172 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

The next morning, right after breakfast, Wei Siyu and her group arrived. Some went to get chairs, while others settled on the sofa. Sitting together, they prepared for a brief meeting. "What’s the procedure for taking on a mission here? And if we encounter any mutated animals on the way and I happen to kill one, how do we distribute the crystal cores and the meat from the animal?" Chen Wan pondered aloud. "No need to worry about that," Wei Siyu explained. "With stuff like mutated animals, it's generally finders keepers. The same goes for the crystal cores. If you later find you can’t consume them all, you can exchange them with the military for points or other supplies. The military in Zone One is quite trustworthy." "That's good to hear. I’m short on Level 3 mutated beast cores right now. Are there any missions where I could get some?" Chen Wan eagerly inquired. "It so happens that there is one. In two days, the military plans to go to Yang City to search for supplies. Yang City is surrounded by mountains and has a small local population. The military has already scouted it with helicopters, and the city’s buildings seem mostly intact, so there's a good chance of finding lots of supplies. However, there are Level 3 mutated animals near Yang City, so there's a significant risk in transporting supplies. Thus, the military has issued a mission, hoping for some ability users to join," Wei Siyu briefly explained to Chen Wan and her group. "That's great. We really need those Level 3 animal cores. I’ll head to the service hall to take on the mission shortly," Chen Wan said with a smile. They still needed three Level 3 mutated cores to upgrade their RV, and considering the chaotic environment, Chen Wan was hesitant to randomly venture out with everyone. Better to secure the cores first. "We’re planning to take on that mission too, so we can all go together," Wei Siyu smiled, then shifted her gaze to Qiao Shirui and the other three, saying, "The four of you should stay at the base this time. The mission location is far and quite dangerous, besides Jingjing hasn’t fully recovered. Staying here at the base would be safer." For closer or less dangerous missions, Wei Siyu would often take these four kids along, partly to train their survival skills. But this time, the destination was far, and transporting supplies would require considerable effort, likely necessitating overnight stays in the Yang City area. The route was through mountainous regions, which weren't safe, so she preferred not to risk these kids. Li Yue and the others understood Wei Siyu's considerations and agreed, "Alright, Sister. Next time there’s a nearby mission, take us with you. We’ll wait for you to come back and take good care of Jingjing." "That reassures me," Wei Siyu said with a smile. Li Xiaoxiao, who was beside Qi Jing, remarked, "We’ll also stay behind and not cause any trouble. We’ll go to the service center later to see if there’s any work to do here at the base." Qi Jing nodded and agreed, "Sounds good." She understood that she couldn’t take care of Li Xiaoxiao and the others forever. The first zone being safe, with job opportunities available, allowing them to stay back and work independently was a good choice. With their decision made, Chen Wan and her group headed to the service center to accept the mission. The mission involved going to Yang City, which was a bit far, so there weren’t many volunteers. Seeing Wei Siyu’s group arrive, a staff member greeted them with a smile, "Captain Wei, here to take on another mission? You’re truly the role model of Zone One." Wei Siyu returned the smile and replied, "There's nothing much else to do anyway. Earning more points and resources isn’t a bad idea." "Indeed. Please follow me to register your information," the staff member noted the roster of Chen Wan’s group for the mission, smiling as they added, "The day before the mission, you can come here to collect your equipment and some additional supplies." "Thank you," Chen Wan and her companions expressed their gratitude as they left the service hall. For this mission, Chen Wan planned to go with Jiang Yanxin, Qin Ke, and Shen Mingyan, leaving Yiyi and Jiang Wan Ning to look after the home base. Since the mission was in collaboration with the military, Chen Wan didn’t intend to take the RV, and among the rest, only Yiyi could drive it. So it was decided that Yiyi and Jiang Wan Ning would stay back. With the four Hua Hua cats at home, Chen Wan wasn’t worried about their safety. The following day offered Chen Wan’s group a brief respite. The security in Zone One was renowned, surpassing any other base they had visited before. It was said that the head of this base was a competent female alpha whom no renegade troop dared challenge. Chen Wan relished the rare chance to laze the day away comfortably. She lay holding Jiang Yanxin, with Zai Zai snuggled against her stomach, engrossed in watching an animated show on a tablet, while Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin accompanied her. The little one watched with great interest, occasionally kicking her legs in excitement, much to Chen Wan’s discomfort. She gently patted Zai Zai, urging her to calm down. After lunch, Chen Wan cuddled up with Jiang Yanxin and Zai Zai for an afternoon nap, only waking when the cats came over to play, interrupting their rest. The next day, Chen Wan, along with Qi Jing and Wei Siyu, went to the service hall to collect their gear. Upon examination, the military-issued equipment was quite thorough. It included a complete military uniform with a cap, a military canteen, a bag containing compressed biscuits, and several cans of military rations. Weapons would be distributed before departure and collected upon their return to the base, which seemed quite orderly and formal. Time swiftly brought them to the morning of the third day. Chen Wan and her group donned their gear, gathered the supplies provided by the military, and headed upstairs to call for Qi Jing, assembling at Zone One's rally point. Wei Siyu’s group had already arrived. Combining with Chen Wan’s five, they formed a group of nine. The mission commander, Chai Guan Feng, efficiently assigned the nine of them to a large armored vehicle. Having collaborated with Wei Siyu’s team before, he was well aware of their capabilities and treated Chen Wan and her group with respect. This mission, aimed at procuring supplies, involved many combat personnel and was accompanied by 20 large transport vehicles. To better protect these trucks, Chai Guan Feng devised a new formation. Leading the way were four large armored vehicles, followed by five trucks, then a military armored vehicle, succeeded by another five trucks, and so forth, with the convoy’s end guarded by three armored vehicles. Including the ability users from the base, the mission involved 200 individuals, a remarkably large-scale operation. Chen Wan’s vehicle was assigned as the third in the opening lineup of armored vehicles, right in front of Commander Chai Guan Feng’s vehicle. Once aboard, military personnel provided each of Chen Wan’s group with a handgun and a rifle, along with two hand grenades per person. Another armored vehicle carried two crates of ammunition. A soldier instructed Chen Wan and her group, "Please ensure these weapons are kept safe. They must be returned when you get back to the base." "Understood, rest assured," Chen Wan nodded, checking over the firearms to ensure they were in working order, then awaited departure. Shi Tou was the designated driver, with Jin Can in the passenger seat, leaving the remaining seven members to sit in the back compartment. For Liu Zi, sharing the same vehicle compartment as Chai Guan Feng, there was an uncanny feeling that he’d seen a familiar face earlier. However, with the busyness of organizing vehicles, he wasn’t certain. As they settled down and found themselves with a moment’s reprieve, Liu Zi softly confided to Zhao Lei beside him, "Hey, did you notice? One of those people looked a lot like Chen Wan, the one we met at the Funan City base. She was the one who dealt with the Four Young Masters of Funan, causing quite a stir at the base." "What are you talking about? Just admit you’ve got a thing for her. I remember her—she’s an attractive alpha; what’s up?" Zhao Lei was puzzled as to why Liu Zi suddenly mentioned Chen Wan, given how long ago everything had happened. For all they knew, she might not even be alive anymore. "You’re wrong. Chen Wan has a wife and child. I just thought I saw her and wanted to ask," Liu Zi awkwardly scratched his neck. "I didn’t see her. With 200 people heading out this time, it was chaos earlier. All I saw were the mass of uniforms—didn’t see her at all," Zhao Lei chuckled. Having overheard them, Chai Guan Feng smiled, "What are you two plotting over there, trying to keep it secret?" Zhao Lei, undeterred by Liu Zi’s attempts to stop him, humorously replied, "It’s Liu Zi with his unforgotten flame; he thought he saw her earlier and asked if I noticed her." Chai Guan Feng, known for his balanced leadership and approachable nature, took interest upon hearing Zhao Lei’s words, smiling as he inquired, "Why don’t you just ask me? I’ve got the roster for this mission. Zhao Lei probably doesn’t know much, does he?" "Exactly. You heard Commander Chai—go ahead and ask," Zhao Lei teased, causing the soldiers in the compartment to laugh and join in the banter, dissolving the previously tense atmosphere. Liu Zi quickly waved his hands, denying, "Just someone I used to know, no other intentions towards her." "I know, I know. Go ahead and say it. Not saying anything makes it seem like you do have intentions," Zhao Lei urged him on. "Her name is Chen Wan, and her companion is Qin Ke. I’m not sure if I’m mistaken," Liu Zi chuckled awkwardly. Chen Wan and Qin Ke's actions against the Four Young Masters were quite notorious at the Funan City base, so Liu Zi knew their names well. Chai Guan Feng skimmed through the mission roster and indeed found the names Chen Wan and Qin Ke among the non-military personnel. He laughed and said, "You lucked out. They’re indeed on the non-military list. Look." Pointing out the names to him, Chai Guan Feng watched as Liu Zi's eyes lit up. Seeing his expression, Chai Guan Feng teased, "Meeting someone again in this post-apocalyptic world isn’t easy, kid. Make the most of this chance, even just to say hello. So many people meet once and never have the opportunity to meet again." After Chai Guan Feng spoke, a brief silence fell over the compartment. In these bleak times, most interactions between people were fleeting, and to meet again was indeed a rare occurrence.