Chapter 319 | Chapter 320 | Chapter 321
Chapter 319: Done on Purpose
Because of this, Wu Yue did not sleep the entire night.
In the end, he chose to change the route. The debt was already pressing close, and in higher-risk, deeper areas, the resources they could collect would be far more abundant.
This was something Bai Yu—and many others—found extremely puzzling.
Everyone knew that having money didn’t necessarily mean having power.
But those with power… almost never lacked money.
Even if one lived modestly, it wouldn’t come to this level of shortage.
Take General Lin as an example—his income came from multiple sources: government subsidies, bonuses, and resource allocations; earnings from the wasteland; and various assets under his name.
And where did those assets come from?
A simple example—
Garrison Commanders were widely regarded as top-tier ability users. Many families, whether for their own interests or for their children’s future, were willing to invest heavily in education.
Even ordinary Garrison soldiers were often invited back to schools or ability institutions to give guidance, lectures, or share knowledge about the wasteland.
Whether through high-paying invitations or private partnerships—
In a world where top-tier ability users were extremely scarce, the government even encouraged such arrangements, hoping to cultivate more outstanding talents.
Because of all this, no matter how people speculated, no one could figure out Wu Yue’s current financial crisis.
The truth was—
He had a direct relative acting as both his personal manager and… someone who took out high-interest loans just to spend lavishly.
But no one knew his true purpose.
So everyone continued working like a colony of busy ants, thrown into chaotic and directionless preparations.
Because who knew—
Once they entered the wasteland, would he change the route again?
Every soldier was precious. To maximize survival rates, the logistics team racked their brains to the limit.
Meanwhile, the turmoil in Flower City—
Huai Yu knew nothing about it.
After waking up, she wandered around the rest area, then let all the little ones out of the car to get some fresh air.
The chicks didn’t let travel interfere with laying eggs. Soon enough, they found a pile of warm ash and settled in.
After their protein feast, Dabao and Erbao had become obsessed with exploring.
Not only could they easily dig up protein-rich bugs, but poking at tree roots to uncover plump white larvae had become an endless source of joy.
Only Ke Taro was reluctant to get out of the car.
Even after being carried down by Huai Yu, it quickly retreated to one side.
Those two basins of osmanthus had brought it immense joy—
So much so that even now, all six of its limbs were moving non-stop, rolling, kneading, rolling again!
At this point, it had already produced an entire basin of golden kelang balls.
The cost?
It could no longer be called Ke Taro—
It should be renamed Fragrant Taro.
The scent was overwhelming—so rich it almost seeped into everything.
Huai Yu leaned in and took a deep sniff.
The fragrance was even stronger than before.
Zhou Qian didn’t dare get close at all, worried he might fall asleep for another half day and delay their already slow progress even further.
“I just don’t know what these osmanthus kelang balls actually do…”
He was a bit concerned.
Huai Yu, however, started thinking.
“If drinking it helps with sleep, then isn’t it similar to the petals from the Rose Corridor?”
But it didn’t matter.
As long as Ke Taro was happy, it could do whatever it liked.
With that thought, Huai Yu turned to Zhou Qian, who was organizing supplies nearby.
“Brother Zhou Qian, I had another dream last night.”
Zhou Qian looked at her expression, then lowered his head knowingly.
“Doesn’t seem like a good one… Did you dream about the past again?”
“Mm.” Huai Yu nodded, sighing.
“I was really such a pushover back then.”
Truly a pushover.
Even when pushed to the limit, she would only let out a bit of hot, fragrant steam—never daring to explode in someone’s face.
Zhou Qian listened attentively.
Huai Yu thought for a moment.
There wasn’t much worth telling—but he seemed interested, already sitting there ready to listen.
So she continued:
“That Huai Yu… she was a lifestyle blogger. Hands-on, patient, hardworking—so she got popular and made good money. She even took brand deals.”
“She didn’t sign with a company, but she hired an assistant to handle screening jobs and external communication.”
“Later, after moving into Wu Yue’s house, his mom started eyeing that income.”
“She always said assistants are outsiders—letting them know too much about family finances could invite trouble. And Wu Yue… outsourced his filial piety, saying his mom had it hard…”
Who didn’t have it hard these days?
Her assistant was actually quite capable—more than just an assistant—but stayed because the pay and benefits were good.
Once family conflicts arose, the assistant quickly left.
And so—
All that work naturally shifted to Wu Yue’s mother, who claimed to be good at business.
She was good at it.
In just one month, she secured 13 promotional deals—including competing brands.
And every now and then, she would bring something for Huai Yu to look at, using the same three classic tactics:
First—
She’d say some neighbor had it, how popular it was, and imply Huai Yu lacked the ability to speak up for herself.
Second—
She’d sigh and lament how rich people enjoy life, wondering if she’d ever see such a day, since her son was unreliable.
Third—
She’d casually admire something, then end with a line about raising a son only for him to marry and abandon the family.
Old tricks didn’t matter.
As long as they worked.
At first, Huai Yu found herself quite troubled by it.
But now—
As Huai Yu recounted the dream, there was little resentment.
Because she could sense—
That version of herself had started to change.
In the dream, Huai Yu had already shifted communication channels for business deals, begun focusing on building her own content, and learned how to “play along” with Wu Yue’s mother—responding just enough to keep her hanging.
For example—
She stopped giving small amounts of money casually.
If she bought something, she made sure everyone knew about it.
If not for the Cataclysm arriving too suddenly—
And her failure to realize her awakening ability in time, which caused her status in the household to collapse—
She would have eventually secured her place in that family.
But still…
Huai Yu touched her cheek thoughtfully.
“That old lady really knows how to spend money.”
Not just bold—
But very bold.
She bought anything expensive without hesitation, because someone else would always pay.
Price didn’t matter.
As long as she enjoyed spending it.
Hehe.
Thinking of this, Huai Yu suddenly felt a bit happy.
Because somehow—
She could vaguely sense—
That this extravagant spending…
Had been intentionally cultivated by Huai Yu herself.
Chapter 320: Guardian of District Eight
After sensing this intention of Huai Yu in the dream, Huai Yu felt very happy. Even sitting in the car, she kept swinging her legs, making Zhou Qian curious:
“What’s the benefit of letting that old lady spend money without restraint? Isn’t it all her hard-earned money? Why are you so happy?”
Huai Yu raised her index finger and waved it. “Brother Zhou Qian, you don’t understand.”
“That old lady is originally quite something… If you hang her with money and watch her get anxious and keep testing the waters, it’s very interesting. It saves a lot of trouble.”
“Besides, although it’s her hard-earned money, that Huai Yu is also very capable! Earning several million a year—back in Flower City, with Old Madam Zhou’s level of experience, she could easily afford to spend as she pleases.”
“And anyway, for big expenses, it’s always Old Madam Zhou who takes the initiative to pay. If the amount gets too large, or if the relationship breaks down… they’re not even married. If she refuses to pay, what can anyone do?”
Of course!
At this point, Huai Yu rested her chin on her hand and sighed, “Seeing how devoted she is, this last point is probably just subconscious action. She hasn’t even thought that far yet.”
“But having that kind of subconscious is still good—it proves she’s still trying to break free. If not for the disaster, I think the family she wanted—even if a bit twisted—she would eventually have gotten it.”
In short, this was far more satisfying than her original timid, submissive bun-like state.
Zhou Qian fell silent.
Sometimes he felt Huai Yu was naïve and inexperienced, but seeing her analyze human nature and even mother-in-law conflicts so clearly made it feel very contradictory.
He even couldn’t figure out how the Huai Yu in the dream and the current Huai Yu were connected—whether in temperament or appearance, they were completely different!
“What a pity,” he finally sighed. “The disaster disrupted everything.”
But Huai Yu became cheerful again. “It should still be useful.”
She thought of Wu Yue’s mother acting arrogantly in Boss Tang’s shop—like someone superior, spending freely yet also stingy and always taking advantage—and couldn’t help but laugh.
Before, she was only angry. But now, linking it with the scenes from the dream—
If one can’t even manage their own household, how can they manage the world? Even unable to restrain his own family, and not even able to maintain appearances—was General Wu’s position really that stable?
Or rather, now that he’s become an official, is his income enough to support his mother’s spending?
And finally—an old lady agent who excels at taking petty advantages and ruining others’ careers—had she really never turned down opportunities on his behalf?
Thinking of this, Huai Yu almost wanted to cheer!
Before, she thought Wu Yue brought bad luck, but the more she thought about the details now, the happier she felt! If only her ability were stronger and she could defeat him, that would be even better!
However, this winding train of thought was quickly interrupted when a road sign appeared ahead.
“Brother Zhou Qian, weren’t we originally planning to go through Area A? Why are we almost at District D8 now?”
Zhou Qian sighed helplessly. “Who was it that stimulated the Ice Lamp Jade Dew and caused it to expand and block the road?”
That place had originally been a wide three-way intersection. But after being squeezed and overtaken like that, Zhou Qian stepped on the gas in a hurry—ending up in District D was only natural.
“No problem,” Huai Yu said casually. “As long as it’s not C9, anywhere else is fine! Area A or D doesn’t matter.”
“But… what kind of guardian creature is preserved in District Eight?”
Zhou Qian turned the steering wheel. “You’ll see soon enough.”
The car gradually entered a denser forest. The canopy blocked out the sky, while below were low shrubs and grasses, with occasional small trees growing—thin branches showing that sunlight was not very sufficient.
The car slowed as it drove deeper in. After quite a while, Huai Yu still hadn’t seen any so-called guardian creature.
Until Zhou Qian reminded her, “Look up.”
She raised her head. Above was still a canopy of green leaves, no different from before—
No!
They had already been driving for ten minutes. Why did the vegetation overhead still look exactly the same? And it even seemed strangely familiar…
Zhou Qian sighed. “The preserved plant in District Eight is this very chestnut tree in front of us. The trunk at its center has a diameter of 35 meters, and the entire area is covered under its branches and leaves.”
Thirty-five meters in diameter?
Huai Yu sucked in a sharp breath!
To put it this way—the small treehouse she had painstakingly built back then didn’t even reach half the diameter of this tree’s trunk!
She asked in shock, “With such a massive tree, if its roots so much as shift underground, wouldn’t this entire area experience an earthquake? Is it naturally so obedient and easy to communicate with? Otherwise, how can you be sure it’s the guardian plant of the whole District Eight?”
“Not sure,” Zhou Qian replied.
“I didn’t participate in the exploration mission of District Eight. It was probably led by General Lin back then—but I’ve heard about it.”
“At the beginning, the ruler of District Eight was a combination of animals and plants.”
“There was a patch of lion’s mane mushrooms that, during mutation, swallowed an entire monkey troop. Its abilities became bizarre and unpredictable—it could let its spores parasitize any flesh, turning it into a pool of blood to nourish its roots, then spread even more spores…”
Then, one day, the mushroom actually grew into the shape of a monkey.
The monkey form attracted more monkey troops, until a newly mutated monkey king noticed something was wrong. From then on, the mushrooms and monkeys hunted together.
Their prey was humans.
The monkeys were responsible for eating; the mushrooms handled the “kitchen waste”… Just like that, in the early days of the disaster, those who failed to escape the rapidly swallowed cities all became their food.
But it was not satisfied.
The spores spread everywhere, reaching more and more people. The monkey form was no longer enough for it.
It wanted to swallow entire crowds—and in fact, it almost succeeded.
But then the spores set their sights on a mutated chestnut tree.
This chestnut tree had no special ability—only that it grew extremely large. Its rugged trunk was rich in nutrients, making it very suitable for mushroom growth.
So it chose to parasitize it once again.
And during that window of time, General Lin led people to wipe out the monkey troop…
“Then how were the spores eliminated?” Huai Yu asked curiously.
Zhou Qian paused. “General Lin came up with the idea—he purchased a batch of pre-disaster mushroom cultivation bags and set up a greenhouse.”
It was winter at the time, not a natural growing season for spores. Inside the greenhouse, bonfires burned daily, warmth filled the air, moisture spread everywhere, and the nutrient-rich cultivation bags were far more nourishing than the dry leaves and tree trunks outside…
Spores were still just spores. Whether they consumed humans or monkeys, it didn’t increase their intelligence in the slightest. Once they all parasitized into the bags, General Lin surrounded the greenhouse with thick walls of water—and then burned everything inside to ashes.
The flames raged fiercely and burned for a long time, to the point that the entire water wall began to boil. He suffered severe burns because of it and only recovered after a long time with the help of ability users.
Chapter 321: The Stingy Chestnut Tree
Huai Yu frowned again. “What’s so good about eating people? This mushroom really has no taste at all!”
She even pointed as she complained, “It’s so fierce—wouldn’t the mushrooms grown from its scattered spores actually taste pretty good? Since it already has some intelligence, it might as well have handed itself over early!”
“At that point, the state could build it a greenhouse, assign civil servants to guard it, and not only would its descendants never run out, it would also enjoy warm and humid conditions all year round…”
“Clearly not as smart as the Rose Corridor.”
Huai Yu gave her verdict.
Zhou Qian thought to himself that there were quite a few corpses buried beneath the Rose Corridor too—but back then, bodies were piled like mountains and all parasitized. If the ground hadn’t been split open to bury them, under those circumstances, even proper burial would have been impossible. At the very least, Zhou Ning could still be accompanied by the flowers she had always liked.
Thinking of this, Zhou Qian sighed silently, then changed the topic. “Want to eat chestnuts?”
Huai Yu immediately perked up. “Yes! Does it have a good temper? Can we just pick them freely? Chestnuts that fall on the ground get wormy easily…”
Zhou Qian thought for a moment, then reached back and grabbed a helmet from the back seat. “Put this on. When we get there, stand under the tree for a bit. With your high affinity, it should give you quite a lot.”
That made sense!
Huai Yu also wanted to ask if she could cut a branch for propagation—might as well get closer and build a good relationship.
She swung her legs in the car as she waited. Soon, the car came to a gradual stop. Ahead of them stood a massive brown tree trunk, so wide that its ends couldn’t be seen.
Looking at it now, Zhou Qian’s earlier estimate of a 35-meter diameter was probably conservative.
Zhou Qian clearly realized this too. He stared at the trunk for a moment, then gave a wry smile. “It’s grown bigger again?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Huai Yu had already fastened her helmet and jumped out of the car happily.
“Chestnut tree! I’m here!”
“Can you share some chestnuts with me?” She stood under the tree, then suddenly realized that their entire drive had already been within the tree’s range. She quickly added, “Just one sack is enough! Any more and our car won’t be able to carry it.”
But chestnuts would quickly get worms if left untreated!
So Huai Yu changed her words again: “Half a sack then!”
After speaking, she noticed she was still some distance from the trunk and stepped forward. But just as she lifted her foot, she remembered Zhou Qian was still sitting motionless in the car and became alert.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
With a sharp bang, her head jolted, and her mind buzzed.
That sound seemed like a signal. Immediately after, a barrage of clatter-clatter noises followed. From multiple angles, something rained down on her head like a dense hailstorm. Even through her thick coat, she was struck repeatedly, each hit bringing a dull, aching pain.
Then came a rushing wind. Before she could react, a fist-sized, plump chestnut burr had already landed by her feet!
Its sharp spikes split open, revealing three glossy chestnuts inside—almost as if they were mocking her naive.
“Zhou! Qian!!!”
Huai Yu clenched her fists and shouted, then hurriedly turned and ran toward the car. Zhou Qian quickly rolled down the window and called out:
“Don’t run! This chestnut tree is extremely stingy. If you don’t stand under it, it won’t let you take even a single chestnut!”
Sitting safely in the car, outside the attack range, Zhou Qian remained calm.
“Look, you’ve already been hit anyway. And it doesn’t look like half a sack yet. Why not endure a bit longer?”
He had never said this chestnut tree had a good temper. In fact, it was famous in District Eight for being stingy and hard to communicate with! Most mutated creatures were driven by survival or reproduction—but not this one!
Despite growing so huge, it guarded its chestnuts like treasure. Unless you took a beating, don’t even think about getting a single one out of it!
Otherwise, with such a vast spread, if it casually scattered seeds outward and let them grow and scatter more, it wouldn’t take many years before the entire District Eight would be occupied by it.
Thinking of the chestnut tree’s personality, Zhou Qian looked at Huai Yu scrambling outside with her head covered and burst out laughing.
To be honest, the force of the chestnuts wasn’t enough to seriously injure her. With proper protection, it was almost like an amusement park attraction—quite interesting, really.
He couldn’t help but curl his lips in amusement.
Meanwhile, Huai Yu, dodging around in panic, saw this and gritted her teeth in anger. She thought to herself that Zhou Qian was so mean—later, when the chestnuts were cooked, she’d make him eat them until he farted nonstop for a whole day!
Even so, since Zhou Qian had pointed out this method, it seemed they had no better option.
So Huai Yu gritted her teeth and endured. When she saw that the ground was now covered with enough shiny brown chestnuts for about half a sack, she suddenly changed direction and dashed straight toward the tree trunk!
The moment her palm touched it, she could clearly sense its emotions. In that instant, Huai Yu felt quite dejected—sure enough, her ability was still too weak, so she needed physical contact just to get the tree to acknowledge her…
Unlike Zhou Qian, who could sit in the car and talk from a distance—it looked much more impressive.
She fell into a brief bout of gloom.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qian noticed that the barrage of chestnuts had paused. He carefully put on another helmet and got out of the car.
After stepping out, he didn’t move forward immediately. Instead, he waited quietly for a moment until Huai Yu couldn’t help urging, “What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming over?”
There were so many chestnuts—picking them up alone would be exhausting!
Only then did Zhou Qian stride forward, smiling as he said, “This chestnut tree is petty. I was worried that if I came too early, its attacks would double.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his sixth sense flared. He swiftly stepped aside—one glossy chestnut grazed his helmet and rolled onto the soft ground, spinning twice among the fallen leaves.
The next moment, another storm of chestnuts came crashing down, striking his helmet with dull thuds rather than sharp cracks—
And the ones he couldn’t dodge hit his body solidly as well!
Huai Yu froze.
She clearly felt that the chestnut tree was in quite a good mood!
But—
She had already been beaten; what was wrong with Zhou Qian taking a beating too?
Hehe… clearly, heaven favored her!
So she pressed herself against the trunk, firmly rooted within the safe zone, and happily clapped her hands.
“It’s fine, Brother Zhou Qian—just hold on a bit longer! I can handle even a whole sack of chestnuts!”
“Since you’ve already been hit, the longer you endure, the more worthwhile it is!”
As soon as she finished speaking, another full chestnut burr slammed fiercely onto his shoe.
