Chapter 106: It’s Her
What drew even more attention were the two heavily modified off-road vehicles parked in front of the roadblock. Their frames were heavily reinforced with armor plating, and their rugged tires were broad and thick.
Four or five people stood beside the vehicles, fiercely arguing with the men guarding the barricade.
Under the blistering sun, everyone wore simple short-sleeved shirts or vests. One woman in the group immediately stood out. She was tall with a sharp, short haircut, wearing a dark gray T-shirt and black tactical cargo pants. Her facial features were sharply defined, and her eyes held a cold, icy glint.
“It’s her?” Sitting in the passenger seat, Chu Yang caught a clear view of her profile. His brows furrowed in surprise, and he muttered under his breath.
He recognized that figure instantly.
She was the Ice-type ability user who had fought alongside them to clear out zombies in the residential complex where they had temporarily stayed. Her combat skills were remarkably strong.
Chu Yang vividly remembered that he had lost focus during that battle and was nearly tackled by a lunging zombie. Jiang Jue had stepped in just in time to save him, taking a nasty gash across his arm in the process.
He had never imagined they would cross paths with her again, let alone in a place like this.
Behind the wheel, Jiang Jue had already taken in the situation ahead. His cool gaze swept across the barricade, the armed bandits, and the short-haired woman’s group. Though his expression remained flat, a subtle chill settled over his aura.
Raising a hand out the window, he signaled to the vehicles behind them. The three cars slowed down in unison, coming to a smooth halt about ten meters short of the roadblock—close enough to maintain a presence, but far enough to leave plenty of room to react.
Doors clicked open. Jiang Jue, Chu Yang, Lin Xiao, Su Mubai, and Wang Qiang stepped out first, striding forward together.
Little Yu, Li Yu, Jiang Lin, and Wang Li remained close to the vehicles, staying on high alert and scanning the perimeter.
Over by the roadblock, a burly man who seemed to be the leader barked roughly at the off-road group: “…Rules are rules! Five Level 1 crystal cores per person, or one Level 2 core for the lot! Don’t even think about crossing if you’re short a single one!”
A hot-tempered young man in his early twenties from the off-road group flushed red with anger, stepping forward to argue. “Based on what? Did you build this road? Does it belong to you? You’re blatantly robbing people!”
“Ha! You got that right, brat!” A man with a prominent scar across his face spat on the pavement, casually twirling a rusted machete. He sneered, “Kid, open your damn eyes and look around. In this world, whoever has the biggest fist makes the rules! This road belongs to me now. Want to get through? Fine, pay the toll! No cores? Heh heh… don’t blame us for what happens next!”
Just then, Jiang Jue and his companions approached.
The bandits quickly took notice of the newcomers. This group was visibly larger, alert, and healthy. They showed none of the hollow, starved look typical of common survivors; their clothes were neat, and the weapons they carried were clearly not just for show. The bandits’ eyes instantly flared with greed and sharp caution.
Four or five armed lackeys peeled away from the main barricade, strutting over aggressively to block Jiang Jue’s path.
“Hey! You lot! Listen up!” one lackey yelled, pointing a heavy iron pipe right at Jiang Jue. “Want to use this road? The rule’s the same! Five Level 1 crystal cores per head! Not a single one less! Hear that?”
Lin Xiao was so disgusted that he actually let out a dry laugh. Taking a half-step forward to shield Su Mubai behind him, he crossed his arms, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Five Level 1 cores per person? Is this highway paved with solid gold or lined with diamonds? What, you couldn’t find an honest living in the apocalypse, so you decided to play highway robbers? Don’t you have any shame?”
“Cut the crap! This is our turf now. What are you gonna do about it?” another lackey with a pockmarked face barked. His sleazy gaze swept over their group, a vulgar grin spreading across his lips. “If you don’t want to hand over the cores, well… leaving behind something else works just as well…”
Before the man could finish, Lin Xiao’s gaze drifted past the short-haired woman and locked onto someone trying to shrink back into the crowd behind her.
He froze completely.
Lin Weiwei!
It was the very same woman who, during their chaotic warehouse fight against a gang of thugs, had stolen their spare car loaded with supplies and sped off without a backwards glance, vanishing without a trace!
He had assumed he would never see her again, yet here she was, standing right in front of them.
Chu Yang spotted her at the exact same moment. Raising an eyebrow, he whistled softly and nudged Lin Xiao’s tense shoulder with his elbow. His voice was laced with playful mockery: “Well, well, Old Lin, look who it is. Isn’t that your ‘devoted and loyal’ friend, Miss Lin Weiwei? What a small world. Who would’ve thought we’d bump into her here?”
Lin Weiwei caught sight of them as well. Shock flashed across her face, instantly turning into sheer disbelief. Her pupils trembled violently, and the strap of her backpack nearly slipped from her fingers.
She had been convinced that Lin Xiao and the others would never survive that warehouse ambush. Even if they hadn’t died, they should have been ruined. How could they possibly be alive—and thriving?
They looked even stronger and more formidable than before, and their group had actually grown!
Panic surged in her chest, but she recovered with practiced speed, instantly shifting her expression into one of tearful relief and deep concern.
Pushing through the people in front of her, she rushed forward, her eyes brimming with tears as her voice trembled. “Brother Lin! It… it’s really you! Thank goodness! Heaven is looking out for us, you’re alive! I… I’ve been so worried about you! I couldn’t sleep a wink at night, terrified that something awful had happened to you…!”
Her gaze darted nervously to Chu Yang and Jiang Jue, lingering briefly on Su Mubai before quickly looking away.
Su Mubai had been quietly assessing the armed men at the barricade. Hearing her tearful outburst, he paused and glanced over at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao stood rigid, staring straight at Lin Weiwei, his face a storm of conflicting emotions.
“Why… why did you drive off alone back then?” Lin Xiao’s voice came out rough and terribly hoarse. “Were you that afraid we’d die and drag you down with us?”
Lin Weiwei’s face turned stark white, as if struck by a profound injustice. She took two hurried steps forward, reaching out to grasp his arm, but Lin Xiao jerked away before she could touch him.
Her hand froze in mid-air. Tears welled up and spilled over her cheeks, her voice choked with desperate excuses. “Brother Lin, you’ve got it all wrong! It was… it was total chaos! Another group suddenly ambushed us with knives and threatened me! I saw you fighting those men, and I wanted to call out, I wanted to help, but I was so scared… I was terrified that if I made a sound, I would only distract you and become a burden!”
She sniffled softly, her shoulders trembling as tears streamed down her delicate face. She looked utterly helpless, fragile, and deeply wronged, as though she were carrying the weight of a terrible misunderstanding.
