Chapter 158: Leaving the Safe Zone

Page 1 of 3

Putting aside whether they could actually kill Qin Sheng, the contents of the recording device in her hand alone were enough to cause Guo Jun and Qin Mengchun no end of trouble.

Qin Sheng curled her lips in disdain, then slipped away without leaving a trace.

Before returning to her team, Qin Sheng happened to pay a visit to Team One. As luck would have it, she quickly found Yang Yao’s room. What she tossed inside was not lethal, but it would certainly be enough to keep Yang Yao from enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep for the next several days.

After placing the drug, Qin Sheng slipped into her spatial realm and used its ability to shift places and change forms to return to her own team. After taking care of a few things, she began to feel noticeably tired. The moment she lay down, she fell asleep.

“Shen Mei! It wasn’t me! I didn’t mean to frame you! I didn’t!”

Yang Yao jolted awake from her dream, drenched in sweat.

For some reason, she had dreamed of Shen Mei that night.

After getting up and drinking a glass of water, the anxiety and fear eased somewhat. Yang Yao sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, her head lowered, with not the slightest trace of sleepiness left.

Although she had joined Team One and begun living a life entirely different from before, she was the only new member of this year’s Team One. Qin Mengchun could not get in, and Guo Ting had been sent to the Reflection Center. Here, Yang Yao seemed even lonelier than she had been before.

Sometimes, she could not help wondering whether she had been too stubborn, especially lately, when she found herself frequently recalling the days she had spent attending high school with Shen Mei.

Shen Mei had always prepared surprises for her with a bright smile, taken her out for delicious food, and refused to let anyone bully her.

Yet at some point, Yang Yao had apparently become dissatisfied with merely being protected by Shen Mei.

Now that she thought about it, she found herself missing those days.

In the dead of night, Yang Yao allowed her thoughts to wander freely instead of immediately rejecting them.

If she had another chance, perhaps she would not have done it.

She did not know—and she would never have the chance.

She slept soundly through the night.

Perhaps because she had done so much the previous evening, Qin Sheng fell straight into a dreamless sleep after returning, and slept exceptionally well.

When she awoke, she immediately entered her spatial realm and changed into a more practical outfit. She had bought it from an outdoor exploration shop. The quality was excellent, the cut fit her perfectly, and it accentuated her figure beautifully. It also offered a high degree of protection and made her feel completely secure. Qin Sheng had bought a set for each of the others who would be leaving the safe zone as well.

There was nothing Qin Sheng needed to pack. With her spatial realm at her side, she lacked for nothing. All she could do was make sure her team members had as much protective equipment as possible.

After making a few simple preparations, Qin Sheng had Wang Qiang distribute the items she had prepared.

“Sis Sheng, how do I look? Handsome, right?”

After changing, Wang Qiang strutted around, asking everyone whether he looked dazzlingly handsome.

Chu Xingyu and Jiang Miaomiao laughed and teased him before taking their own clothes to change.

“Is everyone ready? It’s time to go.”

Qin Sheng glanced around. Seeing that everyone had changed and gathered their belongings, she gave Yu Yong a few brief instructions, then led the team toward the core base to collect their weapons before meeting up with Yang Lin’s team.

Just as they were about to leave, Xiao Nuo suddenly ran in front of Qin Sheng and stopped her.

“Big Sister, I’ll wait here obediently for you. You have to come back safely, all right?”

Xiao Nuo looked somewhat frightened, and his eyes were faintly red.

Qin Sheng gave a soft laugh and gently embraced him. In a tone of promise, she said, “Big Sister will definitely come back safely. Don’t worry, Xiao Nuo.”

Xiao Nuo hugged her back tightly and nodded with all his strength.

“Captain, we should get going…”

Wang Qiang, feeling that they were running short on time, reminded her quietly.

Qin Sheng released Xiao Nuo and raised a hand to wipe the tears from his face.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t a little child? Then why are you crying?”

Qin Sheng did not know why, but seeing Xiao Nuo’s tears inexplicably made her eyes sting as well.

For once, Xiao Nuo did not argue. Instead, he followed her words and said, “I am a little child. I need Big Sister to protect me.”

Smiling, Qin Sheng rubbed his head and promised, “All right. Big Sister will definitely come back safely and protect you.”

Page 2 of 3

Xiao Nuo nodded and watched Qin Sheng lead the team farther and farther away.

He continued watching until their figures disappeared from sight.

At once, the expression on Xiao Nuo’s face turned much colder. He mechanically lifted a hand and wiped away his tears. He could not explain what he was feeling. He had merely been ordered to stay beside Qin Sheng, and he did not even know what he was supposed to do. Yet somewhere in his subconscious, he seemed unwilling to see her hurt.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Nuo. Our captain is incredibly powerful. She’ll definitely come back safely.”

Seeing Xiao Nuo standing there without moving, Xiaoxiao knew he was having a hard time. Suppressing her own reluctance, she smiled and comforted him.

Xiao Nuo remained where he was. He did not move, merely giving a slight nod to show that he had heard her.

Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly, shook her head, and went back to help Yu Yong, leaving Xiao Nuo standing motionless in the same place for a long while.

Qin Sheng led the team to the core base, where they collected the supplies and weapons required for the mission.

Guns.

They were the most effective weapons against zombies, though their ammunition reserves were limited.

The safe zone could provide each person with no more than one hundred rounds.

Qin Sheng distributed a gun to every member of the team.

When Lin Xing, Wang Qiang, and the other young men touched their guns, their eyes lit up. They handled them with extreme care, as if afraid they might damage them.

Jiang Miaomiao was not particularly interested. She was still more accustomed to her dagger.

However, cold weapons could never overcome the insurmountable gap between them and firearms. Jiang Miaomiao ultimately slung the gun over her back.

Less than two minutes later, Yang Lin arrived at the core base with his Fierce Tiger Team to collect their supplies. The two teams had officially joined forces.

Yang Lin was, after all, a veteran of the safe zone, with far more experience than Qin Sheng.

Although Qin Sheng was the team captain in name, most of the planning and assignments still had to be handled by Yang Lin.

That saved Qin Sheng quite a bit of effort.

“We should set out.”

After hearing Yang Lin’s reminder, Qin Sheng nodded, slung the gun over her shoulder, and walked to the front of the team.

“Everyone, this mission carries a very high degree of danger. Do your best to make every possible preparation. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and bring you all back safely!”

Those words were both a demand she made of herself and a promise to them.

As soon as Qin Sheng finished speaking, applause broke out from all around. Everyone was in high spirits.

“Are you ready?” Yang Lin shouted to the teams beside Qin Sheng.

“Ready!”

“Ready!”

“Wait!”

Just as Yang Lin was about to give the order to depart, a voice Qin Sheng knew extremely well suddenly rang out.

Qin Sheng turned toward the sound. When she saw Shen Shi, the corners of her lips curved into a rare smile.

She had known Shen Shi would come.

When Shen Shi entered the group with supplies and a gun strapped to her back, the members of Team Seven erupted in excitement.

“Shen Shi!”

“What are you doing here?”

Page 3 of 3

Shen Shi gave them a rare smile.

“This is Team Seven’s mission. I’m a member of Team Seven, so of course I’m taking part.”

“I knew it. Good brother!”

Wang Qiang and Shen Shi were not particularly close, but he was naturally outgoing and treated her without the slightest formality.

Yang Lin glanced at Qin Sheng and immediately understood that Shen Shi’s arrival was probably arranged by her. He had no authority to object.

“Set out!”

The two teams, nearly fifty people in all, walked side by side out of the safe zone.

The instant the gates of the safe zone closed behind them, they all felt somewhat dazed. They had finally left the safe zone and returned to the places where they had once lived.

But the world they had known was no longer what it had been. The air still carried a faint scent of blood, and the low growls of zombies could be heard in the distance.

After leaving the safe zone, they first had to pass through the Zombie Forest. Every team member was prepared for battle. The forest contained an enormous number of zombies, and if they wanted to reach the city, they were bound to clash with them.

Qin Sheng, however, remained perfectly calm. The zombies in the forest could practically be considered her old acquaintances.

Sure enough, they had not gone far before they heard the zombies’ low growls.

“There are quite a lot of them.”

Yang Lin warned Qin Sheng from beside her. His brow was tightly furrowed, and a thin sheen of sweat had already appeared on his forehead. This was destined to be a hard battle.

Compared with Yang Lin, Qin Sheng was as composed as if she were returning home. She showed not the slightest sign of nervousness.

“Stay alert!”

As the zombies’ growls drew nearer, Yang Lin reached for the gun on his back and gathered with the other team members, preparing to enter battle at any moment.

“They’re here…”

The moment Yang Lin finished speaking, the zombies charged toward the teams like maddened beasts. The members, who had been standing tightly together, were instantly scattered by the horde.

One zombie lunged toward Qin Sheng’s neck. It moved so quickly that no one had time to warn her.

Just as its teeth were a hair’s breadth from touching her, Qin Sheng darted aside like a gust of wind and drew the Tang saber from her back.

The saber came down. The zombie’s head rolled across the ground, spraying blood everywhere.

Fortunately, everyone had already seen Qin Sheng cut down zombies before, so they were not overly shocked. Instead, the sight greatly bolstered the team’s morale.

Everyone drew their guns and weapons. A few minutes later, Jiang Miaomiao chopped off the head of the final zombie, leaving it sprawled on the ground.

Qin Sheng gave Jiang Miaomiao a thumbs-up. Her bearing had changed completely. She could now sever a zombie’s head without changing expression or sustaining an injury—a clear sign that her training during this period had paid off.

“Is everyone unhurt?”

Qin Sheng had already observed that no one on the team had been injured, but she asked anyway.

After receiving a definite answer, Qin Sheng led the team onward.

They encountered several more zombie attacks on the way out of the forest, but they dealt with every one of them. The team’s morale rose sharply, and they entered the city without even stopping to rest.

The urban environment was intricate and confusing, making it inconvenient for such a large group to advance together. The fifty people split into several smaller teams and headed separately toward places likely to contain abundant supplies.

Supermarkets, convenience stores, and small shops, for example.

Qin Sheng, Lin Xing, Jiang Miaomiao, Shen Shi, and Chu Xingyu formed one team. Their first destination was the city’s large supermarket.