CH 19.2

Chapter 19: New abilities (2)

Chi Xin was lost in thought when Cao Yan’s voice sounded, a little panicked: “You have the mission to save the world, I can’t force you to stay. But there are so many monsters around the base, can I ask you… Can I ask you to help my people?”

Yu Xiang blinked: “You want us to go find the monsters and kill them?”

Cao Yan looked ashamed: “I know this is presumptuous of me.”

He saw the people in the room were pondering and he twisted anxiously. When he raised his eyes, he noticed Ci Xin was quiet and soulful.

Suddenly, all eyes were on her. When she woke up from her contemplation, she realized everybody was looking at her with different emotions and she carefully moved on her chair.

“Chi Xin, Sister Chi, Goddess Chi.” Cao Yan acted as if he was grabbing a lifeline. His upper body tilted to the side and he implored, “I beg you, for the sake of the hundreds of people in the base. Please help us.”

Chi Xin: “I don’t…”

“I know it’s a bold request! But no one can guarantee to successfully clean up the area.” Cao Yan looked like he was about to cry, “Our poor base doesn’t have many things to hire you but as long as you like it, just take it away!”

Chi Xin swallowed back her refusal. The investigation of high-level zombies outside the base had indeed happened in the movie, but she had not been part of it. Yet looking at Cao Yan begging her, she couldn’t bear to ignore him.

Cao Yan took a deep breath and added in a low voice: “You have been here for so many days, you must have noticed I don’t have a lot of ability. I have been elected by the people of the base because I want to do well for everyone and since they all believe in me, I want to do more for them. You can take me with you and even use me as a shield if you encounter danger, but please, save everyone.”

Chi Xin was in a dilemma; her expression became even more indifferent and Cao Yan became desperate.

“Cao Yan, your cousin has caused Chi Xin a lot of trouble and this account has not been settled yet. Now you are begging for her help?” Yu Xiang was half-joking, half-serious, “No one knows what is out there and you are asking a girl to risk her life like it’s nothing.”

“Cao Qing…” Cao Yan replied sadly, “has learned his lesson.”

“Let’s help him.” Jiang Congyun, who had been silent all along, finally said before looking at Jing Xiubai tentatively, “I can now go on missions with you and I can heal you if you get injured. And if the monster Chi Xin encountered last night is indeed related to the research institute, it can be regarded as looking for clues.”

Chi Xin applauded her fearless spirit in her heart: as expected of the kind-hearted heroine!

Cao Yan also turned to Jing Xiubai with hope in his eyes. The hero kept wondering for a while more and suddenly stood up.

Chi Xin watched him walk to her and stretch out his hand.

“Chi Xin, I respect your strength and I admire you.” He was looking at her seriously and his gorgeous eyes had some sort of affectionate illusion, “On this road to search for the truth, I… we need you. Would you like to join us?”

Chi Xin stared at his splendid hand, a little unhappy. Was the hero recruiting her to join his army? She looked at Jing Xiubai’s handsome face, remembering that it had been the reason she had watched the movie in the first place. Yet, she couldn’t help but be stunned.

The hero… was so beautiful.

Everyone held their breath as they waited for her answer. Chi Xin’s strength was obvious to all, if she joined them, the chance of success would increase a lot.

But Chi Xin slowly shook her head and Jing Xiubai’s outstretched fingers curled up.

“I can come with you to investigate the zombies outside the base but I don’t want to participate in your big plan.”

Jing Xiubai’s eyes dimmed behind his lenses and Chi Xin pursed her lips, trying to not agree: “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” The hero calmly retracted his hand, “Everyone has a choice and I respect yours.”

Chi Xin looked out the window with a cold face, ignoring the various gazes on her. According to the plot, she needed to be abandoned by the protagonist group, how could she agree to join their team?

After rejecting Jing Xiubai’s offer, the mood in the room became more subtle. Chi Xin stood up and was about to take her leave when a signal sounded from Cao Yan’s pocket. He took out a satellite phone, adjusted his emotions, and answered: “This is Cao Yan.”

“Brother Cao, there is a woman outside.”

Cao Yan frowned: “Is it a wandering survivor? Let her in if she is not bitten.”

“That’s the thing. She says she wasn’t but the tester keeps showing red. We dare not let her in.”

“I will come with you.” Jing Xiubai said.

Cao Yan glanced at him gratefully: “Okay.”

“Wait, wait for me, I’m coming too!” Yu Xiang jumped up and looked back at Jiang Congyun, “Congyun, you just healed me. Your face is a little pale, you should go rest first.”

“I’m still too weak, otherwise you wouldn’t even need a splint right now.” Jiang Congyun’s soft eyebrows showed a trace of helplessness, “Then you be careful.”

“Don’t worry, it’s only one girl!” Yu Xiang winked, “And they’re both here, even if it’s a high-level zombie, they will reduce it to ashes.”

“What are you talking about?” Chi Xin had less trouble dealing with Yu Xiang than with the hero, “I did not say I was coming.”

“Let’s go, let’s go! There is nothing to do here, why don’t you come to watch the fun?” Yu Xiang grinned and wrapped his uninjured arm around her neck before being elbowed by her. He clutched his stomach, with a look of pain.

“You saved me so many times just to kill me?”

“Sorry.” Chi Xin was expressionless, “Reflex.”

She was telling the truth but the man didn’t believe her. He looked at her leaving the room and turned his head towards the only person left inside: “Brother, do you want to come too?”

Xiao Li finally broke free from his long meditation and raised a blank face: “What?”

“Exciting!” Yu Xiang repeated his tricks and grabbed his neck, “Let’s go see what is going on, the base is so boring. Every day is so dull, it’s unbearable.”

***

The group came to the wall and saw soldiers holding guns and vigilantly surrounding a small figure in the middle. When they noticed them arriving, one of them greeted them nervously, the one who had just called Cao Yan.

“Brother Cao, that’s her.” The man pointed to the figure, “There is no sign of mutation but we dare not let her in.”

Cao Yan looked at the girl: “Doesn’t it take three hours to mutate after being bitten? In any case, we cannot leave the door open like this. Bring her in first.”

The man nodded and turned around to give the order.

Chi Xin didn’t remember this part of the movie but there indeed had been some scenes with wandering survivors. But if she wasn’t surprised, she was still a little curious. It sounded like it was a lone girl, and it should not have been easy for her to survive and find the base.

But as the girl gradually walked in, Chi Xin’s face changed. As she looked at her white dress and her well-behaved smile as she let others point guns at her head, Chi Xin felt deeply shocked. Her pupils shrank and all the muscles of her body instantly tightened, almost ready to attack.

Jing Xiubai was also observing the girl but noticed Chi Xin’s abnormality and he turned his head with concern: “What’s wrong? Do you know her?”

His words fell on deaf ears.

More than just knowing. When she had watched the movie, she had hated two people the most; one had been the original Chi Xin and the other had been this girl.

When the original Chi Xin had stayed in the base, the protagonist group had rescued a girl on the road. Her name was Han Yiyi and she was comparable to the original Chi Xin. When she had been absent, Han Yiyi had taken on herself to cause trouble and a headache to the protagonists, until she had killed herself. But perhaps because the heroes had rescued the original Chi Xin before, they were more tolerant towards her.

Why did she show up now? The plot… had changed.

Seeing Chi Xin staring at the girl’s every move like a feral cat, Jing Xiubai looked over in thought. He patted Chi Xin’s shoulder and walked towards Han Yiyi. Yu Xiang was a little confused, he glanced back at Chi Xin and followed him.

Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang were both handsome and both of them must have been greatly praised before the end of the world. Han Yiyi quickly lowered her head to cover the ambition in her eyes and her voice became softer: “I really didn’t get bitten. I found the base after walking for a long time, I am starving…”

Yu Xiang rubbed his arms and glanced at Jing Xiubai: “Do you know her?”

Jing Xiubai didn’t answer but turned back to look at Chi Xin, who was still vigilant. She stood a little far away and couldn’t hear them talking but when she noticed the hero, she made psychological preparations and walked over, followed by Xiao Li.

“What is it?” She asked.

“She said her name is Han Yiyi.” Jing Xiubai stared at Chi Xin’s instantly pale face, “You really know her.”

Chi Xin’s neck snapped and she looked at the weak and delicate Han Yiyi. It was really her. Her last trace of self-comfort broke and Chi Xin really felt that this world was full of false deceptions.

Xiao Li looked at the girl thoughtfully: “Where do you come from and how did you manage to come here by yourself?”

Han Yiyi lightly coughed and raised her face again to reply. When she saw Xiao Li, her eyes lit up again.

A young wolf!

As for Chi Xin who was standing among the men, she was perfectly ignored.

“I escaped from a very scary place.” Han Yiyi showed a weak smile but her eyes were full of arrogance, “As for how I got here… because of this.”

Han Yiyi stretched out a finger toward a weed in the corner of the wall. In the stunned gazes of everyone, the grass grew larger at an incredible speed, until it was half a person tall. Sharp thorns sprouted from the ordinary weed, causing the man closest to it to dodge in horror. He wasn’t fast enough and a long slit opened in the sturdy trousers in an instant.

“This is a plant power.” Han Yiyi retracted her hand. She looked at everyone’s shocked expression, a trace of contempt in her eyes, “You don’t know about it, do you?”