3: Chapter 3 Hiring a Beautiful Assistant

Zhou Che was holed up in the wuling hongguang, rummaging through the supplies he had just obtained, feeling increasingly annoyed the more he organized them.

He was a legitimate Transcendent now; why was he still doing these menial tasks like moving, lifting, and organizing things himself?

What was the point of Awakening his Sequence and becoming stronger?

Wasn't it just to be superior to others, to stop doing these chores, and to have someone serve him?

Having figured this out, Zhou Che pushed open the car door and stepped out.

The group of ordinary people outside hadn't dispersed yet. Seeing him get out, they immediately swarmed around him in a noisy, chattering crowd.

Zhou Che frowned and raised his hand, pressing it downward.

Now carrying the aura of a Transcendent, his gaze turned cold, and the once-noisy crowd instantly fell silent, quiet and not daring to make a sound.

"I'm recruiting an assistant."

Zhou Che's tone was casual but carried an unquestionable sense of authority as he bluntly stated his requirements:

"Female. Must be able to drive. Must be proficient in life skills like doing laundry, cooking, and managing supplies—she must be able to do everything."

As soon as these words were out, the women in the crowd who met the criteria immediately pushed forward and obediently formed a long line.

Zhou Che crossed his arms and scanned them one by one.

After looking at a dozen or so, they were either plain-looking and appeared spineless, or had shifty eyes that would be hard to control; not one caught his eye.

Rather than saying they didn't catch his eye, it was more that he knew in his heart: if he was going to find one, he wanted a beautiful woman who was easy on the eyes and "capable." Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of his status as a Transcendent?

Until the next person in line stepped forward.

This woman had clearly used her last bit of mineral water to wipe her face. The dirt was washed away, revealing delicate, three-dimensional features and snow-white, dazzling skin, standing in stark contrast to the grimy people around her.

She gripped the knife in her hand, stepped forward, and said in a voice that was soft but firm:

"Mr. Zhou, I have this knife. I risked my life to collect it. I want to use it to trade for a chance to stay in your car."

Zhou Che glanced at the knife, his eyes narrowing slightly.

It was actually an strange object, though its ranking was likely quite low. It was probably hidden well, which is why it hadn't been confiscated by others.

Looking at the woman before him, she was exactly the type he wanted, so he decided on the spot.

"It's you," Zhou Che said. "What is your name?"

"Mr. Zhou, my name is Lin Wan," the woman replied softly.

Zhou Che turned to look at the surrounding crowd, waved his hand, and said impatiently, "Everyone disperse. I've made my selection."

The onlookers could only leave with longing gazes; many were still whispering underneath their breath, full of unwillingness.

"It's so strange. I've never seen this beauty before. How did she suddenly pop out of nowhere?"

No one knew that Lin Wan had always deliberately kept her face smeared with dirt and wrapped her chest tightly with cloth.

She knew all too well that in this apocalypse, beautiful women only met tragic ends.

Only by disguising herself as an ordinary, inconspicuous person could she live a few more days.

It wasn't that she hadn't thought about relying on other Transcendents, but those people already had assistants and wouldn't take anyone else;

That Wang Ba from before was clearly a savage and cruel piece of scum; falling into his hands would be no different from death.

Seeing that she was about to starve to death, she couldn't afford to gamble anymore.

The moment she saw Zhou Che had just awakened as a Transcendent and become a new rising star in The Convoy, she knew this was her only chance to survive, so she hardened her heart, dropped her disguise, and took a gamble.

Zhou Che grabbed Lin Wan's arm and led her back into the wuling hongguang.

He leaned against the driver's seat, pointed at the supplies filling the car, and swept a glance at the car windows that weren't closed tightly, his tone casual yet carrying an unquestionable command:

"Organize these supplies properly, then seal all the windows shut."

"Don't leave the windows open. It's inconvenient if people see what I'm doing in the car."

Lin Wan kept her head down, her ears turning completely red. She nodded gently and replied in a soft voice: "Alright, Mr. Zhou."

She knew clearly that this was the fairest trade in the apocalypse—trading service for survival, and obedience for protection.

Thinking that she might have to fulfill that "exchange condition" tonight, Lin Wan's face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato, and her heart beat like a drum.

But she had no choice; this was her only chance to live, so she had to accept it.

Zhou Che had no idea about the twists and turns in her mind. After driving for most of the day and narrowly escaping with his life from the hands of the Anomalies, he was already so tired his eyelids were fighting to stay open.

Seeing Lin Wan nimbly begin to organize the supplies, he simply leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to catch some sleep.

By the time he opened his eyes again, it was pitch black outside; it was clearly well into the second half of the night.

Zhou Che rubbed his eyes, turned his head to look, and was instantly stunned.

Lin Wan was leaning against the corner of the passenger seat, having actually fallen asleep as well, breathing softly.

And that pile of messy supplies had long been neatly stacked, and the windows were all sealed tightly, not even leaving a crack.

This girl was actually quite capable.

Zhou Che felt a bit more satisfied. He raised his hand and patted her shoulder: "Wake up, it's time to work."

Lin Wan woke up with a start, her eyes still a bit dazed, subconsciously thinking that Zhou Che wanted to fulfill that agreement.

Without thinking twice, her hands went straight to the buttons on her clothes and began to undo them.

The movement was hurried and panicked. As the collar loosened, her snow-white skin was instantly revealed, making Zhou Che's eyes widen; his Adam's apple bobbed hard, and his blood immediately surged.

But in the next second, he immediately came to his senses and raised his hand to shout: "Stop!"

Lin Wan's hands froze, her whole body stiffening in place. Her face turned red to the roots of her ears in a flash, her eyes darting away, not daring to look at him, and even her fingertips were trembling slightly.

Zhou Che was also a bit awkward. He coughed lightly and explained bluntly: "What are you thinking? I'm telling you to get up and cook. The Convoy is about to set off, don't hold things up."

Lin Wan's face turned even redder; she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. She hurriedly buttoned up her clothes, lowered her head, and replied in a soft voice, "Understood."

She hurriedly put her clothes back in order, turned around, and went to start a fire to cook.

The scent of food instantly filled the carriage. Zhou Che leaned back in his seat, watching her busy figure, a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

This assistant, he had chosen right.

Zhou Che had just finished eating, his stomach still feeling warmly full, when The Convoy started up again.

This time, it wasn't Zhou Che driving. Lin Wan was in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel, her eyes focused on the road ahead.

Zhou Che leaned comfortably in the passenger seat, tapping his fingertips against his knee, feeling a faint, ominous premonition.

The sky was terrifyingly overcast, with lead-gray clouds pressing down tightly overhead, and the wind was howling; it looked like a rainstorm was coming.

Just then, the voice of Captain Wu Jue, heavy as iron, suddenly came through the car radio: "Attention everyone—proceed at full speed!"

Zhou Che's heart immediately skipped a beat.

Once this order was shouted, it meant The Convoy was in big trouble.

He knew the rules too well; in the apocalypse, whenever they shouted "full speed," it meant the pursuing Anomalies were close at hand.

Once The Convoy sped up, there would inevitably be people who couldn't keep up. Those who fell behind would become the "tails" of the lizard, specifically to attract the Anomalies and buy time for the main group to escape.

This was the way of the world, cruel and without a shred of mercy.