Chapter 189: Are You Willing to Find a New Father for Chen Xi?
Qi Yunlan rejected his request.
No one was more suitable than Xiong Tai to deliver food to Lian Sha.
The more afraid he was, the less likely he would be fooled by her.
With a look of impending doom, Xiong Tai had no choice but to go.
Lian Sha’s room had a small opening at the bottom of the door.
Originally designed for pets to pass through, it was now perfect for delivering her meals.
Trembling, Xiong Tai cautiously opened the pet door, quickly tossed a bag containing a dry, hard piece of bread inside, and then bolted away as fast as he could.
Lian Sha had intended to chat up whoever was delivering her food, but she didn’t even get a glimpse of them.
Seeing the tiny, rock-hard piece of bread that was barely the size of her palm, she was so furious that she kicked it far across the room.
But by nightfall, starving to the point where her stomach was practically stuck to her back, she had no choice but to crawl over and pick it up.
As she ate, hatred festered inside her.
Once she got out, she had to find a way to kill Su Tao.
No—death would be too easy.
She wanted Su Tao kneeling at her feet, turned into her puppet, completely under her control, suffering endless humiliation and torment.
Meanwhile, Su Tao was finishing up her last round of shooting practice for the day.
The bullet hit dead center. She set the gun down and exhaled.
Ever since she started showing signs of awakening, her shooting accuracy had reached 100%.
She could see the trajectory of each bullet with absolute clarity, allowing her to calculate the perfect shooting angle—never missing a single shot.
If she swapped her handgun for an energy crystal gun, she could take down evolved zombies with a single shot.
One shot, one zombie…
One zombie, one crystal core…
Just thinking about it made her itch to join Shi Zijin and the others on the frontlines.
Maybe it was time to step out of Taoyang and lead a team of ability users to hunt evolved zombies.
But first—she had to take care of Tan Yong.
After training, Su Tao entered the private shower room inside the shooting range, changed into a bathrobe, and enjoyed a warm shower.
Afterward, she headed to the lounge inside the shooting range.
The lounge resembled a small living room, with a long row of sofas that could accommodate three people lying down. A coffee table sat in the middle, a wall-mounted TV was positioned opposite, and a small fridge stocked with drinks stood nearby.
Su Tao dried her hair, grabbed a soda from the fridge, and lounged on the sofa, sipping her drink while watching an old pre-apocalypse TV drama.
Not having to work hard these days was pure bliss.
Her life had slowed down significantly, allowing her to actually enjoy it.
But just as she was settling into this newfound peace, Ji Boda came to bid farewell the next morning.
Su Tao handed over the instant noodle supplies that Lin Fangzhi had prepared in advance.
Ji Boda’s eyes lit up at the sight. He immediately transferred 40,000 Federal Coins, instructing his men to load the goods onto the vehicle while saying:
“Boss Su, I’ll send people to Taoyang every month between the 10th and 15th to pick up supplies. Does that timing work for you?”
Su Tao nodded. “The timing is fine, but make sure the people you send are also suitable.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Ji Caizhe, who was keeping his head down, trying to reduce his presence.
Ji Boda immediately understood and quickly assured her:
“Boss Su, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to send reliable people. Caizhe is too reckless—there’s no way I’d trust him with something this important.”
Ji Caizhe let out a scoff through his nose at that remark.
Seeing his reaction, Su Tao couldn’t help but remind Ji Boda:
“Mr. Ji, your dedication to the base is a blessing for the people of Hekang, but you should also take some time to discipline your son. Otherwise, all your life’s achievements might not be enough to counteract the damage he could cause.”
Ji Boda took a deep breath. “Boss Su, you’re absolutely right.”
After loading the supplies, he grabbed Ji Caizhe by the ear and dragged him into the vehicle.
Once inside, Ji Boda immediately interrogated his son:
“Did you do something disgraceful to Boss Su?”
Ji Caizhe stubbornly denied it. “What? No way! That vicious woman? I wouldn’t even bother with her!”
Ji Boda smacked him across the head. “You better not have!”
“Another zombie horde is coming soon, and it’s predicted to be worse than the last one. Half of the global bases might fall, and there’s a 70% chance Hekang will be breached. When that happens, food and water will be our only leverage for survival!”
“Right now, Taoyang is the only base selling food. If you dare offend Boss Su with any stupid ideas, you’re as good as dead! Do you hear me?!”
Ji Caizhe clutched his head and repeatedly nodded in agreement.
But inside, a deep fear began to take root.
His father’s warning had come too late…
Mengmeng had already gone crying to her father, He Yanghua, the tobacco tycoon.
He Yanghua had promised to teach Su Tao a lesson for Mengmeng.
He was planning to have Su Tao kidnapped, threatened, and beaten.
If his lies were exposed, he would be in serious trouble.
Ji Caizhe swallowed hard, his mind racing for a way to clear himself of involvement.
But unfortunately, his mental capacity was limited—he couldn’t come up with anything. He could only hope for the best.
Later that afternoon, Su Tao received unexpected news from Zhuang Wan:
Dr. Zhong would be arriving in Taoyang tonight.
Su Tao raised an eyebrow. “I thought he wouldn’t be back until after the 20th. Did they finish their work early?”
Zhuang Wan nodded. “More or less, but it seems like they had to return early because Gu Mingchi got injured.”
Hearing that Gu Mingchi was injured, Su Tao was genuinely surprised.
Someone actually managed to hurt him despite his “Eye of Fear”? That was rare.
But she didn’t ask further. With Dr. Zhong around, as long as Gu Mingchi wasn’t dead, he’d be fine.
Zhuang Wan chuckled. “The happiest one about this is Chen Xi. Her birthday is on the 18th, and she’s been hoping Dr. Zhong would make it back in time.”
Su Tao smiled. “Our little Chen Xi is turning twelve already. We should definitely celebrate properly.”
*
That Night
When Chen Xi saw Zhong Gaoyi return, covered in dust from travel, her eyes instantly turned red. She rushed over in a few quick steps and hugged him tightly.
“Uncle Zhong! I thought you wouldn’t make it back in time. I missed you so much!”
Holding the little girl in his arms, Zhong Gaoyi felt a deep warmth in his heart.
For a brief moment, he truly felt like Chen Xi was his own daughter.
If he could, he’d pluck the moon from the sky and give it to her.
Looking up, he saw Zhuang Wan, Su Tao, Old Mr. Mei, and the other familiar tenants standing at the entrance, waiting for him.
Behind them, Taoyang stood peaceful and serene under the moonlight.
They had all been thinking about him.
Even though it was already midnight, they had come out to greet him.
As if welcoming him home.
Suddenly, he felt exhausted by the endless war, bloodshed, and plundering.
He longed for the warmth and peace before him.
His breath trembled slightly—but fortunately, the darkness concealed his reddened eyes.
Su Tao stepped forward and patted Chen Xi.
“Alright, it’s late. You two can catch up tomorrow. Time to rest. Oh, by the way, Dr. Zhong, the clinic has been rebuilt. I moved your room to Building Three. Zhuang Wan will take you there.”
Zhuang Wan smiled and led Zhong Gaoyi to his new place.
Inside, she busied herself making his bed while chatting casually:
“Boss Su had everything prepared for you in advance. She even placed a fridge in your living room and stocked it with your favorite drinks. But I still have to say— even though you’re an ability user with a stronger constitution, try not to drink ice-cold stuff late at night. It’ll mess with your sleep.”
“I also put fresh toiletries in the bathroom. If you need anything, just let me know. And if you get tired of eating cafeteria food, I can take you to Master Qin’s place for some homemade dishes. Oh, and for Chen Xi’s birthday—”
As Zhong Gaoyi listened to her fussing over him, he suddenly called out:
“Wanwan.”
Zhuang Wan froze in the middle of fixing his bed and turned to look at him.
He hesitated for a moment before finally asking:
“Would you be willing to find Chen Xi a new father?”
