124 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

"Alright, let's go and have a look ourselves. Lead the way." Chen Wan casually declared, her gaze briefly settling on Han Qi. Han Qi was pleasantly surprised by Chen Wan’s agreeableness, almost bursting with joy. "Alright then. Erdan, Fatty, and Li Ze Nan, why don't you take a group of villagers and guide these four Alphas over to the warehouse to explain the work to them?" Han Qi quickly instructed. "Sure thing, Brother Qi! Leave it to me. I'll make sure to explain everything thoroughly," Fatty eagerly volunteered. He didn’t want to miss out on the chance to be paired with an Omega later on. "In that case, I'll take Uncle Zhou, and we'll join Ming Yan to check out the Omega and Beta gathering areas. We'll meet you afterward." Han Qi smiled, feeling a newfound ease in dealing with Chen Wan. He was beginning to see her in a more favorable light. "By the way, I've talked so much but still don’t know your names?" Without changing her expression, Chen Wan replied, "I'm Chen Wan, and this is my friend Qin Ke. Do you have any more questions for us, Chief?" "Nope, there's no rush. We’ll all become familiar with each other over time. Let's focus on getting our tasks done first." Han Qi chuckled. Fei Ming and Chu Li Li, seeing that the tension between Chen Wan and Han Qi had lessened, both heaved a small sigh of relief. "Yes, Chief is right. We're all on the same side now. See you later, Chief," Fei Ming smiled, bidding farewell to everyone, and added to his wife, "See you in a bit, you've got company with Hao Jie, so no worries." "Yes, see you later," Chu Li Li responded with a smile, feeling assured that with six people, including the Omega and Beta, nothing untoward would happen. Following Fatty and the others, Chen Wan and Qin Ke exited the hall with unflustered faces. Besides Fatty, five or six other Alphas also accompanied them. Chen Wan purposefully inquired, "Why so many people coming along? It's just a job briefing, not like we’re prisoners being escorted." Fatty, mindful of Han Qi's advice to be patient with Chen Wan's remarks, took a deep breath and explained with feigned good humor, "How could that be? They have to come because it’s work time. Don’t overthink it. Moreover, this is Ming Yan's hometown, do you think they’d harm you?" "One can never be too sure. In the apocalypse, even family might turn on each other for survival, let alone distant neighbors," Chen Wan's words, devoid of emotion, made Fatty and his group anxious, feeling as though she was practically accusing them. But for the sake of an Omega, Fatty endured, clenching his fists. "You're quite witty, aren't you?" Fatty quickly changed the subject to prevent Chen Wan from saying more. "I'm not being witty, just truthful. In the apocalypse, being realistic is essential. Meeting good people is a blessing. But encountering wolves in sheep’s clothing requires vigilance. Otherwise, even nine lives wouldn’t suffice," Chen Wan replied, casually glancing at Fei Ming and Xu Wan Kun. Fei Ming sensed an implication in Chen Wan's words, as if she was chiding him and Xu Wan Kun for being reckless. But weren't they on board with Han Qi’s idea of checking things out? Fei Ming felt puzzled, and Xu Wan Kun shared his sentiment. Had living comfortably for two days dulled their survival instincts? Chen Wan's sardonic tone was grating on Fatty’s nerves. However, he told himself repeatedly that his efforts would pay off later, and thus he merely nodded, awkwardly conversing with her. "Yes, caution is necessary during the apocalypse. But in time, you’ll see, the people in the village are genuinely nice, much better than those outside." Chen Wan chuckled softly, her eyes glinting as she looked at Fatty. "Really? Let's hope so. I have a paranoia about strangers, suspecting everyone’s malicious." Fatty was on edge, wishing he had asked Brother Qi to let him join the Omega group instead. Here he was, enduring Chen Wan's contemptuous jab; he would surely pay it back later. "Well, if it’s a mental health issue, we have a village doctor here. Perhaps you could see him later," Fatty gritted his teeth to keep his cool. "No need, actually. I find this condition quite adaptive for surviving the apocalypse. Some naive people, just after a small favor or a meal, treat others as saviors and remain oblivious even when they are being exploited," Chen Wan sighed, continuing her indifferent chat with Fatty. Fatty fell silent, unable to keep up with the conversation. This Alpha had a knack for irritating him with her biting sarcasm! He chose to act like he hadn't heard. Instead, he pointed to the warehouse silhouette in the distance. Fei Ming studied Chen Wan, suspecting she referred to the four of them as naive. Yet he couldn’t ask outright with villagers around, which would only disparage them. Nevertheless, his cautiousness returned as he signaled to Xu Wan Kun. Xu Wan Kun also began to feel the tension, reminiscent of the uncertainty he felt at the base. He uneasily glanced at the six Alphas behind them, but couldn't escape the sliver of hope that maybe everything was fine because, unlike the dream-like scenarios, there were no zombies here. They had just found a shelter but were now realizing it might not be as simple as they'd thought. As they neared the warehouse, Chen Wan's focus wasn't on Fatty's silence; she mused idly, "A warehouse is really an ideal spot for stealthy deeds. Isolated location, far from any crowds, ample space, offering many possibilities. Your chief sure has an eye for choosing such a strategic working location." Fatty opted to play deaf entirely, while Li Ze Nan couldn't hold back anymore, snapping at Chen Wan, "Stop your cynical comments about the work arrangements, or I'll show you what I’m about!" As Li Ze Nan moved to confront her, Fatty shoved him back. Fatty hadn't expected that while he'd managed to control his temper, Li Ze Nan couldn't. He quickly shot Li Ze Nan a warning look, rebuking, "What did Brother Han say? Treat the guests well and they'll understand us over time. Stay calm and don't disrupt the village's cohesion." Then, Fatty, clenching his teeth, reluctantly explained to Chen Wan and Qin Ke, "I apologize. Li Ze Nan's temper gets the better of him at times. Please don’t mind him." Fei Ming, awakened by Li Ze Nan’s outburst, recalled encountering similar aggressive types in the base—people who bullied the weak and feared the strong. His trust in this place dwindled to half, swaying towards perceiving it as unsafe. He began worrying about his wife's safety, considering they were Alphas but the group with Han Qi were Omegas and Betas. Fei Ming stopped in his tracks, saying, "I just remembered I left something with my wife and need to retrieve it." "It's best to head to the warehouse together first. Brother Qi will bring the Omegas over to meet us later, no rush," Fatty interrupted. Sensing that Fei Ming was catching on, he signaled the six Alphas to block them. Fei Ming, gritting his teeth, realized he had no choice but to comply. They were only four, with two being female Alphas, vastly outnumbered by the eight young, fit male Alphas. It was obvious they wouldn’t win a fight. Perhaps it was better to wait for an opportunity to slip away. Fei Ming communicated silently to Xu Wan Kun to stay calm and glanced at Chen Wan. To his surprise, she remained unperturbed, free of any anxiety from the earlier conflict, and beside her, Qin Ke seemed equally unconcerned, maintaining an impassive expression. For a moment, Fei Ming didn't know what to make of their composure. Did these two female Alphas understand the danger they were in? On one hand, Chen Wan's words suggested she did, offering silent warnings about the warehouse. But on the other hand, her calm demeanor belied any awareness of urgency. Were they truly planning to follow this group to the warehouse? Fatty’s attention shifted from Chen Wan and Qin Ke to Fei Ming. While Chen Wan seemed only verbally provocative, lacking any intent of escape, Fei Ming was visibly restless. Alerted to Fei Ming's reactions, Fatty signaled Li Ze Nan and another to oversee Fei Ming's side just in case. Chen Wan, indifferent to everything that unfolded, noted that they were getting closer to the warehouse gates. She could faintly hear the commotion inside and noticed five sturdy Alphas already waiting there. "We're here. I'll open the doors and let you in to take a look," Fatty said with a newfound assertiveness, motioning for his underlings to pull open the warehouse doors. What met Chen Wan's eyes were piles of dry straw, nothing more. However, this didn’t hold her attention because about 15 meters away lay another door, from which the earlier noise had emanated. As Chen Wan and the others were inspecting their surroundings, they were unexpectedly shoved inside by those behind them, and the main doors were promptly slammed shut from the outside. Fei Ming and Xu Wan Kun, now genuinely alarmed, pounded desperately on the heavy warehouse door, only to hear Fatty’s mocking laughter echoing from outside. "You idiots dare provoke me with your sarcasm. Just wait and see the surprise I've prepared for you. It's guaranteed to be... unforgettable." Fatty and his cohorts burst into uproarious laughter outside. Finding the door unyielding, Fei Ming rushed to check the warehouse windows, discovering them tightly sealed with rebar, making them impossible to open. Despite this, sunlight poured in through four narrow windows on either side, ensuring the warehouse wasn’t too dim inside.