Chapter 253

Tang Yanchi was taken aback by the shout.

Looking at his brother’s piercing gaze, he awkwardly kicked a small pebble at his feet.

“I... didn’t mean it like that,” he muttered.

Tang Jun shifted his attention away from him and back to Yun Xiaoxiao.

“Can you do it now? We can provide the water you’ll need for the process.”

He gestured for one of his subordinates to come over.

“He’s a water-based ability user. If needed, he can assist.”

Though his tone still carried a hint of arrogance, it was far more polite than before.

Yun Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded, “Of course. How much do you need?”

“Can you make enough for a thousand doses first?”

“Sure.”

With that, Yun Xiaoxiao extended her fair, delicate hand.

“Payment first, please.”

Tang Jun: “...Alright.”

In an instant, Tang Jun conjured a large pile of energy crystals.

Clearly, he was a spatial ability user himself.

He paid upfront for the crystals needed by everyone in their base.

Yun Xiaoxiao gave him a look of respect.

Though he was a bit arrogant, he certainly had a sense of responsibility.

After Tang Jun placed his order, hundreds more came to Yun Xiaoxiao to place theirs.

With the matter resolved, Peng Shaowei generously provided a room and had several barrels brought in.

Yun ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‍Xiaoxiao insisted on working alone.

After all, she had mentioned earlier that the water ratio was crucial.

Everyone understood—it was a secret formula, and she naturally wouldn’t want others to know it.

Once Tang Jun’s subordinate filled the barrels with water, Yun Xiaoxiao sent him out.

The door closed with a loud *bang*.

Nie Yizhou patted Ling Jing’s shoulder, “Hey, since when did our base have those detox pills?”

Ling Jing lazily raised his narrow eyes, “You actually believed that?”

“What do you mean?” Nie Yizhou was puzzled.

When Ling Jing didn’t respond, he turned to Xiao Feng.

“Xiao Feng, do you know what he’s talking about?”

Xiao Feng rolled his eyes, “It means you’re an idiot.”

“Hey, no need for personal attacks!”

Nie Yizhou hooked his arm around Xiao Feng’s neck and yanked him down.

But Xiao Feng retaliated with a punch to his stomach.

“Cough, cough... Xiao Feng, are you trying to kill your own brother?!”

......

An hour later, the preparation was complete.

Peng Shaowei had arranged for plenty of bowls and cups to be ready beforehand.

When Yun Xiaoxiao emerged, she had Hao Ren and the others assist her in filling the mineral water bottles and then pouring the contents into the bowls and cups.

These were then distributed to those in need.

The crowd had already lined up in an orderly fashion, so the scene remained calm.

Everyone eagerly drank the solution as soon as they received it.

After what had just happened, no one wanted to take any chances.

Who would want to die?

After drinking it, they felt the same as Tang Jun—refreshed and invigorated.

The burning sensation in their chests was gone, and they no longer felt suffocated.

“How many days do we need to drink this to completely clear the remaining toxins?” someone asked.

Yun Xiaoxiao shook her head, “I’m not sure. You know your bodies best. If you feel better, then it’s probably worked.”

Everyone nodded in agreement—that made sense.

They then asked Yun Xiaoxiao to prepare another batch for them the next morning.

Yun Xiaoxiao had no reason to refuse.

After all, who would turn down more energy crystals?

At the back of the crowd, Tang Yanchi watched Yun Xiaoxiao being surrounded by people. He pouted, seemingly sulking, and kicked a pebble at his feet.

Suddenly, a large bowl was thrust in front of him.

“Why are you hiding back here all alone?”

Tang Jun’s voice came from above him.

“What happened earlier is in the past. We Tangs aren’t the type to be sore losers.

That girl just helped us in a big way, saving so many of us.

If you’re still hung up on what happened before, that’s not very manly of you.

Didn’t you say you wanted to be a real man?”

“Of course I’m a real man!”

Tang Yanchi lifted his head defiantly.

“Then why are you hiding back here?”

“I...”

“Alright, drink this quickly. Otherwise, you’ll turn into a little zombie before you become a real man.”

Tang Jun’s voice carried a hint of affection.

Tang Yanchi stared at the bowl of water, his brow furrowed.

“Brother, does this really work?”

“Would I lie to you? Stop dawdling and drink it.”

After a moment of hesitation, Tang Yanchi finally gulped it down.

Instantly, a cool, refreshing sensation spread through him.

His eyes widened.

It really worked!

From that day on, Tang Yanchi no longer glared at Yun Xiaoxiao.

Instead, he began avoiding her whenever he saw her.

It was as if he was deliberately keeping his distance.

Yun Xiaoxiao noticed but didn’t think much of it.

Was it really that strange for him to avoid her?

---

The next day.

Everyone was up early.

After breakfast, Tang Jun and the others drank Yun Xiaoxiao’s special ‘antidote’ and gathered at the main gate of the Western Base.

On the left was one group, led by Peng Shaowei. On the right was another, led by Jiang Huai.

Bai Hongting and a few others were with Yun Xiaoxiao’s group.

The crowd was massive, resembling an ancient army preparing for battle.

Peng Shaowei had the food Yun Xiaoxiao’s group brought divided in half and distributed to both sides.

Starting today, the two groups would operate independently.

They would set out from the Western Base, one group heading left and the other right, moving in a radial pattern.

This would mark the beginning of the first major zombie extermination campaign!

No one knew how long this mission would take.

The mood was a mix of excitement and anxiety.

Perhaps, the next time they met, some of them would no longer be alive...

After another rousing speech from Peng Shaowei, the two groups began moving out in their respective directions.

As for the ‘antidote’ Tang Jun’s group needed, it was no longer a major concern.

After drinking it that morning, everyone already felt much better.

Still, to be safe, they asked Yun Xiaoxiao to prepare a few extra doses to take with them in the coming days.

However, they had already used up all their energy crystals and had to issue IOUs to Yun Xiaoxiao, promising to repay her later.

Yun Xiaoxiao, for once, was surprisingly lenient and didn’t press the matter.

After half a day of travel, Yun Xiaoxiao’s group passed through several villages.

The zombies they encountered were scattered and not particularly strong, so dealing with them wasn’t difficult.

Yun Xiaoxiao’s group didn’t even get a chance to act.

“Attention, everyone. Up ahead is a county called Danhong County.

The county is built along a large river, halfway up a mountainside.

It’s a minority county and a major tourist destination.

There’s likely to be a large number of zombies there.

The farmhouses are spread out, with some even built deep in the forests. The terrain is treacherous.

Everyone, stay alert!”

Jiang Huai’s voice echoed through every vehicle via the walkie-talkies.

For better communication, Peng Shaowei had prepared plenty of walkie-talkies, ensuring nearly every vehicle had one.