Chapter 488: So That's How It Is
Chapter 488: So That's How It Is
An Ran is telling the truth, without a trace of pretense. If Zhang Boxun can’t return, then Zhan Lian and the others certainly won’t be able to return either. Without Zhan Lian, what’s the point of going north?
A wave of heartache suddenly washes over her. She’ll be left alone to raise the child, struggling through the apocalypse by herself. How could she possibly defeat Ying Jia and that massive carnivorous flower in the supermarket? How could she take her child north?
With that thought, An Ran loses the will to argue with Fatty and the others. She turns around and carries the child out of the residential gate—it’s already completely dark.
Heavy clouds fill the sky. Aside from a round, pale, hazy moon, not a single star is visible. The night wind howls, bitter and cold. No one wants to move about outside.
An Ran carries the girl back to the bulletproof car, turns on the headlights, picks up a picture book, and softly begins to read aloud.
In the distance, supernatural sounds echo faintly, and the plants around the car slither like snakes, reporting the situation ahead.
After a while, someone knocks on the window.
An Ran turns and sees Fatty standing outside the car again. Behind him are several neat rows of people—about a hundred in total.
Her expression darkens. Is this a coup? The supplies in her car certainly won’t be enough for 500 people. Haven’t they seen Little Mint, Hengheng, and Zhao Ru constantly searching the vine-covered roadside shops for food?
In the distance, Little Mint is holding Hengheng’s hand. Her expression is dark as well. A murderous glint, far beyond her years, flickers in her eyes.
She rushes over quickly, with Zhao Ru hurrying after her, worried that the survivors might riot.
An Ran hands the picture book to the little girl and lets her study it herself. Then she opens the car door, her flat-heeled boots stepping down on thick vines. She leans to the side, pressing a palm against the car. In response, vines crawl over the vehicle, tightly protecting the child inside.
She’s ready to confront Fatty, but he takes a step back and points at the group behind him.
“Miss An, there’s no point hiding anything now. These thirty-eight are our Wood-type ability users, those forty are Water-type, and the rest include agricultural experts, construction engineers, and other pre-apocalypse specialists. If Zhang Boxun and your ex-husband can’t return, then we’re all in the same boat. We don’t need to eat mutant tree roots anymore—we can grow our own food.”
As he speaks, An Ran nearly gapes.
What the hell? So many Wood and Water-type users all at once? It feels like stumbling on a mountain of metal and silver, a hidden treasure chest cracked open before her.
Is this what Tang Jianjun meant by “reward”?
Looking over the group of Wood and Water ability users and agricultural experts, she sees that they look ragged. Among them are the elderly, children, and even pregnant women.
Then Fatty adds, with a touch of smugness, “That Lei Jiang thought he took all of Commander Tang’s Wood and Water types with him. But the real granary and reservoir? They were hidden among us—the burdens.”
“Ohhh~” An Ran tilts her head slightly and says without thinking, “So that’s how it is.”
Zhao Ru, standing nearby, has the same look of sudden understanding.
Back in Tiesi Village, there were at least ten thousand people. To have a hundred or so Wood and Water types—a 100:1 ratio—isn’t far-fetched. Back then, everyone speculated that Tang Jianjun had gathered many ability users under his command.