117: Chapter 117 The Hunger Games

The modified off-road vehicle was like a steel beast, cruising unhurriedly along the abandoned highway.

In the afternoon, a bit of sunlight actually emerged, swirling across the car windows.

Qi Yin sat in the passenger seat with the folding laptop spread across her lap.

She divided the screen into several small windows; the one in the center showed the movement status of Tian Zining's vehicle ahead.

With Xiao Sinian's tracker to reference, getting this group's whereabouts was a piece of cake, wasn't it?

She adjusted the angle of the Iron Dragonfly, and the captured footage was just enough to see the situation inside the car clearly.

There was nothing wrong with the atmosphere inside the car, except that Wang Hui, who had been so arrogant this morning, seemed a bit off.

Qi Yin curled her lips, took a bite of the pear Xiao Yu had given her, and tossed one to each of the three men in the back seat.

Considering Xiao Sinian was driving, she could only act as a pear stand, feeding him a bite every now and then.

However, she kept feeling like something was licking her hand.

Looking up, that fellow Xiao Sinian seemed completely normal, staring straight ahead and driving seriously.

Maybe she was overthinking it?

As the pear's fragrance exploded in her mouth, Qi Yin stopped overthinking and focused on the screen again, failing to notice the upward curve of Xiao Sinian's lips.

At that moment, Wang Hui was huddled in a corner, her face slightly pale, fingers constantly twisting the hem of her clothes, her mouth silently muttering something.

She would say a few words, then become frustrated again.

Qi Yin knew she was trying to contact the space that she had devoured.

"Keep dreaming."

Once something was in her hands, wasn't it hers?

Qi Yin adjusted her seat, finding a more comfortable position.

From the screen came sparse, noisy sounds.

It seemed Tian Zining and the others were asking Wang Hui for food; after all, it was noon, and mealtime had arrived.

Wang Hui stammered, contrary to her previous dawdling nature, and hurriedly took a few shriveled buns from her backpack to distribute to the hungry, expectant team members.

She squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying: "Um, the space is currently upgrading, so I can't take things out for now. Everyone, just bear with it for a bit. Tonight, you'll be able to eat... eat your fill."

Driving, Xiao Sinian glanced at the screen, his lips curling into a mocking arc.

"Space upgrade? She certainly knows how to make excuses."

So far, although he hadn't seen many Spatial Ability Users, there really didn't seem to be any that could upgrade.

Qi Yin's might be an exception; it seemed endless, holding as much as was put in, with absolutely no need for an upgrade.

If Qi Yin knew what he was thinking, she would have to argue a bit—upgrading was indeed necessary, otherwise, how would those strange potions be used?

Qi Yin turned off the screen and stretched. "It's just a deathbed struggle."

"Boss Xiao, drive slower. We need to arrive 'just' as they're making dinner. The stage is set; the main characters can't show up too early."

Xiao Sinian didn't say anything, but his foot eased off the accelerator slightly.

Lu Yanxiu and the others in the back seat looked at each other, sharing a silent understanding.

In any case, following Qi Yin and Xiao Sinian always guaranteed some entertainment.

Finally, as the sun began to set, the red dot on the tracker stopped. Qi Yin took a look; it was an abandoned villa in the suburbs.

Xiao Sinian quietly glided the off-road vehicle nearby, separated by an overgrown garden.

Through the weeds, they could see Tian Zining's two vans parked in front of a relatively intact villa; it seemed they planned to spend the night there.

With a lollipop in her mouth, Qi Yin looked up and met Xiao Sinian's eyes, and both of them smiled at the same time.

"It's time for our entrance."

Lu Yanxiu and the others followed behind, intentionally stepping on branches to make noise.

Tian Zining, who was directing his subordinates to clean the villa's living room, looked up and saw the five people walking toward them against the light—especially Qi Yin and Xiao Sinian. His heart immediately sank, and his expression became extremely ugly.

Why these two death gods again? They were like lingering ghosts.

His men and those Black-Robed Persons also instantly grew tense, instinctively gripping their guns.

Qi Yin pretended not to see the tension, biting her lollipop as if she were entering her own home, relaxed and at ease.

"Oh, what a coincidence."

Her gaze swept over the startled Tian Zining before finally landing on the nervous Wang Hui hiding behind the others, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Very clean, very beautiful, and very dazzling.

But unfortunately, it forced Tian Zining to be on his guard.

Coincidence my foot; wasn't it obvious they had followed them? It seemed they needed to speed up their actions to avoid any complications.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he said calmly, "What is the meaning of this?"

His eyes scanned warily between Qi Yin and Xiao Sinian, as if trying to see through them.

"Literally," Qi Yin shrugged indifferently, biting through her lollipop.

"Just passing through. It's dark, so we're looking for a place to sleep. Don't worry, we'll mind our own business."

Having said that, she ignored them and gave Xiao Sinian a look.

Xiao Sinian's soft eyes flickered. He led Lu Yanxiu and the others straight to a relatively clean corner, tidied it up briefly, and chopped up an old sofa for firewood.

A blue-purple flame condensed in his hand, and in just a second, a campfire was blazing.

Tian Zining's eyes flickered, and he instinctively clenched his fists.

This was the first time he had seen this man use a Supernatural Ability—a Fire-type Ability User! And judging by the color of the flames, it was likely a Mutated Fire Type.

Just as the Lord had said, this person was someone he couldn't afford to provoke.

Having finally finished tidying up, his brothers were tired and hungry. Changing locations was clearly unrealistic. He hoped that, as Qi Yin said, they could mind their own business tonight.

After waiting a while, Tian Zining saw that Qi Yin and the others really seemed to just be looking for a place to rest with no intention of causing trouble. He breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his heart remained uneasy.

Suppressing his doubts, he rubbed his empty stomach and barked at Wang Hui.

"What are you still standing there for? It's been all day; is your space still not finished upgrading? Hurry up and take out some food."

Wang Hui trembled at his shout, the color draining from her face.

Her lips quivered, and her feet seemed rooted to the spot, unmoving.

What on earth was going on? She really couldn't contact the space. She had been trying to sense it all day, but there was no reaction at all.

It was as if her Spatial Ability had never existed.

Now, let alone food, she couldn't even take out those weapons.

What should she do?

"Brother Zining... the space is still upgrading, I can't... take anything out." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's, and her gaze was evasive.

Tian Zining was already hungry, and seeing Qi Yin's group made him even more irritable. Hearing this, he flew into a rage.

"Bullshit! You said it was upgrading during the day, and it's still upgrading now that it's dark? Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Wang Hui was on the verge of tears, gesturing wildly and backing away repeatedly. "Really, I'm not lying to you. This upgrade is different; it takes time. Just... wait a bit more."

"Wait my ass." Everyone was famished, their patience exhausted. One of them stepped forward and grabbed her hair.

"You bitch, are you hoarding things again? Are you trying to starve us to death?"

With that, he delivered a loud slap.

Slapped to the ground, Wang Hui sat there clutching her face and weeping. "Even if you beat me to death, I can't take anything out. It really is upgrading."

Now, he had to find a chance to escape; otherwise, if he couldn't produce the weapons when they returned, the Lord would never forgive him.

His men were too hungry to argue with her, so they pulled out compressed biscuits from their backpacks and chewed them resignedly.

On one side, there was hunger and chaos.

On the other side, Lu Yanxiu had already set up a small pot, and Qian Dong took out vacuum-packed beef, potatoes, and onions that Qi Yin had prepared long ago.

Under Lu Yanxiu's skilled hands, the beef was soon bubbling in the pot. The rich aroma of meat mixed with the scent of spices forced its way into everyone's nostrils.

"Gurgle!"

Someone's stomach growled betrayingly, followed by a second, then a third...

Tian Zining's group of men stared intently at the pot of beef, salivating wildly. The compressed biscuits in their hands suddenly tasted like wax.

Lu Yanxiu glanced at them, stirred the broth with a spoon, scooped up a piece of tenderly stewed beef, and blew on it.

He intentionally said loudly, "Wow, it's cooked perfectly! Yin Yin, this beef smells amazing!"