Ch 127: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Before the apocalypse, the hospital was already a densely populated area. Although the outbreak did not originate from the hospital, the very mention of those two characters was enough to spark all kinds of unsettling thoughts. If not for the special mission, an average team of ability users would never venture into a hospital so easily. Even from a distance, looking in that direction revealed a dense, overwhelming mass of zombies, a sight that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Shao Nan and his team’s mission was to retrieve medical equipment and supplies. Unless necessary, they did not intend to engage in direct combat with the zombies. After careful planning, Shen Qing’s squad sent only Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei, who were responsible solely for controlling the metal cage and vine wall, without the need to kill any zombies.

The military and government’s high-level combat ability users were far stronger than Shen Yan and Lü Ji. The task of killing zombies was left to them. The team consisted of two metal-type ability users, one earth-type, and one fire-type, along with four space-type ability users responsible for transporting the equipment. A total of ten people was about the limit. Tang Wenjie’s control over the metal cage consumed a great deal of energy, so the smaller the cage, the easier it would be to maintain, ensuring better endurance.

“We’ve been using this tactic for several months now and are highly proficient. In particular, Weiwei and Wenjie have excellent coordination. I hope that once you enter the hospital, you can follow their pace as much as possible and avoid rushing ahead. Moving a little slower is fine—if you run out of energy, just hide inside and rest. Safety comes first, so do not act recklessly.”

For Shen Qing and Song Kaiji’s team, supplies were not scarce, and survival was not a pressing concern. Under these conditions, personal safety always took top priority.

Everyone verbally agreed. Hou Weimin glanced around before turning to the fire-type ability user and saying, “Xiao Li, you stay behind. I’ll go with them.”

Hou Weimin was also an ability user, but in his team, he was not the strongest. His position was simply higher, and he had more leadership experience. However, in a temporarily assembled team like this, the biggest concern was poor coordination and internal friction. Everyone here was a young fighter filled with energy, and Hou Weimin had observed it all along the way—even among his own government and military subordinates, there were subtle rivalries and divisions forming.

Not to mention their relationship with civilian ability user teams. Hou Weimin worried that although everyone verbally agreed now, once inside the hospital, some might have their own plans, potentially leading to unnecessary conflict and losses.

Moreover, “There might be special equipment or medicine in the hospital that can’t be exposed to open flames. Fire-type abilities may not be suitable.”

Since he put it that way, Xiao Li quietly stepped back, giving up his position to Hou Weimin. Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei had no objections—whoever they brought along didn’t matter to them. As long as they had their own leader managing the group, it saved them trouble. Their job was simply to act as “tool users” and do their part.

“There’s one more thing,” Song Kaiji added after some thought, turning to Hou Weimin. “It’s not that we’re greedy and unwilling to leave the crystal cores behind, but if they aren’t removed, they might trigger the emergence of mutant zombies.”

He then described what they had witnessed at the entrance of Yucai High School and their encounter with a mutant zombie on the road to Zizhou. “So, even if it takes more time, it’s best to dig out all the crystal cores.”

Especially in a hospital—since few people would venture here, who knew what kind of horrors might grow if zombie bodies and crystal cores were left behind?

Hearing this, Hou Weimin exchanged glances with Shao Nan before asking, “You all know about mutant zombies?”

Judging from their reaction, it seemed that Red City’s government had long been aware that zombies could evolve and mutate but had not disclosed this to the public. Song Kaiji nodded. “We’ve only encountered one so far. Not only had the zombie mutated, but there was also a mutated vine that worked in coordination with it.”

Shao Nan and Hou Weimin’s expressions became even graver. Neither of them had seen a mutant zombie firsthand, but their positions gave them access to certain information. Three months ago, the first mutant zombie had been discovered by Red City Base’s official search and rescue team. That was much earlier than Shen Qing and his team’s encounter. When the search team stumbled upon it, they lost a third of their people on the spot and ultimately had to abandon the attempt to kill it, fleeing back to the base.

That zombie had undergone full-body metallization—normal abilities and bullets couldn’t penetrate its body. In the end, the government had to mobilize all its high-level fire-type ability users to incinerate it completely, reducing it to a pool of black liquid.

The mutant zombie that Shen Qing’s team encountered seemed to be a metal-type as well, at least judging by the metal-type crystal core Qu Weiwei extracted. However, instead of a metallic exterior, its skin had turned rubber-like, making it difficult to pierce. Perhaps this was an earlier stage of the metallization process.

It appeared that zombie mutations occurred in stages.

Hou Weimin let out a sigh. “Thank you for telling us. We’ll be extra cautious.”

Before setting out, Shen Qing pulled Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei aside for a private reminder. “If they cooperate with you, that’s ideal. We originally wanted to establish good relations with the government and military to get a connection to the seed supply. But if anyone inside loses their head and acts recklessly… your safety comes first.”

He handed each of them a backpack containing a small amount of food and half a bag of crystal cores. In case of an emergency, with their abilities, they could hunker down and survive. If they rationed their supplies, they could hold out for two to three days—enough to crawl their way out if necessary.

Both took the bags, shrugged on their coats to conceal them, and reassured him, “Boss, don’t worry. We’ll come back safely. In a few days, we still have to take Bingbing and Lele out shopping.”

Qu Weiwei half-joked, “I can tell these guys are eyeing our metal cage strategy like crazy. Once we get back to the base, they’ll probably pester us to learn it. If this tactic spreads, the base will recover the city much faster. By then, some people might even start competing with us over these small-scale innovations—we better stay ahead of the game.”

With that, Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei led the group toward the hospital, while Shao Nan took the rest and retreated with Shen Qing’s team to the rooftop of a six-story residential building nearby.

It seemed that this building had been used as a stronghold before, as there were no zombies inside or nearby, and the entrance had been sealed off with earth-type abilities. From the rooftop, they had a clear view of the hospital with binoculars.

For Shen Qing, it was his first time on the rooftop of a modern residential building. Curious, he pointed at a solar water heater and whispered to Song Kaiji, asking what it was. Song Kaiji briefly explained its function.

Shen Qing’s eyes widened. “You mean it heats water without using electricity? And it can charge a phone?”

Song Kaiji nodded. “Yeah, my roommate bought a solar phone charger before. I played around with it, but the charging speed was really slow.”

Shen Qing’s face lit up with want—he wanted everything.

Meanwhile, Xiao Li, clearly displeased, sidled up to Shao Nan and grumbled, “Captain Hou is playing favorites. This hospital mission has three fighters besides the four space-type ability users, and all three are from their government team. When we get back, won’t they just take all the credit? And saying fire-type abilities are dangerous—like his lightning-type ability is any safer?”

Shao Nan lowered his binoculars and shot a glance at Shen Qing’s team nearby before lowering his voice. “Watch what you say—there are outsiders around. Do you want rumors spreading?”

After a pause, he added, “This mission was organized by the government. We, the military, are just a supporting unit, so naturally, Captain Hou takes the lead.”

Xiao Li ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Yeah, but the two who died the other day were both our guys! They take the benefits first, and we cover the risks… I don’t mind covering the rear, but it still pisses me off!”

Shao Nan was about to reply when he saw Song Kaiji approaching. He nudged Xiao Li with his foot, signaling him to step aside before turning to Song Kaiji with a polite smile. “I hope you didn’t overhear anything unpleasant.”

“Not at all. We just made some food—come join us,” Song Kaiji said with a smile.

Shao Nan sniffed the air. Song Kaiji’s team was outrageous. After Shen Qing finished inspecting various solar water heaters, they had their earth-type ability user build a stove and somehow procured a giant pot, starting to cook a full meal. If zombies had a sense of smell, this aroma would have lured in every zombie within ten miles.

Even Shao Nan’s men kept glancing toward them.

The base provided food for its soldiers, but they were on a mission, not a picnic, so they had been eating nothing but military rations for days. Plus, the four space-type ability users carrying most of the supplies had entered the hospital, leaving them temporarily without even the simplest boxed meals.

Upholding his principle of not taking from civilians, Shao Nan repeatedly declined the offer, but Song Kaiji remained enthusiastic. “We had a great harvest on this mission. Once we return to the base, we hope to travel with you for safety, so consider this our thanks.”

“You have that cage—you’re already plenty safe,” Shao Nan replied.

“Safe, yes, but it’s tiring and slow. Our team is small and can’t sustain the pace.”

In the end, Shao Nan retrieved four cans of luncheon meat and two cans of braised pork from his pack as a fair exchange. Song Kaiji opened them in front of everyone and added them to the pot, intensifying the mouthwatering aroma.

Shen Qing then pulled out a stack of delicate porcelain bowls—thin-glazed, finely painted, and rimmed with gold. He had just scavenged these from a wholesale market, and they were so exquisite he hadn’t even planned on using them himself. If he ever opened a store in town, they would definitely sell well to the wealthy.

At this moment, it was the perfect time to put the food to good use.

The dish consisted of cabbage, frozen tofu, potatoes stewed with vermicelli, plenty of thinly sliced pork belly, crispy pork fat, and sliced starch sausages. Now, they had also added canned luncheon meat and braised pork. Every spoonful contained an even mix of vegetables and meat. How many people had gone through the apocalypse without eating such a solid, fulfilling meal?

Each person was given a large bowl of food, eating either on its own or with the coarse grain biscuits distributed by the base. Soaked in the thick broth, even the usually dry and rough biscuits became irresistibly delicious.

By the end of the meal, everyone felt a lot closer to Shen Qing and his team. Conversations became more frequent, and Shao Nan, watching them eat white rice, grew curious. Food shortages in the base were severe, and rice cultivation was rare—only high-ranking officials had access to it. Even as a mid-level leader, his ration was strictly limited. Most people subsisted on coarse grain biscuits, while the slightly better-off ate cornmeal cakes. How did Shen Qing’s team manage to obtain so much rice?

Song Kaiji had been waiting for this question. They had gone to such lengths—building a stove and cooking a meal—not just to share food but to pique curiosity.

Feigning innocence, he said, “We grow it ourselves. We have wood-type ability users, so we just dig up some soil and plant it in our courtyard.”

Shao Nan became even more intrigued. “Where did you get the seeds?”

Regular food supplies could still be salvaged from pre-apocalypse storage, but seeds had long been monopolized by Red City Base.

“We’re actually out on this trip to collect more seeds.” Song Kaiji exchanged a glance with Shen Qing, a faint smile playing on his lips— the fish had taken the bait.

“Our previous seeds were a gift from a beautiful woman. She’s already left Red City Base, heading north to find her family. From what we’ve heard, the base has recently seen an increase in vegetable yield, and the seeds have been stabilized. It turns out they were developed by crossbreeding the base’s original seeds with those provided by that woman.”

With that statement, he deliberately removed Qu Weiwei from suspicion, fabricating the existence of a woman who had already left.

This information had actually come from Chen Jiaxi, who had used her abilities to read the memories of the research institute’s agricultural department executives. The military only knew that the institute had developed stable, high-yield vegetable seeds and that grain seeds would be next. However, they were unaware of the details behind the process.

One of the government-affiliated team members frowned upon hearing this. “I thought the research institute developed those vegetable seeds by experimenting on mutated plants. What does this woman have to do with it?”

Song Kaiji put on an innocent expression. “I wouldn’t know. That’s just what she told us. She left for the north and probably won’t return. Since we had some connections with her, she gifted us some seeds and told us where she had originally found them. That’s why we’re on this journey—we want to find more. With several wood-type ability users in our team, we can cultivate our own food at home.”

After saying this, he looked expectantly at Shao Nan, as if waiting for his response.

Shao Nan: “…”

Pressing a hand to his temple, Shao Nan muttered, “Give me a moment, I need to process this.”

So, the stable vegetable seeds weren’t developed solely by the research institute but were the result of crossbreeding with external seeds? Then what about the grain seeds the military was banking on? Would those require crossbreeding as well?

And now, these seeds had been found by Shen Qing’s team? They were currently in Song Kaiji’s hands?

Shao Nan hesitated and asked, “Can I take a look at the seeds you found?”

Shen Qing was more than happy to oblige. He took out a package wrapped in oil paper, revealing over two hundred canola seeds, and handed them to Shao Nan.

Staring at the seeds in his hand, Shao Nan didn’t know whether to believe them or not.

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji had discussed this at length before choosing Shao Nan over Hou Weimin. Compared to the two, Hou Weimin was older, more experienced, and far more cunning. Shen Qing had observed him coldly—Hou Weimin likely realized from the start that Shen Qing’s team needed something from them, which was why he had been so cooperative. He had helped them enter the hospital and even willingly shared the key details of the metal cage strategy.

But throughout the entire process, Hou Weimin had simply watched, calm and composed, like an old fox waiting for the fish to bite. He had accepted all their gestures without giving anything in return, just waiting for them to lose patience and make their request.

Yet Shen Qing had no intention of being the fish. He wanted to be the fisherman.

Shao Nan, on the other hand, was much simpler—he was genuinely happy about completing the mission efficiently and felt sincere gratitude toward their help.

Song Kaiji had already laid out all the hints; now, it was up to Shao Nan to think things through. If he couldn’t figure it out, it wasn’t a problem—his team had plenty of sharp minds who would.

Indeed, just over three hours later, a few people quietly left the building, and Shen Qing saw a vehicle slowly drive away from their temporary camp.

Shao Nan turned back to Song Kaiji, his smile slightly strained. “Would there be room in your vehicle for me? I need to send someone back to report to the base, and I’d like to go with them.”

Song Kaiji grinned. “We’d be happy to have you.”

Compared to the government, the military had far less control over the base and struggled to intervene in many affairs. For instance, disputes over refugee entry fees had been ongoing for a long time, but the government ultimately decided the policy. The recent reduction in fees was entirely due to the government’s own pace of reform.

Currently, Red City Base remained government-led, with the military in a supporting role. A significant factor in this dynamic was that the government controlled three major farms and monopolized the seed supply, holding the entire base’s lifeline in its hands.

However, Shen Qing and his team had no intention of relying on any faction to wield unchecked power. They had financial resources and considerable strength; all they needed was a deterrent against those who might target them. Even just the influence of a single military figure like Shao Nan was enough for now.

And once the military verified that the new vegetable seeds weren’t purely developed by the research institute but required external seeds for crossbreeding—seeds now in Shen Qing and Song Kaiji’s possession—wouldn’t that mean Red City Base’s lifeline could shift from government hands to the military’s?

After all, with the seeds, and considering that the military had its own wood-type ability users, they could establish their own farms independently. Once food security was resolved, wouldn’t power ultimately fall into the hands of the strongest?

At this point, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji only needed to wait. Wait for the military to investigate and confirm the truth, and then wait for them to come knocking.

Many had already figured this out. The military had sent people back to report, while the remaining government officials grew increasingly anxious. Yet Hou Weimin and his team still hadn’t returned from the hospital. Not until the moon was high, after eight hours had passed, did they finally spot the familiar metal cage slowly making its way out of the hospital through the binoculars.

Seeing the cage, along with the vines occasionally striking out from within, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji finally exhaled in relief—Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie had made it out safely.

“Move, let’s go meet them!” The most anxious ones were the remaining government-affiliated team members. Shao Nan didn’t want to cause unnecessary delays in this matter and immediately led the team downstairs. After another half-hour of intense battle, they finally broke free from the dense zombie encirclement.

“This time, we really owe you all! Without your help, who knows how long this mission would’ve dragged on, or how many brothers we’d have lost!” Hou Weimin was genuinely pleased. With Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei’s assistance, they had overfilled all four space-type ability users’ storage—besides the listed medical supplies, they had also acquired a wealth of other valuable items. The mission had been a huge success.

“This tactic is truly effective. Once we return to the base, if you have time, I hope Xiao Tang here can teach us. With this strategy, we could save so many lives.” Hou Weimin finally dropped his pretense, speaking sincerely. “Of course, if there’s anything I can do to return the favor, just ask. As long as Xiao Tang is willing to teach, I’ll do my part without hesitation!”

Shen Qing sneered internally—so Tang Wenjie had to teach them before they were willing to offer help? If he refused, would they just forget the whole matter? After risking their lives for this mission, all they got was a few words of thanks?

Officials sure know how to play the game!

However, before Hou Weimin could get a response from Shen Qing and his team, one of his subordinates had already pulled him aside.

Meanwhile, Song Kaiji patted Tang Wenjie on the shoulder before turning to Qu Weiwei with concern. “How was it? Did everything go smoothly? Any injuries?”

Both of them shook their heads. Qu Weiwei smirked. “It was a bit troublesome at first. We stuck to our usual rhythm—fighting for an hour, then resting for half an hour to dig out crystal cores, absorb them, and eat. But of course, some people couldn’t stand it, saying we were too timid, moving too slowly, and wasting time with all our breaks.”

“Luckily, that leader Hou was there to keep things in check. No matter how displeased they were, they wouldn’t dare say too much in front of him. We didn’t bother responding to them at all. The metal cage was in Xiao Tang’s hands—if we didn’t move, the zombies couldn’t get in, and they couldn’t run away either. In the end, they had no choice but to follow our pace. Not sure why they even bothered complaining—it’s not like it made them look any better.”

By now, the two of them had built up a solid mindset. Engaging in petty arguments with these people would only ruin their mood. It was better to ignore those who couldn’t think straight and focus on their own task without letting idle chatter affect their rhythm.

Using tactics wisely was far more effective than blindly relying on high-level abilities and charging in recklessly. After all, it’s always the ones who think they can swim that end up drowning. If you’ve got a brain, why not use it?

But by the time they had methodically cleared out two floors of supplies, even the loudest complainers had shut up. From then on, they obediently followed their lead, fully convinced of their capabilities.

“But why do I get the feeling that Hou is planning to freeload off our technique?” Qu Weiwei pouted in dissatisfaction. “Back when I tutored, I still got paid twenty an hour. Now we’re expected to teach such an advanced technique, and they don’t even mention any compensation?”

“He’s probably convinced that we need something from him,” Shen Qing glanced in Hou Weimin’s direction and, sure enough, saw his expression shift several times as his subordinates reported to him—each change making his face look progressively worse. “Technically, he’s not wrong. If we had only run into him, we might have actually had to ask him for a favor. But we got lucky and met both him and Shao Nan at the same time…”

A glint of sharpness flashed in Shen Qing’s eyes.

“Now, who needs whom is another question entirely.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Thandar: Qing Ge’er’s development is amazing. If he was a man, he could have easily become a prime minister or something in his world.