"Miao Jia straightened up and took it. He examined it closely and frowned, 'This hard drive is damaged.'
"'Damaged?' Tang Xuhai leaned over to look; indeed, there was a dent in the middle of the hard drive.
"This thing wasn't as sturdy as Miao Jia's custom-built computer. Who knows what Shi Zheng's men did to it to create a dent like that.
"'Hmm,' Miao Jia nodded. 'From the looks of it, the data inside might be damaged too.'
"Tang Xuhai considered it and decided to bring the hard drive to Fu Shiwu to have a look.
"He walked around the place where the supplies were stacked, found Liu Zhao and Wu Shan, and had them refuel the modified cars. He picked out a couple of spacious vehicles for their use and loaded them up with what they needed. Tang Xuhai generously opened the warehouse doors for those people to collect these supplies.
"His distribution was fair, not even keeping the gold and jewelry for themselves. Though it seemed like a lot, when divided among everyone, it wasn't much. Still, it earned gratitude from the recipients.
"The few vehicles were allocated for the women who had suffered indignities, while the rest walked.
"Tang Xuhai spoke earnestly, 'On this journey, you can only rely on yourselves. If anyone doesn't want to go, they can stay here.'
"But not a single person wanted to remain in this place. Without Shi Zheng, this harsh fortress was no longer safe. They preferred to take the risk and follow these people.
"'It's okay, we can protect ourselves.'
"Tang Xuhai nodded; that assurance was enough. He wasn't omnipotent; with just eleven people, they couldn't ensure the safety of over ten thousand lives.
"Tang Xuhai changed his clothes, carrying something under his arm as he returned to the library. Pushing the door, Fu Shiwu immediately opened his eyes. On the other side, Wen Zhaoming sat with his arm under his head, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
"He was surprised, 'You're not asleep?'
"'Can't sleep, my head's feeling heavy. Are we leaving?' Fu Shiwu stood up.
"'You've probably overused your abilities,' Tang Xuhai remarked.
"'Maybe.' Fu Shiwu mumbled. 'What's this?'
"'Clothes for you. Put them on.' Tang Xuhai tossed over a moss-green checkered casual shirt.
"'Thank you.' Fu Shiwu gratefully took the clothes and removed his dirty, torn jacket.
"'Fits well.' Fu Shiwu smiled. 'Thanks.'
"Tang Xuhai awkwardly rubbed his nose, 'No need to thank me. I've prepared something for Old Wen too.'
"Despite the fire protection from his pyrokinetic ability during the explosion, Wen Zhaoming's clothes were still burned and torn. Additionally, falling from the second floor to the first, pinned under concrete, left him covered in dirt.
"'By the way,' Fu Shiwu turned to look at Wen Zhaoming, leaning close to Tang Xuhai and speaking softly, 'Did they find Zhaoming's wheelchair?'
"'They found it, but it's broken,' Tang Xuhai furrowed his brows in distress. 'Although I can fix the metal parts, some are plastic and rubber, impossible to replace with metal.'
"'Forget it.' At this moment, Wen Zhaoming lifted his head, rubbing his forehead. 'I don't need the wheelchair anymore.'
"'But don't you have leg pain with the prosthetic?' Fu Shiwu looked at him, concerned.
"Wen Zhaoming, using one hand to brace himself, made an effort and stood up. After taking a few steps, he said, 'I'll adapt. It's time for me to stop avoiding.'
"Fu Shiwu couldn't comprehend, while Tang Xuhai silently understood Wen Zhaoming's underlying meaning.
"The interface between prosthetics and the disabled is meticulously designed; moreover, given Wen Zhaoming's affluent background, it was tailored for him. His discomfort and reluctance to use the prosthetic leg were not only due to inability to adjust but also to avoid facing the reality.
"Wen Zhaoming rejected the prosthetic from his core, wearing it but pretending it didn't exist. Getting accustomed to it would mean acknowledging the disability.
"Wen Zhaoming, a person filled with insecurity, pride, sensitivity, and meticulousness, had faced hardships leading to despair and avoidance. But in the end, he stood up, confronting his physical shortcomings with the determination to live.
"Enduring the pain, Wen Zhaoming made his way to the modified vehicle.
"Despite injuries on his hands and body, despite bandaging, Tang Xuhai insisted that Fu Shiwu sit at the back and rest.
"Sitting in the co-driver's seat today was Miao Jia, holding onto his gadget. The joy of recovery made Miao Jia reluctant to part with his gadget. Even though he sat in the rare position of the co-driver, he couldn't bear to look up from his gadget.
"'I've posted the sighting of the new type of creature I saw last night using 'Mr. Fu's' ID in the spotlight.' Miao Jia's fingers danced across the screen, windows switching rapidly. 'There are a lot of comments now… Ah! The admin highlighted it!'
"Miao Jia got excited, 'It seems like these special creatures appeared in many places last night. Hmm, the Academy has new research to publish?'
"Miao Jia swiftly opened the thread and read through it. His expression turned grim, prompting Tang Xuhai's curiosity. 'What did you see? You're keeping us in suspense.'
"'...The new type of creature confirmed to have descended from the sky canopy, unlike the previous evolved ones that developed on Earth. The Academy captured and dissected it overnight. This advanced creature has an additional organ in its brain, allowing it to control other creatures. Last night, many cities were systematically attacked. These creatures showed strong obedience, possessing a group characteristic.'
"'What?' Fu Shiwu was shocked. 'But weren't these creatures solitary? They only acted as a group when facing a target beyond their individual capacity.'
"'Indeed, even the previous evolved creatures compelled other evolved ones to follow them. If the evolved one died, these gathered creatures lost control, returning to solo hunting.' Wen Zhaoming explained.
"'Yes, but this advanced creature is different. It seems to be the natural leader of these creatures… like the male lion in a pride… When there's no male lion, the lionesses naturally hunt alone, but when the male appears, they naturally gather into a community.' Miao Jia furrowed his brows, saying strangely, 'Why do these scientists explain the relationship between these creatures in such a repulsive manner?'
"Miao Jia shuddered, shook his head to clear the odd images, and continued, 'It further says from now on, the action pattern of these creatures will undergo a thorough change, moving from scattered to forming large tribal groups. Their future actions will be even more unpredictable...'
"'Damn! They're making it sound so terrifying.' Miao Jia shivered.
"'Miao Jia! Quickly check the satellite images
to see the current situation of those creatures near the cities!' Tang Xuhai urged urgently.
"'Okay.' Miao Jia started adjusting the satellite images, then exclaimed, 'Oh no! It's just like what that scientist said, they've formed large tribes.'
"Previously, although there were creature swarms, most of them moved along the roads. But now, these swarms were far from the roads, moving through the mountains and plains, resembling primitive tribal societies.
"Fu Shiwu suspiciously asked, 'What are they eating then?'
"Miao Jia looked at Fu Shiwu in disbelief, 'At a time like this, you're concerned about what they eat?'
"Fu Shiwu explained urgently, 'No, previously, the creatures chased humans, surviving by eating brains. Now that they're gathering, there aren't enough scattered survivors for them to feed on, and there aren't as many animal brains in the wilderness. This behavior is irrational.'
"'That means their next target will definitely be to feed every one of them.' Tang Xuhai squinted, 'They're definitely going to attack the gathering points of those big cities!'
"Miao Jia was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said, 'Brother Hai, I have a question I can't quite figure out. In the post-apocalyptic TV dramas, people hid in the countryside, in villages and such. But in our current situation, villages, towns, counties… only the fourth-tier cities like Cloud City have been easily destroyed, while the big cities are fine.'
"Tang Xuhai glanced at him and explained, 'That's related to their appearances being too scattered. The fewer people, the less capable they are against these creatures. It's like rural areas besieging cities. They keep coming, so those smaller human settlements eventually perished. But those cities with larger populations can withstand this increasingly strong attack because of the vast difference in numbers. Besides, with the application of human abilities, these big cities have become survival hubs, attracting people. The more people, the greater the chance of survival. A virtuous cycle.'
"Lastly, Tang Xuhai concluded, 'So, in the future, ordinary people without strong power can't leave these big cities turned survival bases, and the ability users need to rely on these bases for their lives.'
"After discussing this matter, Tang Xuhai remembered something, 'Right, Shiwu, check if this hard drive is yours.'
"He took the drive out from his shirt pocket, and Miao Jia took it and handed it over to Fu Shiwu, seated in the back.
"At the mention of the hard drive, Fu Shiwu's heart skipped a beat. He had completely forgotten about this thing until he saw the dent on the hard drive in Miao Jia's hand, leaving him dumbfounded."
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
