The county town was bombed into a mess. Although some usable items could still be salvaged for temporary rest during the night's camping trip, it was already filthy and chaotic. Ruan Qingan didn't mind.
Keep things simple when you're traveling.
However, Shiyi was even more concerned than she was, a girl. Since he couldn't find anything in the county town, he simply directed the mutated plants to make up a place to sleep on the spot.
Green vines intertwine to form a "roof," while thick roots intertwine and grow upwards like "supporting pillars." Small branches weave a fine, spiderweb-like "grid," creating a hammock-like structure.
These two scoundrels are exactly the same when it comes to making the most of resources.
After a while of fussing around, a dark green vine house suddenly appeared next to the county town, which was littered with debris from the blasting. Despite the complaints, it was indeed much more comfortable than sleeping outdoors.
037: [Damn it, he can't just steal my system identity because he can do crafts! I'm useful too!]
"When it comes to being a naive and innocent mascot, he's not as good as you."
037: ...I'm not comforted at all, my dear!
After chatting with 037 for a while, Ruan Qing'an yawned wearily, and Shi Yi, who was starting a fire nearby, looked over.
"Qing'an, why don't you rest first?"
Ruan Qingan pinched the bridge of his nose. So much had happened today, from the long journey with the action team to fighting zombies before entering the underground passage, and finally encountering Shiyi...
She's like a spinning top, never stopping.
Seeing that Ruan Qing'an was really sleepy, Shi Yi couldn't help but frown. Data streams flickered in his dark green eyes. After a moment, he said, "I analyzed your pulse, breathing and other information. You've reached the critical point of this body. Don't push yourself. I'll keep watch."
"Then I'll rest for a while. Call me later. You've done it several times today, so get a good night's sleep."
Eleven nodded.
Ruan Qing'an then lay down on the hammock woven from tiny vines, holding the knife. It was soft and supported her like a cloud—the hammock shouldn't be this comfortable; Shi Yi had really gone to great lengths.
037: [Go to sleep, ancestor, I can keep watch too!]
Hearing 037's competitive tone, as if trying to prove herself, Ruan Qing'an couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle, her voice gentle: "Goodnight."
Small system, and... eleven.
The night wind was a bit chilly, but it didn't affect Shi Yi. However, he was worried that the deeper dew would make the sleeping Ruan Qing'an catch a cold, so he could only let the fire he had started make the rattan house warmer. Anyway, with him there, there wouldn't be any embarrassing or silly incidents like a fire.
Time passed little by little. Shi Yi sat cross-legged and turned his head to look carefully at Ruan Qing'an's sleeping profile.
She said she wanted him to wake her up in the middle of the night.
But... how could Eleven bear to part with it? Besides, for him, this non-human body didn't need rest. Even if he put himself in a dormant state, the Bureau's overly advanced technology would keep his computing system in a constant state of deduction.
No drowsiness, no fatigue, no need to eat...
Aside from his human consciousness, every unusual thing about him reminded Shi Yi that he was different from Ruan Qing'an; he was not human, but a non-human "thing".
"Hmm..."
"It's a bit hot..."
The sleeping human turned over, revealing a bare, slender arm as smooth as jade, half hanging out. In the firelight, it seemed to glow, involuntarily attracting Shiyi's gaze.
He hurriedly looked away, extinguishing the fire that had burned too brightly due to his distraction, so that the humans no longer felt so stuffy.
Nguyen Thanh An would feel hot.
But he doesn't.
Shiyi lowered his head and looked at his simulated skin—how disgusting! He wasn't even human, and he felt disgusted with himself. Even the two breaths intertwined in the dead of night were just an illusion simulated by a mechanical circulatory system.
After a moment of silence, he stood up and sat down next to the human.
Just then, he suddenly raised his head as if sensing something, looking towards the direction of the Third Human Base in the distance, his dark green eyes flashing slightly: "Has the message been delivered yet?"
"Too bad we didn't kill him..."
Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Third Human Base.
Zhou Ziqi was leaning back in his chair. He raised his slender hand and imprisoned the small space in his palm, forming a reflective, cube-like transparent crystal with a beautiful and mysterious feel. When people looked at it, they had a faint sense of déjà vu that could penetrate space.
Within that confined space, a severed twig exploded, like a miniature bomb, with terrifying force.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Ziqi scoffed, "What a fine 'gift'."
Upon seeing this scene, Jia Lan, on the other side of the conference table, was so frightened that she immediately lowered her head, cold sweat pouring down her forehead.
In fact, after receiving Eleven's order, Jia Lan rushed back without stopping, fearing that if she was late in reporting the news, that monstrous man would find a handle against her and she would easily die in the wilderness.
But after the message was delivered and the "gift" was sent—it exploded right in front of Zhou Ziqi!
If Zhou Ziqi hadn't reacted quickly, the entire conference room would probably have been blown to smithereens by this thing. No matter how much she tried to explain, Jia Lan was still stuck on the word "death," leaving her feeling utterly helpless and on the verge of tears. And most importantly—the smile on Zhou Ziqi's face deepened.
The more attractive his smile, the more ruthless he becomes.
"Don't be so nervous, Jia Lan."
"Don't worry, I will definitely not hold you accountable for taking my little Ruan out, nor will I hold you accountable for helping a dying person send a message. I have always had a good temper."
Jia Lan: ...What is he saying?
Zhou Ziqi shattered the space in his hand that had exploded, and lightly tapped the table with his slender fingertips: "Go back, Xu Wenshan and Lu Ting are waiting for you."
"Yes, yes... Thank you, Mr. Zhou."
Jia Lan answered repeatedly, head down, and hurriedly retreated from the conference room. Having escaped unscathed, she couldn't help but wipe away cold sweat, but before she could even breathe a sigh of relief—
She suddenly raised her head and subconsciously looked at the closed conference room.
"W-what happened?"
"Aren't the leaders of the base Lao Xu and Brother Lu? Why... why is he in the conference room!"
Inside the conference room, the captain of the superhuman team cautiously stepped forward and respectfully said, "Mr. Zhou, the superhuman team we sent out has found a trail. We expect to find Miss tomorrow. The information team members predict that Miss is on her way back."
"So you did know to come back after all."
Zhou Ziqi paused for a moment: "I thought my little Ruan would never come back after she went out. In that case, let's send someone to wait for her at the base entrance."
"Oh, right, prepare some people to lie in ambush."
The captain was taken aback: "Mr. Zhou, what's going on here—"
"Oh, a 'gift' for something that's in the way."
Superpowered Squad Leader: ...This base is bound to be completely destroyed by an enraged Mr. Zhou, right?!
\u0001
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