Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Disdain

Fengting Garden was the Zhang family’s villa district.

Before the apocalypse, this area had been sectioned off and landscaped with a large expanse of greenery.

Unfortunately, due to the scorching weather, the green belt was now a swath of withered yellow, giving it a somewhat desolate appearance.

On his first day in office, Base Chief Zhang found the withered grass particularly unsightly and felt it was a bad omen, so he ordered his men to tear out the entire lawn.

Now, workers were laying colorful cobblestones on the bare earth, creating a path all the way to the villa’s main gate.

After a clamor of footsteps, several City Defense Team members came running, carrying a pale-faced Zhang Biyun on a stretcher.

A few workers glanced up before quickly lowering their heads to continue their work.

When Zhang Biyun was brought back, she had already fallen into a feverish stupor.

Zhang Defan took the matter very seriously and summoned two doctors to diagnose and treat his daughter.

A bewitching woman wearing a Butterfly Gauze Shawl, with a beauty mark like a teardrop under her eye, stood peering in from the doorway. She couldn’t help but chuckle. "What on earth happened? The young miss was perfectly fine when she left. How did she end up being carried back horizontally?"

Captain Wang of the City Defense Team trembled as he apologized. "I-I’m sorry, Base Chief. We failed to protect the young miss. She was attacked by an underwater mutated creature, and the situation was extremely dangerous."

"An underwater mutated creature?" Zhang Defan was astonished. "How did she get away? And was the mutated creature dealt with?"

Captain Wang then recounted the entire incident to Zhang Defan in detail.

Zhang Defan nodded. He didn’t blame them for their failure to protect her and simply told them to go back and get some rest.

As Captain Wang and his men left the room, they let out a long sigh of relief.

"By all rights, the young miss is a Healing Ability User." The woman in the Butterfly Gauze Shawl covered her mouth with a hand, giggling. "How could she let herself get into such a pathetic state? And running a fever? Can’t she heal herself?"

"Miss Jin Mingzhu, have you never heard the saying that a healer cannot heal themselves?" A rugged-looking man strode into the room, shooting a cold glance at the woman leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh, the young master is back." The woman, Jin Mingzhu, showed no sign of displeasure at being rebuffed. Instead, she just grinned and nodded at Zhang Zhennong.

She turned to Zhang Defan. "Honey, I’ll take my leave then. You and your son can have a nice chat."

Zhang Defan appreciated Jin Mingzhu’s tact and understanding.

He looked at his eldest son. "Zhennong, how are things going over at the administration building?"

"The network is almost connected," Zhang Zhennong said with a relieved smile. "Once we establish the database, points can be circulated and used normally within the base."

Zhang Defan clapped his son on the shoulder in approval.

The father and son chatted for a few more moments before Zhang Biyun slowly regained consciousness.

Seeing her father and brother sitting by her side, Zhang Biyun covered her face and began to sob.

Zhang Zhennong’s face filled with pity as he took his sister’s hand. "What happened? I heard you were attacked by a mutated plant. Wasn’t Gu Chen there? Did he not save you?"

Zhang Defan spoke up with a smile. "Young Master Gu was the one who saved Yun’er. Yun’er, how are things between you and Young Master Gu?"

It would have been better if he hadn’t asked. The moment her father brought it up, Zhang Biyun’s tears started streaming down her face.

Zhang Zhennong felt even more sorry for his sister. He put an arm around Zhang Biyun’s shoulders and asked, "What exactly happened? Did that Gu Chen punk bully you?"

"He didn’t care whether I lived or died," Zhang Biyun said, sobbing with indignation. "He even complained that I’m too old. I don’t think he’s interested in me at all."

Zhang Biyun was truly heartbroken.

A woman who had been pampered and lived a life of luxury since birth—how could she endure such a series of blows?

"How outrageous!" Zhang Zhennong was furious. "He actually dared to look down on our Yun’er."

But Zhang Defan waved his hand. "The Jingji Gu Family is no ordinary family. It’s only natural that they have high standards."

"Did you try talking to Lu Wei, the one who’s always with him? He’s from the Jingji Lu Family, too. Their family background is no worse than the Gu Family’s."

"Dad," Zhang Biyun cried, clutching the blanket. "Haven’t I embarrassed myself enough already? How many more times do you want me to lose face in front of others?"

"Dad, the Jingji Gu Family and the Jingji Lu Family may have top-tier backgrounds, but what’s so lacking about our Yun’er? I don’t think we need to go out of our way to curry favor with them."

Zhang Biyun’s tears flowed uncontrollably. "Dad, don’t you ever try to arrange meetings for us again. I can tell they look down on the Zhang family. I don’t want to humiliate myself in front of them anymore."

The corners of Zhang Defan’s mouth turned down slightly, his expression displeased.

"How is this considered humiliating?"

"It’s said that for a woman to pursue a man is to pierce through a thin veil. Yun’er, you’re so outstanding. Gu Chen will realize how wonderful you are sooner or later." After comforting his daughter with a few more words, Zhang Defan left with his son.

"Qiu Xiang, take good care of the young miss."

"Yes, Base Chief." The maid hurriedly bowed, a sycophantic smile on her face.

Qiu Xiang pushed the door open and entered, only to see the young miss sitting on the bed, hugging a soft pillow with a grim expression on her face.

"Go tell Wang Ao that I want all the information on that woman. As soon as possible!"

...

Early the next morning, her uncles followed the base’s Hunting Team to Lanshan for a hunting mission.

When Xie Ning got up a little after nine, the two of them had already left with the main group.

Gu Chen had sent a lean, short teammate over to give Xie Ning a points card, informing her it contained 7,200 points.

Xie Ning had seen this person before at the Tongjiang Tunnel.

He was the Earth Ability User everyone called "Qiangzi."

At a critical moment, he had created an earthen mound to save the remaining teammates but had exhausted all his superpower and fallen into danger.

He looked to be in good spirits now, so he must have fully recovered.

"Why so many points?" Song You’ai asked in surprise.

"Your Captain Gu previously said we’d get five thousand points for the collection trip to the pier. What’s this extra for?"

Huang Guoqiang scratched his head, revealing a set of bright white teeth. "Our boss said the pier mission was extremely dangerous, and we even encountered a mutated plant. Miss Xie made a significant contribution and deserves an extra two thousand points as a reward. The remaining two hundred are Aunt Song’s earnings from releasing water these past two days."

Song You’ai grew even more curious. "My earnings? Wasn’t I supposed to get fifty points each time I released water? Where did two hundred points in two days come from?"

"Oh," Huang Guoqiang explained with a grin. "It’s like this, Aunt Song. Because of your outstanding performance, you can release several times the amount of water as others in one go. So, our bro discussed it with the higher-ups at the water-filling station and got you a raise."

"From now on, you’ll get one hundred fifty points each time. Bro asked me to bring the new contract over for you to re-sign."

Song You’ai signed the new contract with a flourish of her hand and saw Huang Guoqiang out with a smile.

Meanwhile, Xie Ning ran upstairs to the small partitioned room in her suite and locked the door.

In a daze, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten for an entire week.

’This is actually a cognitive blind spot.’

It wasn’t until just now, when Qiangzi and her mother mentioned "releasing water" over and over, that it suddenly clicked.