PSW - Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi stayed there for three days.
The women had already taken a full inventory of Yongdu's food and supplies. There was even a considerable stock of vehicles and fuel. And after three days of consideration, they decided to stay in Yongdu for the time being. Si Haotian had cleared out the surrounding area very thoroughly; the neighboring cities were completely wiped clean, with no living people left. There weren't many of them, and with the remaining supplies, they had enough to live in Yongdu for several months.
As for the map Yu Yinan gave them, they had all looked it over and discussed it together. They even took the initiative to copy it a few times and store the copies separately. For now, they had no plans to leave Yongdu. They needed to rest and recuperate for a while. They would only consider visiting one of the three locations on the map once more of them had become ability users and they had enough strength to protect themselves and everyone else.
Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan didn't interfere with their decision. During these three days, Zheng Yi added nutrient solution to their food, which managed to restore their weakened bodies by more than half and increase their chances of survival. Before leaving, Zheng Yi even left them a few bags of rice and ten bags of frozen dumplings as a farewell gift.
However, the Saint Points provided by these ordinary women she had rescued far outweighed her expenses. Even though Zheng Yi had cooked all three meals a day for the past three days, purchasing the ingredients from the system store, this act of kindness was a profitable venture.
Compared to the ability users who had already died—who had offered up Saint Points merely to survive, awed by her immense power—these women's recognition and faith in the Saint came entirely from the heart. It was utterly devout, with every one of them providing 6 points or more.
The only regret was that no one offered nine Saint Points. Ten points, naturally, was out of the question.
Three days later, Zheng Yi turned the portable bed and shower back into capsules and stored them away. After making one last breakfast for the women, she and Yu Yinan bid them farewell.
"Few people are likely traveling around in the apocalypse these days. You should be safe here for the time being," Yu Yinan said softly, trying to reassure them. "But if you run into trouble, or if you find it difficult to get through the coming heatwave, you can go to nearby Zhongshan for help. The base leader there… she's a good person, and Zheng Yi did her a favor, so helping you shouldn't be a problem."
"If you ever need to find us in the future… after we've finished our business, we might return to Humanity's Light Shelter in Pujie." These places were all marked on the map, so there was no fear of them not being able to find them. As for Xuancheng… Yu Yinan wasn't sure what their attitude would be. But thinking of how Zheng Yi had appeared there like a true goddess descending, she figured that even if these women went there, the people in Xuancheng probably wouldn't dare to neglect them.
"We understand." The women's eyes finally held a glimmer of light. Hearing Yu Yinan gently repeat things she had already told them, they showed no impatience at all. Instead, they were moved and felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention. Most of them had red-rimmed eyes, and the more sensitive ones were already hiding and secretly wiping away tears at the thought of their two benefactors leaving. "You two saved us from hell… We will cherish these lives, we will definitely cherish them and strive to live on."
"Yes, we'll work hard to become ability users. In the future, if you two have any command for us, we are willing to die for you."
Yu Yinan felt she couldn't accept these words; their weight was clearly meant for Zheng Yi. But Zheng Yi showed no reaction or emotion. She simply gave them a slight nod, took out the modified car, and got into the passenger seat. So Yu Yinan just smiled at them and waved. "Just live well. This is your own life."
Without any more pleasantries, Yu Yinan turned, got into the modified car, skillfully inserted the key, started the engine, and drove away.
The survivors of Yongdu, the women, stared for a long time in the direction where the car had disappeared. A flicker of loneliness crossed their eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a renewed fighting spirit.
"Let's go. First, let's inventory all the supplies in Yongdu, sort them, and put them all in one place." One of the ability users straightened up, her expression serious, and quickly threw herself into the new round of rebuilding. "We've found the nearest water source. Let's collect some, bring it back to disinfect and filter it, boil it, then filter it again. We need to store up a lot."
Although they had a water-type ability user among them, her power was worlds apart from Zheng Yi's. Forget combat strength; even providing drinking water for everyone was a problem. It was clear they wouldn't be able to survive the coming heatwave like this. They had to start preparing early.
Fortunately, while Si Haotian was a monster, he had left behind many useful things. There was equipment for converting and storing electricity, which meant there were also cooling and heating machines. This was one of the reasons they felt confident enough to decide, after discussing it, to stay in Yongdu for the time being.
Driving the modified car, Yu Yinan's heart was still a little heavy with complex emotions. She thought about the future of those women, a vague sense of worry settling in her heart. After all, they were living in Yongdu. It was different from Humanity's Light in Pujie. Humanity's Light at least had a large population and was powerful, making it much safer.
Moreover, the suffering they had endured… it was too much, and it had lasted for too long. Even though they now had hope for the future, the shadow of that darkness probably wouldn't be so easy to dispel. This was evident from how easily they were startled awake at night and the frequent nightmares they had.
But she also understood that an outsider's help was limited. Zheng Yi couldn't possibly drop what she needed to do and stay behind to protect these people for the rest of their lives. To overcome the past and leave it behind, they could only rely on themselves.
And this was a truth Yu Yinan had learned long ago from her own experience.
But compared to what they had been through, Yu Yinan was a thousand times more fortunate. And now, besides relying on herself… Zheng Yi was also willing to let her rely on her to a certain extent.
"If you want to, Jiejie, you can pick any city and build your own faction after we get back this time." Zheng Yi glanced at Yu Yinan. She could guess what she was thinking just from her expression and spoke with a smile. "You don't have to stay by my side all the time, Jiejie. If there's something you want to do, you can go ahead and pursue it."
Yu Yinan was taken aback. She wanted to refuse, as she really didn't want to leave Zheng Yi. She already lacked a sense of security, and she felt that no matter how close she and Zheng Yi became, there was always an impenetrable barrier between them. This invisible barrier created a power imbalance, and she was clearly the one on the lower end.
But building a faction… Yu Yinan thought of those women, and of the girls she had met during the New Year's Eve dinner in Pujie. A surge of passion and impulse rose in her heart. She really did want to do something for them.
Yu Yinan unconsciously bit her lip. She stared ahead, as if still completely focused on driving, but her fingers tightened their grip on the steering wheel. Finally, she let out a long breath. "…I'm not… the kind of person who can handle all that. I can't be a qualified leader."
Besides, Yu Yinan wasn't confident she could do it well, nor did she feel she could bear such a responsibility.
"Zhou Xiyue and the others are doing a great job, and Base Leader Feng is also someone who doesn't get bogged down by trivialities." Yu Yinan thought for a moment, then stole a glance at Zheng Yi. Seeing no particular expression on her face, she continued, "Besides, I don't want to leave you."
"Jiejie, don't say you can't do something you've never tried. You're very capable, you just need to be more confident." Zheng Yi didn't think Yu Yinan was as incapable as she believed herself to be. If Yu Yinan were truly pushed into a high position and made to bear responsibility and pressure, even if she felt she couldn't do it, she would probably try her best for the sake of others.
As for Yu Yinan not wanting to leave…
In the beginning, Zheng Yi had tried her best to make Yu Yinan independent, to not see her as a pillar of support—whether emotional or otherwise. But now, Zheng Yi glanced at her. Plenty of heartless words she could say flashed through her mind, but she felt that other than hurting Yu Yinan and making her more insecure and sensitive, they wouldn't really change anything.
Yu Yinan always unconsciously relied on her and trusted her, with a hundred percent faith and devotion, willing to give her life and soul.
For someone who could give ten Saint Points, this kind of devotion seemed extremely normal and reasonable.
Zheng Yi didn't intend to continue this topic. So, for the first time in a while, she took out a sweet and sour orange-flavored hard candy and popped it into Yu Yinan's mouth. "Alright, just focus on driving, Jiejie."
"We've already helped them. The road ahead is one they must walk themselves."
The topic seemed to have shifted? Yu Yinan blinked, understanding that Zheng Yi didn't want to discuss it further. She licked the hard candy in her mouth, the sweet and sour taste spreading across her tongue. She narrowed her eyes slightly and refocused her attention. "Mm, I understand."
Let's hurry and get to Changping as fast as possible!
Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi took turns driving. They would stop early at dusk to rest and freshen up, then get back on the road at sunrise the next morning. They didn't stop much along the way; even when they encountered a few mutated beasts, dealing with them was a simple matter.
Zheng Yi still remembered her idea of taming a mutated beast when she had the time, but the beasts they encountered on this trip did nothing to inspire her to do so. Whether it was Si Haotian's reptiles in Yongdu, the mutated yellow and black dogs they met on the road later, or the fat black and gray rats that scurried out of the sewers, none of them passed the first and most important test: their looks.
As for the one time they encountered a fat white rat with snow-white fur and pink eyes, while its appearance was passable, Zheng Yi had no desire to tame a rodent pet.
Therefore, when the white rat sensed Zheng Yi's aura and fled in a panic, Zheng Yi didn't kill it or stop it, simply letting it scurry away.
They traveled north, reaching Yan'an in just two days, only a stone's throw away from Changping.
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