Eaten Ch.73.2

Chapter 73.2: Meili Base

At eight in the morning, the bus engine started on time.

The sun hung high, pouring dazzling light everywhere. The air felt almost scalding, yet everything in sight, having lain dormant all winter, defied the heat and grew upward with fierce urgency.

Lin Mengzhi was sweating profusely. The others weren’t as affected—the comforts of winter had become a torment in summer.

“Dou Lu hasn’t come yet?” he asked, fanning himself vigorously with a large palm-leaf fan he had found in the house.

“She went to take the little bear away,” Ruan Silian said as she opened a window, letting the outside wind blow in.

Just after she spoke, Dou Lu’s figure appeared atop a small dirt mound not far behind the bus. With the snow melted, the mound was covered in fresh grass, and Dou Lu ran swiftly toward them.

Dou Lu jumped onto the bus, sat down, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “We can go now.”

The feeling of being on the road again was somewhat strange, and the scenery outside was even more unfamiliar.

The surrounding vegetation was lush and vigorous. With the snow melted, the houses revealed the distinctive eaves and wall murals typical of the scenic area—but many buildings were already reduced to ruins. Occasionally, a half-rotted corpse would hang from a wall or appear in the trickling streams beside the road.

The bus jolted twice. Shen Ping’an expertly steered the wheel as the vehicle moved onto the main road. Two ragged, shambling zombies staggered in the middle of the road.

The bus jolted twice more.

Leaning against the window, Xue Qi suddenly asked, “Dou Lu, how did you send that bear away?”

“I used magnetic force to block its path…”

The little bear didn’t want to return to the forest. It hadn’t been born there; the first creature it had ever seen was human, and its first environment had been a house filled with human scent. The forest wasn’t home to it—but the person who drove it away clearly didn’t understand that.

Although it had grown to the size of an adult bear, in every other respect, it was still the state of a newborn cub. Even after Dou Lu ran far away, she could still hear its cries.

Lin Mengzhi was the first to speak. “Why don’t we take it with us? X can come along, so what’s the harm in one more bear?”

“What if it grows as big as that mother bear?” Shen She asked.

“And what if it can, like X, change size at will—grow bigger, shrink smaller?”

“And what if it can’t?”

The few people in the car almost began arguing over the matter, but Dou Lu quickly interrupted. “I’m not worried about its size. I just think that, whatever happens, it’s a small animal—a wild beast. It’s naturally meant to live in the jungle, not be tamed by humans.”

“That’s not a bad point,” Lin Mengzhi said, scratching his head. “That big guy could probably become the king of the forest.”

It was the first time he had experienced what it felt like to raise a pet. Even though it had only been for one night, the rare and special feeling lingered, leaving a lasting impression.

The temperature no longer rose, stabilizing at 32 degrees Celsius. After getting used to the previously volatile weather, the heat felt much less oppressive. The breeze from the open windows carried a faint coolness, mingled with the subtle scent of wild grass and flowers, and the birdsong accompanied them all the way.

If they ignored the rotting corpses and abandoned vehicles that occasionally appeared on the road, didn’t look at the strangely tall and dense forests lining the sides, avoided the predators hidden in the tree canopy, and—most importantly—didn’t think about what awaited them later or tomorrow… removing all of that, it almost felt like a leisurely outing.

Wu Heng reclined his seat halfway and fell into a deep sleep.

Sleeping now was beneficial both for his growth and development and for conserving energy in the heat.

The original poppy in his space had already grown to knee height, and the other two sprouts were about half as tall, though far from as thick. Additionally, many new sprouts had begun pushing up through the gaps along the walls and floor.

Spring was the season of rebirth—everything was growing vigorously, except for the pot that Xie Chongyi was holding, which still drooped sadly. Every time Wu Heng looked at it, he felt a twinge of guilt.

Yet Xie Chongyi cherished it, carrying it everywhere, leaving Wu Heng little chance to sneak in and swap it out from his space.

At this time, Xie Chongyi sat at the back of the bus, leaning against the window as he slept, a straw hat covering his face, chin slightly raised, and the flowerpot resting on his lap.

The bus continued driving. Two hours later, Shen Ping’an spotted figures ahead.

“Class rep, someone,” Shen Ping’an whispered, waking Xue Shen in the co-driver seat.

Xue Shen opened his eyes, adjusting his glasses. The two people in the middle of the road had obviously been startled by the vehicle’s horn. When they turned around, their faces lit up with delight. Among them, the middle-aged man jumped up, waving at them.

Shen Ping’an braked the bus beside them, and everyone inside instantly woke up.

Xue Qi leaned against the window. “I never thought we’d see living people again.”

“We didn’t expect to see a vehicle either!” A woman, sweaty and petite, with sallow, malnourished-looking skin, peered curiously into the bus. Her clothes were tattered but reasonably clean.

Xue Qi shifted, immediately blocking her view. “How are you even walking around in a place like this?”

“Well… it’s spring. We came out looking for some food,” the man said, his skin dark, his face lit up with a simple, cheerful smile.

“Came out…” Xue Shen pondered the meaning behind those words, then asked, “Is there a base nearby?”

“A small one. It’s what used to be Meili Town, converted into a base. Without the Meili Base this winter, I don’t think any of us would’ve survived,” the woman said rapidly, but the man tugged her arm, silencing her. The words were already spoken, though.

Xue Qi’s eyes lit up. “We only heard of the Nansu Base. There’s a Meili Base too?”

“What’s Meili? At most, less than five hundred people. Nansu Base is impressive—several thousand people! But even Nansu is small compared to Beisu. And the strongest? Definitely the Jingbei Base in Jingzhou and the Huangzhou Base.”

The man couldn’t hold himself back anymore, and the woman was nearly bursting. Everyone inside and outside bases was so distrustful of others; their faces pale and gaunt, lacking any trace of living vitality. Meeting a bus full of people who could actually talk normally—this was a rare blessing, and she was ecstatic.

Xue Qi felt dizzy. What was all this? What happened to the old provinces and cities—why was everything called a “base” now?

Dou Lu poked her head out. “Auntie, then why don’t you go to a bigger base?”

“Easy for you to say,” the woman rolled her eyes at Dou Lu. “Outside, it’s either zombies or man-eating rats and frogs. Mosquitoes can even kill you. Go out for a day, and you could be dead. Only powerful ability-users dare to travel far.”

“So how do you know about these bases?”

“Sometimes ability-users pass through and leave messages. Besides, never underestimate humans’ gossiping skills—we constantly have the ability to know what’s happening in every corner of the world,” the woman said, arms crossed, chin raised, her face radiating pride.

“…” Dou Lu twitched the corner of her mouth.

“By the way, where are you from?” The man pulled his wife behind him, looking reasonably clever.

“The south.”

“Meili Base is in the south.”

“The south of Meili Base,” she clarified.

“Ah, I see,” the man said, suddenly enlightened. “Where did you get a car?”

“We had it when we left,” Xue Shen replied with a friendly smile. “We spent the winter in a village. We don’t know much about the outside world. Could you two take us to visit Meili Base?”

The man felt an uncontrollable soft spot for the boy, about the same age as his own son, and was about to nod. But the woman stepped forward again. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

“Why not?” Xue Qi asked, puzzled. At a time like this, wouldn’t more humans be better?

The woman looked conflicted. Of course, she wanted to spend more time with these energetic kids.

“The base requires everyone to submit one energy core per day as living and lodging fees. If you want to stay even temporarily, you have to pay as well.”

Dou Lu was surprised by this system and repeated, “Everyone has to pay?”

“Yes,” the woman said, almost spilling her frustration. “If you can’t pay yourself, family or friends can pay for you. If you really can’t, you can owe it, but only for a maximum of one week. Beyond that, you’ll be kicked out.”

“Ah—” Dou Lu felt it was cruel, extremely cruel. For ability-users it might not be a big deal, but for ordinary humans, this was an astronomical price.

“So my husband and I can’t just take you straight into the base,” the woman sighed repeatedly.

Xue Shen thought for a moment, then said disappointedly, “Ah, what a shame.”

“Then we’ll be off. Stay safe and get home early,” Xue Shen said as he closed the bus windows, and the engine roared to life.

The bus sped away so fast that, to the couple watching, it vanished in an instant.

The woman froze for a moment and inhaled the bus exhaust. “That can’t be right! They look better off than the ability-users who passed through our base before. How could they not even produce a few energy cores? I was even hoping they might bribe us!”

The man patted her shoulder. “Better to rely on our selves. Cheating and trickery never last long.”

…

The post-earthquake road was rough, with cracks every now and then, filled with overgrown grass. The journey was bumpy. As the sun set, a tall, cold, and imposing protective wall appeared ahead of the bus. Beneath it, an iron-green gate stood open, with two young guards stationed on either side. Everyone entering had to show a card-like item to the guards before being allowed through.

The engine noise and the rare sight of a bus caught the guards’ attention. They stepped forward cautiously.

Xue Qi leaned out first and waved. “Hi~”

The boy had bright eyes and white teeth, looking nothing like someone struggling to survive in an apocalypse.

The two youths exchanged a serious glance. One of them asked, “Who are you?”

“Can we stay here for the night?” Xue Qi asked, holding out a bag.

The silent youth raised his hand and took it, opening the bag. After counting carefully, his eyes widened in surprise. “Fifteen of you?”

“I don’t know… probably not fifteen,” Xue Qi said casually, holding out a couple handfuls. Having stayed in the village for so long, the energy cores had piled up faster than they could use them. Outside, even one core was treated like a rare treasure.

“We’ll inspect the vehicle to ensure you aren’t carrying anything dangerous inside,” the youth who had spoken first said, motioning for them to open the bus door. As the door opened, he stepped onto the bus, knife in hand.

“Stand up.” He looked at Xue Qi in the guide’s seat. “I need to check if you’re carrying anything dangerous.”

Xue Qi’s smile vanished. “I’m disabled. Please don’t mistreat a disabled person.”

He knew no one else traveling with them would look at him strangely, but exposing his wound in front of so many eyes still made his voice tremble.

Xue Shen braced himself on the seatback and stepped from the co-driver’s seat in front of Xue Qi. “Go ahead and check.”

The young guard remained expressionless, patting Xue Qi all over with his hands. After pausing for two seconds, he ignored the disability and moved to the next person.

Lin Mengzhi spun in front of him. “Come on, come on. Check me next.”

He was wearing an old man’s undershirt, but because of the heat, the back collar had slipped down his back, and the front had fallen to his navel—hard to look at.

The guard didn’t react. After the inspection, he pushed Lin Mengzhi back into his seat.

Once Lin Mengzhi sat down, Ruan Silian stood up. She lifted her hands, letting the thin knit top and cotton dress flutter slightly. Her eyes were downcast, and her expression calm and gentle.

Dou Lu, fearing any tricks, leaned on the armrest, eyes wide like a hamster ready to jump at any moment.

The guard paused, then briefly swept his dagger over the girl in front of him.

Next came Shen Ping’an from the driver’s seat, followed by Dou Lu and Shen She—an older woman and a refined-looking man. Apart from the last two, the others were very young. The guard only felt surprised internally; though there were students among passersby, he had never seen a group where students made up the majority.

Among this group, he couldn’t tell who was an ability-user. He tried to probe, but it didn’t work.

Then he turned and saw a white-haired girl staring at him with wide eyes.

The moment he touched her, a shiver ran through him.

Ice ability? he thought. Or some other weather-related power—rain, snow, frost?

After Wu Zhi sat down, the young guard turned to look at a boy leaning against the window, still asleep. He hugged his arms, sleeping deeply, completely unresponsive to the outside world.

Lin Mengzhi had been waiting, but when he saw the guard reach to grab his childhood friend, his scalp tingled violently. “Don’t—”

The guard yanked Wu Heng. His body twisted, still half-asleep, then slumped back softly.

BANG!

Wu Heng’s head hit the bus window.

Just as the guard intended, Wu Heng opened his eyes. His gray-green eyes were full of impatience.

He lifted his hand and slapped the guard across the face with a loud smack.

The slap sent the guard’s head snapping to the side.

The guard froze. Since the base’s establishment, almost no one had ever dared treat him this way.

Wu Heng’s expression was like cold ice. Without hesitation, he drew a dagger and thrust it toward the boy’s face.

Immediately, Lin Mengzhi, Wu Zhi, and Dou Lu moved to intervene. Xue Shen, however, watched with mild interest, confident that Wu Heng could not be harmed.

Yet Xie Chongyi, who understood the situation just as well, was the first to act. In an instant, he was between the two, catching the guard’s wrist and effortlessly taking the dagger from his hand.

Spinning the dagger once in his grasp, tip in, tip out, he handed it back to the guard with a gentle smile. “The more power one possesses, the more humble and courteous one should be toward those weaker.”

The guard felt a crushing chill beneath Xie Chongyi’s cheerful expression.

But Xie Chongyi continued: “By the way, what’s the name of your base leader? The ‘chief’?”

“Do they rarely teach you discipline or etiquette? The military stance you’re holding at the gate is sloppy. No wonder your base isn’t as large as the northern bases.”

“Do you want to hire me as your instructor? Not free, of course.”

The guard’s face lengthened. He stepped down from the bus, forgetting entirely to inspect the rest, and let them pass.

As for Wu Heng, after striking the guard, he was completely unfazed. He closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Xie Chongyi didn’t immediately return to his seat. Amid the shifting light and shadow inside the bus, he reached out his hand toward Wu Heng’s head.

After feeling around, he touched a strange bump on Wu Heng’s temple.

The boy’s expression darkened. A silent fissure slowly opened on the right side of his face, revealing a molten, dark-red liquid flowing inside, like lava.

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