I'd like to thank our new Patreon Diamond member, "melonpan," for recommending this novel for translation. I've read up to chapter 50, and it's a truly engaging read. It boasts a 4.4 rating on NovelUpdates. So you know it's going to be good.
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The wild grass appeared ordinary and very common, but this one had pushed through the hard cement floor of the storage center with its delicate stems and leaves.
Fu Shiwu was engrossed in watching it, and Wen Zhaoming turned his head as well.
"What's up?" Wen asked.
"This wild grass is remarkably tenacious," Fu Shiwu remarked, admiringly. "Even under the cement floor, it manages to sprout."
Wen Zhaoming glanced over, stating, "When the seeds germinate, the force they exert can push even stones. With the heavy rain last night seeping under the cement floor, the conditions for the grass to sprout naturally emerged."
Fu Shiwu nodded solemnly, acknowledging. He reached out to clear away the chunks of stone the wild grass had pushed up, to prevent others from tripping.
Once Fu Shiwu finished, he and Wen Zhaoming walked back. Along the way, they noticed cracks everywhere on the ground today. Some were raised, some just fissured, but once the wild grass grew, these spots wouldn't remain intact.
Fu Shiwu and Wen Zhaoming exchanged puzzled looks. They had never seen such a phenomenon before, widespread germination of this particular type of grass.
Fu Shiwu seemed pensive, a heaviness settling over him.
Returning to their shared warehouse compartment, they found Tang Xuhai dealing with several visitors.
Tang Xuhai stood with crossed arms, looking displeased as a few people tried to engage him with deferential tones. Spotting the two returning, Tang Xuhai impatiently dispersed them.
"Go away, go away! We're not recruiting!" Tang Xuhai waved them off, clearly irritated.
The visitors shuffled away, embarrassed, but lingered at a distance, watching.
"What's going on? What are these people here for?" Fu Shiwu asked, perplexed.
"They all want to join us, mostly mutants," Tang Xuhai sighed, clearly befuddled by the turn of events.
"They're smart," Wen Zhaoming remarked. "Unfortunately, they haven't figured out the right attitude and stance."
Tang Xuhai looked at him inquisitively, prompting Wen Zhaoming to explain, "It's obvious to everyone that the ammunition and firepower at the storage center are scarce. These individuals themselves are weak, naturally seeking a powerful group to rely on. Among the three of us, you stand out as the most formidable. So naturally, they all flock to you."
Tang Xuhai grumbled, "The storage center is filled with other evolved individuals, far more powerful than me."
"It's not necessarily true," Wen Zhaoming said calmly. "Last night, I saw how both of you performed. Shiwu's abilities are unique, not easily discernible by ordinary folks. In the eyes of others, it seems like you're the most formidable, having killed the most aliens."
In terms of the number of alien kills last night, Tang Xuhai and Fu Shiwu combined had the highest count. However, most of the aliens Fu Shiwu assisted Tang Xuhai with, or those he killed with Tang Xuhai's help, were mostly attributed to luck.
Tang Xuhai clearly disagreed. "Those people are just blind! If it weren't for the limit on bullet quantity, Shiwu would definitely have killed more than me!"
"It's fine," Fu Shiwu waved dismissively. He wasn't good at dealing with people, maintaining a mask of 'strangers not allowed' for years. The attention from so many people was surely uncomfortable for him. "It's just as well. You helped me deflect these annoying things."
"Don't be annoyed. The storage center is now in turmoil, factions are forming, and people are trying to win others over," Wen Zhaoming said helplessly to the two, noticing their discomfort. "Even that Wang Ziping has gathered a large group of mutants around him, even a few powered individuals."
"But so what?" Tang Xuhai frowned, dismissing the concern. "Even if a few are powerful, their judgment in selecting people isn't great. They're just a disparate group! Mark my words, they won't last and will eventually be done in by Wang Ziping!"
"We can't control what he does, but we should consider assembling a reliable team ourselves. In case of an evacuation, relying solely on us—especially me being disabled—won't withstand the massive alien tide," Wen Zhaoming pointed out.
Tang Xuhai fell into silence. If they were to evacuate, he would undoubtedly lead the two towards the military area.
While others might not know much, he had participated in a martial arts competition at the H province's military area and was somewhat familiar with the place. Several regiments were stationed nearby, with ample military strength and even a munitions factory close by. It was undoubtedly the best place to seek refuge.
However, the provincial military area was over 400 kilometers away from their current location. With aliens rampant everywhere, encountering a few individuals wasn't an issue, but facing an alien tide...
In Tang Xuhai's plan, they would avoid densely populated areas and take the direct road. From Yuncheng to there, it would take four to five hours via expressway or seven to eight hours via the national road. If they chose the regular roads, the duration was uncertain.
Moreover, when encountering areas they couldn't bypass and had to traverse towns, what would they do?
It seemed imperative to increase manpower.
"I agree with your suggestion, but we can't have those flatterers. They seem adept at deceit. They might not only be useless but also drag us down," Tang Xuhai stated coldly.
Fu Shiwu quietly adjusted his glasses. Wasn't it unnecessary to dismiss everyone in one stroke?
"Don't worry about that. I've already assessed people," Wen Zhaoming assured confidently. "I'll personally contact them. If they're willing, they can join us; otherwise, we'll leave it be."
"Alright!" Tang Xuhai nodded decisively. "Let me be clear in advance; I've decided to head to the provincial military area. That place has strong forces. In this apocalypse, it's definitely not like Yuncheng."
What Yuncheng was like in the overcrowded warehouses, Tang Xuhai didn't articulate, but Wen Zhaoming and Fu Shiwu understood.
Wen Zhaoming's eyes brightened. He calmly said, "I'll inform these people in advance."
"Okay! You go handle this," Tang Xuhai turned to Fu Shiwu, saying, "Shiwu, come with me to modify the vehicles. Help me load the remaining items onto the car; tonight, we'll spend it in the vehicle."
"Alright," Fu Shiwu nodded.
The three split up: Wen Zhaoming discreetly gathered those individuals he had singled out last night, inquiring about their willingness. Some readily agreed, concerned about their future, while others were nonchalant, preferring to stay in Yuncheng. A few seemed deep in thought, obviously considering something else.
Wen Zhaoming's persuasion targeted either mutants or powered individuals, and out of ten, only three were convinced to join.
Not being greedy, Wen Zhaoming understood that even with just these few, their safety margin would be much greater than if they
were only three.
Meanwhile, Tang Xuhai was busy modifying the vehicles, with Fu Shiwu passing tools nearby.
"Why are you so quiet?" Tang Xuhai worked vigorously, sweating profusely. He glanced curiously at Fu Shiwu, who was silent as a statue. While Fu Shiwu wasn't chatty, he didn't like a dull atmosphere. At times like this, he would surely find something to talk about with Tang Xuhai.
Once, in the bunker, Fu Shiwu joked that in the past, there was no chance, but now that they had friends, they had to appreciate the nutritional value of meaningless conversation between friends.
"Tang Xuhai," Fu Shiwu looked up, his gaze unusually serious. "I'm deeply concerned about something."
"What is it?" Tang Xuhai asked, intrigued.
"I feel there's something off about those grasses," Fu Shiwu turned and pointed to the patch of cement where the vehicles were parked. A few wild grasses had taken root at the edges of the cement blocks.
Tang Xuhai jumped off the car, wiping the sweat from his forehead, puzzled as he looked at the grass. "What's wrong with those grasses? Aren't they just ordinary grass?"
"When people absorb source molecules, they get sick, mutate, awaken abilities, and when aliens arrived, they evolved to become more formidable," Fu Shiwu began, locking eyes with Tang Xuhai, enunciating each word clearly. "But what about other animals? Plants?"
Tang Xuhai was momentarily caught off guard, then suddenly felt a chilling sensation.
"Originally, source molecules were in the air, but when it rained, these molecules were brought down, seeping into the ground. Plants absorbed these, and then these plants were eaten by animals. Ever thought about the changes this might cause?" Fu Shiwu spoke softly.
Tang Xuhai swallowed, his expression growing solemn. His mind was preoccupied daily with human and alien matters, leaving no room for this kind of contemplation.
"Look at these wild grasses. This isn't just a matter of them absorbing water after the rain to sprout," Fu Shiwu walked over, bending down to move the grass with his hands. "Even if wild grass sprouted, it should be in open ground or at the edge of cement with soil. These places are all covered with cement. Look at these layers of cement, so thick, without a single gap. Ordinary wild grass pushing through the ground like this? It's utterly illogical."
As he spoke, Tang Xuhai's expression grew graver. He crouched down, prying apart the cement blocks that had been squeezed apart by the grass.
Underneath, the cement layers were extremely thick, yet these seemingly delicate wild grasses astonishingly managed to push through more than 10 centimeters of solid cement!
Tang Xuhai gripped a chunk of cement. Pressing it with his fingers, he found it incredibly solid.
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