TPAE chapter 5.10

Da Lei watched the boy not far away easily handle two high-level zombies at the same time and said in astonishment, “So Mu Shuyang is this strong too? Is he also an ability user?”

After watching for a while longer, he rubbed his nose and said doubtfully, “Why doesn’t it seem like it? He doesn’t seem to be using any abilities?”

“Mm,” Yu Beiyan replied indifferently, casting a faint glance at Da Lei beside him. He didn’t like others staring at his boy, but at the same time, he wanted others to see how exceptional he was, so they wouldn’t gossip behind his back.

Yu Beiyan had already completely regarded the boy as his possession. This person was the only human he was willing to get close to, and the feeling of being with him was great—he liked it very much. He didn’t quite understand what this feeling in his heart was, but he instinctively wanted to have this person.

“So powerful without using abilities?!” Hearing Yu Beiyan’s response, Da Lei widened his eyes in surprise. Swallowing nervously, he asked with hope and admiration, “Does that mean I can become that strong too?”

“No.”

“…”

During their brief exchange, Wei Xicheng had already dealt with the two zombies. Out of consideration for Da Lei, he didn’t go ahead and dig out the crystals from their brains. Seeing Yu Beiyan’s indifferent expression, Wei Xicheng decided to let the matter go and abandon the crystals.

Clapping his hands, Wei Xicheng walked toward Da Lei and Yu Beiyan.

“It’s been so long since I moved around—this finally feels good.” Wei Xicheng stretched lazily as he spoke, leaving Da Lei momentarily stunned.

“Uh, Shuyang, hehe.” Da Lei approached, grinning, trying to get closer to the boy. “How did you get so strong? Looking at your build, I wouldn’t have guessed you had this much skill. We’ve all underestimated you.”

Wei Xicheng glanced at him and then pointed to Yu Beiyan nearby. “Didn’t he tell you? I’m a strength-type ability user too.”

Da Lei awkwardly looked at Yu Beiyan, who, earlier, hadn’t mentioned anything about using abilities.

“Mm, you’re right,” Yu Beiyan immediately changed his tune after receiving a glance from Wei Xicheng.

“… So, what’s next?” Da Lei looked at the two of them. Being the weakest among the three, he didn’t have much say in their plans.

“Where’s Lin Jianbai? Wasn’t he with you?” Wei Xicheng asked, glancing behind Da Lei with some confusion. Simultaneously, he opened the system panel in his mind to check the map.

“Don’t bring him up. That kid insisted on investigating why the zombies were surrounding that clothing store over there and refused to leave. I went out to gather supplies on my own and ran into those two zombies…”

As Da Lei spoke, Wei Xicheng frowned. On the system’s mini-map, he spotted three different dots, indicating humans. There hadn’t been any other living people in this town before, so these three must be Lin Jianbai and the Lin siblings.

The three of them being together made Wei Xicheng concerned about whether they had seen him and Yu Beiyan leaving the clothing store. Thinking of the potential trouble if they found out, he unhappily shot Yu Beiyan a glare.

Yu Beiyan, catching the “flirtatious” glare, rubbed his fingers together, feeling an itch in his heart that was hard to bear.

“Let’s go find them,” Wei Xicheng said, gesturing to the large bag Yu Beiyan was carrying. “We’ve almost finished gathering supplies. Let’s check on how they’re doing.”

Da Lei, rubbing his hands, realized the small backpack he had on his back was laughably insignificant compared to the haul these two had. He felt a bit embarrassed.

“About what they said this morning before we set off… don’t take it to heart. They were just…”

“Looking out for themselves. I get it—after all, it’s the apocalypse.” Wei Xicheng interrupted with a faint smile, making Da Lei visibly uncomfortable.

Though Wei Xicheng found Da Lei a bit simple-minded, he thought his nature wasn’t bad. The fact that Da Lei had intentionally tried to avoid dragging them into danger, even with two high-level zombies trailing him, showed that he still had a good heart.

With the map’s help, the three were very close. If not deliberate, they might have already run into each other earlier.

There was a high chance they’d noticed the difference between him and Yu Beiyan. Wei Xicheng chuckled and leaned over to whisper a few explanations into Yu Beiyan’s ear.

“Why worry?” Yu Beiyan rested his hand on Wei Xicheng’s head, not understanding why his boy was so concerned. “If they don’t behave, just kill them.”

Da Lei’s body stiffened. Was that “they” referring to… who else?!

After a brief calculation, he realized, to his horror, that even if everyone’s combat power was combined, they likely couldn’t match these two.

…

Wei Xicheng was furious. This guy’s mental ability must be too strong, breaking his brain in the process. How could he say something like that in front of others?!

Noticing Da Lei’s unease, Wei Xicheng gave him a forced smile and said, “Don’t misunderstand.”

Da Lei: More terrified, thank you very much.

With the map as a guide, it wasn’t long before Wei Xicheng’s group “coincidentally” ran into the other three.

The three were in different states: Lin Huan looked tired but not particularly guarded toward them, while Lin Lei had a cautious and doubtful expression. In Lin Jianbai’s eyes, beyond the suspicion, there was a trace of hidden fervor.

“How’d it go?” Da Lei, oblivious to the underlying tensions, was the first to break the silence.

“Da Lei?” Lin Jianbai’s expression shifted when he saw him following Wei Xicheng and Yu Beiyan. He wondered how much this simple-minded guy had spilled to these two.

“Not bad,” Lin Lei said, fiddling with a cigarette behind his ear before lowering his hand. He glanced at Wei Xicheng and Yu Beiyan, then said, “Let’s head back.”

When they reached the off-road vehicle, no one was around, but the slightly rocking car gave away the activity happening inside.

Lin Huan’s face immediately darkened. How many times had she told them not to do that in the car?! She slammed the supplies down in frustration and stormed over to the car window, pounding on it furiously.

The two inside finally realized the group had returned. After a long delay, they reluctantly opened the door, releasing a stifling, musky odor that hit everyone in the face.

“Yu Sheng! How many times have I told you not to do that in the car?!” Lin Huan’s face turned green with anger. The smell was disgusting, and she felt utterly repulsed.

“So what if I did?” Yu Sheng leaned lazily against the car, bouncing one leg as he eyed Lin Huan. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to try it yourself?”

“Yu Sheng,” Lin Lei intervened, making the two finally quiet down. Lin Huan’s expression remained sour, while Yu Sheng sneered. Lin Jianbai and Da Lei seemed used to this behavior.

Among the group, Yu Beiyan’s expression was the ugliest.

He had already tolerated being in the same cramped space as these people, but he absolutely couldn’t stand staying in this kind of environment. Grabbing Wei Xicheng’s wrist with one hand and their supplies with the other, he turned and walked off.

Wei Xicheng stumbled from the force. Seeing Yu Beiyan’s tense profile, he realized this situation was too much for this perfectionist.

“You guys go ahead. We’ll catch up later!” Wei Xicheng called out to the others. As unpleasant as they were, he still needed to stick with them to reach the base.

“Huh? Wait for me!” Da Lei took a couple of steps after them, only to be pinned in place by a single look from Yu Beiyan. Rubbing his arms, he shivered—it was too cold, filled with killing intent.

Out of sight of the others, Yu Beiyan and Wei Xicheng picked up their pace, weaving through the town until they came upon an off-road vehicle with the key still in the ignition.

Yu Beiyan opened the passenger door and practically tossed Wei Xicheng inside, throwing the rest of the supplies haphazardly into the back seat.

“Are you mad?” Wei Xicheng asked with a grin, watching the man in the driver’s seat. “Do you even know how to drive?”

“No.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the car shot forward.

“Be careful! Ahhh!” Wei Xicheng clutched his seat. Luckily, after some erratic swerving, the car finally steadied.

Clutching his chest, Wei Xicheng sighed in relief. His body might be resilient, but if there were a crash, not even the system could revive a dead person. “You don’t know how to drive, but you still dared to try?”

“I watched Lin Lei do it before.”

… Sitting in the now smoothly moving vehicle, Wei Xicheng couldn’t help but suspect this was all a prank. Maybe Yu Beiyan actually knew how to drive the whole time.

“Big brother, do you think they’ll come back?” Lin Huan glanced nervously at the rearview mirror, where no one was in sight.

“I don’t know either,” Lin Lei shook his head. In truth, he wasn’t sure if those two leaving was good or bad for them.

“They’ll definitely come back,” Lin Jianbai said with absolute certainty. As if to prove his foresight, just as his words fell, a better off-road vehicle turned out from an alley behind their car and effortlessly overtook them.

“Is that them?” Lin Huan leaned closer to the half-lowered car window, carefully peering inside the other vehicle.

“Xiao Huan, pull your head back.” The window slowly rolled up, cutting off all view between the two vehicles. Lin Lei slightly increased the distance between their car and the one in front. In such a tense time, avoiding unnecessary danger was the safest choice.

Privately, Lin Lei’s heart was filled with conflict. On one hand, he wanted to travel with the two powerful individuals; on the other, he feared the unpredictable risks they might bring. He needed to protect his sister, and every decision he made could impact everyone’s safety—he couldn’t afford to act on impulse.

The two vehicles sped forward one after the other, the scenery outside rapidly retreating. The unpleasant odor in the car had mostly dissipated, but even the usually slow-witted Da Lei noticed the heavy atmosphere inside. “Jianbai, tell Da Lei and the others what we saw,” Lin Lei said, keeping his eyes on the road and fully focused on the surroundings.

Tbh, I have not read this novel before, and am reading while translating. So I’m not sure of this worlds ML, what could his identity be?🤔