173 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

The armored vehicle rumbled along, with Liu Zi gripping his gun tightly. He pondered whether there might be a chance to greet Chen Wan and the others later. After all, they were somewhat acquaintances reunited after a long absence. Beyond that, he had no other thoughts. The fact that he and a few comrades survived the perilous journey from Funan City to reach the First District was thanks to their relentless battles against the zombies. Having a place to rest now made him feel content. Chen Wan peered out the window beside her, observing the world beyond. They were nearing the outskirts of Qincheng, where buildings were becoming sparse and the view significantly improved. As she gazed across the landscape, she saw an unending expanse of mountains. It was no wonder the journey from Qincheng to Yangcheng would take about five hours. The road ahead was relatively calm, with occasional appearances of a dozen or so zombies, quickly dealt with by the soldiers inside the armored vehicle. Seeing that it was relatively safe, Chen Wan decided to lean back and rest. After all, going to Yangcheng meant she had no idea what to expect. As time ticked by, Chen Wan took a nap and, upon waking, grabbed a simple bite to eat inside the vehicle. Gradually, their convoy entered Yangcheng. Around this city, the density of zombies increased significantly. Although they didn't completely block the roads, it looked like there were at least five or six hundred of them. These zombies wouldn't be a problem if there were RVs to crush them, but the current vehicles, though armored, lacked the impact and acceleration of RVs. The soldiers began to open fire on the zombies outside, and Wei Si Yu and her companions did the same. On a whim, Chen Wan controlled fifty zombies, sending them charging into the mass. Once under her control, the zombies became notably stronger in combat, tearing enemies apart effortlessly. With Chen Wan's controlled zombies participating in the battle, the military's actions accelerated rapidly. Jin Can used his ability to ignite a fire, burning away many zombies at once. Consequently, Chen Wan and the team's progress quickened considerably. Within five minutes, hundreds of zombies were eliminated. Zhao Lei patted Liu Zi on the shoulder, smiling as he said, “Hey, Jin Can's ability is really handy. He dealt with so many zombies with that fire. But what was with those zombies that suddenly turned on their own?” “Must be the ability of another esper. Controlling zombies looks like a psychic type ability. This person will probably win favor with the leaders, just like Wei Si Yu has.” Liu Zi chuckled. For District One, having more espers join their ranks simply meant greater safety for everyone. “That’s true. The people coming to District One now are really a mixed bag of talents,” Zhao Lei said with admiration. Seeing that the zombies outside were mostly cleared, Chen Wan retracted her ability. She was no longer the same person she once was. After numerous crises and with Jiang Yan Xin occasionally bullying her, the threshold of her psychic powers had improved. While it couldn't match Jiang Yan Xin's level, Chen Wan could now maintain control of fifty zombies for around two hours, marking a significant improvement from just a few minutes previously. The convoy continued its journey after a brief pause, heading towards the large malls in the center of Yangcheng. To avoid dimly lit shopping centers and supermarkets filled with zombies, the military adopted a method similar to what Chen Wan and her group used before. They briefly sounded their horns to attract zombies from nearby malls, gathering them outside for an organized cleanup, saving time when searching for supplies inside. Chai Guan Feng picked up a radio to connect with Chen Wan’s group, “Jin Can, are you there? We might need your ability again soon. It's already past 1 PM, and we must hurry.” Chen Wan handed the radio to Jin Can, who replied confidently, “Don't worry, Commander Chai. Chen Wan and her team will help as well, nothing will go wrong.” “You just mentioned Chen Wan?” Commander Chai paused. “Yeah, we're in the same vehicle. What's the matter?” Jin Can asked. “Nothing,” Commander Chai glossed over it. While jokes were fine, one had to be extraordinarily cautious during missions. With the sounding of horns, waves of zombies gradually converged on the streets. This time, Jin Can activated his ability early, unleashing a fiery wave to engulf the zombies. Although the flames slowed their movements, the undead, feeling no pain, still lunged at the vehicles, while Chen Wan's controlled zombies charged into the horde to battle. Just as Jiang Yan Xin was about to assist with her illustrated Greek Gods book, another esper in an adjacent armored vehicle acted first. This individual seemed to have control over electricity, channeling currents through the vehicle to electrocute the tightly packed zombies on the street. Though this incapacitated them, the electricity was insufficient to reduce the zombies to ash but merely slowed them down. Fortunately, Jin Can wasn't the only fire ability user. Other fire-espers in two additional armored vehicles joined in, incinerating the zombies. About thirty minutes later, the zombie hordes lining the streets were largely eradicated by the military. Still, the smell was nauseating, like burnt, decomposing flesh and hair, greasy and intense. Everyone managed to tolerate it. After living in an apocalypse for so long, they were rather used to such odors. Following the cleanup, Chen Wan’s group joined in the effort to transport supplies. They moved towards the supermarket on the lower floor first, starting to haul supplies. Commander Chai rolled up his sleeves and began moving supplies himself. His soldiers, following his lead, worked with high morale and efficiency. Large trucks were steadily filled to the brim with supplies. While some people focused on transporting, around a dozen others organized the goods in the trucks, utilizing space as efficiently as possible. At the same time, across from the mall in a high-rise office building, several individuals moved stealthily inside. “Boss, it looks like the military is here. Do you think we should head over? It's probably safer with them,” a man in a suit, but with a round face, asked. “Are you stupid? Join the military and end up following all their lousy rules? Here, you can play around with any Omega you want,” retorted a young man with sharp features and neatly cropped black hair, his words oozing malice. “Exactly, Da Zhou, are you losing your edge as you age? Our boss is an ability user too, isn't it better to stick with him in Yangcheng? With him as emperor, we could be generals. What would we do with the military? Be treated like dogs?” snorted a social youth with gray-dyed hair. “Alright, anyone thinking of joining the military, take care of them on the spot,” the young alpha ordered coldly, causing his subordinates to hold their breath. The social youth put his arm around Da Zhou as they left, advising, “Brother Da Zhou, our boss definitely doesn't want to join the military. You've stepped out of line today. Usually, you're smart. What's wrong? Didn't sleep well? We've got ourselves a fresh, spirited male Omega. How about we head over and have some fun?” “Ah, who wouldn't? Play around a bit?” Da Zhou raised his eyebrows at the social youth, leering. “Play around, indeed. I say, that new male Omega is really good-looking. If our boss weren’t indifferent to male Omegas, we wouldn’t have had first dibs,” the social youth smiled knowingly. “True, we should enjoy while we can. Before you know it, they could be ruined. Then it’s too late to try again.” The two continued bantering as they reached the 10th floor of an office building. Below the 10th floor housed offices, while floors 10 to 21 were single occupant apartments, about 40 square meters each, suitable for a single resident. A long corridor lined with brown-black security doors stretched before them. Each door bore a white A4 paper listing the resident’s attributes, gender, approximate age, and other basic details. Using a key, the social youth unlocked a door, sauntering inside with Da Zhou. As the door shut, anguished screams from the Omega resonated in the hallway, a chilling echo of living hell. Meanwhile, in the 12th-floor office their boss occupied, he held a young female Omega in his arms, eyes coldly fixed on the military vehicles transporting supplies below. “These soldiers are so reckless, daring to touch what's mine,” he said, reaching out to clutch the woman tightly. “I hope you aren't having second thoughts. Let me make it clear, leaving me means becoming a corpse.” A flicker of fear flashed in the woman’s eyes, but just briefly. She steadied herself, then gently replied, “What are you saying? I’ve always said you’re my boyfriend, and I’m not leaving you.” The man let out a cold laugh, his eyes settling possessively on the woman in front of him. "You better be sincere—otherwise, you know what happens if I catch you. Stay here obediently with me if you don't want to end up like those Omegas locked on the 10th floor." "I won't leave. You've been so good to me that even if you tried to send me away, I wouldn't go," she replied with a perfect, radiant smile. The man regarded her silently for a while, then his lips curled into a twisted smile. "Keqing, I didn't expect you to be such a good actress. Those web dramas you filmed before the apocalypse weren't pointless after all." "I'm not acting. My feelings for you are genuine," Keqing hurriedly defended herself. Before the apocalypse, she had been a minor celebrity, not very famous but with numerous roles to her name. Her hometown was in Yangcheng, and in the chaotic early months of the apocalypse, she fled from place to place. Upon hearing rumors of a group of survivors in Yangcheng, she came seeking refuge, only to find it was a nightmare. Her time in the entertainment industry had taught her adaptability. Unlike the Omegas who resisted to the death, she did not fight back against the violations. Her status as a former star intrigued the man, allowing her to survive by his side so far.