Zhang Lin said that after the initial chaos in the first few days, the situation in some areas had become relatively stable. Only in densely populated areas were there still some difficulties. Fortunately, although there were many zombies, their reactions and movements were extremely slow. As long as people could pick up weapons, they had a chance to fight for their lives.

Now, many civilians were applying to join the military. However, due to their lack of experience, they couldn’t immediately go to the battlefield. They were being organized and trained uniformly, and they were also assigned to clean up the battlefield. More and more people were joining in, and the situation was gradually improving. They believed that this disaster would soon pass.

So, the current situation was indeed not bad, and even squad leaders like Zhang Lin and Ren Yuan were delighted. They hoped that the highways could be cleared quickly so they could reunite with their families.

“But what about the worst-case scenario?” Zhang Lin asked.

Zhang Lin looked at Jiang Nian and asked, “Isn’t the situation bad enough now?”

Jiang Nian replied, “The source of the virus causing this disaster is still unclear. Who’s to say there won’t be a second or third outbreak after this? We need to be prepared for the worst, or we may face significant losses as humans.”

Jiang Nian remembered that the second wave of the virus would erupt in seven days. The current situation for humanity would be disrupted again, and at that time, half of the global population would be infected with the zombie virus, including ordinary people and soldiers. Order would be disrupted once more, and the situation would only get worse.

Zhang Lin anxiously said, “But there is still no vaccine against the virus. If what you say is true and only those with supernatural abilities have complete immunity, won’t ordinary people be in danger?”

Since ordinary people make up the majority, if that were the case, the world would be in chaos.

Zhang Lin, who had initially been excited about Jiang Nian’s new discovery, felt a chill down his spine upon hearing her words and became fearful.

Jiang Nian said, “It’s better to be prepared in advance. We humans are also evolving, and it’s likely that animals, plants, and the entire ecosystem are undergoing significant changes. We need to be cautious.”

Zhang Lin agreed and hurriedly reported Jiang Nian’s findings to the higher-ups, which naturally garnered high attention. After all, what Jiang Nian said was not impossible.

Jiang Nian didn’t idle either. She wrote down the next steps of her training method. The first step was just meditation in the preliminary stage, and the second step involved becoming familiar with one’s meridians. When the training was close to completion, one would start to feel the qi in their dantian. As energy accumulated, it would eventually break through the Dantian, flow through the governor vessel, rush through the Belt and Collar Meridians, and ascend to the Jade Pillow. After that, it would continue upward to the Baihui, descend to the Shanzhong, pass through the Yunmen, Tianfu, Jiabai, Chize, Kongzui, Lieque, Jingqu, Taiyuan, and Yuji acupuncture points, and finally circulate along the twelve meridians. This was the origin of the “Twelve Stages of Supernatural Ability Training.”

After finishing writing, Jiang Nian gave a copy to Shen Ran to hang at the gas station for ordinary people and supernaturals who came to practice. Of course, the first step was to learn and understand the acupuncture points; otherwise, the effort would be in vain. She also gave a copy to Zhang Lin to spread the training methods. In the face of disaster, they needed to strengthen their own abilities.

Zhang Lin’s hands were shaking when he received the small piece of paper, but he assured her that he would fulfill his mission and return safely. As he looked at the people sitting outside the gas station, he thought of his teammates growing stronger one by one and increasingly felt that Jiang Nian was a person with a great sense of justice and selflessness. When he returned to the capital, he would definitely recommend her for commendation!

The squad leader, on the other hand, was concerned about another issue. He asked, “When will the highway be cleared? If there’s indeed a second major disaster, I want to find my family as soon as possible.”

Zhang Lin said, “At the latest, by tomorrow. Most of our vehicles and personnel have been dispatched. Checkpoints are being cleared, and the roads will be open soon. Jiang Nian, are you planning to go to City C?”

Jiang Nian nodded and said, “My family is in City C. I need to go find them.”

After some consideration, Zhang Lin suggested, “Miss Jiang, if you trust us, I can contact my comrades stationed in City C. They can arrange to bring your family to the capital. It’s the safest place right now, with abundant weapons and food supplies. You won’t need to detour to City C; you can reunite with your family directly in the capital.”

Jiang Nian brightened up and asked, “Is that possible?”

Zhang Lin smiled and replied, “Of course, with the significant contribution you’ve made to the country, we will do our utmost to protect you and your family.”

This arrangement provided some assurance for her family’s safety.

“Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll head back to the team now.”

Just as Zhang Lin left the room, a chubby man suddenly jumped up and exclaimed, “I have superpowers! I really have superpowers!”

People around the chubby man were surprised and asked, “What kind of superpower? Show us what you’ve triggered!”

The chubby man stomped his foot, and suddenly, his foot sank into a pit in the concrete ground.

“It turns out to be an earth manipulation superpower!”

“No, it’s an earth manipulation superpower!”

It turned out that the chubby man had manipulated the soil beneath the concrete surface to create a pit.

Zhang Lin felt a surge of hope. This was hope!

They had come this far thanks to Jiang Nian. He had finally climbed out of despair and had more confidence in believing that humanity could overcome this crisis.

…

Of course, Qin Yue noticed the chubby man’s demonstration. Since he had activated his superpowers with Jiang Nian, he had been coming here every day, even practicing in the car at night. It wasn’t just him; the people around him were doing the same. Some who had initially been aimless and seeking shelter now seemed to have a purpose and direction. Even incidents of territorial disputes and food looting have decreased. It was as if they had found hope and seen a future that wasn’t entirely bleak.

Qin Yue once again thought of the slender girl. The significant change in their situation was largely attributed to her.

Though not explicitly stated, Jiang Nian had indeed become the ruler of this area, and her commands were followed without question. They respected her and held her in high regard. Whenever Jiang Nian was mentioned, it was with respect, gratitude, and admiration. Of course, there were also those who called her naive for revealing all she knew. But what was that if not an act of kindness?

Qin Yue shook his head with a smile. It was because of people like her that he saw and felt hope.

As for Yao Xiaoyue, since the transaction had been terminated, she had no reason to remain in his squad. Now he realized why she had stayed inside the car and never come out. Even when everyone else was in a state of panic, she remained calm and composed, maintaining that posture. Perhaps she had known about the training method all along, but she had never mentioned it to him.

He naturally understood the concept of keeping secrets. There was nothing wrong with her wanting to keep certain things hidden, especially secretive matters she didn’t want to share with others. However, since they had implicitly agreed to their trade relationship, with him providing her with protection, it was only fair that she reciprocated with some useful information or at least shared some valuable insights. If she continued to hide everything and not provide any useful information, he had no reason to tolerate her presence or continue to protect her.

However, when Qin Yue asked Yao Xiaoyue to leave, the first person to oppose it wasn’t Yao Xiaoyue but Wu Jiang. Wu Jiang said, “Brother Yue, look at Xiaoyue, a defenseless woman with no family or friends around. Where can she go? Sending her away alone would be like sending her to her death, wouldn’t it? Besides, Brother Yue, you see, we’ve also discovered our superpowers. You’ve activated your electricity-based ability, and I’ve triggered my wind-based power. Isn’t this a perfect setup?”

Yao Xiaoyue assured, “Brother Yue, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to help much, but I will work hard to develop my abilities. I will strive to activate my superpowers soon, and I’m sure I’ll be able to assist you in the future.”

Qin Yue’s expression remained unchanged as he coldly stated, “Initially, I allowed you to stay as part of our trade arrangement. Now that the trade is no longer in effect, I have no reason to keep you here.”

Li Ming placed a hand on Wu Jiang’s shoulder and said, “Jiangzi, listen to Brother Yue. Stay out of this.”

Wu Jiang shook off Li Ming’s hand and said discontentedly, “I know. Brother Yue is enchanted by Jiang Nian now. All he cares about is Jiang Nian. He’s sending her gifts every day. Since Xiaoyue has no more value to him, he naturally wants to get rid of her. I’m afraid that once I lose my value, Brother Yue will want to get rid of me too.”

Qin Yue’s face darkened, and even Li Ming’s expression soured. He hurriedly said, “Wu Jiang, what nonsense are you talking about? Apologize to Brother Yue right now!”

The three of them were childhood friends who had grown up together. They had skipped school together, gotten into fights together, and started a business together. They had faced losses together and eaten simple meals together. Naturally, they had their share of disagreements and arguments. However, a situation where neither of them would yield to the other, like today, was truly rare.

Wu Jiang was momentarily taken aback but stubbornly refused to apologize.

Qin Yue sneered, “Wu Jiang, be careful with your words. Without Jiang Nian, neither you nor I would be here right now. Who gave you the opportunity to develop superpowers? Was it Yao Xiaoyue sitting next to you? Yao Xiaoyue has known the method of developing superpowers for a long time, but has she ever shared it with you? No, not only did she not mention it, but she also treated you like a fool!”

Wu Jiang looked at Yao Xiaoyue with suspicion. Yao Xiaoyue waved her hand and said, “You’ve really misunderstood me. I truly didn’t know. I’m just an ordinary college student. How could I possibly know something so profound? If anything, I find Jiang Nian quite suspicious. This is just the beginning of the apocalypse, and even the government doesn’t know why it’s happening. They haven’t found any methods of developing superpowers, but she seems to know. Isn’t that very questionable?”

Upon reflection, Wu Jiang realized that Yao Xiaoyue had a point. Why did Jiang Nian seem to know so much? Who was she really?

Suddenly, Qin Yue unleashed a powerful attack on Yao Xiaoyue without holding back at all. Yao Xiaoyue, having survived the apocalypse for many years, quickly jumped to the side. When she looked back at the spot where she had been standing, it had been blasted into a large crater, completely blackened.

Qin Yue sternly said, “Yao Xiaoyue, don’t think about sowing discord and diverting attention. Regardless of how many secrets Jiang Nian has, she was the first person to step forward in this crisis to unite humanity. She risked her life to share the secrets she knew with all of us. Do I need to explain this to you? She has done everything as a mentor to all of us. Even though there are many selfish and greedy people like you who want more after benefiting from her, they don’t understand the concept of repaying kindness. Instead, they seek to unearth more secrets from others! Let me tell you, Jiang Nian is my benefactor, and I will protect her as long as I live!”

Li Ming also stepped forward and stood behind Qin Yue, clearly expressing his support. Not only Li Ming, but several other brothers also approached and glared at Yao Xiaoyue with disapproval.

Anyone with a bit of conscience wouldn’t question Jiang Nian’s character. Once they heard someone speaking ill of her, that person became their enemy!

Yao Xiaoyue felt embarrassed and infuriated, wondering why Qin Yue was so stubborn. Even without Jiang Nian, he would still become a strong individual in the future. Why was he fixated on Jiang Nian as a benefactor?

On the other side, Wu Jiang’s mother and Qin Yue’s mother tried to mediate, asking Wu Jiang to apologize to Qin Yue. Wu Jiang was originally quite guilty, but he and Qin Yue were the only two people in the team with supernatural abilities, so, apart from Qin Yue, he held the highest position. If he had to apologize, he would lose face. He pulled Yao Xiaoyue to leave but was blocked by a sudden lightning bolt from Qin Yue.

Qin Yue said, “Today, Yao Xiaoyue must leave. Whoever dares to stop her will leave with her!”

Yao Xiaoyue was frightened by Qin Yue’s determination. She was relieved that she didn’t mention the name of the “friend who bullied her.” If Qin Yue found out about her past grievances with Jiang Nian, he might act even more harshly now.

In this situation, she couldn’t stay any longer.

“Fine, since Brother Yue misunderstands me this much, I’ll leave.”

“Xiaoyue…”

Wu Jiang tried to pull her back, but Yao Xiaoyue stepped aside, turned around, and left without looking back. Wu Jiang looked back at Qin Yue, then hurriedly followed her.

Li Ming watched Yao Xiaoyue and Wu Jiang leave, shook his head, and whispered to Qin Yue, “This Jiangzi is bewitched by her beauty. Don’t get upset, Brother Yue. Jiangzi will come to her senses.”

Qin Yue agreed: “Watch out for Wu Jiang; he’s been enchanted by that woman, Yao Xiaoyue.”

If it weren’t for their long history together, Qin Yue wouldn’t have tolerated Wu Jiang for so long. All the reasoning was right in front of Wu Jiang, but he just didn’t believe it and thought Yao Xiaoyue was a good person!

On the other side, Yao Xiaoyue returned to the car. Since she didn’t have many belongings, she packed up her bag to leave. Wu Jiang finally caught up and said, “Xiaoyue, I’m sorry, Qin Yue was really too much this time! I know you’re not that kind of person.”

Since Yao Xiaoyue was leaving, she didn’t want to linger with Wu Jiang. Moreover, Wu Jiang won’t be around Qin Yue in the future. Even Li Ming didn’t know where he met his end. She didn’t need to say much to a dead man. She just murmured an acknowledgment and was about to leave. However, she suddenly thought of something and added, “By the way, Jiang Nian taught you all so much for no reason. I suspect she has ulterior motives. Qin Yue is brainwashed by her now, always siding with her. Be careful yourself.”

Wu Jiang watched Yao Xiaoyue walk away, feeling a great sense of loss. He was glad she still thought of him as she was leaving. This made him even more dissatisfied with Qin Yue.

After leaving Qin Yue’s group, Yao Xiaoyue didn’t join a private team. Instead, she went to the location where the military was stationed. Relatively speaking, the military was organized, disciplined, and provided more accurate information. Joining them was the safest decision. Moreover, she had already triggered her water-element ability. With this power in her hands, what was there to fear?

After the highway was finally open, people who had been waiting for a long time began to pack their belongings and queue up to hit the road. Before leaving, they didn’t forget to say their farewells to Jiang Nian and even brought small gifts, usually some candies or biscuits. However, Jiang Nian disappointedly waved her hand, declining the gifts, saying it was unnecessary since they had already settled their debts. She didn’t want them to send her anything that would hurt her feelings.

Shen Ran followed closely behind Jiang Nian, politely declining every person who came to offer candies. While they were all good things, it was a pity, but he wanted to collect them all to give to Jiang Nian. However, since Jiang Nian declined, he respected her decision.

Jiang Nian’s actions once again drew admiration from the people. They praised her as a big-hearted and kind-hearted person. After today’s farewell, if she ever needed something in the future, there would be no one around to help her. If the situation outside worsened, these gifts could be lifesaving.

“Naive, she’s truly naive!”

Jiang Nian had developed a special fondness for Shen Ran, who was completely oblivious to right and wrong when it came to her. He had a blind admiration for her, and with further development, he might even become her die-hard fan! He was a good candidate.

Due to her special status and significant contributions, Jiang Nian and the squad leader were the first to get on the highway. Before leaving, Qin Yue specifically came to bid her farewell.

“Miss Jiang, we’ll meet again in the capital. Initially, I wanted to escort you to the capital, but I had to accompany my teammates to reunite them with their families. You have Captain Zhang’s people protecting you, so you should be fine. Be cautious on the road; don’t trust others too easily. The world is chaotic, and you mustn’t let your guard down. Please take care!”

Jiang Nian patted her chest and assured him, “You can rest assured; I’m quite clever. I won’t be easily deceived. You should also be careful. People’s hearts are unpredictable, and you should be extra vigilant. After all, there are still many bad people in this world.”

Qin Yue smiled and thought it was unexpected that she was concerned about him as well. He said, “Don’t worry; I’ll be fine. You’re the one who needs to be careful. You understand the principle that ‘those with hidden intentions are guilty.’ ”

Jiang Nian nodded and then added, “Qin Yue, since you’re going to pick up people, why not we bring your family along to the capital with us? It would be inconvenient to have so many elderly people and children with you. Once they are settled in the capital, you can bring the others there.”

Qin Yue had already considered this possibility. Originally, they had planned to go pick up people together because the situation didn’t allow them to leave their parents or loved ones behind. Now, with the highway open and Jiang Nian on the same route, along with several other superpowered individuals and military guards, it made perfect sense. So, when Jiang Nian suggested it, he readily agreed and left a few of his brothers to take care of things. He hoped for a safe and worry-free journey.

Jiang Nian continued, “Once you pick up the people, it’s best to head to the capital as quickly as possible. Try to reach the capital before next weekend. If you can’t make it in time, find a safe place and assess the situation before making any decisions.”

Qin Yue asked, “Is there something more that will happen after that?”

Zhang Lin was also surprised and asked, “Miss Jiang, have you sensed something?”

…

Jiang Nian cleared her throat, surprised that she had become a prophetic guru. She pretended to be profound and said, “Have you all noticed that the surrounding energy levels have become more turbulent recently compared to the beginning? Even the energy inside our bodies is more active than before, and this change is becoming more noticeable. Although we don’t know what will happen, this feeling is not good. I’m afraid there might be a second wave of the virus outbreak, so we should be cautious.”

Qin Yue indeed felt this change but attributed it to their training. He had never thought about it from this perspective. Zhang Lin was still in the process of training and hadn’t awakened his superpowers, so he couldn’t feel it, but they all unquestionably believed in Jiang Nian.

Qin Yue and Zhang Lin exchanged a glance and said, “Alright, we understand.”

When they finally set off, Qin Yue couldn’t help but look at Jiang Nian with concern. He also approached the squad leader, Shen Ran, and the others, even the comrades who were escorting Jiang Nian to the capital, and talked to them extensively. He found Jiang Nian’s behavior to be a bit foolish, as she freely shared all her knowledge with them. Although he had taught her, she didn’t accept any food from them. She was too easily trusting of others and too soft-hearted. He was worried that if they encountered more unfortunate people on their journey north, she would give away all her supplies to them.

The squad leader, Shen Ran, and the others had their ears worn out by Qin Yue. He looked tall, strong, and cold, but now he acted like a motherly figure. Not only did Qin Yue say a lot, but Zhang Lin also had his share of talking. They quickly agreed to everything and urged their driver to go faster.

After Zhang Lin saw Jiang Nian off, he hurriedly returned to the team and reported Jiang Nian’s findings to the higher-ups to make early preparations.

As Qin Yue watched Jiang Nian’s car drive away, he let out an almost inaudible sigh, feeling a melancholic sense of parting, not knowing when they would meet again.

Li Ming said, “Don’t worry, Brother Yue. Once we pick up everyone, we’ll head straight to the capital to find Teacher Jiang!”

Qin Yue nodded and said, “Notify the brothers to get ready to depart!”

Yao Xiaoyue stayed at the back, watching Jiang Nian walk away and then looking at Qin Yue. She was planning to follow Qin Yue to B City first. She remembered that Qin Yue had been betrayed by his brothers in B City, nearly meeting his end without a burial place. He had transformed from a man of loyalty and righteousness into a truly ruthless individual. Although he treated his subordinates well and provided them with excellent benefits, there were very few people he truly trusted. He had become taciturn, cold-blooded, and unfeeling, and not even death in front of him would earn someone a second glance from him.

This time, she couldn’t let Jiang Nian steal a march on her.

…

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and the second virus outbreak finally occurred.

Qin Yue, Li Ming, Wu Jiang, and the other ten people in B City successfully rescued twelve family members of their three brothers. However, when they arrived in B City, they realized that the situation was much worse there. Due to poor control, more people had been infected and turned into zombies. Many were trying to escape or were trapped in their homes and unable to leave. Zombies roamed the city, and the locations where they needed to go were scattered.

They split into two groups and had to exert a lot of effort to make their way through the city and bring the people to safety. This took a considerable amount of time.

It wasn’t until Qin Yue was eating a hard piece of steamed bread that he finally remembered that it was now the “next weekend,” as mentioned by Jiang Nian.

He was suddenly startled, and at the same time, someone lunged at him from behind, aiming to bite his neck. Without thinking, Qin Yue leaped forward and immediately generated a shocking thunderbolt in his hand.

“Don’t, Brother Yue!”

When Qin Yue looked closely, he realized that it was Li Ming’s mother who had turned into a zombie!

How could this happen?!