131 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 131: Becoming the Scum of the Post-Apocalyptic World (Bonus Chapter) - Half Summer Novel "Level 3 mutated creatures are intelligent now. Could it be possible that they knew those women from before? It would be great if we could capture a few live mutated animals for experiments. Currently, the laboratory is only studying crystal nuclei or zombie bodies, and nothing useful has been developed yet," Dr. Wang noted. He could not explain why these mutated animals were so close to humans, as he had never encountered such a phenomenon before. "We'll give it a try later," General Lu said, looking at the group of women. However, he had a feeling that the women were quite close to those mutated dogs, making it difficult to capture them. Chen Wan patted Da Hua's black back, signaling it to get down. Promising to play with it later once they returned to the RV, she then walked toward the giant octopus. It was truly dead, and the twitching of its tentacles was merely a post-mortem nerve reaction. Da Hua joyfully circled Chen Wan, prancing around as if taking credit for its and the puppies' victory over the mutated octopus. Chen Wan chuckled as she rubbed Da Hua's head, only to get her hands dirty. She smiled softly, "You and Hua Hua behave yourselves while we go slice up the big octopus." Understanding her words, Da Hua obediently followed Chen Wan, while the puppies climbed out of Qin Ke and Shen Ming Yan's arms, vigilantly watching the surroundings as if guarding the women. Facing the giant octopus, Chen Wan felt a numbing sensation. How long would it take to slice up such a massive creature? Nevertheless, the octopus was a valuable energy source. Its body was mostly edible except for the head, and Chen Wan had no intention of leaving the meat behind. After all, they were tired of beef, and she thought a change like grilled squid or spicy stir-fried squid rings would make a delicious meal. However, there wasn't an inch of space left in the compressed storage. She asked Yi Yi mentally, "Didn’t we absorb over two hundred heavy trucks before? Can we release one, preferably with a rainproof container since it would be a shame to leave such a large octopus here." "I recall we have a few refrigerated trucks in there. With power, the containers serve as freezers," Yi Yi suggested after thinking it over. "Alright, we'll wait until those military vehicle folks leave," Chen Wan decided as she focused on slicing the octopus while glancing at the military vehicles nearby. Yi Yi drove the RV a bit further and repaired its damages using ten small cars, also damaged by the mutated dogs. Armed with a couple of tools, she prepared to help the others, confident the area was safe with all zombies taken down. The military vehicles were the only remaining concern. Jiang Wan Ning warned Yi Yi, "Be careful." "Don’t worry," Yi Yi replied, stepping out with a knife and axe to meet Chen Wan and the others. Chen Wan had already cut several large octopus sections and placed them aside. She saw Yi Yi approaching and smiled, "Let's pick tender parts for slicing, otherwise one truck won't be enough." “Sure, let’s fill the truck and we can also prepare some for you to eat right away,” Yi Yi replied, squatting down with an axe to help filter the octopus meat. Meanwhile, Zhan Feng went to General Lu in the vehicle, proposing, "General, the bridge ahead is passable now. Li Xiang and I will lead the way in a vehicle, and you can follow safely behind." General Lu lowered the window slightly, "Not yet. Drive closer to those women. We are too few in number to safely reach Qingji City. Let’s see if they are interested in joining us." Zhan Feng paused but quickly nodded, getting into another military vehicle to lead the way, with General Lu’s vehicle following close behind. Chen Wan soon noticed the two military vehicles heading her way, and so did Qin Ke. She put down her knife and raised the rifle from her back. When the military cars were within meters, she pulled the trigger and shot, blowing the tires of the lead vehicle. Zhan Feng was caught off guard by the attack on military vehicles and hurriedly braked, stopping the car. He lowered his window and shouted at Qin Ke, "What are you doing? Don't you see I'm with the military?" Chen Wan regarded him coldly, "So what if you're military? In the apocalypse, it's common courtesy to maintain a safe distance, yet you approached without consent. Who knows what you intend?" "We’re military personnel. Why would we harm you?" Zhan Feng frowned, looking at the group before him. The mutant dogs vigilantly eyed the people in the vehicle, prepared to defend Chen Wan and her group. Then, You Jian stepped out from the second vehicle and opened the door for General Lu, holding an umbrella to shield him from the rain. Chen Wan watched General Lu with interest as he stood there, uninterested. She thought, even at death’s door in the apocalypse, he's making others hold an umbrella for him. Had they not acted quickly to take down the Level 3 mutant octopus, these people wouldn’t be standing here. You Jian, annoyed at Chen Wan’s disregard, shouted, "Do you know who this is?" Chen Wan shot him a cold stare, "If you have something to say, say it quickly. Can't you see we’re busy?" "You dare..." You Jian attempted to continue but was interrupted by General Lu. General Lu chuckled, addressing Chen Wan, "Young lady, don't be so angry. I noticed your RV was effective against zombies and mutant beasts. It's quite impressive." His words were met with Chen Wan’s unchanged expression. As the rain poured, her face appeared even sterner, prompting him to move on, "We are escorting an important doctor to Qingji City. He’s key in crystal nucleus research, and might develop antibodies against the zombie mutation. But as you see, we are few in number. You young folks are the nation’s future—Qingji has a survivor base, and we’d like to invite you to join us." Chen Wan sneered, her gaze fixed on him, "Just say you want us to protect you to Qingji for free. No need for all these moral manipulations. In the apocalypse, who would risk their life for others for nothing? If there's nothing else, please leave. We won’t agree to your terms." "How can you say that? Have you no sense of responsibility?" General Lu was taken aback by the direct rejection, embarrassed in front of his men. "None. Besides, neither do you. Your soldiers fought zombies and the octopus out there while you sat safely here. They are good folks to endure such a leader. Keep dreaming—it's all about interests now, your words won’t deceive anyone except fools. So please, don’t delay us." She stared at General Lu as if looking at an idiot. Moral grandstanding and manipulation were things she despised. Li Xiang exchanged a glance with Zhan Feng, hesitating to voice his thoughts. Though he wanted to protect Dr. Wang as ordered, he felt Chen Wan had a point. Their mission was to safeguard Dr. Wang, not General Lu, who had merely tagged along to Qingji City. Holding an umbrella for General Lu, You Jian panicked, pulling a gun on Chen Wan. Before he could raise it, a shot from Qin Ke took it out of his hand. Qin Ke regarded him coldly, "Try that again, and it'll be you on the ground." Zhan Feng, alarmed, told General Lu’s group, "These people saved us. Even if they refuse our request, we can’t retaliate." "You watch your tone," You Jian snapped back at Zhan Feng, feeling humiliated by losing face as a soldier to a civilian. General Lu intervened quickly, conscious of their limited numbers and the need for trailblazers like Zhan Feng and Li Xiang, "You Jian, mind your words. We’re all soldiers here; how can we fall apart within?" Turning to Qin Ke, he added, "Young lady, let’s not be hasty..." "Just manage your own. I'm not yours to command," Qin Ke retorted icily, bemused at their demeanor. General Lu finally began to feel embarrassed. Realizing that he couldn't get a free escort from Chen Wan and her group, he decided to offer a trade. After all, no matter how skilled they were, they must be short on supplies in the apocalypse. Seeing that only Qin Ke seemed to have a gun, he assumed that Chen Wan and her team must be lacking firearms. With that thought, General Lu put on a smile and said, "How about we make a fair exchange? We'll trade goods for your escort to Qingji City. As for the mutated octopus's crystal nucleus, it's not of much use to you ordinary folks. We can also exchange supplies for it." Chen Wan snorted softly. So, the fox's tail finally showed — he dared to covet their crystal nucleus? She looked at him coldly, "And what exactly do you intend to trade?" "Guns. You might have decent skills, but I see only one of you has a gun, which means you're likely short on firearms and ammo, right? These are things we, the military, have in abundance. In fact, I can give you five rifles as a down payment. Once we safely reach Qingji City, we'll provide more guns and ammunition. How about that?" General Lu wore a confident smile, certain that firearms brought a sense of security that nothing else could match in the apocalypse. With a cold gaze, Chen Wan replied icily, "Do you take us for fools, General Lu? A Level 3 mutated creature's crystal nucleus is incredibly valuable, and you wish to trade it for a few lousy guns? Ridiculous. And let me be clear: we're not short on firearms; we simply chose not to use them openly. Please leave. We have no time to waste with you." Grinding his teeth, General Lu attempted to pressure Chen Wan and her group further, "Ordinary citizens using firearms is illegal." Chen Wan chuckled softly, "Are you insane? It's the apocalypse, and you're still trying to scare us with old tricks? Why didn't you ask those zombies a moment ago if it was illegal for them to kill people? Do you think the zombies would listen to you? Move along. One more word, and I won't care who you are. If not for us, you'd all be dead by now!" No pop-up ads, permanent domain.