Chapter 111 (Final Chapter)

In just one week, Cannes was rebuilt in a remarkable way. Although everyone was injured, the news of Anarette's story put everyone in high spirits and filled them with hope for the future.

Their enemies have been eliminated, and having overcome numerous hardships, they will finally see the sun rise.

The noise from construction and the hawking sounds from the street blended together, making Jiang Ye, who had keen senses, feel somewhat uncomfortable.

As he walked, he suddenly covered his ears, wanting to go back, but also reluctant to part with the time he spent shopping with Bai Chenzhu.

Bai Chenzhu carefully raised her hand and placed it on the back of his hand. "Is it very uncomfortable?"

"It's alright." Jiang Ye put down his hand, then took Bai Chenzhu's hand and pressed it against his face. "It's just a bit noisy, my ears hurt."

"Did you always act like this?" Bai Chenzhu asked, puzzled. This was the first time he had ever seen Jiang Ye like this.

"Yes, that's why I don't like noisy places," Jiang Ye recalled seriously, "but it wasn't as bad as it is now."

"Can I help you?" Bai Chenzhu asked worriedly. He thought about it carefully, "I want to make you more comfortable."

He raised his hand and gently pressed it against Jiang Ye's forehead. Although Jiang Ye didn't understand what he meant, he didn't flinch. He stared quietly at Bai Chenzhu, as if he would do anything for this person.

A gentle breeze enveloped him, caressing his head, making him feel lighter. The annoying noise around him vanished, and the world became clear and bright.

It's like sucking on a mint—sweet, cool, and somewhat addictive.

The sharp pain and ringing in my ears were unbearable.

"How did you do that?" Jiang Ye opened his eyes, still savoring the sensation. When he came to his senses, he touched his forehead and found nothing there.

Bai Chenzhu whispered, "I can control people's consciousness. In that case, I should also be able to control my five senses."

He was just making a small attempt to weaken Jiang Ye's hearing, which had become so acute it had become a burden, and he didn't expect to succeed on the first try.

"But is your hearing the only thing that's bothering you?" Bai Chenzhu's heart skipped a beat. "Jiang Ye, you once told me that the other extreme of superhumans is zombies. If a superhuman becomes powerful enough to lose their reason and senses, will they turn into a zombie?"

Jiang Ye didn't know that it was just a conjecture without any evidence. At this moment, he hugged Bai Chenzhu, rested his chin on Bai Chenzhu's shoulder, and said firmly, "Don't worry, I won't."

"Besides," he said stubbornly, "Isn't that what you're here for? You won't let me become like that, right?"

Bai Chenzhu hugged him tightly and solemnly assured him in his ear, "No."

Jiang Ye was content. "With you here, I won't lose my way."

Someone called out to them from afar. Bai Chenzhu and Jiang Ye separated, but they were still holding hands.

Tang Zhao led his team over, "Brother Jiang! Brother Bai! You've finished your meeting?"

Bai Chenzhu nodded, looked Tang Zhao up and down, who was covered in dust, and greeted him, "Good morning, are you busy?"

“He’s on duty today,” Jiang Ye said.

At least he remembered his arrangements, and even during his rest period, Jiang Ye still took care of managing the team of superhumans.

Tang Zhao replied truthfully, "Yes, there's a hole being repaired to the south. We need to keep an eye on it and prevent the zombies from getting close. We're just about to head over there. Brother Jiang, do you want to go take a look?"

His original intention was to ask Jiang Ye if he wanted to go and patrol, but he didn't expect Jiang Ye to laugh as if he had found a new toy. Perhaps Jiang Ye preferred a wilder activity to shopping.

"Come on, let's go together." Jiang Ye stretched and pulled Bai Chenzhu along. "It's been so long since we've walked around with zombies together, let's go!"

He described it as as simple as walking a dog, a cat, or a bird.

Tang Zhao helplessly called out, "Brother Jiang."

But Bai Chenzhu indulged him, saying, "Alright."

——

Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.

After the data was reported, the alliance quickly sent people to meet them. After inquiring about Jiang Ye and Bai Chenzhu's wishes, Xie Quan sent other people to the Interstellar Court.

Within six months, thanks to the efforts of the Belisaman aliens, compensation arrived quickly.

Centered on the base, new cities continued to expand outwards, and the scale of each base also continued to grow. With the help of alien technology, the newly built houses became more robust and advanced, truly rebuilding the city.

Although the number of mutated monsters outside the city is frighteningly large, their numbers are gradually decreasing, and it is believed that with the power of time, they will eventually be completely eliminated.

Jiang Ye's team of superhumans disbanded and instead formed the Superhuman Alliance, which, with the help of aliens, is constantly developing the potential of their superhuman abilities.

Because those with superpowers are mostly powerful figures in the post-apocalyptic world, they live in the city center, where the central buildings are tall, and the Alliance of Superpowered Individuals is also known simply as the 'Tower'.

The 'Tower' is like a big tree, with branches in Kangcheng and leaves covering various bases. Superhumans spontaneously gather in the 'Tower' to obtain official identities and are then assigned to various teams to carry out missions, bearing most of the rights and obligations with a very small number of people.

In the newly renovated office, Xie Quan, sporting dark circles under his eyes, repeatedly pleaded with Jiang Ye, "Are you really not staying? Jiang Ye, you'll be the commander-in-chief of 'Tower'."

Jiang Ye sat back down, placed his hand on the sofa behind Bai Chenzhu, and shook his head arrogantly, "I don't want to."

He smiled brightly, extremely willful, "What's so great about being trapped in a tower? I want to go out and play."

Xie Quan knew best his stubborn nature, so he sighed, looked at the other person next to him, and advised, "Mr. Bai, your physique is not as good as Jiang Ye's. It is very dangerous for you outside. If you stay, we can divide the 'Tower' into two parts and make you the chief of the mental ability users."

Spending so much time with Jiang Ye, Bai Chenzhu had also picked up a bit of his wild side. Instead of answering the question properly, he mimicked Jiang Ye's tone and said in a flippant manner, "I also want to go out and play."

It's just like a good student who's been led astray.

Seeing that Xie Quan was about to faint from their anger, Bai Chenzhu calmed down a bit and gave a convincing reason, "In this world, zombies make up seven or eight tenths of the population. Cities have fallen and are no longer what they used to be. Someone has to go explore the new world and clear out the monsters outside the city, right? 'Tower' needs such a team."

“We can exist as a special team for the Tower, contacting the Tower regularly and sharing information. We will return whenever the Tower needs us.”

Xie Quan couldn't win the argument with the two, but he was unwilling to compromise. He interlaced his fingers, pressed his forehead to his chest, and thought for a long time before sighing, "You can't stay away from home forever. 'The Tower' needs you. You can't keep making excuses. Give me an acceptable deadline."

After some back and forth, as they had hoped, the first special team of the 'Tower' was formed.

Bai Chenzhu pushed open the door and walked side by side with Jiang Ye towards the office.

The corridor was quiet, but as soon as the office door was opened, fireworks suddenly showered all over him.

"Hi!" The office was full of familiar faces. Tang Zhao, Bai Tao, Zhou Zhuohua, and Zhou Mengmeng were all there. They smiled at them and said, "Come and celebrate the formation of our team!"

Helplessly, Bai Chenzhu took a firework off his head. Jiang Ye, with his keen senses, took two steps back the moment he opened the door, deliberately watching as Bai Chenzhu, now half-drenched, was still grinning gleefully.

"It's really beautiful," Jiang Ye said.

Then, Bai Chenzhu, who was squinting, pinched his beak into a chicken's beak. He sensed the danger and begged for mercy. Bai Tao had already pushed the cake over. Bai Chenzhu looked at the cake, let go, and swam away like a wild fish.

It's a very simple cake. On the round frosting, a few familiar smiley faces are drawn with jam and squeezed together.

Bai Chenzhu dusted off his shoulders, puzzled. "How did you guys get the news so quickly? Jiang Ye and I just came out of the office."

“Of course, Jiang Ye told me in advance.” Zhou Zhuohua smiled and looked at him politely. “He said that today is a good day for a gathering.”

"How long has it been since we got together like this?" Tang Zhao happily shook the confetti cannon in his hand, giving Jiang Ye a final burst of fireworks. "Brother Bai isn't so busy dating that we're not on the team roster, is he?"

Bai Chenzhu chuckled, "How could I possibly forget you all?"

Tang Zhao was chased by Jiang Ye, yelling and screaming. Jiang Ye fired several fireworks at him, getting his revenge. Bai Tao was singing with Zhou Mengmeng at a very loud volume. Bai Chenzhu was cutting the cake, and Zhou Zhuohua was distributing the drinks.

The office was a complete mess, but it was bustling with activity and filled with joy.

Bai Chenzhu finished cutting the cake, looked up and saw Zhou Mengmeng's smiling face, and asked in a low voice, "Sister, will Mengmeng come with us too?"

Zhou Zhuohua paused, put down the wine in her hand, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Xiao Bai, I don't plan to leave Dad and Mengmeng."

Bai Chenzhu stopped what he was doing, feeling a little regretful. But after thinking about it carefully, he felt it made sense. After all, Sister Zhuohua had family around her, which was different from what they did.

“But I will always be a member of the team.” Zhou Zhuohua handed him a glass of juice, her beautiful face showing reluctance, but even more so, anticipation for the future. “We will meet again.”

"Sister Zhuohua..." Bai Chenzhu took the cup, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

His eyes flickered, and he was about to say something when Jiang Ye pounced on his back and snatched the juice from his hand. "What are you doing! You drank your beverages without telling us!"

Tang Zhao, Bai Tao, and Zhou Mengmeng were surrounded by Jiang Ye, who complained that Bai Chenzhu and Zhou Zhuohua were eating alone.

Bai Chenzhu was both amused and exasperated, momentarily forgetting her earlier melancholy, and focused only on distributing the cake and drinks, "Don't rush, there's enough for everyone, there's enough for everyone!"

In the messy office, they raised their glasses, just like they always did in the past, in cars, on the roadside, and in houses. The glasses clinked together, a toast to their team's new beginning. "Cheers!"

——

They arrived in an off-road vehicle and left in the same car, choosing a sunny morning to depart fully loaded with supplies.

Zhou Zhuohua took Zhou Mengmeng to see them off out of the city. As the car drove further and further away, its shadow disappearing on the horizon under the rising sun, her eyes welled up with tears, and a sudden impulse to act recklessly surged within her.

Zhou Mengmeng tugged at her hand, "Sister?"

Zhou Zhuohua snapped out of her daze, adjusted her glasses to hide her reluctance and sadness, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Mengmeng said, "Brother Bai left you a gift. He said, 'If you're ever sad, I'll give it to you.'"

Just as Zhou Zhuohua was about to speak, Zhou Mengmeng added, "Brother Jiangye said that if you cry, he'll wait until you're done crying before giving it to you."

"Zhou Mengmeng, you actually listened to him!" Zhou Zhuohua couldn't help but lash out at Jiang Ye as he left.

Zhou Mengmeng quickly took out a photo and placed it in her hand.

The photo was taken at the party. They had drunk some alcohol that day. In the photo, she and Bai Tao are hugging each other and passed out on the sofa. Tang Zhao is making a face at the camera. Zhou Mengmeng is sitting on the sofa eating cake with cream on her face. Jiang Ye is holding Bai Chenzhu and grinning at the camera. Bai Chenzhu's face is flushed and her eyes are clear as she makes a playful "V" sign at the camera.

Turning it over, there were several signatures on the back, written in a flamboyant style, just like an autographed photo for fans. Zhou Zhuohua covered her mouth and laughed out loud, her voice trembling with laughter, "These guys."

"Sister, are you alright?"

“I’m fine, I’ve never been better.” Zhou Zhuohua looked into the empty distance. “We’ll meet again.”

Inside the car, Tang Zhao and Bai Tao in the back seat were arguing and bickering while holding a map.

"Let's go to this one first, there's the sea here!"

"What sea? Haven't you seen enough of the sea in Luozhou? Go to this place, there are lots of red mountains here."

"What mountain? Haven't you been to Fuyun City?"

"Damn it, don't mimic me."

"ah--"

Jiang Ye glanced at the rearview mirror and gestured with one hand, "The two of them combined are no more than eight years old."

Bai Chenzhu, sitting in the passenger seat, sighed. He turned around, picked up the crumpled map that had fallen to the ground, unfolded it, and smoothed it out.

"Baby, where do you want to go?" Jiang Ye casually put on sunglasses to block the light.

"I want to go everywhere." Bai Chenzhu looked down at the map, the ginkgo leaf pendant swaying behind his ear. He asked honestly, "Can we go to every single one of them?"

Jiang Ye chuckled lightly and snapped his fingers. "Alright, let's all go. You two in the back seat, stop fighting. You're not going to kill anyone by fighting like that."

Bai Tao and Tang Zhao stopped abruptly, their heads popping out from the driver's and passenger's seats, looking at him expectantly.

Bai Chenzhu declared confidently, "We'll visit them all, from the nearest to the farthest."

"Wow! I love you all!" The cheers were so loud they almost lifted the roof off the car.

The car drove further and further away in the sun.

This is the first year of the New World.

THE END