Ch 177: Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

“It’s nothing, just a dislocation and a small injury. It’s already disinfected, and the bleeding has stopped,” Zhao Xuefei said casually. Injuries during missions were inevitable, and her team always carried basic supplies for emergency wound care.

She spoke lightly, but Yu Xi frowned deeply and helped her toward the RV. While Zhao Xuefei obediently followed, she turned to the men still on the electric cart and told them to head back to the base.

The men exchanged glances, confused. Just moments ago, this sister was furiously complaining about the pain, demanding they hurry so she could get painkillers. But now? Faced with a handsome stranger, she was calmly walking away with him. Did she no longer feel the pain?

They hesitated for a moment but ultimately stayed put. However, Zhao Xuefei entered the RV with the stranger and didn’t come back out.

Inside the RV, Zhao Xuefei’s makeshift bandage—a jacket wrapped around her arm—had been removed, revealing a deep, several-inch-long gash. Though disinfected and bandaged, the injury was far from “just a small scratch.” Even Yu Xi, who was no stranger to pain, couldn’t agree with her downplaying it.

Without hesitation, Yu Xi retrieved a “Healing Foundation” from her storage. She had bought it a while ago but rarely used it since her ice-based abilities allowed her to create shields for protection. The bottle was still more than half full.

“Foundation?” Zhao Xuefei asked, confused. But the next second, as Yu Xi squeezed the liquid onto her wound and gently spread it, she watched in shock as the deep, bloody gash began to close.

Zhao Xuefei: …!!!

The injury was severe, so the healing took time. Yu Xi, unconcerned about the expense, applied more of the foundation, enhancing its effect. Soon, the once-exposed wound completely healed, leaving no trace—not even a pink scar.

Zhao Xuefei stared at her arm in disbelief, wondering if she was dreaming.

An hour later, Zhao Xuefei walked into the base, still in a daze.

The “Healing Foundation” that instantly closed her wound was just the beginning. From the moment the handsome man saw her injury, he had been silent, he expression dark.

Even when Zhao Xuefei laughed it off, calling it a minor scratch, she explained how she had carelessly overlooked a mutated mantis in the bushes and was fortunate it wasn’t venomous. Despite her reassurances, the man’s remained grim.

A few moments later, he stood abruptly and pulled a large travel bag from the RV’s overhead compartment.

One by one, he began laying items on the table before her:

A triangular military dagger
A sheathed long knife
Two fully-automatic pistols with silencers
Seven or eight 50-round ammo boxes
Two small hand grenades
The remaining “Healing Foundation”

All of this, he said, was for her.

Zhao Xuefei: …!!!

“Going on missions in the apocalypse is dangerous. Take these as a return gift for yesterday,” Yu Xi said calmly.

Zhao Xuefei: …???

“Do you have a secure place in the base to hide these?”

She nodded blankly.

“Can you bring them into the base without being detected?”

Again, she nodded.

“One more thing.” Yu Xi pulled out a small box resembling a medicine container. Inside were three tiny pills.

“Take one now. Over the next two days, observe any changes in your body. Once you’ve fully adjusted, take the second when you feel ready. The third is for your mother. Make sure she takes it without knowing what it is.”

The pills were “Strength Pills”, which could increase a normal person’s physical capabilities to 225% of their original strength after two doses. A single dose was sufficient for Yu Li to achieve a 150% enhancement, more than enough for her.

“This… what is it?” Zhao Xuefei asked, bewildered.

“You’ll understand after taking the first pill,” Yu Xi replied. The effects of the pills were immediate. As someone trained in combat, Zhao Xuefei would notice the changes instantly.

To her surprise, she didn’t hesitate. Picking up a pill, she swallowed it without question. “If you wanted to harm me, the sandwich and milk tea this morning would’ve been easier. No need to wait until now.”

Five minutes later, Yu Xi asked her to spar with him. Within two or three moves, Zhao Xuefei realized her speed had increased, her punches packed more power, and even her jumping ability had improved.

She stared at Yu Xi, struggling to find the right words. Finally, she asked, “Are you from another planet?”

Yu Xi: …

“No.”

“Then why are you so kind to me? These… these gifts… they’re too precious!”

“Because of a friend,” Yu Xi said after a pause. “In a few days, you might meet them.”

He packed all the items into a travel bag and handed her the small box of pills. “Each dose amplifies the previous one’s effects by 50%. Take the second pill whenever you’re ready. If there’s any risk of exposure, take it beforehand.”

Zhao Xuefei accepted the heavy “gift” bag, unsure of what to say.

Her team did have weapons since they were part of a unit under Zhou Ningyuan’s command. Guns and bullets were available, but ammunition was a consumable resource and limited in supply. Moreover, firearms were noisy, and using them in dense forests could attract large mutated creatures from far away. Therefore, they often relied on melee weapons.

But this travel bag seemed to consider every scenario.

With the silencers, she could use the guns freely in the forest. The ample supply of bullets meant she didn’t have to ration every shot. Most importantly, these weapons were hers alone, arming her to the teeth.

Before she left, Yu Xi asked if she would be going on a mission the next day. If so, he suggested coming to the RV early for breakfast, where she could enjoy a hot meal that wasn’t convenient to carry.

Zhao Xuefei nodded and then asked, “Tomorrow… will it be someone else again?”

Yu Xi met her gaze and realized how observant her cousin truly was.

She might have connected the dots from the advanced technology of the Healing Foundation and Strength Pills but chose not to confront him directly. Instead, she hinted at her suspicions through her question.

Yu Xi didn’t answer directly, only smiled and said, “See you tomorrow.”

With that, Zhao Xuefei rewrapped her arm with the blood-stained jacket, carried her “gifts,” and used her official team member privileges to bypass inspection and enter the base.

Walking through the familiar underground passage, Zhao Xuefei still felt everything that had happened was surreal. Distracted, she nearly bumped into someone coming the other way.

“Watch it!” The person steadied her and frowned at her arm. “Xiao Jun said you were injured. Why are you back so late? Painkillers have already been sent to your room.”

“Thank you.” Zhao Xuefei absentmindedly responded and tried to leave, but the person stopped her.

Zhou Ningyuan scrutinized her arm, noting the strong scent of blood on the jacket. Xiao Jun mentioned the wound was deep, so he insisted on checking it to ensure it didn’t need stitches.

This time, Zhao Xuefei instinctively pulled away. “I’m fine! The wound’s already treated!”

Her reaction was so obvious that Zhou Ningyuan froze, his outstretched hand lingering in mid-air before he slowly withdrew it.

“Sorry, Captain Zhou, I’m not feeling well. I’ll rest now,” she said, not noticing his change in demeanor. All she could think about were the secrets she now carried. She wanted to stay far away from him. After a brief goodbye, she quickly left.

For several consecutive days, the RV appeared outside the base as scheduled. Each morning, Zhao Xuefei came out early to have breakfast with Yu Xi before her missions.

Sometimes, if she returned early, Yu Xi would spar with her on the nearby open ground, teaching her quick and effective combat techniques.

Each day, the “Star House” shopkeeper was different—always a handsome man of varying types. Their good looks left her dazzled.

By now, Zhao Xuefei had pieced it together. It was improbable for the shop to have so many different staff members. The idea of someone changing their appearance daily seemed more plausible.

If the shopkeeper could instantly heal wounds and possess such advanced technology, they likely also had a way to alter their appearance.

She thought it was reasonable. In such a dangerous world, with someone carrying so many secrets and supplies, caution was necessary.

Meanwhile, news of the “Star House” spread quickly within the base. Most of the stories were positive, and people grew curious, bringing their items to trade.

Yu Xi knew these individuals weren’t short on supplies—they were just intrigued. As such, she usually traded items of equal value.

Over time, those who didn’t need anything stopped coming, realizing it wasn’t worth their effort.

Survivors from the Seaside Avenue area, however, began searching for the “Star House,” desperate after not seeing it for several days.

Understanding their urgency, Yu Xi agreed to reopen near Seaside Avenue the next day. When asked for a specific location, she responded, “Anywhere except near the Cliffside Inn.”

The hint was clear, and everyone understood.

From that point on, all the nearby refuge points began ostracizing the Cliffside Inn.

Its reputation plummeted as word spread about Shao Liang’s bullying, false accusations, and foolish decision to drive away the “Star House,” resulting in the area’s isolation.

Survivors started leaving the Cliffside Inn for other shelters, leaving Shao Liang’s team alone on the cliff.

One night, the inn was attacked by mutated marine creatures, causing devastating casualties.

That evening, a highly secure meeting took place in the base.

The discussion centered on the mysterious RV and its owner. The base leadership dismissed theories of alien advanced civilizations, leaning instead toward the idea that this was a human mutation—similar to the evolution seen in plants and animals.

The deputy base leader proposed moving forward with their plans, stating the research team was ready.

The suggestion sparked heated debate.

Conducting human experiments, even in apocalyptic times, was a moral breach. Capturing someone based on mere speculation of mutation and subjecting them to forced experimentation was unheard of.

The deputy base leader reassured the room, “If that’s the concern, rest assured. We’re not the first base to implement such a plan.”

With that, his assistant opened a laptop and presented the relevant documents.

The computer screen displayed photos, videos, and experimental data, revealing that similar experiments had been conducted in a research base on the outskirts of Chang City during the early days of the apocalypse.

Back then, the research focused on plants and animals, aiming to extract substances and genes responsible for mutations to introduce them into humans, hoping to induce specific mutations in humanity.

“Chang City outskirts?” Zhou Ningyuan furrowed his brow. He had heard bits about this during planning for the ill-fated mission to retrieve seeds. “If I recall correctly, that research base was overrun by a horde of mutated animals, leading to its complete destruction…”

His gaze shifted to the proponents of the experimental plan. “When we first learned of the attack, we found it odd that so many different mutated creatures would collectively assault a single building. Now, I understand. Are you planning to repeat their mistake?”

His pointed question made several supporters of the experiment uncomfortable.

Zhou Ningyuan, however, didn’t stop there. His words weren’t meant to convince the experiment proponents but rather to sway the neutral parties in the room.

He reminded them that the world was no longer a place where humans sat unchallenged at the top of the food chain. He wasn’t taking the side of mutated plants and animals, but the planetary ecosystem had undeniably improved in many ways since the mutations began.

Using “the future of humanity” as an excuse to strip a person of their freedom and dissect their body was not only unethical but also counterproductive to coexisting with the evolving environment.

“How can you be sure they’re innocent?” argued one of the experiment proponents. To them, someone with such abilities might as well be a product of another lab experiment.

“You’ve already investigated them. They appeared suddenly, yes, but they’ve shown no malice. Instead, they’ve consistently helped survivors. Our base can’t support every survivor, but this individual, under the guise of barter, has been providing food and supplies to the most destitute. What right do you have to demand they sacrifice their life and freedom for some vague notion of humanity’s future?”

His argument resonated with the neutral members. He added that humanity’s current plight might be a form of retribution for past actions, and the way forward required reflection and adaptation—not shortcuts through unethical means.

“Isn’t your new planting zone plan already a failure?” the deputy base leader countered. “Without seeds, and with the landslide blocking the mountain path, your plan is nothing more than a pipe dream.”

“It’s not a pipe dream. A new convoy has been assembled, and I’ll personally lead it tomorrow morning.”

This revelation shocked everyone in the room. Zhou Ningyuan hadn’t planned to disclose this until after a successful mission.

“You? Personally? But the mountain road is blocked! The base doesn’t have the manpower to clear it.”

“I know. That’s why we’ll be taking another route.”

The room erupted into disbelief.

“Another route? Are you talking about the Death Valley forest?”

Yu Xi hadn’t expected that just one day away from the base would bring such dramatic changes.

Zhou Ningyuan led a team through the so-called “Death Valley,” meticulously planning and preparing, yet the mission still ended in failure.

To ensure his team’s safe retreat, Zhou Ningyuan stayed behind, suffering severe injuries. Although he returned alive, his condition was grave.

Even so, his first thoughts upon waking were of regret. The team had covered nearly half the journey, and if not for an unexpected swarm of mutated monkeys, their plan might have succeeded.

The entire team bore injuries, with many, including Wu Jun, returning bloodied and battered.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xuefei, reassigned to another unit due to her “unhealed” injury, had no idea this mission was happening. She only learned about it that evening when the convoy returned with a gravely injured Zhou Ningyuan.

“Is it really that dangerous there?” Yu Xi asked as she poured freshly squeezed orange juice into a glass, adding ice before handing it to Zhao Xuefei, who sat at the RV’s dining table.

“The mutated plants there are extremely aggressive, and many are poisonous. The outskirts are manageable, but traversing the forest is practically impossible.”

Zhao Xuefei sighed, lamenting her absence from the mission. While she knew her presence wouldn’t have changed the outcome, seeing her comrades wounded while she remained unscathed because of a fabricated injury left her feeling uneasy.

“Why is he so determined to go through there?”

“It’s for the new planting zone plan,” Zhao explained, detailing the situation. “After the mutations, South Sea Island’s farmland suffered devastating losses, with crops yielding less than ten percent of their usual output. The base is consuming stored grain without replenishment, and eventually, there will be a food crisis.

“Worse still, stored grain isn’t suitable for planting. The crops we consume are second-generation hybrids, which can’t be used as seed stock. Even if planted, they yield few seeds…”

Yu Xi listened intently, quickly identifying the crux of the problem. “So the risk was all for seeds?”

“Yes.”

Yu Xi fell silent, her fingers lightly tapping the table as she considered something.

Today, she had taken the guise of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl. Her petite frame and youthful face gave her a childlike appearance, making her serious expression almost comically incongruous.

After a moment, she spoke. “Can you arrange for me to meet Zhou Ningyuan?”

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