Chapter 188: You Owe Me So Many Points—When Do You Plan to Pay Me Back with Your Bodies?

“Little sister!”

Huo Chenggui came running out, covered in dirt and grime, flashing a bright white smile at Shi Yuebai.

Thanks to Shi Yuebai, the mercenary corps had recently established a new squad: the Cooking Team!

Basically, after returning from the front lines, while other squads could go rest, this team still had to light fires and cook hotpot.

After all, the vegetables Shi Yuebai provided were all fresh and raw—they had to be cooked before eating.

No one wanted to join the Cooking Team. After five years in the wasteland, not a single one of the 200 mercenaries had lit a fire or cooked a meal in all that time. None of them could cook anything properly.

They either boiled the vegetables into mush or burned the pot dry.

They were all experts at fighting mutant monsters, but when it came to cooking, they were hopeless.

Fortunately, Shi Yuebai’s vegetables tasted great—even eaten raw, they had a unique flavor.

Still, a cooking team was necessary.

The Xiangcheng Mercenary Corps had evolved from the now-defunct Xiangcheng garrison.

Yi Zhe stubbornly insisted that a cooking team was standard equipment for them.

So, with 200 mercenaries, they had no choice but to draw lots for cooking duty.

Huo Chenggui had terrible luck—he drew the short straw ten times in a row.

So lately, every day after coming back from the front lines, he was either on his way to cook or already cooking.

“Hey sis, what kind of enhancement drug is this? How’s it different from a regular enhancer?”

Huo Chenggui pulled a strip of plastic film from Xiao Jiao’s backpack.

He peeled away layer after layer of plastic, finally revealing something the size of a nail.

“Is this edible?” Huo Chenggui held up the red fungus and asked.

Shi Yuebai turned around. She had a big face and thick, jet-black hair cut to her shoulders.

She looked a bit like a fluffy lion.

“This is called an enhancement fungus,” Shi Yuebai made up a name on the spot and encouraged Huo Chenggui, “Why don’t you try it and see how it compares to an enhancer?”

With Shi Yuebai’s encouraging look, Huo Chenggui popped the red fungus into his mouth.

“Hmm, at first it tastes a little astringent, but not too strong. Then there’s this lingering sweetness,” he closed his eyes and gave a poetic review, “The best ingredients always require patience. Gradually, I feel a warmth spreading through my chest… No, this is such a familiar feeling. It’s just like when I used to inject enhancers.”

Back then, enhancers weren’t as rare as they are now.

The Xiangcheng authorities weren’t so strict, either.

As long as the mercenary corps performed well, every member would get an enhancer as a reward.

That’s still the rule now, but it’s much harder to earn one.

In the past, defending a major city counted as a big achievement and earned you an enhancer.

Now, even if you clear out a new safe zone, it doesn’t count as a merit.

That’s just considered a business transaction—the city management pays points to hire Yi Zhe and his team. It’s a straightforward deal.

For the management, it’s just business. Yi Zhe and the others can’t do anything about it.

They haven’t received any enhancers in a long time.

If this keeps up, Yi Zhe doesn’t know how much longer his mercenaries’ bodies can hold out.

Now, with Shi Yuebai’s zero-radiation vegetables, at least they can eat healthily and suffer less from radiation.

Maybe it’ll slow down the rate at which their bodies mutate.

Yi Zhe looked at Huo Chenggui.

After eating that so-called enhancement fungus, Huo Chenggui seemed off.

His face, originally covered in dirt, now glowed red beneath the grime.

His body was visibly changing.

“You okay?” Chen Yong walked over, concerned.

He wasn’t worried that Shi Yuebai would poison Huo Chenggui with some toxic mutant fungus.

He was just worried that if Huo Chenggui went down, he’d be next in line for the cooking team.

That’s right—because of the lack of manpower, the newly formed cooking team only had one member.

They’d drawn lots for ten rounds, and every single time, it was Huo Chenggui.

Under Yi Zhe and Chen Yong’s watchful eyes, Huo Chenggui clutched his stomach.

“Oh man, my stomach hurts—gotta go!”

He pointed behind the command tent, left or right, and took off running.

Although the command post was set up here, the mercenaries didn’t have any fixed toilets.

Whenever nature called, they just found a hidden spot and squatted.

As soon as Huo Chenggui ran off, Yi Zhe turned to Shi Yuebai and asked, “Does one of these really cost that much? Can’t you give us a discount?”

He didn’t bother asking about the effects of the enhancement fungus.

He knew Shi Yuebai would never harm them—her stuff always brought unexpected benefits.

But with 200 people, and each enhancement fungus costing 100,000 points, that meant he’d owe her 20 million points in one go.

Shi Yuebai shook her head. “Just put it on your tab.”

Yi Zhe wiped his face. “Fine by me.”

At this point, what’s a little more debt? He already owed Shi Yuebai over 8 million points, and the number kept climbing.

“Since we’re already in debt, Yuebai, could you sell us some water too?” Chen Yong chimed in.

He knew Shi Yuebai had water, and glanced at her and the two girls, Da Jiao and Xiao Jiao.

The three of them were so clean it was almost unnatural.

The water the mercenaries used to cook vegetables was all dug up from the ruins in the danger zone.

You didn’t need a radiation detector to know it was heavily contaminated.

Everyone could feel that eating Shi Yuebai’s vegetables raw had no negative effects.

Sometimes, it even made them more energetic and focused.

But if they cooked the vegetables with the contaminated water, the benefits weren’t as strong.

Shi Yuebai looked at Yi Zhe and said, “Water’s sold by the ton. You’ll have to bring your own containers and come get it from me.”

Things were getting busier and busier.

Shi Yuebai didn’t have time to run around delivering water to everyone.

Anyway, the reservoir behind the public toilets was big enough.

She could just fill it up all at once, and Yi Zhe could send people to fetch water every day.

Seeing Yi Zhe had no objections, Shi Yuebai was about to say something when her communicator beeped.

It was a message from Ying Ruoying:

[Yuebai, our base is surrounded by Scarface’s men.]

The base was where Xiao Lingye and the others did business.

For the past few days, Ying Ruoying had been secretly capturing Scarface’s men.

Scarface couldn’t catch the elusive Ying Ruoying, but he finally figured out her connection to the base.

He brought a large group to surround the base and also sent people to block her at the city villa.

Ying Ruoying couldn’t be in two places at once, so she messaged Shi Yuebai for help.

Looks like a big fight is brewing.

Shi Yuebai turned off her communicator and asked Yi Zhe and Chen Yong with curiosity,

“You owe me so many points—when do you plan to pay me back with your bodies?”

I’m so mad, so mad, so mad!"

"Here is a fluent, natural English translation of your Chinese text:

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**Chapter 189: Whether the Debt Is Cleared or Not Doesn’t Matter—The Main Thing Is Scarface Is Just a Scumbag**

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Chen Yong choked on his own saliva.

He lowered his head and took a step back behind Yi Zhe.

Yi Zhe, on the other hand, stood tall and answered with resolve, “Anytime is fine.”

Shi Yuebai nodded. “Alright then, pick a team and come with me to the big city. We’ll have a little chat with that Scarface, the leader of the city gang.”

A ruthless glint flashed across Shi Yuebai’s face.

“Tell him: either he gives us a piece of turf, or we’ll fight to the bitter end.”

“If it works out, I’ll knock five million points off your debt.”

Right now, the mercenary group owed Shi Yuebai a total of eighteen million points.

That was a sum Yi Zhe had no hope of ever paying back.

And that was after they’d been constantly bringing in supplies to offset the debt.

But there was no helping it—Yuebai’s vegetables were just too delicious.

Yi Zhe and his mercenaries would rather run at a loss than go back to eating those expired processed foods.

And now, they even had to buy water from Yuebai.

The debt was only going to get bigger.

Shi Yuebai had Xu Xuejiao on her side, who kept all the accounts with the mercenaries crystal clear.

Fair and square.

Yi Zhe lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

He was a former garrison soldier, the straight-arrow, by-the-book type.

Now, he had a chance: if he took his team and helped Yuebai fight, he could wipe out five million points of debt.

He hesitated.

Behind him, Chen Yong lowered his voice, “What are you waiting for? If you don’t go, Captain, I will.”

Another mercenary, Xiao Qian, also urged him in a low voice, “Don’t overthink it, Captain. We’re only going to owe Yuebai more and more. If we don’t find a way to pay some back, we’ll just sink deeper.”

Sure, they all had, you know, lofty ideals and noble character and all that.

But now, with their debt approaching twenty million points, Yuebai was by far their biggest creditor.

None of them had ever owed anyone so much in their lives.

Xiao Sun anxiously chimed in, “Scarface is a pushover. Beating him up is like playing a game, right?”

Yi Zhe nodded, his eyes resolute and righteous.

“Yuebai, whether or not the debt gets cleared isn’t the point. The main thing is, Scarface is just a scumbag. He’s done all kinds of evil, and I’ve been wanting to bring him to justice for a long time.”

“However many people you need, just tell me.”

Chen Yong and the other mercenaries all put on expressions of righteous indignation, ready to rid the world of evil.

Shi Yuebai glanced around the command center.

“I won’t take up too much of your time. Everyone here, come with me.”

When it comes to a gang fight, numbers are everything.

Shi Yuebai was naturally all about making a strong impression.

Now that she was in the wasteland, stuck in this body, she couldn’t be as flashy as she wanted.

But whenever she had a chance to make a scene, Shi Yuebai never played it low-key.

There were thirty people in the command center who had just come off duty.

Including Huo Chenggui, who came running in, still pulling up his pants.

Shi Yuebai had them all follow Yi Zhe into the teleportation array.

She herself stood outside.

Yi Zhe and Huo Chenggui turned back. Huo Chenggui waved at Shi Yuebai.

“Come on, girl, what are you standing there for?”

A smile appeared on Shi Yuebai’s round, pale face.

“I’m just waiting to see you scream.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the staff in her hand floated in front of her.

Shi Yuebai formed a hand seal and pushed forward. “Go!”

Huo Chenggui: “Aaaahhh!!”

Thirty mercenaries who could face down mutant beasts without blinking now felt like they were on a roller coaster.

It was as if the ground had become the sky, and the sky the ground—they lost all sense of gravity.

By the time Huo Chenggui’s scream faded, they had already been teleported to the riverbank under the bridge.

Shi Yuebai, meanwhile, was pale as a sheet, gripping her floating staff, sweat beading on her forehead.

She’d finally managed to improve her physique, but just to show off, she’d teleported thirty-two people at once, counting Da Jiao and Xiao Jiao.

That was already pushing her abilities to the limit.

Shi Yuebai leaned on her staff, sat down on a nearby bench, and checked her current weight.

680.6 jin.

She caught her breath, then stood up and teleported herself back to her base.

When Ying Ruoying set the base point, she’d deliberately picked a spot close to Duan Xiangtong and her group of working girls.

It was the closest spot to Shi Yuebai’s base.

The idea was that if there was ever trouble at the base point, Ying Ruoying could quickly ask Shi Yuebai for help.

At this moment, Ying Ruoying was hiding behind the second wall, peering across the river with binoculars.

When she saw Yi Zhe and the others arrive, she hurried toward the mercenaries.

But Yi Zhe and his group didn’t wait for her. As soon as they landed, they immediately began getting ready.

When it came to fighting, they were professionals.

As for the crazy teleportation they’d just experienced—well, that was over and done with.

No point dwelling on it.

By the time Ying Ruoying reached them, Shi Yuebai’s figure flickered and appeared in front of everyone.

“That way.”

She pointed with her staff.

Yi Zhe glanced at Shi Yuebai, then led Chen Yong, Huo Chenggui, Xiao Qian, Xiao Sun, and the other mercenaries straight toward the base point.

Ying Ruoying hurried after them, but Shi Yuebai blocked her with her staff.

“Yuebai, I want to check on Xiao Lingye.”

She didn’t care about anyone else—she just worried Xiao Lingye would escape.

The eighteen levels of hell weren’t finished yet; Xiao Lingye couldn’t be allowed to slip away.

Shi Yuebai reached out and smoothed Ying Ruoying’s messy hair.

“You’re the boss lady. You have to make your entrance last. Don’t panic—show them your big-sister aura.”

Ying Ruoying looked at Shi Yuebai. In the thin layer of snow, her eyes grew red.

“Go on,” Shi Yuebai gestured toward the base point.

The cold wind carried fine snow.

The temperature hadn’t dropped suddenly, but at this rate, it probably wouldn’t warm up any time soon.

For scavengers in and around the city, life was getting harder and harder.

Ying Ruoying sniffled, then straightened her back, put on her heiress air, and strode step by step through the snow toward the base point.

Over there, Scarface’s men had surrounded the tents at the base point.

Master Bao, Little Bao, and the bodyguards Ying Ruoying had hired with processed food were all being beaten in a circle by Scarface’s men.

They didn’t even spare Little Bao, a child.

The dirty, yellow-black snow was stained with blood.

Scarface’s eyes were cold and sinister. “Talk! Who’s backing you?”

He’d known for a while that Xiao Lingye was trapped here, selling himself.

At first, Scarface hadn’t cared about this base point. He thought it was just some city office supervisor’s doing.

But this morning, he got word that Master Bao and Little Bao had been spotted here.

This base point was closely tied to that villa in the city.

“Damn it, not talking, huh?”

Scarface jerked his head, pulled out a watermelon knife, and walked over to Little Bao.

He held the knife to Little Bao’s neck and threatened Master Bao.

“If you don’t tell me who’s behind you, I’ll chop this little bastard up!”

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Let me know if you need the math problem at the end translated or solved as well!"