104 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

**Chapter 104 - Upgrading and Moving Forward** "Alright, after we finish moving all these, let's upgrade the RV first, then we can go search for steel and metal alloys," Chen Wan suggested after some thought. "Mhm, let's move the stuff first. But there's so much to carry, the four of us definitely can't do it all in one go," Qin Ke commented, glancing at the sizable pile of packed items they had. It had been quite strenuous coming this far, and making multiple trips could further jeopardize their safety. Yi Yi surveyed the items scattered on the ground and suggested, "We don't have to worry about dropping the steel, bionic skin, and wires. We can just toss those down from the building. As for the memory alloy, actuators, motors, controllers, sensors, effectors, and chips, we can each carry some down." Nodding in agreement, Chen Wan rummaged through the laboratory, finding over a dozen large bags. She placed the fragile items inside them so they could be carried safely downstairs. For the rest, they would rely on tossing them out the window—after all, there were no living people below, so they didn’t have to worry about hitting anyone. Chen Wan opened a window on one side of the laboratory and started throwing down the most durable steel pieces. The sound of metal clanging against the ground continuously echoed around the empty campus. The noise was deafening within the hollow school grounds, and it wasn’t just one item after another being thrown down, but a series of them. Meanwhile, in a building across the way on the sixth floor, a few individuals silently observed Chen Wan's actions. "Teacher, what are they doing over there? Did they really make it to the sixth floor?" a thin tall man asked in a hushed voice to the group around him. "They don’t seem like military personnel, but given that they made it upstairs so easily despite the noise, they must be skilled. Should we call for help and see?" a girl with bangs, identified as an Omega, whispered. They were students from Funan University, trapped on the sixth floor since the apocalypse began. They had barricaded the stairwell leading up from the fifth floor, which kept their group safe for now, although their supplies of food and water were dwindling. If not for a storage room on the sixth floor, they might not have lasted this long. "This might be our only option," the teacher with black-framed glasses advised. "Find some sheets or something, and wave them outside so those people across can see there are survivors here." Several students went off to search for fabric and sheets. The tall man couldn't help but voice his doubt, "But that RV—can it really hold all of us?" "We're only fifteen, so in theory, it could work, but why would they rescue us?" The teacher sighed, acknowledging that even military forces were stretched too thin to perform constant rescues. Why would strangers take on the burden of so many people? The student also sighed. Within mere days, the entire Funan University had fallen to zombies. The dense population meant that once one person was infected, it rapidly multiplied, becoming unmanageable. Meanwhile, amid the deafening noise of metals being thrown down for the tenth time, Chen Wan decided to drop entire bundles of wires next. Again, the "bang, bang, bang" of impacts resonated as they fell, and finally, the bionic skin followed suit. As Level 2 zombies possessed some intelligence, they merely avoided the area where the items fell, wary of being smashed to pieces. They had no interest in inanimate objects, preferring to chase living beings. Yet they seemed much more intrigued by the people tossing the items. While tossing out the bionic skin, Chen Wan glanced up and noticed movement in a building not far away. "It looks like there are people over there." Yi Yi and the others followed Chen Wan's gaze to see several individuals on the sixth floor of the opposite building, waving sheets in their direction, clearly seeking help. Chen Wan tossed another bundle of bionic skin before observing the zombie horde below. She sighed softly, "There are tens of thousands of zombies in this school. We’re in no position to easily save these people. Even if we did, there's no way they could all fit in the RV, which means they'd still be doomed. At least staying there, they might survive a bit longer." Jiang Yan Xin nodded; they had encountered situations like this before. If they could easily lend a hand, they would, but given the circumstances, there was little they could do, and they certainly couldn't have non-combatants tagging along. After throwing down the last bundle of bionic skin, Chen Wan urged, "Let's hurry down, load up the RV, and leave. We can't save those people, but we can distract some zombies to help clear a path. Whether they manage to escape will depend on them." "Let's move quickly then. After you guys clear a path, we’ll just rush straight down," Yi Yi said, slinging two large bags over her shoulders. Chen Wan nodded, and the trio moved the tables and chairs barricading the lab’s door aside. Chen Wan then activated her powers to control fifty zombies, using them to shield their descent down the stairs. Meanwhile, Yi Yi collected whatever crystal cores fell within her scanning range, from her systemic perspective. Descending was noticeably faster than ascending, with many zombies being tackled aside by the controlled zombie group as they skipped downward. The group of four burst out of the first-floor lobby in just four minutes. Chen Wan still managed to remain in decent condition, though a light sheen of sweat had gathered on her forehead. Outside, the zombie masses were drawn like a tide, all attracted by the noise of the items thrown earlier. With no other choice, Jiang Yan Xin reopened her ancient Greek painting book, summoning Zeus once more into corporeal form. Zeus's presence quieted the immediate chaos among the zombies, who retreated, sensing potential danger. Jiang Yan Xin mentally commanded Zeus to clear the zombies around the RV. Zeus, wielding his lightning spear with a swing, sent electrical currents cascading into the zombies. Here, in the plaza, Zeus's attack spread rapidly, causing any zombie hit or connected by proximity to convulse and progressively turn to char. Seeing Jiang Yan Xin manifest Zeus, Chen Wan hastily withdrew her powers and joined Yi Yi in moving supplies into their compression space. Meanwhile, the plaza zombies had all turned into drifting ashes. In under five minutes, amid their relentless efforts, all materials obtained from the lab were securely placed into the compression space. The four rushed into the RV just as Zeus's tangible form dissipated at Jiang Yan Xin’s command. The people watching from the opposite building were astounded. Voice trembling, the thin tall man asked, "Teacher, what was that just now? How did all the zombies suddenly vanish?" The teacher with black-framed glasses shook his head, equally bewildered. That man with the spear had effortlessly transformed the zombies into cinder, and those women were entirely unharmed. "Those women are extraordinary." Agreeing, the tall man nodded, "Teacher, should we still signal for help?" "Let’s hold off for now. We don’t know those people's intentions. Earlier, our only option was to signal for help, but now that the zombies outside have mostly been dealt with, after they've left, we can think of drawing the zombies from the building outside and search the dormitories or cafeteria for food," the teacher replied thoughtfully. Back at the RV, those inside were still reeling from the spectacle, trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Ye Lan was on the verge of tears seeing the group return covered in blood. Jiang Yan Xin quickly reassured her, "Mom, don’t worry. The blood is all from zombies. None of us got hurt. It was a successful trip." "Really, you're all fine? You scared me half to death. Go and clean up quickly," Ye Lan urged them with reddened eyes. Jiang Wan Ning was equally terrified at seeing her sister covered in blood, but hearing her reassurances, she relaxed somewhat. Noticing Yi Yi was similarly bloodied, she hurried over, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Yi Yi smiled at Jiang Wan Ning, "I'm fine, just dirty. Everything else is alright." "Then go shower and change. You can use the upstairs bathroom," Jiang Wan Ning urged. "Alright, I’ll grab some clothes," Yi Yi replied. As the RV's system, Yi Yi could easily access the compression space. She grabbed some clothes and headed upstairs with Jiang Wan Ning. Qin Ke opted for a shower on the first floor. Now at ease, Chen Wan caught a whiff of her own foul stench and couldn’t stand it any longer, pulling Jiang Yan Xin along to their room to clean up. Jiang Yan Xin hesitated for a moment, seeing Chen Wan in a hurry to shower, she suggested, "You should go first." "No, dear, let's go together. It's not safe here, and we need to leave soon," Chen Wan said, wrapping an arm around Jiang Yan Xin's waist, leading her towards the bathroom. "Huh? Isn't it inappropriate in broad daylight?" A subtle blush crept up Jiang Yan Xin’s cheeks. Chen Wan chuckled, teasing Jiang Yan Xin's fingers with hers. "We’re just saving time, nothing else." "Well..." Jiang Yan Xin wanted to protest, but Chen Wan had already dragged her inside. Why did she feel like a lamb walking into a lion's den? Yi Yi was the first to emerge. She had quickly washed off the bloodstains and changed her clothes, stepping out despite her hair still being damp. Seeing Yi Yi hadn’t dried her hair, Jiang Wan Ning quickly ushered her back into the bathroom, picking up a hairdryer to dry Yi Yi’s hair. The bathroom was small, and with both of them inside, it felt like Jiang Wan Ning was nestled in Yi Yi’s embrace. Yi Yi’s cheeks started to redden again. Jiang Wan Ning looked at her with bright eyes and gestured, "Lower your head a bit so I can dry your hair properly." "Oh," Yi Yi obediently bent slightly until she was eye level with Jiang Wan Ning. That proximity seemed to unsettle her somehow. Pleased with Yi Yi's compliance, Jiang Wan Ning gently tousled her wet hair before she started drying it. Jiang Wan Ning's slender fingers weaved through Yi Yi's hair, the sound of the hairdryer filling the small space, leaving only the rhythmic beating of their hearts. Yi Yi couldn't fathom why her electronic heart was racing—or why her internal systems were alerting her: "Warning! Warning! CPU temperature is too high. Activating cooling fans!" Lately, Yi Yi couldn't understand why her CPU kept overheating, but Jiang Wan Ning's gentle care was too soothing to break away from. As for the CPU, well, overheating with the fans on wouldn’t be too serious. Noticing Yi Yi staring at her, Jiang Wan Ning chuckled softly, continuing to dry her hair while asking, "Why are you looking at me like that?" "You're beautiful," Yi Yi replied without thought, the words bypassing her internal filter and spilling straight from her heart. Jiang Wan Ning blushed at Yi Yi’s candid compliment, clearing her throat, "Don't talk nonsense." "I'm not." Yi Yi mumbled softly, surprised by the quietness of her own voice. Jiang Wan Ning’s smile couldn’t be hidden even as she bit her lip, gently ruffling Yi Yi’s partially dried hair and choosing not to respond.