Chapter 18: First Contact

Chapter 18: First Contact

Outside, a woman spoke in an affected, coquettish tone, "Hey there, big brother, open up. I'm Ava Johnson from the neighboring team, the captain sent me over to negotiate with you."

Alex frowned.

He hadn't expected the neighboring team to come knocking on his door before he made a move.

"If it's about teaming up, I'm not interested. Please leave," Alex replied without opening the main gate.

For others, teaming up made it easier to gather supplies and deal with zombies, making survival more likely. But for him, other people were the biggest threat.

"Hey there, don't be so quick to refuse, let me in first... Look at me, my backpack is empty, I have nothing..." Ava volunteered, opening her backpack.

As Ava had said, there was nothing in her possession that could threaten Alex's safety, which indeed showed her sincerity. Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com

After a moment's thought, Alex opened a crack in the door, ready to shoot at any moment.

Then, cautiously, he let Ava sidle in.

She was a woman with a hot figure but an ordinary face.

Her clothes were tattered, her body partly exposed, it was unclear if it was due to poor conditions or intentional seduction.

Alex chuckled inwardly.

Such goods might have caught his eye before, but after spending so many days with Mia, his standards had risen sharply in just a few days.

"Wow, little brother, is this a golden-tier blueprint? Looks like you're the real deal, huh, 10086..." Ava said admiringly.

Alex remained expressionless.

This was exactly what he was most worried about.

As soon as the barrier wall was built, Ethan's team knew his identity right away.

Though Alex didn't expect to keep his identity hidden forever, now was not the time.

If Ethan's team were to reveal his identity on the chat channel, Alex, with his current strength, would be in a passive position.

After all, everyone knew he had a lot of supplies, and there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't have ulterior motives.

Alex narrowed his eyes, smiling without warmth, "So, is your team only interested in my identity?"

Ava giggled, covering her mouth, "Little brother, why are you being so formal? Maybe we still have a chance to be teammates, don't you want to invite me in for a chat?"

Alex squinted at Ava, unsure of her intentions.

"But still," he said with a smile, "guests are welcome, since your team has shown sincerity, I won't be stingy. Please, come in."

In another villa, Ethan and his group received the message from Ava on the team channel.

Ethan laughed heartily, giving her a hard squeeze until Ava winced slightly before releasing her satisfied.

He leisurely said, "Ava, tomorrow, go find out about the situation on the 10086 side, don't carry any weapons. Once inside, make sure to gain the other party's trust, and if necessary, fulfill all their requests."

Ava looked at Ethan in shock.

She naturally understood Ethan's meaning, and for a moment, she hesitated.

"Ethan..."

Ethan cut her off directly, his eyes cold. "What, you want me to say it a second time?!"

Ava, feeling helpless, could only nod bitterly.

"Yes, Ethan..."

Only then did Ethan's anger turn into joy. He kissed Ava's cheek and chuckled, "That's my good woman. Let me continue to cherish you..."

So, the scene of Ava knocking on Alex's door the next day occurred.

After leading Ava inside, Alex first ordered Mia to stay put on the second-floor balcony, occupying the high ground to observe any movements from Ava's teammates.

Then, he had Ava sit in the living room.

"Ava, let's have a chat while we sit. I haven't eaten yet, would you like some fried rice and orange juice?"

"Sure, since little brother invited me for a meal, I certainly can't refuse."

Alex nodded and took the items out of his backpack, placing them on the table.

Smelling the aroma of the fried rice, Ava couldn't help but swallow involuntarily.

Since coming to this post-apocalyptic world, even filling her stomach had been difficult.

Things like fried rice and orange juice seemed like a dream.

It was as if the experiences of these past few days were all illusions, and she was still the goddess cherished by men.

After eating a few mouthfuls of rice and drinking a glass of orange juice to moisten her throat, Alex got down to business.

"Ava, you mentioned earlier that you wanted me to join your team. I'm curious, what confidence do you have to invite me to join after knowing my identity?"

Ava wiped her mouth, still savoring the taste, and smiled. "Little brother, we have a large team of eight people. I'm sure you've seen us clearing out the zombie horde in the villa area before. That's not something just any team can accomplish."

Alex nodded.

"I admit, I've seen your strength, and indeed, it's formidable."

Before this, he wouldn't have had such a profound understanding of Ethan's team's strength.