RIACMET chapter 137

 

Bang!

With a soft thud, Cheng Jing held the other person down firmly. In the darkness, only their uneven breathing and tense exhales could be heard overlapping.

“Brother Jing…”

Jiang Nian’s voice trembled slightly. He didn’t try to act reserved in front of Cheng Jing; truthfully, he was too nervous to act boldly in a situation like this.

Even though the tent was locked from the inside, he was afraid that Xiao Qi might hear something and try to dig his way in. That clever, attentive dog would definitely react.

“Be good. Don’t be nervous. I just want to hold you…”

After a long kiss, Cheng Jing hugged him close, calming his breath, and feeling content with how obedient the person in his arms was.

There were many ways to comfort one another. Sometimes, a hug or a long kiss could heal the heart.

Of course, their passionate love would inevitably go a bit off track.

Having lost Jiang Nian once before, Cheng Jing still felt anxious at times, even though they were now together day and night.

“Mhm.”

Jiang Nian was aware that his boyfriend was exploiting the situation, yet he permitted it.

Because he had dodged a kiss earlier, Brother Jing bit at his neck until well past midnight.

His lips went numb, and he felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.

The nightlight inside the tent had been turned back on. After straightening his clothes, Cheng Jing pulled Jiang Nian into a side hug and said softly,

“Niannian, please don’t be mad, okay?”

“I’m not mad. I’m just dizzy from the lack of oxygen.”

Jiang Nian narrowed his eyes. Why would he be angry about this? What’s so terrible about being teased a little?

“You need to work on your lung capacity.”

Cheng Jing clearly enjoyed how the little rascal behaved in his arms.

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s all my fault for getting kissed breathless.” Next time, let’s switch. Let me try being on top.”

Honestly, he couldn’t believe how anyone could handle such a demanding schedule!

Tsk.

Cheng Jing chuckled and kissed his forehead.

“Sleep. We’re heading back to the base tomorrow. I’ll let you be on top then.”

If he didn’t agree to this right away, how could he call himself romantic?

“…”

Jiang Nian’s eyes sparkled.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Cheng Jing nodded with a straight face.

“… ”

Unfortunately, Jiang Nian didn’t notice anything suspicious because he was still a bit dizzy and the light was dim. After some thought, he murmured,

“Even though I haven’t tried it, I think I’ll be pretty good at it. You might like it, Brother Jing.”

As a man, you have to have confidence.

He knew it was normal for couples to switch roles every once in a while.

Back when they were chasing each other around, he’d do anything for a little attention. Now that they were together, though, they were practically an old married couple already.

Ahem…

Not quite on the same page. Cheng Jing raised an eyebrow and patted him.

“Go to sleep. It’s late.”

“Yeah, good night.”

…

Woof woof woof——

Woof woof woof—

…

Thanks to Xiao Qi’s arrival, the team now had a new morning alarm.

And just like that, another ordinary day in the apocalypse began.

After breakfast, the team resumed their full-scale search of the logistics park.

With the help of the drone and Xiao Qi, they became much more efficient. They focused on hauling out intact freight containers in the morning and sorting through express delivery packages in the afternoon.

Even better, Xiao Qi helped them avoid several biological hazards caused by spoiled food.

Their productivity was off the charts, and their harvest was bountiful.

The express deliveries were like treasure chests—who knew what they’d find inside? The food category alone filled the remaining space in Jiang Nian’s spatial ring.

There were all kinds of snacks, including instant noodles and other staples, as well as vacuum-packed canned goods, alcohol, and sauces. The variety was dazzling.

Among them were quirky foods that had gone viral on the internet and specialty local snacks.

For instance, Jian Cheng offered Xiao Qi a certain canned fish, but both the dog and the rest of the team nearly threw up from the taste.

The poor dog was so traumatized that he hid in Zhou Rongbin’s arms.

They could only admire it from afar.

Aside from food, Cheng Jing and the others handled daily supplies, household items, and tools—anything useful for survival.

The biggest surprise came when they found half a ton of sealed, uncontaminated nutrient soil.

There were twenty bags, each weighing fifty kilograms.

In a world ravaged by pollution, soil like this was more valuable than food.

Nutrient soil is an enhanced type of fertilizer with a pH adjusted using a specific formula. It was rich in the elements necessary for cultivation.

Half a ton could support quite a bit of planting. When mixed with regular soil, it could easily cover a hectare or two.

They packed the soil and used the remaining space in Cheng Jing’s ring and their vehicle to haul back miscellaneous items.

During this time, several waves of roaming zombies appeared. Xiao Qi, ever alert, spotted them right away and handled them efficiently.

He was extremely skilled in combat, leaping, pouncing, and biting with deadly precision. He neatly removed the zombies’ heads.

He knew the crystal cores were inside their heads, so he bit them out and brought them to Zhou Rongbin, who directed him to give them to Cheng Jing.

The sun set, and the day ended.

Over dinner, they summarized their mission and prepared to head back to base the next morning.

As usual, Cheng Jing reported on the situation at the logistics park to Zhou Li. They had gathered a substantial amount, but left much behind. If it were packed and transported back, it could all become valuable resources for infrastructure development.

…

Early the next morning, Jiang Nian pulled Cheng Jing aside. He took care of a few nearby wandering zombies and then said:

“Brother Jing, my superpower range has exceeded 400 meters.”

“That’s incredible progress. My Nian Nian is amazing.”

Cheng Jing praised him sincerely, feeling genuinely happy for him.

“Uh…”

Jiang Nian blushed at the praise. After a moment of thought, he asked cautiously,

“I want to try pushing my superpower to its absolute limit to see how far I can go. Brother Jing, will you stay with me while I do it?”

He’d been pushing himself hard these past few days, and he had a gut feeling that he could make a breakthrough if he gave it his all.

He’d used this method several times before to make progress, but he’d always held back a little subconsciously without a sense of safety or life-or-death urgency.

Now, with Brother Jing still here, he wanted to let go and try.

Their team was the only one there, so there was no need to worry about others with ulterior motives watching.

“Overusing your powers can easily lead to mental trauma and a lot of discomfort.”

Cheng Jing didn’t want him to do anything reckless.

Jiang Nian patiently explained,

“It’s okay. My power is purification. I have some internal safeguards built in. I can handle it.”

Compared to what he’d been through in his previous life, this was nothing.

Cheng Jing frowned deeply.

“Niannian, you don’t need to rush like this. Just take it slow. You don’t have to use such extreme methods.”

“Brother Jing…”

Jiang Nian stopped walking and looked him in the eye.

“I understand what you’re saying. But I’m still anxious. How far can the ultimate purification go in removing the zombie virus? Can it actually save someone who’s already infected?”