Chapter 114: Temptation, the Reborn Appears

Hu Aiquan, now the nominal top leader of the Jiangcheng Group, was the most cunning and slippery of them all. Back when Qu Shangjin was toppled overnight by Gu Xu, leaving the Jiangcheng military district headless, Hu, as the second-in-command, rightfully took over. Behind the scenes, he consolidated military power, reaping all the benefits.

Now that Qu Shangjin was making a comeback, Hu Aiquan outwardly supported Gu Xu, but when it came to actual deployments, he dodged every responsibility, always putting on a pitiful act of incompetence and guilt. Yet, he’d turn around and play the innocent with Qu Shangjin as well, refusing to help either side or offend either party—clearly intending to sit back and watch the two fight it out.

How could Gu Xu not be furious? Without Hu Aiquan’s support, he had no army at his disposal, his title was shaky, and although he held some real power, without a strong military base, it was all just an illusion. If he lost it, there would be no graceful exit—only the harsh fate of the defeated. Qu Shangjin still had some lingering influence; his power wasn’t much, but it wasn’t nothing, and he wasn’t completely isolated. If it came to a head-on clash, it would be a brutal fight. Hu Aiquan was probably hoping to play the fisherman who benefits when the snipe and clam fight.

If you’re heartless, don’t blame me for being unrighteous. Now that Gu Xu had confirmed Hu Aiquan’s stance, he wasn’t one to drag things out. He’d already planned to go it alone, so when Qiu Feng heard his decision, he wasn’t too surprised and asked quietly, “Are we really pulling our people out?”

All along, because of the special status of the wood and medical systems, they’d kept a tight grip on them.

“Isn’t this exactly what they want? Everyone thinks this is a juicy piece of meat. Since Qu Shangjin wants it so badly, I’ll give it to Hu Aiquan instead. Doesn’t he want to sit tight and watch? Let’s see how he handles this hot potato when he realizes what it really is.” Gu Xu said, “Besides, Lu Shaoyang wants to set up a Chinese medicine garden. Let’s focus our efforts there.”

Qiu Feng thought for a moment and smiled. Lu Shaoyang was Hu Aiquan’s direct subordinate with deep ties to him, but lately, Lu had been busy researching new medicines and had been in frequent contact with Gu Xu. To outsiders, it looked like he was leaning toward Gu Xu’s camp, and his proposal for the medicine garden had been flatly rejected by Hu Aiquan. Now the two were at odds. Letting Hu Aiquan take over while pulling in Lu Shaoyang, plus the fact that they’d been running things for over two months, it would be easy to make things difficult for Hu Aiquan once he took over the medical system. He’d have no time to sit back and enjoy the show.

That way, they could focus on dealing with Qu Shangjin.

“As for Qu Yi, grab a few people and question them. I’ll go see Qu Nan myself.” Gu Xu’s eyes turned icy. “I want to see if Qu Shangjin will panic now that his own son has fallen ill.”

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept up. Gu Xu gazed into the distance. “Don’t you feel like something’s off tonight? Ever since nightfall, I haven’t heard the mutant beasts howling.”

Qiu Feng listened, then forced a smile. “I can’t sense anything, but the wind’s picked up. When it’s like this, people stay indoors—maybe those things do too.”

That’s what he said, but Gu Xu had a bad feeling. There seemed to be an unsettling presence in the air, agitating his powers. Suddenly, a drop of water landed on his brow, and then rain poured down in sheets, turning the world a blinding white in an instant.

The survivors outside the base were stunned, then started shouting and gathering their things. But there was no shelter under the city gates, so those near the entrance began banging on the doors, begging to be let in.

It was already so cold at night—if they spent the night soaked in the rain, how many of the hungry, exhausted people would survive?

When some of them saw Gu Xu and Qiu Feng, they rushed over, crying and pleading.

Qiu Feng sensed trouble. “Let’s head back.”

Though he also felt it was inhumane to leave people outside, this was Su City Base’s own business. As outsiders, they had little say and couldn’t do much.

But Gu Xu frowned, ignoring the rain as he looked up at the pitch-black sky. The rain stung his eyes.

He caught some rainwater in his hand, rubbed it between his fingers, and his expression suddenly changed. “Something’s wrong with this rain. Don’t let it touch you.” The two quickly pulled up their hoods. Gu Xu shouted the same warning to the crowd, but the roar of the rain drowned him out. He told Qiu Feng, “You go in first. Tell the gate guards to have Colonel Xiang Ting send people to maintain order, and report to the higher-ups—see if they can let these people into the base.”

Qiu Feng was starting to feel the rain’s icy sting too. After being soaked, he felt sluggish, his movements and senses dulled. He didn’t dare linger. “Be careful.”

With the chaos, looters were everywhere, but Gu Xu didn’t intervene—he was just one person and couldn’t control it all. He stayed only to prevent a deadly stampede or violence.

Watching the shivering, drenched people, he suddenly realized that after this rain, many would fall ill, leading to a huge demand for medicine. For the people of Jiangcheng, already lacking in medical supplies, it would be another disaster, while those who’d hoarded drugs would make a killing.

Wait! Hoarding, speculation, monopoly, profiteering...

Gu Xu’s eyes flashed sharply as he thought of something alarming.

Suddenly, someone stumbled and fell at his feet. Instinctively, he reached out to catch her—a girl collapsed into his arms, looking up in surprise. “Th-thank you.”

She was delicate and pretty, her face pale and fragile like a rain-soaked pear blossom, her dark eyes shining with tears and a stubborn innocence. Wet hair clung to her slender neck and shoulders, making her look heartbreakingly vulnerable.

Gu Xu gave her a quick glance and helped her up. “You’re welcome.”

The girl wiped rain from her face. She carried only a canvas bag, and a plastic suitcase had fallen open, its contents scattered and muddied. She hurried to pick them up, her wet clothes clinging to her curves, creating a strangely alluring sight under the dim searchlights. Even in the chaos, nearby men couldn’t help but steal glances, some even shooting jealous looks at Gu Xu.

Gu Xu’s eyes grew cold, almost imperceptibly. Suddenly, he spotted an ID card, bent down, and picked it up. “Yunhua Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd.?”

The girl gathered her things and stood up. “Yes, that’s the company I worked for before the apocalypse.”

“Who was your boss?”

“Huh? Oh, our boss was Zhu Yunhua.”

Zhu Yunhua?

Gu Xu narrowed his eyes and handed back the ID. “Take care of yourself.” Then he left.

The girl stood in the rain, staring blankly at his retreating figure, then looked at the name “Wen Mingli” on her ID and muttered, “Did I mess up the focus?” She’d dropped the ID so he’d remember her name, but he was more interested in Zhu Yunhua.

Was this the instinctive hostility between love rivals?

No, she couldn’t give up now—not after all her careful preparations and finally finding a chance. She’d even made herself look this pitiful on purpose. She had to win over the strongest before Bian Changxi arrived, or at least make herself unforgettable.

Maybe everyone thought Bian Changxi was dead, but Wen Mingli absolutely didn’t believe it. That woman was too stubborn—she’d survived worse, and since she’d already killed Old Zhang, how could she be taken out by a half-dead snake?

Wen Mingli recalled the information she’d recently gathered—it hadn’t been easy, since few knew the truth and everyone else had a different story. The people of Jiangcheng were deliberately kept isolated, making it hard to get the full picture. But the more she learned, the more shocked she became.

In this life, Gu Xu hadn’t lost any comrades. Though two of his five-person team were still disabled, they were all alive and well. He himself held a high position in the Jiangcheng Group. In her previous life, he’d achieved nothing in Jiangcheng and had been absorbed into the base’s administrative system as soon as he arrived. All her previous plans had been based on that scenario. Now, Gu Xu had almost no ties to the base, let alone any integration into its inner circle, rendering all her efforts useless.

She’d finally managed to rework her plans and gained a deeper understanding, but her confidence had turned to uncertainty. Too much had changed. Gu Xu was no longer the struggling, grief-stricken, cold, and distant man he’d been before. Her plan to win him over by sharing hardship was no longer feasible.

What drove her crazy was that Bian Changxi had met Gu Xu so early, and they got along well. The treasures and affection Wen Mingli had wanted in her previous life had all gone to Bian Changxi, and now she’d seized the opportunity again. What was so great about that woman? She was so foolish, she’d abandoned Gu Xu for Zhu Yunhua, and even lost her life in the end—why did fate still favor her?

Still, luck that’s too good eventually draws the heavens’ jealousy. Now, Bian Changxi was missing, and Wen Mingli had planted spies around the base. Once she was found...

Meanwhile, the supposedly “favored then envied by the heavens” Bian Changxi sat under the eaves, watching the rain that seemed to swallow the world. She checked her watch—it was just past midnight. The rain would last until dawn, then continue until nightfall, followed by an eternal, dazzling moonlight. She remembered that in her previous life, this disaster had killed many survivors—not just from zombies and mutant beasts, but from the cold, fever, and strange secondary infections. Some suffered terribly before dying.

It took the base a long time to realize the rain contained special substances, then to figure out the mechanisms of the various diseases and develop targeted medicines, which led to a massive medicine shortage. Right now, no one in Su City Base knew that death was already looming over them. But it wasn’t just death—there was also fortune. For ability users, this rain was more beneficial than harmful, with many more people strengthening their powers than dying. Even among ordinary people, a tiny fraction gained powers from this disaster.

If there was a reborn among them, they’d surely act before and after this rain.

Too bad she was too far away—otherwise, it would be the perfect chance to expose them.

She held out her hand, catching a handful of rain. She sniffed it, but found nothing strange—except that her powers, already restless, grew even more agitated.

The others, woken by the rain, came out in amazement. “This rain is really coming down.”

“If it doesn’t stop by tomorrow, we won’t be able to leave, right?”

“Even if it stops, the flooding will be bad.”

Everyone chatted, then praised Bian Changxi for her foresight. In this storm, ordinary houses wouldn’t have kept them safe.

“It’s freezing. Let’s break up some tables and chairs for firewood.”

“There are some blankets where the kids nap—let’s bring them over.”

“We can’t let the cars get ruined. Let’s move them to higher ground,” Chai Zhong said, slapping his thigh. As everyone was about to rush out, Bian Changxi, out of kindness, reminded them, “Put the cars in storage space if you can. This rain isn’t right—try not to get wet, especially those without powers. If you can avoid it, stay inside.”

It might be an opportunity, but with such a high death rate, few would want to risk it.

The rain grew heavier, until the only sound was its roar. Day was as dark as night. By the next afternoon, all the windows were rattling in the wind, rain seeping through the cracks, and the whole classroom was damp and cold. Outside, the water was thigh-deep—if the foundation hadn’t been high, it would’ve flooded in.

By then, trouble had started. George and Anran developed fevers, and half of Chai Zhong’s group fell ill, though the injured Bald Qiang was fine.

Bian Changxi herself felt dizzy and achy, her limbs heavy, her breath hot, and she was too tired to move. She was starving, but had no appetite.

She kept using her powers to cleanse her body, found it helped, and persisted. Once she felt better, she did the same for George and Anran. They suffered through the night, but by the early hours, all three finally improved.

“Are we finally okay?” Chu Hao, who hadn’t slept a wink out of worry, quickly served them hot porridge. The three finished it in a few gulps, even the usually reserved Anran. They were starving.

George drank several bowls, then excitedly said, “I feel like my power’s gotten stronger!” He waved his hand, and a column of air shot out, shattering an aluminum window and shaking the tables and chairs.

Chu Hao’s eyes widened. “Amazing! Did you just level up?” He asked George, but looked at Bian Changxi.

The concept of “leveling up” had come from Bian Changxi.

Bian Changxi thought for a moment. “You probably broke through to Tier 2.”

George cheered. His so-called “air” power had frustrated him for ages. Although it was an ability, it seemed useless except for fanning himself in hot weather. Wind users could make blades from the start—wind was air, so why couldn’t he make blades?

Now, he finally had some real power. He wouldn’t have to hide behind everyone else anymore.

Everyone looked at Bian Changxi. Chen Guanqing asked, “Miss Bian, did you level up too?”

Thanks to sissi2011 for a pink ticket!

Thanks to 摸不著啊 for a pink ticket!

Thanks to jane2007 for a pink ticket!

Special thanks to jane2007 for four “urge to update” tickets! But I can only look at them and sigh—I’m already a slow typist, and now my ideas are squeezed out drop by drop. Since leaving school, my brain has shrunk, I swear! Six thousand words a day is my limit~~~~~~

This chapter is a bit long at four thousand words. Hope you all enjoy it!"