PSW - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Of course, they couldn't buy the car.

However, Zero One recorded the details of the modified car and uploaded them directly to the system, hoping the store would add a similar vehicle. This kind of item, which didn't cross dimensions or contain any advanced technology, was quite easy to create.

The system's pricing method was a mystery, but when the feedback reached Zero One, this system-brand modified car—newer, more powerful, and with better defenses than the old mechanic's—was priced at 50 Saint Points. It even secured the "New Recommendation" spot in the store, so it would be the first thing Zheng Yi saw whenever she opened it.

Zero One felt it had done a good deed and wanted to give Zheng Yi a surprise. It was quite looking forward to Zheng Yi's reaction, since it was rare for her to want something. It kept quiet, secretly waiting until Zheng Yi opened the store…

"Tsk."

[?] What kind of reaction was that?

"Zero One, doing this… makes me feel that Yu Yinan's existence is quite troublesome." Zheng Yi chuckled lightly, her eyes clear, but the smile didn't reach them. She raised her hand, popped a hard candy into her mouth, and in the next instant, crunched it to pieces. The tooth-aching "crack" made Zero One's core tremble.

Zero One quickly realized what Zheng Yi meant. Even if she spent Saint Points to buy the car, she couldn't just openly use it. After all, even when she went out on missions, she was always with Yu Yinan. Zero One's mind raced, but it couldn't come up with a good excuse for Zheng Yi to plausibly start driving this car. If she lied and said the shop owner gave her a discount or made a trade, the lie would fall apart with the slightest scrutiny and wouldn't hold up to questioning.

[I'm sorry!] Zero One apologized frantically, not knowing what to do. [I… you… don't treat her like that. She… she's already…] Zero One didn't know what word to use to describe Yu Yinan to persuade Zheng Yi. Pitiful? But that word didn't fit Yu Yinan. She might be someone to feel for, but not someone to be pitied.

"Don't worry, she's still very interesting." Zheng Yi closed the store and suddenly laughed out loud, like a little girl who had just pulled off a successful prank… "Look how anxious you are. Are systems really this human-like? My dear Zero One, I'm not the kind of person who… kills someone on a whim just because I'm annoyed."

"Guess, am I telling the truth?"

[…] Whether it was the truth or not, this host was far too good at scaring the system.

Just as Zero One was at a loss for words, Yu Yinan hurried over to Zheng Yi's side. "We can take on more field missions. The old mechanic agreed. We can pay 1500 contribution points as a down payment and take the car. The remaining 1500 can be paid in installments. He said that although three thousand contribution points is an astronomical price, after we buy it, he'll provide free maintenance for us. No matter how much wear and tear, he'll repair it for free—new tires, bulletproof glass maintenance, everything is covered by a three-year warranty."

Although the old mechanic didn't agree to take their car as partial payment, once they got the new one, they could sell their old vehicle.

In fact, at the rate Zheng Yi earned contribution points, she could gather three thousand in just a hundred days. And that wasn't even her limit.

"Jiejie, thank you~" Zheng Yi said with a smile. "Actually, that car isn't a necessity. You don't have to push yourself so hard. Who knows, maybe I won't even want it later. Let's go see what field missions are left."

"Okay," Yu Yinan replied, but from her expression, it was clear she paid no mind to Zheng Yi's words about not pushing herself, it not being a necessity, or not wanting it. She took Zheng Yi's hand and led her toward the mission center.

There were still perimeter cleanup missions available, but they were getting farther and farther from the shelter. Now that the temperature was rising and the snow was melting, the zombies that had been frozen into ice sculptures during the extreme cold had regained basic mobility. According to reports and information from the shelter, many zombies had even developed a certain resistance to ice-type abilities after thawing, and their agility had also increased.

There were also basic missions for exchanging various supplies for contribution points. Next to these missions, there was usually a list of approximate prices, many of which were bounties posted by other ability users. For example, some people wanted to smoke, others couldn't give up alcohol. Once they became ability users with plenty of contribution points, they would use bounties to get the supplies they wanted.

Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan looked through the listings one by one. Suddenly, Yu Yinan stopped in front of a bounty. Zheng Yi leaned in for a look and saw that someone wanted a motorcycle in good, rideable condition with no obvious damage, offering a price of 1500 contribution points.

Are the male and female leads in this shelter too? Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow. The wasteland was so vast; they shouldn't keep running into each other, right?

[…I don't know, but if the original novel is still accurate, they shouldn't be here.] Zero One was uncertain.

Zheng Yi glanced at Yu Yinan. She tugged gently on Yu Yinan's hand, pulling her away from the bounty notice. "Jiejie, don't sacrifice anything for me."

"That won't make me happy."

But isn't being a Saint all about "sacrifice" and "salvation"? Yu Yinan looked down at her and obediently moved away from the bounty board.

"Hm? A missing squad…" Soon, Zheng Yi noticed a mission posted directly by the shelter.

An ability user team had gone missing after accepting a perimeter cleanup and resource gathering mission. They had been missing for over a week. The missing squad had a total of five members. The number was circled in red.

Below the mission description was a simple map with the area of their mission marked in red.

They were hoping a new ability user squad would go to the area and investigate the cause. If possible, they were to find the missing squad. If they were alive, rescue them. If they were dead… they were to be laid to rest. Danger level: unknown.

However, the reward for completing this bounty was 150 contribution points. If there was danger at the destination, eliminating it and rescuing the missing squad would increase the reward to 200.

"Just the two of us, won't it be too dangerous?" Yu Yinan wasn't sure what they might encounter. A mutated beast, perhaps? Whatever danger had made a five-person squad disappear…

"Hmm, should we find some help then? They've been missing for so long, who knows what we'll run into… If they're still holding on, still alive, the sooner we can rescue them, the more hope they'll have." Zheng Yi looked at the ability users currently in the hall. No one had taken this mission yet; clearly, the other squads were afraid.

Just then, Zheng Yi saw an old woman in a brown overcoat walking briskly to the front desk. She pulled out several mission bounty slips and her ID card from her coat to settle her tasks.

"That looks like the grandma who gave us directions before!" Zheng Yi's eyes lit up. She looked at Yu Yinan, shaking her arm coaxingly. "Jiejie, didn't that grandma say she'd consider teaming up with us? With her, we'd have three people. We can take the mission then, right?"

"Jiejie, I'll protect you. I absolutely won't let any harm come to you."

That's not the issue… Yu Yinan sighed. "Then go ask her if she's willing to team up." With such an obvious and unknown danger, most ability users wouldn't be willing to lead a small team into it. Besides, while the contribution point reward seemed good at first glance, it wouldn't amount to much once split among a larger team. Rather than take the risk, it was better to take on a few more zombie cleanup or supply gathering missions.

But if Zheng Yi wanted to take it, then they would. Even just the two of them would be fine. Didn't Zheng Yi want to ride a motorcycle last time? This was a good opportunity.

Yu Yinan watched Zheng Yi walk over to the old woman, greeting her very politely, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

"Hello, Grandma, we meet again~" Zheng Yi smiled sweetly. She turned her body slightly, and from an angle Yu Yinan couldn't see, she took out a pack of women's cigarettes and offered it. "Do you remember me?"

Things like cigarettes and alcohol, which could be considered luxuries in the apocalypse, were things Zheng Yi had "acquired for free" in large quantities.

"Oh my, it's you two." The old woman covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes crinkling. She looked extremely kind. She didn't immediately take the cigarettes. "Of course, I remember."

"We want to take a field mission. Grandma, would you like to join our team?" Zheng Yi asked bluntly. She stood up straight, waiting seriously and sincerely for a reply.

"Well, I'll have to see what kind of mission it is first." She sighed softly. "These old bones can't go too far. I can't walk that much anymore."

At this, Zheng Yi pushed the pack of cigarettes forward again. "This is a thank-you gift for last time. Please accept it."

Her somewhat withered, aged fingers tapped lightly on the cigarette pack. The old woman sighed, a sound of both resignation and fondness for the younger generation. "Alright, alright, I'll go on an adventure with you. What dangerous mission are you thinking of taking?" she asked while taking her ID card back from the staff member.

"This one, huh…" The old woman looked at the mission, thought for a moment, and then said, "What's your team's name? Go ahead and add this old lady."

"!" Yu Yinan's expression suddenly froze. She looked away, embarrassed, and silently took out her own ID card.

"…" For once, Zheng Yi didn't answer enthusiastically right away. She glanced at Yu Yinan, and seeing her reaction, she couldn't help but chuckle. She took Yu Yinan's ID card, then the old woman's, put her own with them, and walked straight to the front desk.

"Hello, our Two-Person Squad would like to add a new member. Here are our ID cards, and this is hers. Are there any procedures we need to follow?"

"Please write down your squad's name. We can look it up and enter the information directly. It's no trouble. Our shelter doesn't have a limit on squad members; any number is fine." The staff member explained conscientiously, then watched as Zheng Yi took a pen and paper and wrote down the name "Two-Person Squad."

"…" He paused for a moment, then quickly turned to his console. "Please wait a moment."

"Alright, the entry is complete. You can accept the mission now." After finishing the procedure, he returned the three ID cards with both hands.

Two-Person Squad, huh… The old woman's expression grew even more resigned. She walked to the mission board, tore off the notice, and then glanced at the address. "Let's take all the cleanup missions along the way as well."

Yu Yinan agreed. Having drawn so many maps of Pujie, she knew the routes inside and out. With almost no hesitation, she accepted all the cleanup missions in the areas near their main objective. Because a squad had gone missing there, no other teams dared to take the cleanup missions in the vicinity, which worked out in their favor.

Mission accepted.

The old woman's name was Xu Lanjun, and her ability was to generate and manipulate threads. The number of threads depended on her mental control. As for her age… Xu Lanjun didn't consider it a secret, so she told them directly that she was sixty-seven this year.

In three more years, she would celebrate her seventieth birthday.

She had never married and had no children.

Ling Country advocated for free love and free marriage; there was no rule that people had to get married. The atmosphere in Ling Country was also very inclusive, and various minority sexual orientations were respected.

But even in such an atmosphere, Xu Lanjun had been pressured and forced into marriage talks by her family, and she'd had to deal with countless blind dates. After she turned thirty, the offensive became even more ferocious. Whether it was blind dates or introductions, the men she met were progressively worse. Even divorced men with two children were introduced to her, which showed just how desperate her parents were at the time.

But their desperation was useless. The days passed one by one. She lived away from home year-round, ignoring the gossip and her family's opinions. She had been selfish her whole life, wanting only to be happy.

So many years had passed. She had walked many roads, met many people, encountered them and parted ways. In the end, she saw off her parents and relatives, living cheerfully on her own to this age, just in time to welcome the apocalypse.

…and yet, she had no regrets.

Xu Lanjun even felt that this was the world's way of giving her an Easter egg, seeing that her peaceful life was nearing its end.

If the first half of her life was a game, then the current apocalypse was probably a newly released DLC.

She enjoyed life.

After agreeing to set out the next day, Zheng Yi and the others said goodbye to Xu Lanjun. Now they didn't need to tie quilts to the roof, so having one more person in the car was no problem at all.

The only regret… was probably that Zheng Yi wouldn't be able to go for a ride on the motorcycle. But the temperature was still a bit low. They could go for a ride after they returned from the mission, when it had fully warmed up.

"Luggage…" Zheng Yi looked at her hiking backpack. There was no need to bring so many down jackets and quilts, right? After all, they couldn't put things on the roof anymore. As for water… bringing two or three bottles for emergencies and putting them in the door pocket would be enough. The trunk of the car was now mostly filled with gasoline… They needed to take the car to a repair shop to get the tires changed. It would be bad if they had a blowout on the road. Should they buy another spare tire to keep in the trunk?

Tire chains… they didn't need tire chains anymore either.

Zheng Yi packed simply. She still planned to bring pots, bowls, and pans. Who knew how long this trip would take? They couldn't go without a single hot meal, right? These miscellaneous items could also be stuffed in the trunk.

She should bring an extra down jacket, just in case the old grandma got cold and wanted to wear it. Quilts… just bring one. They could make do sleeping in the car; there were small blankets inside. If an emergency came up, she had more in the truck. She just didn't know if she could pull them out without arousing Yu Yinan's suspicion.

Yu Yinan, on the other hand, had little to pack. Her only possession was the motorcycle, which was currently in Zheng Yi's hands. When she saw the bounty, she had seriously considered the possibility of trading the motorcycle for the modified car. In the apocalypse, a motorcycle might not be that practical. It might be more mobile and agile, but it wasn't good for long journeys, and there was no way to rest during a trip. All things considered, trading it for the modified car would be a better deal.

Although she was truly reluctant to part with it. After all, that bike had been with her for a long time and had given her so much excitement and freedom.

However, these were just thoughts. Yu Yinan wanted to secretly make the trade behind Zheng Yi's back, but she couldn't get her hands on it.

Taking the car to the modification shop to have the mechanic change the tires, plus an extra spare, cost Zheng Yi 10 contribution points. She had Yu Yinan wait there to drive the car back to the underground garage after the change, while she herself wandered around, spending another three contribution points on some miscellaneous daily necessities.

This was, of course, a cover.

She took the opportunity to have Zero One retrieve a large amount of daily necessities from the truck, mixed them with the purchased items, and carried them home in large and small bags.

Towels, bath towels, shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, rinsing cups, laundry detergent… all sorts of daily necessities. Now they were completely stocked. Zheng Yi even took out three washbasins, along with a plastic bucket and a large bathtub, completely filling up the bathroom.

In short, they could now enjoy a comfortable bath whenever they wanted.

"Jiejie, I'm done washing. Your turn~" Zheng Yi walked out, fresh and clean. As a water ability user, she didn't even need to dry her hair after washing it. A rosy flush from the warm water still lingered on her face. She quickly ran into the bedroom, flopped onto the bed, and looked up at Yu Yinan. "I've already filled the tub with clean water. But you'll have to heat it yourself, Jiejie, okay?"

"Okay." Yu Yinan reached out and touched Zheng Yi's pink cheek. "Don't wait for me. Go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."

"Okay. What do you want for breakfast tomorrow, Jiejie? Noodles? Instant noodles? Or we could eat at the cafeteria… Let's go to the cafeteria. We'll ask Grandma Xu to join us. My treat." Zheng Yi quickly made a decision. As a Saint, she naturally had to take care of everyone on her team. Besides, Xu Lanjun… an old woman like her was quite unique. Zheng Yi was happy to spend time with her.

"Okay. We can also buy some extra steamed buns at the cafeteria to eat on the road." Of course, the extra steamed buns wouldn't be included in the three-contribution-point meal price and would have to be paid for separately.

And so, they had a good night's sleep.

The next morning, after washing up, Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan were dressed and ready. Zheng Yi shouldered her hiking backpack, while Yu Yinan carried the miscellaneous pots and pans. They were about to go to the underground garage to put their things in the car before finding Xu Lanjun for breakfast. But when they opened the door, they found a woman in a large trench coat standing in front of it, seemingly having waited for a long time.

Chu Yi.

Chu Yi had faint dark circles under her eyes and didn't look very energetic, but when the door opened, she still nodded at Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan. "Your Two-Person Squad has three members in total, correct?"

"Yes," Yu Yinan replied, a little confused as to why this person was here. But she quickly figured it out: no wonder the mission had an additional reward. She had been wondering how the shelter assessed the danger level. So they were sending someone to accompany them?

"Since this involves the disappearance of an ability user squad, the shelter's upper management has sent me to document the situation." Chu Yi's expression wasn't very good when she said this, and if you listened closely, you could hear a hint of gritted teeth in her voice. Clearly, she hadn't volunteered. "I will travel with you, but I won't help you with your missions. I'm only responsible for recording what happens."

After saying this, she picked up the backpack on the floor, slung it over her shoulder, and looked at them. "You don't need to mind me. I'll be troubling you for the next few days."

"But aren't you the person in charge of managing ability users?" Zheng Yi asked curiously. "If you leave, who will be in charge of registering them?"

"Not many people are coming to seek refuge these days, so my original workload wasn't high… Someone is covering for me." Chu Yi sighed. "It's precisely because I'm in charge of managing ability users that when a squad accepts a mission to investigate a disappearance, I have to go along and observe the situation."

"Don't worry, I won't be completely hands-off. I won't help with the cleanup missions, but as for the disappearance… if we encounter a particularly troublesome enemy, I'll help out." Chu Yi's eyes were listless as she said self-deprecatingly, "Just think of me as a free hired hand. The kind that doesn't take contribution points and brings her own meals."

Chu Yi… looked exactly like a corporate drone who had lost her soul to overtime.

She let out a long sigh. "Let's go. Don't mind me; I'll keep up."

After saying that, she seemed to remember something. Her eyes brightened a little, and she looked at Zheng Yi, a bit more energy in her voice. "By the way, thank you for the canned beef. It was delicious."

"You're welcome. You've helped us a lot, too." Zheng Yi waved her hand. "We're planning to put our luggage in the car in the underground garage first, then go find our other companion. We're going to the cafeteria for breakfast in a bit. Have you eaten? Would you like to join us?"

"The cafeteria? Sure, that works."

In any case, they had another traveling companion.

Xu Lanjun clearly knew Chu Yi. She had no questions about the extra person on the trip and accepted it readily. Apparently, she had guessed someone might accompany them when she saw the mission.

After all, five ability users had gone missing… Their squad only had three people. Even though they'd accepted the mission, they didn't seem particularly reliable. It would be bad if another three went missing. The shelter's management probably wasn't very confident in them.

"Grandma Xu." Chu Yi greeted Xu Lanjun in a low voice when she saw her. After putting their luggage in the car with the others, they continued toward the cafeteria. She followed at the very back, rubbing her temples with a headache. She had just received the news about the field mission last night while she was training her ability. She had been planning to rest only after the piercing pain in her brain made it almost impossible to use her power. After all, according to her usual routine, she was supposed to be slacking off for the next few days with no major tasks. But the news had come at that exact moment.

Zhou Xiyue, she really is inhuman.

Of course, a bowl of hot congee in the cafeteria right now would do a good job of soothing the stabbing pain in her mind. Chu Yi paid the contribution points, thinking this to herself. As she turned around with her bowl of congee and a steamed bun, she saw Zheng Yi pull a jar of spicy shredded papaya from her down jacket pocket.

Seriously, why does she pull everything out of her pockets?

Zheng Yi used clean chopsticks to place some of the shredded papaya onto a small plate in the middle of the table. The bright red chili oil looked fragrant. "Everyone, help yourselves. Don't be shy."

After saying that, she picked out some more from the jar and put it in Yu Yinan's bowl, then smiled at her.

"…" Chu Yi pursed her lips, finding it a bit hard to watch. She took a bite of her steamed bun, and without refusing, she picked up some of the shredded papaya and ate it with her congee.

After they finished breakfast and were walking to the car together, Chu Yi, walking beside Yu Yinan, suddenly asked, "How long have you two been together?"

"What?" Yu Yinan didn't quite register the question. "Me and Zheng Yi? We only met after the apocalypse."

"You got together right after you met? So two months at most?"

"…" Yu Yinan finally understood. Her whole body flushed, and her face turned bright red. "No, I… Zheng Yi and I are good friends. We're not… not in that kind of relationship."

"You're not?" Now it was Chu Yi's turn to be surprised. But the first time they met, Yu Yinan had definitely been jealous, right? Her judgment of people was usually very accurate. She had even mused later that young couples these days liked to call each other "Jiejie" so intimately, what a unique kind of charm. But it turned out she was really just a sister?!

"Sorry, that was presumptuous of me." Chu Yi looked away, feeling a little awkward. She had originally wanted to ask for some advice, to learn from them, but now it seemed… she shouldn't have brought it up. They seemed so intimate, and they weren't biological sisters. Was this what friendship between straight women was like?

Her judgment of people had been so accurate, both before and after the apocalypse!

The distance from the surface to the underground garage was short, only a few minutes' walk at a steady pace. But the distance could also be very long—long enough for Chu Yi to silently distance herself from Yu Yinan and walk at the back, long enough for Yu Yinan's gaze to avoid Zheng Yi's, and long enough for her body to go completely stiff again when Zheng Yi came over and looped an arm through hers.

"Did she say something to you, Jiejie?" In an instant, Zheng Yi's expression changed. She looked wronged and pitiful, with a hint of anger. "Do you hate me now?"

Zheng Yi's expression was incredibly vivid. Her eyes reddened instantly. She bit her lip lightly, her long eyelashes trembling as a mist welled up in her eyes.

"No, not at all." Yu Yinan didn't know how to explain. She could have just openly told Zheng Yi about Chu Yi's misunderstanding like it was a joke. Everything would have been cleared up, and Zheng Yi might have even sighed helplessly or laughed along. But, but…

Yu Yinan didn't quite understand her own heart. She didn't know what she was thinking. But she didn't want to voice that misunderstanding, neither seriously nor jokingly.

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