RIACMET chapter 159

 

What the hell is this guy talking about?

If the atmosphere in the car hadn’t been so calm, and if Jiang Nian hadn’t been so clear-headed, he would’ve thought he misheard. If he remembered correctly, a typical unit had over a thousand people, didn’t it?

And if it was a reinforced regiment or an independent one, there would be even more.

“… ”

Before Jiang Nian could process his surprise, Liao Yu, who was sitting in the back, asked excitedly.

“Wow! Wait, you’re saying that’s too few people?”

Even Uncle Li lit up.

“One regiment…that’s a lot.”

Li Liang chimed in, too.

“If this turns into a battle, they could take multiple hills.”

“To make sure everything goes smoothly, this is probably a two-sided trap. If any of you get caught, Jiang Nian, Cheng Jing, and the brain evolution expert will all be dragged away by S Base.”

Chu Yi’s tone was calm as always, and the rhythm of his gum chewing didn’t change.

Jiang Nian snapped his fingers like a child.

“Fine, then we don’t need that many. Just surround them and wipe them out.”

He couldn’t imagine what kind of “family” trap could outmatch a full-on army.

As long as his teammates had the upper hand, he could take his time and enjoy a nice family reunion.

Chu Yi shook his head again.

“It depends on the situation. It’s better to keep a low profile. But of course, I’ll do it if you tell me to.”

Jiang Nian quickly waved his hands.

“No, no. I was just saying. Let’s handle it as things come up.”

He didn’t want to sound like an arrogant boss barking orders.

The road ahead was long. As they snacked and chatted, the topic naturally drifted to Chen Shanmin.

Suddenly, Li Liang asked,

“By the way, Brother Nian, didn’t your dad marry into your stepmom’s family? Then why do all the kids have his last name? Doesn’t your stepmom care? It’s not against the rules, but usually, each kid would have their own surname.”

Liao Yu had been itching to ask, too. They’d always been curious, but the timing had never felt right.

Jiang Nian swallowed a bite of his snack and answered,

“Because my stepmother’s surname is also Chen. That’s one of the reasons she convinced herself to marry into the family. My mom said she was very proud.”

His mother had raised him well. Even after the divorce, she never spoke badly of his father. When it came to questions like this, her most common answer was always, “Adults have more things to consider.”

But he didn’t really understand. Could someone who was truly proud behave like that?

He also thought of himself as a proud person. So, even though he deeply regretted it and missed Brother Jing terribly after they broke up, he never went looking for him again. He had initiated the breakup and didn’t have the courage to ask for a second chance.

Had they not seen Brother Jing before he died in the previous life, there was a good chance they would have spent this life pining for each other from a distance.

“I see. That makes sense,” Li Liang nodded.

The others nodded as well. No one said anything further, but none of them approved of this “mental gymnastics” of marrying someone for appearances just because of their surname.

Jiang Nian glanced out the window. Ever since he was old enough to understand things, he’d felt that his mom was a bit lovesick—and that he’d inherited that trait.

The setting sun burned blood red, casting a backlight over the zombies and swirling dust. The apocalyptic vibe hit full force instantly.

After witnessing countless sunsets in the end times, he had to admit that sometimes, the view was stunning.

Boom!

Chu Yi stepped on the gas and rammed into the zombie blocking the road.

No one said a word. Jiang Nian clicked his tongue and muttered,

“Ten points.”

Chu Yi gave him a sideways glance.

“The price of crystal cores at Nancheng Base has doubled. Normal zombies are worth twenty points each. Superpowered ones go for forty.

Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow.

“Double, huh?” Looks like the research into crystal cores is going well. If they make that public, a ton of people from other bases will want to use cores to trade for supplies—or just move to Nancheng outright.”

Chu Yi nodded.

“Yeah. The energy extracted from refined cores has been successfully used in small-scale experiments. The power plant submitted an initial implementation plan. Thanks to you, the last expedition to Xihe City brought back major gains—plenty of construction materials and resources.”

Liao Yu piped up.

“Will they be able to power it up before the extreme heat hits?”

Chu Yi shook his head.

“Only after the heat passes. However, the expedition brought back lots of generators and cooling equipment from Xihe City. Along with the base’s emergency, heat-resistant stockpiles, there should be enough to help most people survive the extreme weather.”

It was still going to be tough, but according to internal reports, Nancheng Base was far ahead of other shelters.

Li Liang asked:

“Will it be like last winter? Will ordinary people stay indoors while those with superpowers distribute water and supplies?”

Chu Yi nodded.

“Exactly. In extreme weather, only paranormals can move around freely.”

“Oh…”

Young Master Liao suddenly sighed dramatically.

“So, in the end, paranormals are essentially holy ox-horse beasts, born to prevent humanity’s extinction.”

Pfft—

“Hahahaha…”

“He’s got a point.”

Everyone burst out laughing. Yeah, when you thought about it like that, it was kind of true.

Jiang Nian chuckled, too, his gaze drifting back outside the window.

The stronger you become, the great the responsibility you carry. The old saying, “With great power comes great responsibility,” is painfully accurate.

“… ”

As they neared the fork in the road marked on the map, they spotted Da Jun and Xiao Liu waiting for them by the roadside.

One was dark-skinned, skinny, and had a sharp face; the other was tall, broad, and meaty. Easy to tell apart.

Both men wore camouflage vests and carried weapons. They stood next to a silver-gray SUV with peeling paint.

Chu Yi drove up alongside them, rolled down the window, and nodded in greeting.

Xiao Liu peeked into their car and grinned.

“I thought you’d come alone, Jiang Nian. If we’d known you were bringing this many friends, we wouldn’t have waited here like fools.”

He glanced at Da Jun and smiled. Da Jun shot Jiang Nian a disdainful look, his eyes pausing on Jiang Nian for a moment before looking away again.

There was a hint of sarcasm in Da Jun’s tone, so Jiang Nian replied with a sarcastic smile of his own.

“I didn’t ask you to come. Besides, I’m not like you. If I get something good, I invite my friends to share in it.”

He stirred the pot a little—just enough to mess with their heads.

“What do you mean by that?”

Da Jun glared at him, his voice sharp and hostile.

Xiao Liu’s fake smile faded, too, and his expression turned cold.

Jiang Nian raised his chin and spread his hands.

“Did I say anything wrong? Didn’t you team up with Xia Weiwei behind Liang Xiaoyan’s back to make a profit? You got her to spy for you and didn’t cut her in on the earnings.”

“You’re twisting the facts.”

Xiao Liu took a step forward, ready to refute, but Da Jun held him back, growling,

“Let’s go. It’s getting dark.”

He gave Jiang Nian a long look, turned around, opened the SUV door, and climbed in. What a sharp-tongued pretty boy!

Once the door shut, Da Jun lowered his voice and snapped at Xiao Liu.

“Didn’t you see he was baiting you? You still walked right into it.”

Xiao Liu fumed.

“That damn girl, Liang Xiaoyan, is definitely going to betray us one day just to join a better team! We kept her in the dark because our backer told us to, and Sister Hong promised that she wouldn’t be left out, either. Damn it!”

He’d even spoken up for that brat before.

Da Jun snorted and pulled out his phone. Once the call connected, he reported,

“He brought five people: Liao Yu and three members of the Li family—all of whom are paranormals. The driver’s a stranger. He seems to be an official from Nancheng Base. It’s unclear if he has powers.”

A cold male voice answered on the other end:

“Just one unknown. It doesn’t matter if he’s a psychic or not. Get them all into the superpower jamming zone according to plan. Kill the rest once Jiang Nian meets Chen Yue. Then, rush back to S Base overnight.”

“Understood. Returning now.”

Da Jun hung up. Xiao Liu started the engine.