Chapter 94: The Ones Blocking the Way

“I understand. Well, you should get some rest. I’ll… I’ll head out for now.”

Mu Xue tucked in the blanket for him, but the next second, her wrist was caught by him. Lu Minli didn’t even know what had gotten into him. It had just been so long since he’d held her under the cold light of dawn. Seeing the person he liked sitting right in front of him so clearly, he suddenly didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want her to just leave.

The current situation was still unclear, and there were too many unknowns in the apocalypse. These people had been thoroughly investigated and tested by him before he decided to let them in, but he never expected there would still be spies among them. One of them was even a big shot, and he’d actually let that person right into his base. No matter how he looked at it, it was his mistake.

Lu Minli felt a sense of powerlessness he hadn’t experienced in a long time. He’d called Sang Chu down earlier, wanting to talk to her in private, but he’d underestimated how capable An Tan was. Now, all sorts of emotions were churning inside him.

Sensing that Lu Minli’s hand holding hers was trembling, Mu Xue pursed her lips slightly. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she sat down beside him, saying nothing, just quietly keeping him company.

Lu Minli said, “Xiao Xue, I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you into danger.”

Mu Xue shook her head. “With you, Yi-ge, and Jingwen-ge all here, I’m sure things won’t get too bad.”

He lowered his head, and Mu Xue softly said, “Minli, you know, I’m not that young anymore.”

“If it weren’t for the apocalypse, I’d probably already be working by now. Maybe I’d make some mistakes at work, maybe not, but that’s just life. You’re only a few years older than me and Sang Chu. You can’t expect yourself to never make mistakes. In the apocalypse, you’ve already done really well. Without you, Sang Chu and I wouldn’t have made it this far. It’s exactly because you care so much that we were able to escape from that base. Minli, I made it through those dark days before, and now it’s just another tough patch. I know I can get through this too.”

Bathed in Mu Xue’s gentle comfort, Lu Minli slowly sat up, head bowed, his voice slightly hoarse and aggrieved. “Xiao Xue, can I… can I hug you?”

Seeing Lu Minli on the verge of breaking down over this, Mu Xue didn’t pull her hand away. She nodded, her voice soft but firm, “Minli, don’t worry. I can definitely get through this.”

Lu Minli wrapped an arm around her waist, and out of her sight, the corners of his lips lifted in a subtle smile—where was that so-called despair now?

“Thank you, I feel much better now!”

“Mm-hmm!”

She didn’t want to see Lu Minli so down. As long as he could pull himself together, that was enough.

“So what should I do next?” she asked.

She relied a lot on Lu Minli and Sang Chu. She knew she wasn’t as clever as they were, so she couldn’t think of any way to avoid this crisis.

Leaning against her, Lu Minli whispered in her ear, “Just wait. Ah Chu will tell me what to do next.”

His breath tickled her ear, making Mu Xue’s ears flush red. Lu Minli saw her shy reaction and, unexpectedly, a little joy bubbled up inside him. He hadn’t thought that an unexpected crisis would bring such a pleasant surprise.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. Mu Xue, startled by his laughter, asked, “W-what are you laughing at…?”

“Nothing, just thinking that maybe things aren’t so hopeless after all. I actually feel a bit relieved.”

“What are you talking about…”

……

Shan Shuo and the others had no idea that at this moment, An Tan was taking Shan Shuo and walking out of the base.

An Tan only realized An Hao wasn’t around when he was halfway out. So there really was danger!

“I didn’t expect there really would be someone that amazing…”

He could actually sense the danger. Ever since he advanced to level seven, it had been a long time since he’d felt anything like this.

Sang Chu smiled, “Otherwise, why would I have risked my life to come back? Old An, you wouldn’t want your own people to die here, would you? In the apocalypse, you have strength, I have resources. As long as we cooperate, why worry about being trapped in one place?”

An Tan gave her an approving look and said, “As long as you behave, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

“Of course, I value my life. Being able to work with you, Old An, is my good fortune.”

Sang Chu had gotten up early to talk privately with Zong, not wanting him to act rashly. She’d just given him an ordinary plant. At the same time, she was probing, and sure enough, An Tan wasn’t easy to fool. Sang Chu let out a small sigh of relief.

After leaving the base, Sang Chu realized there really were a lot of people outside. If they’d attacked together, the base might really have fallen!

“Old An!”

A level-five ability user greeted An Tan respectfully, and among the group was a man called Doctor.

He stared at Sang Chu with sharp eyes. An Tan followed his gaze to Sang Chu, but she showed no fear, nor did she seem to care. An Tan couldn’t help but look at her with new respect.

“Boss Sang, what do you think of my offer?”

“Old An, you really do have some capable people under you. But I’m afraid you can’t keep them blocking the entrance to my base forever. I’m not unreasonable, Old An. Let’s talk.”

Seeing Sang Chu calmly negotiating with him, An Tan’s smile deepened. “Of course. Xiao Liu, Xiao Wang, Xiao Qin—go into the base and collect as many crystal cores as you can, as quickly as possible. Take as many as you can find.”

Doctor couldn’t help but say, “Old An, these crystal cores…”

“Are you questioning my orders?”

Faced with An Tan’s cold gaze, Doctor swallowed his words. “N-no, I wouldn’t dare.”

“Then disperse, all of you. Don’t just stand here. I want you to check all the bases near Haishi as quickly as possible. Go, go, don’t linger here.”

“Yes, Old An. I’ll go take care of what you asked. The rest of you, follow your assignments. Liu Chen, Wang, come with me.”

After those named by An Tan left, the rest also left in an orderly fashion. An Tan, still smiling, looked at Sang Chu. “Boss Sang, are you satisfied now?”

Sang Chu: …Satisfied your ass, you lunatic!

“Of course, Old An. Since the people blocking the entrance are gone, I’ll head back now?”

An Tan replied, “No rush. I’d like to take a good look at your place, Boss Sang. Since it’s rare for me to be here, how about you show me around?”

Sang Chu: …Show you around my ass!

Despite her inner complaints, Sang Chu kept a calm facade. “Of course, Old An. Where would you like to go?”

“Let’s just walk around. It’s not easy to find a base like this with a complete lighting system in such a short time. You must have put in a lot of effort, Boss Sang. I’m sure the location isn’t random either—there must be something special about it.”

Sang Chu’s heart skipped a beat, worried he’d see through something. But she kept her composure. “There’s nothing special about it. It’s just a hidden spot in the mountains. But no matter how well hidden, Old An still found it. I think you’re the one with something special, Old An.”"