Chapter 143 - 140: The Apocalyptic Big Shot Arrives 17

Chapter 143: Chapter 140: The Apocalyptic Big Shot Arrives 17

Ji Xiaosong looked at the hypocritical man before her, a surge of disgust rising within her. Her face, however, remained cold and detached. She shook Zhou Jian Country’s hand briefly before quickly pulling away.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone neutral. "Uncle Zhou, long time no see. I didn’t expect to run into you here."

Zhou Jian Country acted as if he didn’t notice Ji Xiaosong’s detachment, rambling on, "Yes, it’s quite a coincidence. A lot has changed since the apocalypse began, but our relationship shouldn’t. You and Ziheng had a history, after all. I can’t meddle in the affairs of you young people anymore, but if you need any help, just say the word. Don’t be a stranger."

At the mention of Zhou Ziheng’s name, Ji Xiaosong’s gaze turned a few degrees colder. Her lips curved slightly upward into a barely perceptible smile. "You’re too kind, Uncle Zhou. I can manage my own affairs just fine. Speaking of Zhou Ziheng, I haven’t seen him in a long time. I wonder how he’s doing."

Ji Xiaosong was deliberately testing him, wanting to see just how long Zhou Jian Country could keep up the pretense.

Zhou Jian Country’s expression flickered, but he quickly composed himself and gave a dry laugh. "I haven’t seen the boy since your birthday party. It’s a shame, I had business that day and couldn’t make it, so I’m not clear on the specifics of what happened. With the apocalypse, cell signals are spotty. I’ve tried calling him, but the call never connects."

’Of course he couldn’t get through to Zhou Ziheng.’ The day she’d transmigrated, Ji Xiaosong had burned Zhou Ziheng and Lin Miaomiao to ash, along with everything they had on them. There was no way anyone could contact them.

"So, Vice Base Chief Ji and Minister Zhou know each other?"

Xiao Qin Feng was a bit surprised, but then he recalled that Zhou Jian Country was also originally from Chenming City. If he hadn’t been in South City when the apocalypse struck, he never would have joined their Southern City Base.

Before Ji Xiaosong could respond, Zhou Jian Country clapped her on the shoulder and laughed. "You could say the Zhou Family and the Ji family were almost in-laws. My son and Miss Ji were engaged once."

Hearing this, Gu Lin’s knuckles made a faint CRACK inside his tactical gloves. He lowered his eyes, staring at Zhou Jian Country’s hand on Ji Xiaosong’s shoulder as his Ice Ability began to form minuscule blades of frost within his veins.

"Oh? I don’t believe I’ve heard Song mention such a thing."

He took half a step forward, his combat boot landing precisely on Zhou Jian Country’s shadow.

Suddenly, melting Ice Crystals re-formed, creeping up the shadow and onto the middle-aged man’s pant leg, where a rose sculpted from ice bloomed at his knee.

The wisps of hair at the nape of Ji Xiaosong’s neck stirred, though there was no breeze. Ripples from her Wind Ability silently shredded the tendrils of spiritual power extending from the hand on her shoulder, causing Zhou Jian Country’s hand to seize up abruptly.

When she tilted her head to look at Gu Lin, her pale earlobes flushed red—evidence of having been worried between someone’s teeth in the car earlier.

"Uncle Zhou, you must have misremembered. Our families did discuss a marriage alliance before the apocalypse, but Zhou Ziheng was in love with Lin Miaomiao, the girl who was always with me. They had already been physically intimate for a long time. Besides, I have a boyfriend now. It’s inappropriate to bring up the past."

Seeing how awkward the atmosphere had become, Xiao Qin Feng quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

A broad smile plastered on his face, Xiao Qin Feng hurried forward and made a calming gesture with his hands. "Hey now, that’s all in the past! What’s most important is that we’re all here together in this apocalypse, planning how to rebuild South City! Let’s set aside old grievances. Everything now depends on us all working together!"

As he spoke, he took Zhou Jian Country by the arm and shot a meaningful glance at Ji Xiaosong. "Minister Zhou, Vice Base Chief Ji, we’re all here for the future of the Southern City Base. Let’s not ruin the mood over trivial matters."

Zhou Jian Country gave an unnatural smile and subtly drew back his leg, which was still somewhat numb from Gu Lin’s ice. He nodded. "Captain Xiao is right. I was out of line."

Ji Xiaosong accepted the offered olive branch with a slight nod. "Captain Xiao has a point. For the sake of the Southern City Base, we should all be looking forward."

Although Gu Lin’s expression remained stern, he silently retracted his superpower. His gaze, however, still held a warning for Zhou Jian Country.

After that, the group proceeded to their seats with forced civility.

Xiao Qin Feng was the first to pull out a chair, enthusiastically ushering everyone to sit down. "Come on, come on, have a seat. Let’s get down to the important business of rebuilding South City."

Once everyone was seated, Xiao Qin Feng took a stack of documents from a folder and spread them across the table. "Here’s the data I’ve compiled on the damage to South City, along with a preliminary reconstruction plan. Please, take a look."

Zhou Jian Country quickly shifted into work mode, picking up a document. "I think we need to prioritize rebuilding the infrastructure," he said while reading, "especially the electrical and water systems. Otherwise, the base can’t even function."

Ji Xiaosong added, "Resource stockpiles are also crucial. We need to establish a stable supply chain as quickly as possible, as well as organize teams to clear the rubble and plan new residential zones."

The discussion continued. While the experience from rebuilding Chenming City provided a valuable reference, every city’s circumstances were different, so the plan still required adjustments based on the actual situation on the ground.

It was only then that Ji Xiaosong learned that when the apocalypse first began, Zhou Jian Country had donated half his fortune to the Southern City Base, securing himself the position of Minister of the Materials Department.

Before the apocalypse, the Zhou Family had been a titan in the food production industry, possessing more than one cold storage facility with a capacity of ten thousand tons.

The fact that he still held this position so securely spoke to his personal capabilities, which were not to be underestimated.

After a full day of discussion, they finalized the plan.

A plan had already been in place; they were simply making modifications.

That evening, after dinner, just as the group was about to get some rest, an alarm suddenly blared from the main gate.

The wail of the alarm tore through the night sky. The water cup in Xiao Qin Feng’s hand fell to the conference table with a CRASH.

On the monitor, they could clearly see a dense, black tide of zombies swarming in from three directions. A few mutated zombies were even scaling the rebar on the exterior of the perimeter wall, their dark purple Bone Spikes glistening venomously in the searchlights.

"It’s... a zombie with a Fourth-tier Superpower!"

The adjutant’s voice trembled. "Last time a horde attacked, the only six Third-level superpower users in our base had to fight to the death just to drive them back. The apocalypse has barely started, and a zombie with a Fourth-tier Superpower has already appeared. We’re finished..."

Gu Lin’s expression was serene. His lips curved slightly into a confident, faint smile. His piercing gaze swept over the teeming horde of zombies as he spoke, unhurried.

"There’s no need to worry. It’s only a single zombie with a Fourth-tier Superpower. While the number of zombies tonight is staggering, most of them are only First Rank. Their strength is comparable to most of the Superpower Users in our base, which puts them well within our control."

As he spoke, he gently patted the shoulder of a tense teammate beside him, offering a silent reassurance.

The roars of the zombie horde were deafening, sounding as if they would devour the entire world, yet Gu Lin remained completely unfazed. He stood ramrod straight, an imposing and indestructible mountain.

Ji Xiaosong nodded in firm agreement. "Exactly. Gu Lin, take two teams to the eastern flank and cut off their line of retreat."

The battle plan was decided in moments. Ji Xiaosong led the others, speeding directly toward the base’s main gate.