rest.”
Zhuang Mingxu patted Zhou He’s shoulder and granted a day off for all returning personnel.
Thanks to the overall progress of Blazing Flame, Zhuang Mingxu felt a bit less guilty when he later brought up Lu Xi’s condition to Lu Xiao.
On Lu Xiao’s side, upon hearing that Lu Xi needed someone he trusted to help him regain his awareness, he readily agreed, without the slightest trace of resentment or blame.
The next day, after seeing Zheng Jun off, Zhuang Mingxu quickly promoted a few individuals with clean abilities and backgrounds to serve as deputies.
Compared to the ability users who were only lightly affected by psychic influence before, the ones they brought back this time had clearly been much more deeply poisoned.
Even with the help of psychic-type ability users, several of them still showed signs of cognitive disorder after recovering. Ning Yuan was downcast for two days before finally bouncing back.
Chapter 523: Preparing to Part
The illusions experienced by the Gu brothers mostly depicted their lives together, which didn’t differ much from their current situation. So, the two of them adjusted quickly.
The most resistant, however, was Xu Sa.
He couldn’t accept his current life at all. At first, he even had an emotional breakdown. Zhuang Mingxu had to call Liu Rui back quickly. With Liu Rui’s presence, Xu Sa improved significantly, though he still seemed deeply depressed every day.
Zhuang Mingxu remembered that Lu Weiyi had once said Xu Sa’s dream was to become a diplomat. He had originally thought of having him handle base-to-base affairs. But now, that idea had to be shelved.
As temperatures began to drop, the purified crystal cores traded to other bases started running short on a large scale. Regardless of people’s true intentions, the number of messages seeking contact with Half Moon Bay multiplied exponentially.
Zhuang Mingxu planned to delegate these matters to the newly promoted deputies, assigning them to coordinate with Ning Yuan and Lin Yimu.
Compared to Ning Yuan, who had just turned a mental corner and now eagerly approached everything like a novelty, Lin Yimu immediately sensed something was off.
“What are you trying to do?” he asked.
As someone who had once trained countless outstanding special forces soldiers, Lin Yimu’s instinct was razor-sharp. Zhuang Mingxu gestured for him to sit and handed him a thick folder from the office drawer. It contained a detailed organizational plan for the base’s military and government departments.
“Our base was established rather hastily. Back then, we relied almost entirely on our core team members. So, many departments were basically manned by a single squad, and management overall has been lacking.”
Ironically, the military had ended up more organized due to Lu Weiyi’s laziness, with clearer responsibilities falling to the subordinates.
But on the administrative side, things had developed from scratch. It had basically become a one-man show run by Zhuang Mingxu, with everything eventually reported to him. That was why he was constantly swamped.
Because Zhuang Mingxu had no powers of his own, being in total control of the base gave him a stronger sense of security—so he’d never changed that system.
This was also why, now that he suddenly needed people to carry responsibilities, he realized there was no one ready to take over.
“Right now, we’re in a stage of unity and development, so there aren’t any major internal conflicts. But if this continues, problems are bound to arise sooner or later. I’ve recently redone the plan to better define responsibilities and to fill in departments we were previously lacking.”
Lin Yimu skimmed through it. There were indeed major personnel changes, but the key departments remained staffed by trusted individuals. He closed the file, gaze sharp.
“What are you getting at?”
Zhuang Mingxu looked out at the pitch-black night sky and suddenly asked:
“Brother Mu, what’s the lowest temperature at night these days?”
“Around the teens,” Lin Yimu replied. The tail end of the heat was quickly fading, and the temperature changed daily.
“The forest… must be colder.”
Lin Yimu understood who he was thinking of and fell silent for a long moment.
“Didn’t Li Zhuang say the mental shielding devices they sent are working? Someone’s already been able to approach the young master and administer nutrient shots. They even improved his living environment.”
“But that only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Xu Sa, who once survived prison, is now silent and withdrawn… Lu Weiyi, who was pampered his whole life—how strong could his mental resilience be?”
Not to mention—
“I feel sorry for him,” Zhuang Mingxu admitted. “I don’t want him to suffer.”
“You…”
“I’m going to find him,” Zhuang Mingxu said firmly.
For two whole months, he hadn’t said a word about leaving the base. All of his thoughts and strategies had been to ensure that, when the time came, he could leave in peace.
“Brother Mu, I won’t take Ai Yi with me. If…” But when Lin Yimu glared at him sharply, Zhuang Mingxu didn’t finish the sentence. He just lowered his eyes and gave a faint smile.
“While we’re gone, take care of Ai Yi for us. And if you can… hold this base firmly in your hands. So when we return, we’ll still have a place to come back to.”
Lin Yimu didn’t respond to him, instead reopening the file he had prepared in advance.
Inside, the military divisions were carefully categorized. Apart from Lu Weiyi, who remained the Supreme Commander, Ning Yuan had now been promoted to Deputy Commander, responsible for coordinating all base troops. In addition to the combat units, a new Logistics Department had been added.
The military’s Logistics Department was now responsible for all essential daily supplies and weapons stockpiles. Previously, this had been entirely handled by Lin Yimu, but now the department had been split into two branches, each with newly appointed heads.
As for the government side, besides the recently promoted Deputy Base Chief, three new departments had been added: the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Agricultural Production.
Aside from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose head was still undecided, the Ministry of Agriculture was now in charge of all crop production within the base. It had previously been managed by Li Dongsheng and Bai Miao, but now Li Dongsheng was officially appointed as the lead, with Bai Miao as his deputy.
The Ministry of Finance had been handed directly to Lin Yimu. Before he could look over its responsibilities in detail, Zhuang Mingxu explained, “This department is in charge of all base supplies and crystal core accounting—including all military and governmental expenditures, as well as the revenue each base earns through trading crystal cores.”
Just hearing about it sounded like an enormous headache.
Before Lin Yimu could object, Zhuang Mingxu added, “I know it’s not easy, but the finances are the lifeblood of a base. If they’re in our own hands, even if someone with ulterior motives rises to power and tries to target you all, they’ll be limited by financial constraints.”
“Our Xiao Yi has no parents. Only you have always looked out for him wholeheartedly. If the finances are in your hands, then I can leave with peace of mind.”
Neither he nor Lu Weiyi had anyone they could fully rely on or trust. When it came down to it, the only one who had always treated Lu Weiyi like his own child was Lin Yimu. That’s why Zhuang Mingxu had made this decision so carefully.
With control over the finances, Zhuang Aiyi would have something solid to rely on.
“…Young Master…” Lin Yimu closed the folder. He didn’t refuse anymore. After a brief pause, he said with a hint of powerlessness, “He’ll definitely be okay.”
Zhuang Mingxu forced a smile but said nothing.
“Between the two new base chiefs you selected, which one do you favor more?” Lin Yimu had always been involved with the military side and had very little connection with the government. He especially wasn’t familiar with these two recent appointees.
Zhuang Mingxu handed him a few thin sheets of paper detailing the profiles of the two new candidates.
Hu Gang, male, 42 years old. Before the apocalypse, he was a government official who had risen through the ranks from village leader to a city-level position. His capabilities were beyond doubt. What reassured Zhuang Mingxu the most was that Hu had a stable family. His wife, a low-level water-type ability user, and their harmonious household included a 14-year-old son serving in the base military and a 6-year-old daughter suffering from a chronic illness that required regular hospital visits. Aside from a mother-in-law, the family had no extended relations, keeping things simple.
Kong Zhen, in his 50s, was a retired soldier who had later founded an electronics company. Before the apocalypse, he had become a prominent entrepreneur in China. Zhuang Mingxu had worked with him a few times in the past. He was a stubborn and competitive old man—an interesting character. However, his social network was quite complex. When he arrived in Half Moon Bay, he brought along his company’s staff, and his extended family had ties in various industries within the region, making it easy for him to establish himself.
“Hu Gang is easier to manage,” Lin Yimu commented analytically.
“Exactly,” Zhuang Mingxu nodded. He also leaned toward the former. “Now it’s just a matter of seeing who’s more capable.”
By “easier to manage,” he didn’t mean someone who could be manipulated, but someone less likely to be swayed by outside influences or corrupt interests. That required genuine competence—especially in managing and coordinating various base departments.
“This will be their final test. I’ve split the recent teams who requested crystal core exchanges into two groups. Each of them will take command and make their own resource allocations. After two weeks, whoever performs better will become the permanent chief.”
Lin Yimu had only just realized something was off. He had been unaware of most of Zhuang Mingxu’s recent preparations within the government and therefore had little to comment on. Instead, he turned his focus back to the list of new appointees for the military’s logistics and supply departments. After scanning for a while, he selected two people. “These two are more suitable—not too self-serving.”
“Alright,” Zhuang Mingxu agreed readily. “Tomorrow morning, the military will hold a general assembly. Ning Yuan will announce the new appointments. In the afternoon, the government will hold its own meeting, where everyone can get acquainted. The day after, everyone officially takes their positions.”
It was a decisive pace with no room for argument. Lin Yimu could only accept with resignation.
The next morning, the base underwent a new round of appointments and restructuring in both the military and government sectors. Many people sensed that something had changed and began scrambling to gather intel.
But this time, the entire plan had been orchestrated solely by Zhuang Mingxu. Even the members of his Team One noticed something unusual.
Soon after, Half Moon Bay Base started large-scale transactions with other bases, preparing for the final winter trade.
Both Hu Gang and Kong Zhen were eager to prove themselves, and their energy significantly lifted the base’s previously somber atmosphere. Meanwhile, the previously busy Zhuang Mingxu suddenly found himself with unexpected free time.
He arranged for Zhuang Aiyi to be brought back from the capital base. Every day, he took the boy out on various adventures—appearing and disappearing unpredictably—almost as if he were trying to make up for lost time.
Zhuang Aiyi seemed to sense something. Every day he quietly followed Zhuang Mingxu, touring corners of the base he’d never seen before, carefully memorizing everything the man said.
After several days of this, the boy became increasingly quiet. One night, when Zhuang Mingxu asked if he wanted to sleep together, the child silently burst into tears.
“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Mingxu pulled the boy onto his lap, wiping his tears as he asked.
“Big Daddy, are you going to die?” Zhuang Aiyi looked up at him, teary-eyed. The drops slid down his still-chubby cheeks as he blinked. His voice was soaked with sorrow. “In the cartoon, Maomao’s mom was sick and about to die. She kept him close every day and even prepared lots of food for him…”
Chapter 524: Zheng Yi Takes Action
“Are you sick?” Zhuang Aiyi looked up at him with pitiful eyes, filled with worry—and more than that, fear.
Zhuang Mingxu avoided his gaze and hugged the child tightly. The little one’s tears soaked into his shirt, stinging his chest with heart-wrenching pain.
“Big Daddy, let’s go find Uncle Xu… and… and Uncle Dean! They’re really strong…” Zhuang Aiyi struggled to get down and tugged hard at Zhuang Mingxu’s hand, trying to get help.
He was still so small, so weak.
Zhuang Mingxu felt as if a hole had opened in his iron heart, and a cold wind rushed through it, making it ache unbearably.
“Aiyi, Aiyi…” He pulled the child back into his arms, voice hoarse, holding the boy’s head in his hands and looking into his clear, innocent eyes. “I’m sorry.”
This was his child, his own flesh and blood.
Since the day he chose to walk a different path, he never imagined having a child of his own. The appearance of this boy was nothing short of a gift from the heavens.
“Something happened to your Little Daddy. Big Daddy needs to go bring him back,” Zhuang Mingxu tried to explain in words a child could understand.
Zhuang Aiyi had spent a lot of time with Lu Xiao and had picked up on many things. At eight years old, in this post-apocalyptic world, children matured fast. He stopped struggling. “Did bad people hurt my Little Daddy?”
“…Yes. That’s why Big Daddy has to go save him.”
“What about my little brother? Is he with Little Daddy too?”
Zhuang Mingxu paused, uncertain. “…He should be.”
“Can Big Daddy bring back both my brother and Little Daddy?”
“I’ll do my best.” Zhuang Mingxu couldn’t bear to tell him that he had no certainty at all. “I don’t know how long it will take, so I can’t bring you along. From now on… you might have to live with other uncles. I want to leave you some things just in case.”
“Do you understand, Aiyi?”
Zhuang Aiyi nodded. “Like how Mama Maomao prepares food for him?”
“Yes. But Big Daddy needs to prepare even more, because it’s dangerous out there…”
If the worst happened… at least these preparations might ease some of the guilt gnawing at Zhuang Mingxu.
Zhuang Aiyi didn’t pick up on the heavy undertone in his words. He nodded earnestly, promising, “Aiyi will remember and be good. Big Daddy has to bring Little Daddy back soon.”
Zhuang Mingxu’s heart trembled. He held the child even tighter.
Now that things were clear, the next day, Zhuang Mingxu personally showed Zhuang Aiyi several hidden supply stashes. He walked him through the base, pointing out hidden entrances and safe hiding spots. He also made the boy memorize maps of external supply points beyond the base.
While Zhuang Mingxu was busy preparing for the worst, the exchange of crystal cores among various bases was reaching its peak.
Worried that some bases might take the opportunity to cause trouble, Ning Yuan gathered multiple teams, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice.
But before news of any betrayal arrived, another message came first: a massive zombie horde was moving toward the capital base in the Capital.
“They seem almost intelligent. They’re ignoring every base along the way and heading straight for the Capital?” Zhuang Mingxu frowned and looked at the messenger. “Is that exactly what Major General Lu said?”
“Yes.” The messenger was Feng Liang from Team Two. His wood-type ability wasn’t essential to combat, but his communications expertise exceeded his power. After team restructuring, he left frontline combat and took over military communications.
He handed Zhuang Mingxu another report. “Reliable sources say the Capital base requested surrounding bases to intercept the zombies, but…”
“No one complied.”
Zhuang Mingxu flipped through the latest data on each base and intercepted messages. The Capital had started negotiations with nearby bases as soon as they detected the threat.
At first, everyone assumed the horde’s target was the closest base. The Capital mobilized allied forces along the route, and the other bases appeared cooperative.
But once it became clear the zombies were bypassing them and heading directly for the Capital, the bases began to shirk responsibility. Not only did they refuse to act, they started ignoring the Capital’s calls for help entirely.
“Did the Capital ever send us a request for cooperation?” Despite his busy schedule, Zhuang Mingxu always kept tabs on the Capital. He was certain they had never contacted him about a joint effort.
Feng Liang shook his head. “No.”
Zhuang Mingxu’s eyes grew cold. He quickly masked his emotions and stared blankly at the list of combat units on the report.
Ning Yuan, standing nearby, sensed something was off and took the report to read himself.
“They only reached out to bases west of the Capital. We’re on the east side, so maybe…” Feng Liang sighed, frowning. “Lin Ya quietly passed on a message—the Capital contacted Pingjin Base. Tang Bai chose to stay on the sidelines and didn’t respond.”
Pingjin Base was the closest to Half Moon Bay, just a few hundred kilometers away. Though Half Moon Bay was further south, it still shared regional ties.
To put it optimistically, perhaps the Capital simply didn’t consider Half Moon Bay relevant. But if they were using this crisis as a way to test potential allies for future cooperation, that was also possible.
“This morning, the Capital finally sent word, saying they want to join forces with Half Moon Bay to fight the zombie horde.”
Zhuang Mingxu let out a cold laugh. “And what do they mean by joining forces?”
“They want us to send thirty S-rank ability users and a number of crystal-core-powered weapons.”
“Reply to them: we’re willing. However… our base leader is currently absent, and our surroundings are under threat from mutated sea creatures. Once we’ve secured our area, we’ll support the Capital immediately. Tell them to hold on.”
Ning Yuan burst out laughing. “So in other words—our strongest support will be moral support.”
After the chuckles faded, the mood turned grim.
“A collaboration we’d already settled was completely thrown off by this unexpected zombie behavior. I’m worried that once they’re done with the Capital, they’ll take out the rest one by one…”
If that happened, uniting the remaining bases would only get harder.
“Major General Lu asked us for help?” Zhuang Mingxu asked.
…Shaking his head, “He only informed us about some internal developments in the capital that only insiders know. Also, he said Zheng Yi is about to be promoted to SS-level. Right now, the Zheng Family Army is overwhelmingly dominant in both power and manpower.”
“So soon?” Ning Yuan was incredulous.
Although his ability wasn’t top-tier in their team initially, their proximity to the sea meant many marine creatures had mutated and developed water-based powers. Ning Yuan benefited from this greatly, and since his ability aligned, he was able to absorb power very quickly. He remained on par with Li Zhuang and a few others.
If it weren’t for getting dragged into the current situation, he and Li Zhuang would’ve been next in line for advancement.
After all, they had stored the most S-level water and earth-type crystal cores, which were most suitable for the two of them to upgrade.
He felt a pang of regret thinking how Liu Rui’s advancement was delayed due to Xu Sa’s situation, and now the remaining crystal cores weren’t enough for another person to advance.
“According to Major General Lu, they led a team into the center of the capital. More than half of them died, and they even mortgaged half of their commercial street to buy high-level fire-type crystal cores.”
“Whoa, that’s really going all in,” Ning Yuan exclaimed.
Zhuang Mingxu immediately sensed something off about this bold move. “Go respond to them as we discussed.”
After Feng Liang left, Zhuang Mingxu turned to Ning Yuan. “You’ll personally send a message to Wu Yue later and ask about Li Zhuang’s advancement. Also, have Liu Rui return immediately to continue training. We have no way out now. Send men to block off part of the underground passage between the Capital Base and Half Moon Bay. Make it look like a collapse caused by mutated beasts.”
“You’re worried that—” Ning Yuan looked at him.
“It’s not worry. It’s a certainty. So many resources are being placed on one person—what about the others waiting to advance? We need to find a way to claw something back.”
Claw back from where?
Wasn’t Half Moon Bay basically a ready-made vault?
“When do you think it will happen?”
“If it were you, when would you do it?”
Ning Yuan thought for a moment. “…Right after the crystal core exchange is completed successfully.”
Zhuang Mingxu’s lips curled into a smile. He didn’t disagree. Rising to his feet, he gazed toward the distant horizon, his expression dark. “Tell everyone in the military—prepare for war.”
“Yes.” With those final words, Ning Yuan’s dormant fighting spirit surged back to life.
Zhuang Mingxu was startled by his sudden shout. He turned and saw Ning Yuan awkwardly scratching his head. “Still not fully adjusted mentally—sometimes I feel like I’m back in military training.”
Zhuang Mingxu’s mouth twitched. Glancing at the time, he left in large strides. “I promised Ai Yi I’d cook with him at five this afternoon. Keep an eye on the department updates.”
“Got it.” Ning Yuan mumbled, wondering what business a kid of eight or nine had cooking. It wasn’t until Zhuang Mingxu’s figure disappeared that he realized he had forgotten to ask what method Zheng Yi might use to ensure the crystal core transaction would go smoothly.
Before Ning Yuan could dwell on it, Zheng Yi gave an answer the next day.
News came from the capital that, under the name of the base, a portion of purified crystal cores would be exchanged.
In the past, all exchanges were made privately between teams and factions. This was the first time a team attempted to exchange crystal cores under the base’s name.
Especially in such a sensitive time— even Lu Xiao didn’t understand Zheng Yi’s true intention.
[He announced in a meeting that he would personally lead the team.]
With a zombie horde heading toward the capital, he still wanted to go to Half Moon Bay?
Zhuang Mingxu ran through countless scenarios in his head but couldn’t figure out how Zheng Yi might make a move.
[No one opposed him?]
[He didn’t charge any handling fees from the teams. He said with a major war approaching, whatever price Half Moon Bay offered him, he would return the crystal cores to the teams at the same price.]
Moreover, everyone knew that Half Moon Bay was surrounded by mutated beasts. Most wouldn’t willingly venture there. Since purified crystal cores were essential, if someone was willing to go, everyone was glad.
Worried he’d go back on his word and keep the cores?
Ridiculous. A small team like his couldn’t afford to cross the big ones. Would he dare offend the escort teams or the Blaze Squad?
As Zheng Yi said, a zombie war might be imminent. This could be the Zheng Family Army’s rise—or their downfall.
Chapter 525: Military Exercise
At this point, Zheng Yi was eager to gain everyone’s favor and couldn’t afford to make enemies.
More importantly, what he said sounded extremely noble. With such righteous declarations, if Half Moon Bay refused to lower the exchange rate, it would seem as though they were no longer aligned with humanity. With a bit of manipulation, this would spark resentment.
But if they did lower the rate, those who powered up using these crystal cores today could become the frontline forces attacking them tomorrow. After all, once someone benefits, who still wants to pay full price?
The manipulations were practically spelled out on his face.
Zhuang Mingxu sneered coldly and saw a new message from Lu Xiao:
[I heard he recently got a rare S-level metal-type crystal core. He’s probably pinning his upgrade hopes on it.]
An S-level core. This was the first time any team publicly brought one out for purification. Such a rare item definitely warranted close monitoring during purification.
If that was his motive, it would make sense for Zheng Yi to make the trip.
But still…
Who could guarantee he wasn’t using this visit to scout Half Moon Bay?
Refusing his visit would only hand him leverage.
Zhuang Mingxu’s thoughts spiraled in all directions—eventually concluding they had no real option to refuse.
News of Zheng Yi representing the Capital Base and personally coming to Half Moon Bay spread rapidly.
That afternoon, all key military and government officials gathered in Zhuang Mingxu’s office—for the first time in days.
“I’ve heard that Zheng Yi is on the brink of reaching SS-level. Just one last step away. I don’t think he’s coming with good intentions,” said Kong Zhen, breaking the silence.
“I think we must not let them enter the base. We’ve never seen an SS-level metal-type ability. No one can guarantee what kind of power it entails—or what unexpected things might happen.”
“I agree they shouldn’t be allowed inside the base—but…” Hu?Gang’s support caught everyone off?guard.
When Zhuang?Mingxu had vetted candidates he’d done thorough background checks.
Hu?Gang was the textbook story of a poor student who’d clawed his way up.
He’d seen hardship at the bottom, survived the murky bureaucracy without losing his principles, and, apart from some help from his in?laws, had real ability.
Kong?Zhen, by contrast, was a different breed: a good leader to his people, but far less generous to outsiders.
Since the apocalypse Hu?Gang—himself an ordinary human—had focused on civilians’ welfare, whereas Kong?Zhen, backed by a slew of powered subordinates, clearly favored ability?users.
The two balanced each other, exactly the tension Zhuang?Mingxu wanted.
Now, hearing them suddenly on the same side, he motioned for Hu?Gang to go on.
Hu?Gang turned to Ning?Yuan. “Commander Ning, do we currently have any SS?level ability?users in the military?”
“Sorry—top?level information is classified,” Ning?Yuan said diplomatically.
“Even at the same rank, attributes and personal insight make a huge difference. You can’t judge combat strength by rank alone.”
Without Lu?Weiyi, he really couldn’t say they had anyone “presentable.”
“So, if Zheng?Yi does break through, no one can match him one?on?one,” Kong?Zhen concluded.
Ning?Yuan ground his teeth but offered no rebuttal.
He’d asked Wu?Yue: Li?Zhuang hadn’t advanced last time, Liu?Rui had only just been sent off this morning—no chance they could reach SS in days.
He regretted taking the “steady” route Lu?Weiyi had advised. Had they sprinted from the start, they wouldn’t be trailing Zheng?Yi now.
“Our average strength is still higher than theirs,” he muttered.
“But we’re short on numbers—and on high ranks.”
Silence fell. For the first time everyone truly felt how hard things were without Lu?Weiyi propping them up.
After a long, noisy debate they agreed on one point: Zheng?Yi must not be allowed into Half Moon?Bay.
The pretext, however, still had to be hammered out.
When the government crowd finally left, Ning?Yuan collapsed on the sofa.
“I never realized how much weight Lu?Weiyi carried alone…”
Life had grown comfortable; they’d forgotten how brutal the apocalypse was.
Zhuang?Mingxu was quiet for a while, then looked at Lin?Yimu.
“Big?Mu, how many crystal cores do we still have in storage?”
“C?grades, about 900?thousand; B?grades, a bit over 80?thousand; A?grades, under 10?thousand.
As for S?grade…” He frowned in thought. “Wu?Yue said Li?Zhuang brought back two S?grade water cores—still unused.”
Most ability?users were B?rank or higher now. C?grade cores were currency; A and S were painfully scarce.
“You’re not seriously thinking of lowering our exchange rate, are you?” Ning?Yuan yelped.
The idea stung, yet without Lu?Weiyi they lacked the power to fight head?on.
“A symbolic cut,” Zhuang?Mingxu said. “Publish the ‘friend?discount’ we used for the Capital’s three top teams.
Tell every base that our coast is swarming with mutant sea beasts— we can’t spare troops to fight the horde, we can only help by easing the core price.”
Ning?Yuan’s eyes suddenly gleamed. “What if, when Zheng?Yi arrives, the base happens to be under attack by—say—mutant plants or animals…?”
“He’d get to gauge our combat strength and might even ‘kind?heartedly’ lend a hand,”
Zhuang?Mingxu cut him off. “Besides—wouldn’t you like the core of a high?tier mutant plant?”
Ning?Yuan chuckled weakly.
“We have no grounds to bar him,” Zhuang?Mingxu went on.
“His official excuse is to inspect the Institute’s zombie?energy project. We can’t refuse. And with the air full of mutant birds, outside lodging is impossible.”
“If we can’t stop him entering, maybe we can limit where he goes,” Lin?Yimu interjected.
“Perhaps…it’s time for a military exercise.”
As the Capital’s plans leaked out, many bases postponed their scheduled trades. Even after Half Moon?Bay announced the friend?rate publicly, the market stayed sluggish. Most teams cut back purchases, unwilling to offend either side.
Hu?Gang and Kong?Zhen tried every angle but couldn’t reverse the chill. Tension in the base grew.
While the Capital haggled over how many days Zheng?Yi would stay, Ning?Yuan ordered all combat units to launch a ten?day joint drill: full sweep of the surrounding sea, keep high?tier mutants at bay— and stage a grand military?civil exercise, exactly the “limited?movement” show Lin?Yimu had suggested.
Ning Yuan was fully prepared for someone to raise objections, but to his surprise, the teams below remained as steady as old dogs.
Ye Jia crossed his legs and yawned with his arms folded. “Finally, some action. I’ve been so idle lately that my bones are about to fall apart.”
“Can we leave the distant sea area to your team?”
As soon as Meng Shu spoke politely and shyly, the conference room fell silent for a moment—then burst into hearty laughter.
Ye Jia looked over helplessly. “Bro, bullying kids—is that really appropriate?”
“A kid who can hit a target a thousand meters away with a single ice arrow?” Song Xian’s widened eyes clearly questioned how Ye Jia could say that with a straight face.
“I am the youngest here. Got a problem?” Ye Jia spread his hands, looking completely unapologetic.
“As an ability user, how do you even have the nerve to talk about age?” Gao Yang adjusted his glasses.
At those words, the room went quiet again. As Ye Jia’s expression turned mischievous—clearly plotting something—Song Xian quickly cut in, “Age definitely matters. I’m older than you, so I’ll let you have it.”
Then Song Xian glanced at the sea patrol map Ning Yuan had taken out. “We’ll take the 500 nautical miles to the southeast. How’s that?” he said, looking at Chen Xing.
Chen Xing nodded.
Meng Shu pointed at another area. Seeing Du Ping nod in agreement, he said, “Then we’ll take the 500 nautical miles to the north.”
“You guys are real sweethearts,” Ye Jia said through gritted teeth.
Around the entire Half Moon Bay, the safest patrol routes were in the southwest and west—areas connected to the inland and mainly used for aquaculture, with very low risk.
As one of the three main combat teams of the base, if Frost Society had picked either of those directions, it would have left no chance for the smaller teams below them.
As for the remaining directions, the north and southeast also connect to the mainland, but the east stretches straight into the open sea—clearly the most dangerous.
“Beyond the eastern zone, Frost Society will cooperate with the base military for the operation,” Ning Yuan added at the right time. “The rest is up to you. Three days. Sweep all assigned sea zones. No high-level mutated creatures are allowed to appear. Whichever team’s zone has issues, that team will be held responsible.”
