Chapter 170: A Conversation, A Reborn Person?
Listening to the news brought by Zhang Li, Su Ning felt as if she had entered a dense fog, her mind beginning to churn with deep thought.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Zhang Li, as though she had grasped an important clue. She couldn’t wait to speak:
“Su Ning, do you know who the second-in-command opposing Liu Jianjun actually is?”
Su Ning was a little thrown off by the abrupt question, but she instinctively knew that there was some untold story behind it.
“Oh? Who is it? I don’t know much about the higher-ups. I’ve heard little about their internal power struggles.”
Zhang Li continued:
“Do you remember the classmate I mentioned before—Zheng Yaxian? The one going against Liu Jianjun is the man she’s following.”
Hearing that, Su Ning’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
“I haven’t heard anything about her in a long time. That’s really surprising.”
Initially, Su Ning didn’t think there was anything special about it—but Zhang Li’s next words shocked her.
Zhang Li elaborated on Zheng Yaxian’s current situation:
“You probably haven’t seen her since the apocalypse began, but I happened to run into her once because of work. Her transformation is unbelievable—she’s become incredibly mature and decisive. And it turns out the one opposing Liu Jianjun isn’t the man she’s with… it’s Zheng Yaxian herself. That man actually follows her lead completely!”
Su Ning looked puzzled.
“Seriously? You’re saying Zheng Yaxian is that capable?”
Even Zhang Li found it hard to believe.
She had always admired Su Ning—Su Ning had gotten this far on her own and was still living comfortably, a feat anyone would envy.
But compared to Zheng Yaxian, Zhang Li felt Su Ning wasn’t all that special anymore.
As Zheng Yaxian’s former classmate, Zhang Li had once been invited into her residence—it was so luxurious it left her speechless, almost like heaven on earth. It was more extravagant than life before the apocalypse.
In comparison, Su Ning’s comfort didn’t seem as impressive anymore.
Zhang Li couldn’t help but sigh:
“Comparing yourself to others really is a shortcut to frustration.”
Su Ning couldn’t figure out why Zhang Li was looking at her so strangely.
“The reason I’m preparing to evacuate now,” Zhang Li explained, “is because Zheng Yaxian warned me. Before we even entered the ‘Endless Sea’ dungeon, she subtly told me to prepare to leave Shelter No. 6. I didn’t take it seriously at the time—but now that so many problems have hit Shelter No. 6 back-to-back, and with the next disaster predicted to affect us directly, I decided to take Qing and leave.”
Although Liu Jianjun tried to keep some information secret, messages from the First Shelter weren’t limited to him alone.
The warning that Disaster [Flooding] might submerge Shelter No. 6 had still leaked out.
After hearing Zhang Li’s explanation, Su Ning began to seriously reconsider Zheng Yaxian.
“How could she know about the crisis Shelter No. 6 would face in advance?”
“Could it be that Zheng Yaxian also has a precognition ability?”
Su Ning was doubtful. Even Pei Xuan’an, the so-called prophet, hadn’t foreseen the [Flooding] disaster. He’d only been able to predict some details about the dungeon before entering the ‘Endless Sea.’
“Could Zheng Yaxian really be more powerful than Pei Xuan’an?”
That, Su Ning couldn’t say. After all, everyone in this post-apocalyptic world had their own opportunities and encounters—maybe Zheng Yaxian had come across something special.
Zhang Li had mentioned before how drastically Zheng Yaxian had changed—how she had even used a chainsaw to dismember enemies who had killed her family.
Now, seeing her taking on leadership and opposing Liu Jianjun only elevated Su Ning’s impression of her.
Seeing Su Ning fall silent, Zhang Li asked:
“Su Ning, are you planning to evacuate with us? I only came back to check on my old home—I don’t know when I’ll ever return. And with the flood disaster looming, we can’t know if this whole area will be submerged. We need to prepare for the future.”
As she spoke, there was a touch of sadness in her tone.
Su Ning began seriously weighing her options.
Meanwhile, in Shelter No. 6, inside a certain villa—
Zheng Yaxian sat with a serious expression, eyes fixed on the documents in her hands. Her face showed clear concern.
“Time is still tight. Even though I’ve returned early to this point in time, there are some things I still can’t stop.”
A deep maturity far beyond her years was etched on Zheng Yaxian’s face.
“Shelter No. 6 is destined for chaos. That person from Shelter No. 12 will soon appear, and his power is terrifying—his ability allows him to enslave others. With my current strength, I can’t defeat him. And with Shelter No. 6 doomed to be swallowed by the flood, staying here is pointless. It’s better to move to another shelter.”
The reason Zheng Yaxian knew so many inside secrets was simple: she had been reborn.
That’s right—reborn.
She had returned from five years into the post-apocalyptic future.
To her, the current natural disasters were nothing but gentle rain compared to what was coming. Right now, it was still just nature acting up.
But in the future came world-ending meteor showers… and terrifying viruses—that was the true apocalypse.
“Before the meteor shower that will nearly wipe out all shelters arrives, I must build a force of my own—take over a shelter, gather powerful players. Only then can we survive the upcoming disasters.”
Zheng Yaxian knew that the dangers didn’t end there.
Behind the Survival Dungeons was an even more terrifying organization.
The dungeons themselves were a kind of selection system. She had only learned this through later experiences—meeting players from other worlds and uncovering hidden truths.
A great power operated behind the scenes of the Survival Dungeons.
“Since I’ve been given this second chance at life, I must claim a spot as one of the system’s administrators. Only then can I avoid becoming someone else’s pawn… and control my own fate.”
A glint of ruthless determination flashed through Zheng Yaxian’s eyes.
And of course—there were some old grudges she absolutely intended to settle.
Under Zhang Li’s sincere invitation, and after careful thought, Su Ning decisively agreed to leave with her.
After all, this place was destined to be submerged. Whether she left now or later made no difference.
Rather than stubbornly holding out here, she might as well travel with Zhang Li.
“Of course, I’m not leaving alone. I already made plans with others. I only came back to check on my home—we’ll meet up tomorrow.”
Zhang Li added:
“You know the people I’m talking about—it’s Jiang Nana and the others.”
Su Ning asked in surprise:
“The Jiang family and the Kou family are evacuating too?”
Zhang Li nodded in confirmation.
Now that Su Ning had the answer she wanted, she didn’t hesitate. She began packing her things and prepared to leave with them the next day.
The night passed.
The next morning, the three of them left the snow-covered neighborhood behind. Before leaving, both Zhang Li and Su Ning looked back one last time—their faces tinged with complex emotion.
Elsewhere, the Kou family was anxiously waiting.
Kou Dinghe complained, clearly annoyed:
“What’s taking them so long?”
Jiang Nana didn’t reply, but merely gave Kou Dingshan a look—signaling him to keep his younger brother in check.
Seeing this, Kou Dinghe quickly rubbed his nose and stayed quiet.
Their mother, however, wasn’t pleased with her elder son’s submissive behavior.
As the saying goes—even in the apocalypse, the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship remains difficult to navigate.
Just as the group was growing more anxious, Kou Dingshan spotted a figure in the distance.
“They’re coming!”
Jiang Nana’s eyes lit up as she looked eagerly toward the horizon.
But as the group approached, Kou Dinghe frowned.
“Wait… isn’t there one extra person with them?”
