Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Gift of Friendship

This short, stocky young man’s name was Jiang Wencheng. He, too, was an Awakened, known for his considerable strength in Shelter No. 023. Yet his true identity was that of a member of the Black Scorpion Organization, a spy embedded within the shelter, tasked with gathering intelligence and acting as their eyes and ears. The recent raids on supplies and abductions—he’d had a hand in all of them. Now that he heard Cheng Luoyi was heading out to exchange supplies, his mind began to churn with devious schemes.

Of course, he dared not rob Cheng Luoyi herself, but what about the other party? Jiang Wencheng analyzed the situation. He suspected the other side was likely a small group or a minor organization.

Soon after, Cheng Luoyi called Sun Xiaoqiang to join her. Upon hearing they’d be meeting Lin Dong, Sun Xiaoqiang was quite pleased, taking extra care to smooth his greasy hair, feeling rather handsome.

The three of them left the shelter together, heading toward the designated plaza. Jiang Wencheng deliberately lagged behind, quietly pulling out his phone to message the organization.

“Brothers, looks like we’ve got something—a big catch!”

“Oh? What kind of big catch?”

“What is it? Did the shelter find more supplies?”

“Hehehe, is the big catch a beauty?”

A few members quickly responded.

Jiang Wencheng continued: “The shelter is going out for a trade. The other side has a lot of food, not sure where they’re from.”

“Really? If someone can get that much food... their strength must not be weak.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“But... we should check out their formation first, then decide whether to make a move.”

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll come!”

The Black Scorpion members began to organize themselves. Jiang Wencheng also shared the details of the trade location.

...

At the plaza, Cheng Luoyi had chosen this spot precisely because there were few zombies. The fountain at the center had long since dried up, its basin stained with blackened blood and littered with several skeletons, now completely decomposed. The railings around the pool had collapsed, and all around lay nothing but ruin.

Lin Dong, dressed in a white shirt, stood at the edge of the pool, gazing inside as if admiring the scenery, imagining the fountain as it once was.

This plaza was not far from Lin Dong’s home. Before the apocalypse, he would often come here in the evenings for a stroll. The place used to bustle with activity—vendors selling balloons and children’s toys, children’s laughter echoing everywhere. Now, only deathly silence remained.

Lin Dong turned, surveying his surroundings. The tall buildings nearby were mostly collapsed, their walls cracked, glass shattered, revealing gaping black holes where windows once were. Occasionally, the snarls of zombies echoed from within.

At this moment, three figures approached along the street between two ruined towers—Cheng Luoyi, Sun Xiaoqiang, and Jiang Wencheng.

Jiang Wencheng craned his neck, confirming that someone was indeed standing in the plaza.

“Seriously? Just one person?”

---

Now, in these lawless end times, venturing out alone to trade was a recipe for murder and robbery. Could it be... his companions were lurking nearby?

Jiang Wencheng looked around but found no trace of anyone else.

“You’re here?” Lin Dong greeted them as Cheng Luoyi approached.

“Mm,” Cheng Luoyi nodded in reply.

“Did you bring the goods?”

“Yes.” With a wave of his hand, Lin Dong produced four sacks of flour out of thin air, each weighing fifty pounds—a total of two hundred pounds.

Cheng Luoyi stepped forward, opened a sack, scooped out a pinch, and brought it to her nose.

“Not bad—very pure.”

Sun Xiaoqiang, standing nearby, rolled his eyes. “Are you two filming a movie or something?”

Meanwhile, Jiang Wencheng watched Lin Dong closely. The way he had conjured the flour had startled him.

“Could he be a spatial Awakened?”

He pondered. Spatial abilities were generally powerful—but not invincible.

Jiang Wencheng tilted his head, spotting a few people in a distant building, quietly observing. The Black Scorpion members were in position.

“Haha, brother, are you really trading alone?” he asked, wanting to confirm.

Lin Dong looked at him. “Yes, just me.”

“Uh...” For some reason, the moment Lin Dong’s gaze fell on him, Jiang Wencheng’s heart spasmed with unease, prompting him to step back involuntarily.

What was going on? He couldn’t figure it out, but forced himself to probe further.

“Do you... have any more food? I’d like to trade some myself.”

“None left,” Lin Dong replied coolly.

“What? None left?” Jiang Wencheng was surprised, but quickly suspected he was lying. If these were the last four sacks of flour, they wouldn’t be exchanged for crystal cores. This man was cautious, guarding against him.

Yet, his caution likely stemmed from uncertainty and lack of confidence in his own strength. If he were truly powerful, there’d be no need for such wariness.

Those who could act as spies were never ordinary. Jiang Wencheng was clever, using conversation to probe, analyzing every possibility.

At this point, he believed... this man could be targeted.

In fact...

---

With his keen sense of smell, Lin Dong had already detected human scent nearby, hidden within one of the buildings. And the man before him harbored ill intentions.

Sun Xiaoqiang blurted out, “Lin Dong, it’s been ages—how’ve you been?”

“Not well. Life’s pretty dull,” Lin Dong replied offhandedly.

“Uh...” Even Sun Xiaoqiang, for all his simplicity, didn’t believe it. With so much good food, how could life be dull? He wished he could be bored like that, too.

Cheng Luoyi stepped forward, handing over four crystal cores.

“If you’re free, maybe we can hunt zombies together, earn some crystal cores. I imagine you know a lot of targets?”

“Not at the moment, but I suspect there’ll be some soon,” Lin Dong mused.

Cheng Luoyi nodded. “Alright, let me know when.”

“Sure. If you have a good target, you can call me, too.”

“No problem.”

A few brief words passed between them.

Though there were no zombies nearby, it was still the apocalypse—danger could spring up at any moment. It wasn’t wise to linger.

Soon, they each went their separate ways.

On the way back, Cheng Luoyi and Sun Xiaoqiang each carried two sacks of flour. Although together they weighed a hundred pounds, the weight felt negligible.

“Haha, now we can go home and steam big white buns,” Sun Xiaoqiang said, pleased.

Jiang Wencheng grew ever more silent. As they walked, he abruptly stopped.

“Well... since I didn’t manage to trade for food, I’ll look around nearby for supplies. You two head back.”

“Alright, go ahead,” Cheng Luoyi nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll return to the shelter soon,” Jiang Wencheng said with a smile, turning away and quickly vanishing among the ruined buildings.

Sun Xiaoqiang was still dreaming of big white buns, practically drooling. But then he remembered: in the shelter, a single crystal core was worth a box of instant noodles, but with Lin Dong, it traded for fifty pounds of flour.

“Wait, did Lin Dong lose out trading with us?”

“Don’t worry, he’s not losing anything. I even gave him a little extra as a friendly gesture,” Cheng Luoyi replied, turning her head just enough to reveal a perfect profile. Her bright eyes gazed toward the direction where Jiang Wencheng had disappeared...

...