44 Global Evolution
Zhuang Yao sat cross-legged on the table, looking like a little adult. “Listen carefully. I plan to depart for Beijing in one week, but before we leave, there are many things that need to be done. The top two priorities are: first, we need to restore Abu’s mobility. Abu needs to help us bear a lot of supplies. Second, we need to obtain a generator. I want to modify that car, and there are also some research work that consumes a lot of electricity. In order to be better prepared, I must get that generator. And achieving these two tasks requires us to challenge those lizards once again. We not only need to snatch the generator from their territory but also create enough lizard corpses for Cong Xia to absorb.”
The three remained silent.
The battle they experienced last night had already shown them how formidable those lizards were. Even with Abu’s presence, they were forced to flee in desperation. Without Abu, they wouldn’t even stand a chance against those quadruped creatures. This kind of challenge seemed like a death sentence.
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Tsolhla, kv pllxle vbyv vblu eked’v byhl xydu nbsknlp. Rq vblu olal vs oykv qsa Gcw vs alnshla okvbswv eskdt yduvbkdt, kv xktbv vyjl vld eyup sa byzq y xsdvb. Ju vbld, vbl zkgyaep oswze byhl xwzvkrzkle vs vblka essapvlr, yde vblka fswadlu oswze cl lmvalxlzu ekqqknwzv. Rq vblu nswze vawzu ynnsxrzkpb vblka tsyzp vbkp vkxl, vblu oswze byhl ldswtb vkxl vs ralryal xsal vbsaswtbzu yde zlyhl xsal nyzxzu. Mbl asye vs Jlkfkdt xktbv vbld kdhszhl xwnb zlpp akpj.
Hbwydt Zys pnyddle vbl vball okvb y tzydnl. “R pyke R oswze cl uswa caykd, yde usw byhl vs zkpvld vs vbl caykd. Mbl lhldvp sq ulpvlaeyu olal nywple cu xu xkpnyznwzyvksdp, cwv pwnb xkpvyjlp okzz dlhla byrrld ytykd. R okzz elhlzsr y elvykzle rzyd vs ldpwal vbyv lynb sq wp nyd alvwad pyqlzu yde ynbklhl swa scflnvkhlp.”
Nkw Wldtuw pdsavle zktbvzu. “Mlzz wp ycswv uswa rzyd.”
“Jlqsal qsaxwzyvkdt vbl rzyd, R dlle eyvy,” Hbwydt Zys fwxrle sqq vbl vyczl. “R’zz ts vs vbyv assx, yde usw vos nsxl sdl cu sdl. R dlle vs vbsaswtbzu wdelapvyde uswa yckzkvklp yde nszzlnv psxl pyxrzlp.” Hbwydt Zys tzydnle yv Nkw Wldtuw. “Zsw nyd ts qkapv.”
Cong Xia was a bit worried, afraid that they might end up fighting, so he stood up and said, “I’ll go with you…”
Cheng Tianbi pulled him back onto the chair. “Don’t mind them.”
Zhuang Yao raised his chin and entered the room. Liu Fengyu made a fist gesture towards his back and followed him inside.
Cong Xia watched Liu Fengyu’s figure disappear and sighed. “Liu-ge is almost thirty, yet he acts like a child, so willful.”
Cheng Tianbi didn’t have the energy to pay attention to Liu Fengyu. He said, “It seems we can’t avoid the battle with the lizards. It’s not a solution to have no energy in your body all the time.”
Cong Xia nodded. “Although absorbing energy is convenient, there is a major drawback. The absorbed energy is only temporarily stored in my body. Once it’s depleted, it’s truly empty. On the other hand, the energy gained through cultivation is different. Through cultivation, the energy volume can increase, just like building up physical strength. Even if it’s exhausted due to excessive usage, it will recover after sufficient rest.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded. “Exactly, that’s why the ancient jade considers cultivation as the primary method to obtain energy and puts it at the forefront.”
“Fortunately, both you and Liu-ge increase the thickness of your energy through cultivation. I just can’t find my own energy core and can’t cultivate like you guys.”
“Take it slow. Our roles are different, so the methods are also different.”
Cong Xia smiled softly and said, “But our destination is the same.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded. “That’s right.”
“Tianbi, have you ever thought about what we’ll do after you report back and I meet my uncle in Beijing?”
Cheng Tianbi shook his head.
“I can’t imagine what Beijing will be like either, but I’m certain that no matter the circumstances, we will definitely survive together, right?” Cong Xia’s bright eyes blinked as he looked at Cheng Tianbi unwaveringly.
Cheng Tianbi also turned to look at him and nodded gently.
Cong Xia smiled and leaned in, gently bumping his shoulder against Cheng Tianbi’s. Emotions that couldn’t be diluted surged within him.
He increasingly had trouble defining his feelings towards Cheng Tianbi. There was dependency, admiration, trust, appreciation, and also a desire to be close, to be very close. That desire grew day by day, making him always want to alleviate it through subtle touchesālike a pat on the shoulder or a handshake. But it felt like scratching an itch through a boot, only making it itchier.
He had no idea what he wanted to do.
After Liu Fengyu came out, Cheng Tianbi went inside. Cong Xia asked with some concern, “Liu-ge, you didn’t argue, did you?”
“No,” Liu Fengyu replied with a gloomy face.
“Then what did he ask you to do?”
“He asked me a lot of questions and collected a portion of my petals.”
Cong Xia breathed a sigh of relief.
Cheng Tianbi came out in less than ten minutes. Zhuang Yao held a large notebook, scribbling and speaking at the same time. “I’m going to create training plans for both of you, spending a day training your cooperation. I’ve also prepared weapons for you, aiming to maximize your combat effectiveness in the shortest possible time.”
“What kind of weapons have you prepared?”
“They are much more advanced than the weapons you brought,” Zhuang Yao said.
Cheng Tianbi frowned, “You went through my bag? When?” His bag had never left his side.
Zhuang Yao waved dismissively and said, “When you and Cong Xia were cooking.” He beckoned them to follow him. “Come with me, I’ll show you what real weapons are.”
The three of them followed Zhuang Yao outside the villa.
Abu was still sleeping in its huge nest, breathing steadily. It should be fine now, except its limbs were entangled by the gecko’s tongue, causing ischemia and rendering it immobile. It would take at least half a month for Abu to recover on its own.
Upon hearing footsteps, Abu opened its eyes and quietly gazed at Zhuang Yao with its beautiful pale purple eyes.
Zhuang Yao jumped into the swimming pool covered with blankets and hugged Abu’s snout, his gaze filled with tenderness. “Abu, I’ll cure you soon, and you’ll be able to run again.”
Abu extended its large tongue and gently licked Zhuang Yao’s face, emitting a soft meow from its throat. Zhuang Yao rubbed its snout. “Rest well, I’ll come prepare food for you later.”
Zhuang Yao kissed Abu several times before climbing out of the pool, leading the three of them to the backyard. There was a warehouse made of movable panels in the backyard. Zhuang Yao opened the door, inserted a light bulb, and the warehouse lit up.
Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu were surprised to find that this shabby and rundown warehouse was filled with many firearms.
Zhuang Yao said, “I temporarily set up this warehouse with movable panels. I didn’t have anywhere else to store them.”
“Where did you get them from?”
“I bought them,” Zhuang Yao said matter-of-factly. “There was a time when I was fascinated with guns, but I lost interest later and put them in the warehouse. Now I’ve taken them out because we might need them. I modified a few of them myself to suit the current environment and species.”
Zhuang Yao struggled to lift a machine gun. “SPG-17, made in Germany. I regretted buying it because it has too much recoil, and I can’t use it, so I haven’t modified it. It suits you.” He handed the gun, which was almost as tall as him, to Cheng Tianbi.
Cheng Tianbi took the gun, held it in his hands, and felt its weight. A strong sense of familiarity surged within him. He had been with guns for many years, and he only felt truly safe and confident when he had one in his hands.
“I modified two guns. One is the Luger P08 pistol, and the other is an MP5 submachine gun. I can barely use both of them, but the effectiveness is not ideal. When I was modifying guns some time ago, I also made specialized ammunition. Some of the machinery in this room is used to produce bullets. But after realizing that their effect on me was lower than expected, I stopped. Now that you’re here, I plan to continue improving them, especially for you, Cheng Tianbi. You said you were a special forces sniper. We can’t waste such a skill.” Zhuang Yao picked up a bullet from the table and said expressionlessly, “If I can make the right bullets and Liu Fengyu can lure out that annoying gecko, can you take it down with a single shot?”
Cheng Tianbi said, “I have observed it up close. It’s the only gecko that has already started evolving its outer skin. It has developed a lizard-like hard armor. Considering its evolution speed, by the time we face it, conventional weapons won’t be effective against it anymore. Its only weak points will be the eyes and mouth, but considering its high-speed movement, I’m not confident in hitting such small targets in fast motion. However, I guarantee that I can hit it, so you need to make bullets that can penetrate its armor but with a caliber no larger than 7.7mm to cause damage.”
“Will 7.7mm limit the velocity?”
“Most likely, otherwise it could evade the bullets.”
Zhuang Yao nodded. “I need two hours to replenish my knowledge of bullet manufacturing. The bullets I currently make are toxic and explosive, with strong penetrating power and high damage upon hitting the target. I suggest you go out now and try the feel of the weapons. Come back in two hours, and remember to bring food for Abu. The size of the food should be no smaller than any of you.” Zhuang Yao turned and walked away without looking back.
Liu Fengyu angrily said, “Who does this brat think he is commanding? I might feed Abu with the toxic food.”
Zhuang Yao didn’t even consider him a threat and walked away without a care.
Cong Xia sighed, “Let’s go. We have food and drinks now, we can’t let Abu go hungry.”
Cheng Tianbi picked up a short-barreled paratrooper rifle and an M19 pistol, both loaded with Zhuang Yao’s bullets. It had been a long time since he used a gun because he had very few bullets left and didn’t want to waste them. Now that he had so many bullets, he could finally use them with peace of mind.
Liu Fengyu stretched lazily. “I’m not going. Going outside will just dirty my clothes again. You two go ahead. I’m going back to take a hot bath and fix my hair.”
Cheng Tianbi ignored him and handed Cong Xia a Type 54 pistol. “I gave you this one before, and you’ve been using it ever since. Keep using it if it suits you.” He didn’t even consider Cong Xia’s shooting skills as part of their combat power. As long as Cong Xia could protect himself to some extent, it was enough.
Cong Xia skillfully chambered a round and then grabbed a few spare magazines to put in his clothes. He smiled. “How about that? I’ve become quite skilled at loading magazines now, and my marksmanship has improved a lot.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded. “Not bad. Let’s go.”
The two of them left the villa.
Although it was just a wall away, that wall psychologically created a barrier that gave them a sense of security. But once they left the villa, the atmosphere of decay and desolation of the post-apocalyptic era instantly engulfed their entire bodies.
The street was still devoid of any pedestrians, and occasionally something would dash through the tall grass, but they couldn’t see clearly what it was.
Since Cheng Tianbi’s energy had greatly increased, he was hardly afraid of anything they had encountered so far. However, he remained vigilant, constantly observing his surroundings, fearing that something might ambush them.
Cong Xia said, “We haven’t encountered anything for half a day. What should we get for Abu?”
“If we can’t find anything, we can go back to the mall and catch a few more rats like that day.”
“Good idea.”
“It’s also a chance for you to absorb some energy. Your body shouldn’t be empty.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not concerned about my safety when you’re around.” Cong Xia casually remarked.
Upon hearing those words, Cheng Tianbi felt a surge of pride in his chest. That unwavering trust was a great compliment to a man.
The two of them roamed around for an hour. Although they encountered a few animals, they all hid in the waist-high wild grass and quickly scurried away, making it impossible to shoot them. In the end, they had no choice but to return to the mall they had visited before, prepared to find some large rats.
However, as soon as they stepped inside the entrance, their ears were filled with the squeaking sound of rats. The quantity seemed to be at least a thousand, and the sound merged into a continuous and eerie chorus.
They dared not proceed further, as pairs of green eyes in the darkness sent shivers down their spines.
Cheng Tianbi grabbed Cong Xia’s hand. “Retreat.”
They cautiously moved backward, but just as they were about to exit the entrance, a dark shadow fell from above their heads!
“Be careful!” Cheng Tianbi swiftly pushed Cong Xia to the ground, and the two of them rolled down the steps from the mall entrance and fell into the grass. In the midst of their tumble, Cong Xia caught a glimpse of the place where they had been standing. A “rain of rats” had descended from directly above the entrance, with dozens of rats of all sizes falling noisily.
Cong Xia felt nauseous.
After rolling into the grass, both of them were somewhat dazed. Cong Xia shook his head but couldn’t get up for a while.
Suddenly, Cheng Tianbi’s voice sounded in his ear, “Get up.”
Cong Xia looked up and saw Cheng Tianbi staring at him with a stiff expression. He then realized that he was pressing down on Cheng Tianbi, his nose almost touching Cheng Tianbi’s chin. Cong Xia’s face immediately turned red, and he hastily sat up, awkwardly looking at Cheng Tianbi.
Cheng Tianbi quickly got up, also lifting Cong Xia in the process. “Hurry up and let’s go. The rats are multiplying.”
“Oh, right. Could their breeding speed have increased too?”
Cheng Tianbi didn’t reply, instead striding forward with large steps.
Feeling frustrated, Cong Xia scratched his head. What’s going on? He couldn’t understand his feelings towards Cheng Tianbi, and it seemed to be getting more and more perplexing.
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