If you ask Ruan Qingan for his opinion, "Humans are inherently perverse. When they have something in their hands, they never confront their own hearts. When they don't have it, they always yearn for it. Only after they get it and lose it do they learn to cherish it."
037 replied, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Human emotions are too complicated. Let's leave the strategy to you, ancestor..."
But the male lead said he's going to kill you.
"That bastard is cremated, but he's still being stubborn."
Ruan Qing'an chuckled: "Zhou Ziqi is a madman. What's wrong with him making some harsh remarks? It's normal for him to destroy what doesn't belong to him. It just depends on whether he's willing to do it."
[My ancestor, are you betting that the male lead's gun is unloaded?]
"Pretty much. If he can actually do it, then I'll admit he's pretty good."
Ruan Qing'an casually remarked, raised her hand to the hilt of her knife, and left the central area where the research institute was located. Since her employment relationship with Zhou Ziqi had ended, she naturally had no reason or authority to stay here.
She put her wages, which she had taken from Zhou Ziqi, back on her. The remaining crystal cores should be enough for Ruan Qing'an to live on for a while.
037: [Ancestor, are we staying at the base from now on?]
"No, I'll pack my things and prepare to find a chance to leave the Third Human Base and go find that guy codenamed Eleven."
Alright, let's go!
The petite girl, dressed in a black dress, held the hilt of a knife in one hand. Her delicate features carried a hint of fierceness. She casually replied to the system's words in her mind and strolled away from the central area.
As she left, a patrol team of superhumans from the central research institute happened to pass by. One of the team leaders, who was pressing his earpiece, suddenly stopped and said to the superhumans behind him, "You're on patrol, but my stomach isn't feeling well."
"Understood, Captain, you can go now."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
As the squad leader spoke, he turned and walked away from the research institute. Once he was alone, he pressed his earpiece and reported quietly.
"Team Leader Jia, Ruan Qing'an has left the research institute."
"She's gone? I know, come to me immediately to report."
"Yes, Captain Jia!"
...
One week later, in the outer area of the Third Human Base.
The streets were chaotic and the ground was filthy. It seemed that the productivity of the central and surrounding areas had not spread here at all. The largest population at the bottom of the social hierarchy consisted of fugitives and some civilians who barely survived by paying cheap labor in exchange for crystal cores.
Sin and chaos were rampant, and everything was in complete disarray.
In the small pubs on the corner of the street, the smell of cheap liquor mingled with the pungent perfume of prostitutes.
Suddenly, the tavern door was pushed open.
A figure suddenly walked in, wearing a black cloak. The hood obscured the person's face, and only those in the know could recognize that the cloak was made of a high-quality material that had to be custom-made even before the apocalypse, making it completely out of place in the tavern.
Although the cloak was unrecognizable, the hem of the skirt peeking out from below was a lace trim outlined in red thread, made of soft material.
"Hey, you're a woman, aren't you!"
A drunken man shouted, his eyes filled with greed, not just for the money, but also for the woman herself.
The moment those words were spoken, the entire tavern fell silent. All eyes turned to the cloaked woman at the entrance. The burly man who had spoken first chuckled, but the next instant—'Ding!'
The bottle was pierced instantly, and the knife tip was pointed directly at the big man's eye.
The drunken burly man's back was soaked with sweat. He sat there motionless, and through his hood, he met a pair of leaden gray eyes.
"I am indeed a woman, so what?"
"No, nothing..."
The drunken man swallowed hard, sobering up instantly.
Ruan Qing'an then pulled down her hood and glanced at the other people in the tavern. No matter how handsome the face under the hood was, everyone else in the tavern knew that she was a tough nut to crack.
Ruan Qingan then sat down at the bar, sheathed his Tang sword, placed it on the bar, and rested one hand on it.
037: [Ancestor, based on the information I've gathered, after matching all the data, I've located this tavern. There are also rumors circulating that some people want to leave the base.]
Ruan Qingan nodded slightly: "I understand."
"There's no other way. I just had a falling out with Zhou Ziqi, so it's impossible to smooth things over and leave the base. I can only try to 'smuggle' myself out."
She found a place to stay temporarily this week, packed her things, and prepared to find an opportunity to leave the base, but getting in was easy, getting out was difficult.
This is true not only for the Third Human Base, but also for the other major bases. Ordinary civilians and fugitives, although not as powerful as those with superpowers, still occupy important positions.
For example, they can be used to replenish the number of people with superpowers, provide cheap labor, and handle dangerous tasks that do not require the help of people with superpowers. They are also used for human research at bases.
Even so, some escapees still headed towards the base because zombies could appear at any time outside, making the risk of death extremely high.
Moreover, most bases only provide them with some food and shelter, so they don't need to care about the escapees. In the eyes of some high-ranking officials, they are cheap and useful products.
The bartender behind the counter glanced at the atmosphere of the bar and gave a wry smile: "Miss, are you here for a drink?"
"I'm here to gather information."
"I heard that some fugitives are planning to form a team and sneak out of the Third Human Base. Is that right?"
The bartender was taken aback, then smiled awkwardly and said, "Miss, we all know the situation at the base. It's not so easy for those who come in to get out. Basically, only the superhuman action teams can go out."
Ruan Qingan scoffed: "Don't talk about such superficial things."
"..."
The bartender paused, his gaze instinctively falling on Ruan Qing'an's hand, her fingertips lightly tapping the hilt of a knife.
Bartender: ...I feel threatened.
He cleared his throat: "Alright, it seems you're one of us, Miss. It's only right that I tell you."
037: [...6!]
The bartender, without batting an eye, continued, "It's like this, recently there have been a sudden decrease in the number of people with superpowers. We don't know what happened, so we're planning to capture some people to awaken their superpowers and replenish the team."
"This was originally a good thing, after all, the treatment of people with superpowers is vastly different from ours, but the problem is that the mortality rate is as high as 95%, and many people can't survive. Here, we are just barely surviving, but at least we can live. As soon as the news came out, someone used connections to get a spot on the conscription list."
"The one trying to escape the base is that unlucky guy who pulled strings but found himself on the list. And there are indeed garbage trucks preparing to leave the base recently; it's a good opportunity. Some who want to run are already—"
"Damn! The action team is here!"
Just then, a terrified voice came from outside the tavern.
The bartender who had been speaking immediately shut his mouth, preparing to slip away temporarily. Seeing that Ruan Qing'an did not move, he quickly reminded him in a low voice.
"Run!"
“We guys from the outer districts aren’t much higher in status than those superhuman action teams. Killing you won’t cause any trouble.”
As the bartender was speaking, the bar door was kicked open. He shuddered and quickly disappeared into the hidden door behind the bar, while Ruan Qing'an sat calmly at the bar.
Jia Lan strolled in through the tavern entrance—
"Long time no see, Nguyen Thanh An."
"Without Mr. Zhou, your life doesn't seem to be going very well."
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