Chapter 104 — Test Results
After finishing the trade, Luo Xun exchanged phone numbers with the man. The other party said that if they managed to obtain more of those two types of crystal cores, they would contact them. Likewise, if Luo Xun and Yan Fei came across certain cores the team needed, they could get in touch—his group would purchase them at market rates.
With the necessary cores in hand, the two strolled back along the opposite side of the street toward their residential complex. Just as they were nearing the entrance, they ran into two men coming toward them. One of them both Luo Xun and Yan Fei recognized—and Luo Xun, in particular, knew him well.
Wasn’t this the very person who, in his previous life, had almost become his close companion—the one they had given a ride back to the base not long ago?
Judging by the direction they had come from… could they also have moved into Hongjing Residential Complex?
The world really was small.
Luo Xun paused slightly. The two men noticed them almost immediately. Although Yan Fei wore a mask, Luo Xun did not, and the pair quickly recognized him from that day.
They hurried over.
“What a coincidence! You live around here too? We never properly thanked you for what happened that day!”
New arrivals and returning task teams entered the base through different channels and underwent different observation periods. There were identity registrations, temporary housing assignments, ID tags to collect—it had been dusk by the time those two finished that day, so there was no chance they would have run into Luo Xun and Yan Fei.
Luo Xun nodded faintly. At first sight of them he had felt a trace of unease, but when he looked at the man’s unfamiliar face—so unfamiliar it barely stirred memory—his heart gradually steadied. At the same time, Yan Fei quietly took his hand.
Yan Fei might not know whether this person had been part of any “dream relationship” in Luo Xun’s previous life, but encountering someone from those memories could easily stir up unpleasant feelings. As his lover, it was his duty to soothe him.
Sure enough, Luo Xun put on his usual polite smile. “We live in this complex too. Didn’t expect you to be assigned here as well. Did everyone who came with you get settled?”
The man scratched the back of his head shyly. “Everyone’s scattered around. Just the two of us got assigned here…” He gestured inward. “We wanted a place of our own. Heard there were some basements no one wanted, so we took advantage and got an entire basement room between the two of us. It’s small, just one room, no proper plumbing—but it’s better than cramming in with a bunch of strangers.”
“Basement?!” Luo Xun’s voice nearly floated.
“Yeah…” The man nodded awkwardly. “We mainly wanted to live separately. People prefer higher floors with better light now that the base is promoting home planting…”
“Which building?” Luo Xun asked, his voice faint.
“Building Three. The basement room at the east corner.”
Building Three. East corner basement.
The room he had lived in for ten years in his previous life.
The person he had once imagined building a life with was now living there. The difference? Back then, he had fled alone and moved in alone. Now, he had someone by his side.
Seeing Luo Xun’s shock, Yan Fei stepped forward casually. “So you two are…?” He cast them a slightly teasing glance.
The two young men exchanged embarrassed looks. The other one, cheeks tinged red, slipped an arm around his companion’s shoulder. “We… decided to partner up. On the way here we said that if neither of us found someone, we’d just team up and live together.”
The exact same words as last life.
The exact same residence.
Luo Xun watched them chat briefly with Yan Fei before walking off shoulder to shoulder into the lively street.
Then a warm hand settled on his left shoulder. He looked up into a pair of eyes filled with tenderness.
“Let’s go. We’re going home.”
Home.
He already had one. He already had someone who truly wanted to share a life with him. This was not the lonely world of his previous life, where he endured everything alone and returned each night to silence. He had real teammates now. A real home. And a real lover—not someone ambiguously suggesting, “If we don’t find partners, we’ll just make do together.”
He looked into Yan Fei’s eyes. The faint confusion there faded, replaced with a bright, steady light.
“Yan Fei, I love you.”
Love. Not just fondness. Not convenience. But a feeling grown quietly between them—a blend of familial warmth and romantic devotion, something that made him want to walk beside him forever.
Yan Fei’s throat bobbed. His grip tightened unconsciously. Heat flickered in his eyes as he pulled Luo Xun toward their building. He wanted to go home—and show him exactly how much he loved him.
Whatever had existed in that “dream,” he no longer cared. He had just wanted to distract Luo Xun from painful memories. Instead, he had received an unexpected gift.
He had known Luo Xun liked him. But love?
For someone who had never truly experienced love before, this confession was the most precious gift in a hopeless world.
Whether it was familial warmth, trust between comrades, or love between partners—every bit of it had come from Luo Xun.
The next morning, Luo Xun showed up for work wearing an expression of discomfort—and a body covered in obvious “strawberries.”
Captain Guo gave him an amused once-over, noticing something slightly off about the way he moved.
“Take it easy,” Captain Guo teased Yan Fei with a knowing look. “You’re still making him come to work like that? Maybe he should rest at home.”
Luo Xun shot him a dark glare, his hand drifting instinctively toward the crossbow in his backpack. Captain Guo wisely stepped back. Everyone knew how accurate that weapon was.
Yan Fei just smiled and patted Luo Xun’s arm. “Take it easy.”
He had suggested staying home that morning. Luo Xun had refused flatly. Once was enough—he refused to skip work again because of… extracurricular activities.
The others merely gave him knowing glances before returning to work. No one dared tease him further.
After adjusting to his condition, Luo Xun insisted on working. Yan Fei made a mental note: no more overly enthusiastic nights before workdays. Save that for holidays.
On the third morning, after delivering vegetables and arriving at the gathering point, the team heard thrilling news—
It was their turn to test for abilities.
Everyone, whether already an ability user or not, was excited. Many soldiers previously believed to be ordinary had discovered hidden abilities through proper testing. Identity cards had already been updated for confirmed users.
Today was finally their turn.
They followed Captain Guo through the bustling military compound.
The camp had changed drastically. Thick walls now served as housing and defensive structures. Original barracks had been demolished. New organized buildings stood everywhere.
They entered a newly completed building inside the walls. Various departments—exchange counters, crystal core distribution, supply offices—had moved inside.
Most buildings were about four stories high. Captain Guo led them straight to the fourth floor.
Inside the room stood a machine resembling a pre-apocalypse security scanner at train stations or airports—except circular. A round platform sat below, with three pillars around it. After someone stepped onto the platform, a ring-shaped scanner would descend from above, sweeping from head to toe. Once it rose again, the result would appear.
This type of equipment operated somewhat slowly, but fortunately there were three machines in the room.
The four metal-type ability users stepped forward first. Sure enough, after the ring-shaped scanner passed over their bodies, the displays on the machines immediately lit up with a silver-gray glow representing metal-type abilities, accompanied by a short sequence of music.
Only after seeing that the platform Yan Fei stood on showed the same color as the other metal users did Luo Xun finally relax.
The fact that Yan Fei’s power was a mutated ability was known only within their “Otaku Squad.” They hadn’t known whether this machine would be able to distinguish that—but now it seemed that, as far as the device was concerned, mutated metal abilities were still simply metal abilities.
After the four confirmed ability users finished testing, it was the others’ turn. Since the four of them had already been verified as ability users—and Level 2 at that—they went to a nearby window to replace their ID cards.
The new ID cards differed according to ability type. The colored ring along the edge varied—metal users naturally had a silver-gray ring. In the upper-right corner was a small “?” indicating ability level. The upper-left corner showed military affiliation and unit number. The center displayed a string of numbers identifying the individual. Along the bottom was a barcode.
Yes—a barcode. Looking at it gave the unsettling impression that the wearer was merchandise.
Examining Yan Fei’s new card, Luo Xun curiously asked Captain Guo, “I heard they’ll also update the ID cards of civilian ability users in the base later. What will they print here?” He pointed to the upper-left corner that showed military affiliation.
Captain Guo shook his head. “Maybe residence?”
How could that be? They hadn’t even printed names directly on the cards to protect personal information. If they blatantly printed someone’s address—who knew what trouble that might cause?
Yan Fei was curious about something else. “Captain, why aren’t you testing?” Captain Guo had stood at the back of the line after entering, with no intention of stepping onto the platform. Was he saving himself for a dramatic finale?
Captain Guo’s expression twisted oddly. “I… tested the first night. Cough. This thing—sure, some ordinary people might turn out to have abilities, but the probability is really low…”
Before he could finish—
Clang-clang-clang!
A machine emitted a burst of music.
Everyone turned. A young soldier stood on the platform, face pale and shocked, staring upward.
Green. He had turned green.
“Plant-type! Level One plant-type!” the technician operating the device announced loudly.
Cheers erupted.
An ability user! There really were undiscovered ones among those previously thought to be ordinary!
The soldier’s face flushed red, then his eyes turned red as well. After stepping down, he ran to Captain Guo. “C-Captain… I—I…”
Captain Guo patted his shoulder warmly. “Good! That’s a soldier I trained. Go get your new card.” Once the young man left, Captain Guo continued, expression strained, “Cases like his are rare. The day I tested, there wasn’t a—”
Clang-clang-clang!
“Mental-type! Level One!”
Now Luo Xun looked at Captain Guo with pure sympathy. Before he could speak, he patted his shoulder. “I know. Small probability.”
Clang-clang—
“Another plant-type!”
By the time it was Luo Xun’s turn, Captain Guo was grinding his molars and mentally stabbing a little voodoo doll.
Luo Xun stepped up calmly and stepped down calmly. His machine displayed no color and made no sound. But he had long known the result. So what if he was ordinary? He had survived perfectly well in the apocalypse as an ordinary person.
Seeing a fellow “comrade in misfortune,” Captain Guo grinned broadly and slapped his shoulder. “Ah, don’t mind it, Xiao Luo~ Small probability, small probability~”
Luo Xun shot him a sidelong glance and looped an arm through Yan Fei’s. “I know it’s a small probability. I also know I don’t have an ability.” He deliberately looked at Yan Fei, smiling smugly. “As long as my Yan Fei has one, that’s enough.”
Captain Guo felt as though he had taken a punch to the ribs.
Yan Fei had absolutely no objection to being used to irritate Captain Guo. Smiling cooperatively, he added, “Don’t worry. What’s mine is yours.”
“Public displays of affection die fast! Shameless pair of dogs!” Captain Guo was on the verge of losing control.
The metal-type wall-building squad wasn’t large. Including Luo Xun and Yan Fei, there were only fifteen people—among them a driver and a metal-type user transferred from Team Two.
Out of fifteen, besides the four known metal users, three new ability users had just been discovered.
Nearly half the squad.
Captain Guo sucked at his teeth. As a leader, this felt bitter. Thinking back to when he and the other junior officers had tested—then comparing it to results from combat units the previous days… it seemed that the proportion of ability users among lower-ranking soldiers was much higher than among those with positions.
The three newly confirmed ability users excitedly exchanged their cards. Captain Guo led everyone outside. Another squad was already lining up. When the other captain saw the obvious excitement among some of Guo’s men, he asked in surprise, “You found new ability users?”
Captain Guo lifted his chin proudly. “Of course. Look who trained them.” He held up three fingers, successfully transferring his earlier frustration to someone else.
After leaving the building, Captain Guo assembled the team and gave a short speech, encouraging the three new ability users. “Whether your duties will change depends on higher command. Until further notice, continue moving with the squad.”
The three straightened immediately and responded loudly.
Then Captain Guo addressed the others. “Those who didn’t test positive—don’t feel burdened. Your captain here doesn’t have one either. Ability or not, everyone has their own role! Stay sharp!”
Fortunately, everyone had known beforehand that the discovery rate wasn’t high. Though slightly stirred by the three new awakenings, morale quickly stabilized, and they prepared for the day’s work.
Mental-type abilities were particularly special. Without specific situations, they were difficult for the individual to notice.
Plant-type abilities were also unusual. They required a medium—actual plants—to function, and the user had to activate the ability at just the right moment near vegetation. Few people had such opportunities.
Especially in the military camp. After the apocalypse, soldiers followed orders. Unless someone was assigned to farming duties, they rarely even touched plants or seeds—let alone discovered an ability.
Among civilian survivors, some plant-type users had discovered their powers while fleeing or after receiving seeds at the base.
But there was a frustrating drawback—
While plant-type users could accelerate growth and even command plants to restrain enemies or zombies, plants “matured” through their power were completely inedible and would quickly wither and die after battle.
Thus, plant-type users were destined to serve mainly as support combatants.
The next morning, when the squad assembled after testing, Luo Xun and Yan Fei noticed one person missing—the newly discovered mental-type ability user.
Almost all mental-type users in the military had only been identified during this screening. Even if someone had felt their mind sharpen or sensed strange perceptions, without clear manifestations there had been no way to confirm they possessed a special ability.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
