51: Chapter 51 Rescue Operation (Part 1)

While they spoke, Chen Quan served the last dish with a grin.

"All the dishes are ready. Old Xu, call that kid in to eat."

"You got it."

On the dining table sat steamed roast duck, boiled fish, chicken stewed with mushrooms...

There were also home-cooked dishes made with today's freshly picked vegetables: smashed cucumbers, tomato and egg stir-fry, and minced meat eggplant.

The two young girls couldn't help but salivate at the sight.

Qi Yin couldn't help but give a thumbs up in praise.

"Uncle Chen, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Chen Quan scratched his head sheepishly.

"Back when I was in the army, I thought about becoming a chef after retiring. I didn't have the time before, but now that I'm free, I've just been tinkering around."

Lu Jinwen couldn't wait to pick up a piece of the boiled fish, huffing and puffing from the heat.

"Wow, it's delicious! I love it! Make this more often in the future, Uncle Chen."

Comparing this to the tragic situation of the citizens at the bottom of the mountain who didn't know where their next meal was coming from, she felt she was simply too fortunate.

After eating and drinking their fill and cleaning up, no one wanted to move, so they lounged on the sofa, chatting idly.

The large screen on the wall was playing Lu Jinwen's favorite soap opera, and the several grown men who didn't usually like such shows were forced to join in.

As they watched, they actually started to find it somewhat interesting.

"By the way, Uncle Chen, there's a city-wide power outage now. Remember to pull all the curtains down at night," Qi Yin said seriously.

At this stage, order hadn't completely collapsed yet; it was better to avoid trouble whenever possible.

Jiang Yao raised his hand: "I set all the curtains to be voice-controlled today. If you want them open or closed, just give the command."

Lu Yanxiu casually tossed him an apple: "Not bad, Brother Yao! You actually have this kind of skill?"

"Just like Uncle Chen, I was just tinkering around!"

The two of them acting like clowns made everyone laugh heartily.

Qi Yin sat in the corner, quietly drinking her after-dinner coffee. The coffee was very bitter, but she loved the feeling of the sweet aftertaste emerging from the bitterness.

At that moment, the digital lock on the front door gave a beep; someone had entered.

Qi Yin took a sip of her coffee without turning her head. Other than Xiao Sinian, no one else could enter the shelter without her permission.

Chen Quan stood up and poured a cup of Pre-Rain Longjing tea for Xiao Sinian.

The others only gave a slight nod and then went back to their own business.

Even when he was in a wheelchair, Xiao Sinian held the title of the 'Yama of Kyoto,' let alone a Xiao Sinian who wasn't in a wheelchair.

With his terrifying aura, it was best not to offend him.

Qi Yin put down her coffee cup and curled her lips as she looked at the man who unceremoniously sat down beside her.

"Visiting so late, are those few still not recovered?"

Xiao Sinian shook his head, his voice sounding a bit weary.

"Only Mu Feng and Lei Jun have woken up. The others have improved but are still in a deep sleep."

Qi Yin thought for a moment, then patted his broad shoulder.

"Don't worry. As long as they haven't turned into zombies, the longer they remain unconscious, perhaps the stronger their Supernatural Ability will be."

If she remembered correctly, there were several Ability Users in the survivor bases in her past life who slept for ten days to half a month when they awakened.

"I hope you're right. However, I didn't come to see you today because of them."

Qi Yin lowered her hand and stared into his eyes.

"Then why?"

Xiao Sinian's voice turned low: "I just received word. There's a group of survivors at the Central City Hospital, about a dozen of them, and they're calling for help."

"And so? You want to ask me to save them?" Qi Yin's gaze was sharp.

Xiao Sinian nodded, crossing his hands in front of him.

"Yes. The Central City Hospital is mostly submerged. They've been trapped in the rooftop isolation zone for nearly ten days. Now that their food and water are exhausted, I'm afraid they won't last much longer."

Qi Yin caught the key point in his words: "Although I'm not sure how your Supernatural Ability reached Second-level in such a short time, with your current strength and over a hundred men under you, saving them shouldn't be a major problem."

As she spoke, Qi Yin moved her beautiful face closer to Xiao Sinian, her voice turning cold.

"So, what is your reason for seeking me out?"

Her gaze swept over Xiao Sinian, and she couldn't help but be shocked by the changes in him.

Her people's Supernatural Abilities upgraded quickly because of the crystal cores and the assistance of combat, but what about Xiao Sinian? Upgrading dual-system abilities should be even more difficult.

Xiao Sinian did not deny her words.

"Yes, if it were just the threat of the flood, saving them would be easy."

"But according to the information, the hospital's internal structure is complex, and there is a high possibility of zombies being present—zombies that might have mutated."

Qi Yin sat up straight instantly. Mutated Zombies? They've appeared this early?

It's happened ahead of schedule again!

Xiao Sinian's gaze fell on everyone present once more.

"Your team is relatively more experienced, and your ability coordination is more seamless. For such a complex situation, I think joining forces is the wisest choice to minimize risk."

His reasoning was sound, and the presence of Mutated Zombies made Qi Yin want to go and see exactly what was happening.

She looked at her team members; for such a dangerous task, she respected their choice.

Chen Quan sat up straight and said thoughtfully, "If Mutated Zombies really exist, the hospital is indeed a dangerous place, but I don't want to easily give up on a dozen lives."

Lu Yanxiu grinned: "Perfect, I can test the power of my improved ability."

"Huh? If you guys are going, I'm going too." Lu Jinwen fiddled with her clean white dress, having no objections.

Xu Yongning and Wen Yang naturally chose to follow, while Wang Tianyu and Jiang Yao would bring up the rear as healers.

Since everyone agreed, Qi Yin no longer hesitated.

"When do we move?" she asked Xiao Sinian.

Xiao Sinian finally breathed a sigh of relief. "In one hour. I'll send the specific route and emergency plan to your computer."

An hour later, three assault boats disappeared from the foot of the mountain.

The closer they got to the city center, the deeper the water became, and the scene grew increasingly dilapidated and unbearable to look at.

The continuous heavy rain and resulting floods forced the government to take action, so they occasionally saw armed soldiers in rescue gear.

The Central City Hospital was on low ground and was now submerged with only the top three floors remaining.

As they approached within ten meters of the hospital, Qi Yin expanded her Spiritual power.

After sensing the surrounding environment, she felt her scalp go numb.

She finally knew where the zombie hordes that had vanished since the start of the heavy rain had gone.

In this hospital, there were actually hundreds, even thousands of zombies!

Some could even move freely in the water.

"To hell with this!"

Xiao Sinian, beside her, only saw her face turn pale and didn't hear clearly what she said.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Xiao Sinian, you really owe me a big favor this time!"

Qi Yin turned her head and gestured for everyone to look at the three floors that hadn't been submerged by the flood.

*Hiss!*

One look was enough to make everyone gasp in cold air.

Densely packed zombies with ashen faces wandered aimlessly; some were even pressed against the windows, as if watching them.

"There are too many of them." Wang Tianyu was considering whether he, a healing-type mage, should even join the fray.

However, now that they were here, they couldn't leave without a fight.

Xiao Sinian gave a low shout: "I'll lead the way!"

——————

(To find out what happens next, please listen to the next installment, haha.)