After stocking up at the maximum level, all the handsome men in the apocalypse are looking for suppo

Chapter 14 The Missing Sister

The red-haired man frowned at Lin Che, his expression changing from disdain to confusion, and then to vigilance.

He let go of the salt box and quickly reached for his waist, as if there was a weapon hidden there.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

Lin Che took a step back and bumped into Su Wanqing. He didn't know why he recognized this person, but the name just popped out naturally.

The jade bracelet suddenly vibrated, and Su Wanqing looked down to check: [SS-level mutant detected: Xiao Ran, power system].

"You got the wrong person." Su Wanqing grabbed Lin Che's arm. "This box of salt is yours."

Xiao Ran didn't respond, but stared at Lin Che's face, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. "Which lab did you come from?"

Lin Che's pupils suddenly contracted. How did Xiao Ran know he was from the lab?

Could he also be the one in the white coat? Lin Che subconsciously hid behind Su Wanqing, the suppressor on his wrist making a slight electric sound.

"It's none of your business." Su Wanqing put the salt back on the shelf and pulled Lin Che away, "Let's go."

"Wait!" Xiao Ran stretched out his hand to stop them. "I'm not from the lab. I'm looking for someone. A test subject like him."

Su Wanqing paused. The jade bracelet vibrated even more violently: [Warning: Target's emotions are fluctuating, and their powers are about to spiral out of control].

The veins on Xiao Ran's arms bulged, and a strange red light glowed from the bulging muscles. This was a sign that his power-based ability was about to erupt.

"My sister." Xiao Ran lowered his voice. "She was taken away. Her number is X-7. Do you know her?"

Lin Che froze. X-7, he knew that number. Subject No. 7 in the lab, the girl who could control fire, was always kept in a special isolation room.

She was different from other experimental subjects. She never participated in daily tests and was only brought out on special occasions.

"I do not--"

"Join us and find your sister." Su Wanqing suddenly interrupted Lin Che and extended her hand to Xiao Ran. "We have a common enemy."

Xiao Ran looked Su Wanqing up and down, his gaze lingering on the jade bracelet on her wrist for a few seconds.

Instead of shaking hands, he took a step back and asked, "Who are you?"

"The person who can help you find your sister." Su Wanqing pointed at Lin Che. "He knows X-7, right?"

Lin Che opened his mouth, unsure how to respond. He had indeed seen X-7, but that was a long time ago.

The red-haired girl always sat alone in the corner of the isolation room, and anyone who approached would be blocked by a wall of fire.

"I've seen her before." Lin Che stammered, "but I'm not familiar with her."

"Liar." Xiao Ran suddenly grabbed Lin Che's chin and forced him to look up. "What's the number on your forehead? 0927? You're from the same batch!"

There was no number on Lin Che's forehead; it was branded on his spine.

How did Xiao Ran know his number? He had clearly covered the brand on the back of his neck with his hair.

A terrifying guess flashed through Lin Che's mind: Xiao Ran was an insider, X-7's guardian or caretaker.

"That's enough." Su Wanqing pulled out a gun and pressed it against Xiao Ran's ribs. "Let him go."

The people in the supermarket did not notice the conflict here, everyone was busy buying supplies.

Xiao Ran let go of his hand and took a step back, but his eyes were still fixed on Lin Che, as if he wanted to find some answer from his face.

"Listen," Su Wanqing lowered her voice, "We are also looking for people from the laboratory, but this is not the time to talk about it."

"Why should I believe you?" Xiao Ran's arm muscles tensed, and a red light flowed under his skin. "She might be nearby!"

At this moment, there was a commotion at the supermarket entrance. Several people in black uniforms pushed through the crowd and walked straight to the cashier.

They had guns on their waists and the badges on their chests gleamed in the light - security guards of the institute!
"We found you, Subject 0927." A man in black, wearing sunglasses, raised the device on his wrist. "The signal is clear."

Lin Che's face turned pale instantly. He grabbed Su Wanqing's sleeve, his fingers trembling with fear.

Those people were here to capture him, to take him back to the lab to continue the endless testing and torture.

"Let's go." Su Wanqing grabbed Lin Che's wrist. "Back door."

"Wait," Xiao Ran stopped them, "They are also looking for X-7. Follow them."

"Are you crazy?" Su Wanqing glared at Xiao Ran, "They will take us all back."

Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned around and pushed down the shelf behind him.

The sound of cans and drinks hitting the ground attracted the attention of the men in black, and they immediately ran in that direction.

"You go first," Xiao Ran said through gritted teeth, "Tomorrow at midnight, at the abandoned hospital in the North District, bring back information about X-7."

Before Su Wanqing could reply, Xiao Ran had already rushed towards the men in black, his tall figure quickly lost in the crowd. Sounds of fighting and shouting could be heard amidst the chaos, as if Xiao Ran was deliberately trying to distract them.

"The back door of the truck." Su Wanqing pushed the shopping cart and pulled Lin Che towards the back door of the supermarket. "Hurry up."

The crowd became more chaotic after the men in black appeared, and everyone rushed to run out.

Lin Che was pushed and shoved, nearly falling several times. He held onto Su Wanqing's hand tightly, afraid of getting lost in the chaos.

"Don't look back." Su Wanqing pulled him through the warehouse area, "Just focus on walking."

Lin Che couldn't help but look back. The supermarket was in shambles. Xiao Ran was wrestling with the man in black. His arms glowed red, and every punch he threw could smash the shelves.

A man in black took out a stun gun and pointed it at Xiao Ran's back.

"Be careful!" Lin Che blurted out, but Xiao Ran couldn't have heard it.

"Let's go!" Su Wanqing dragged him towards the back door, "Mind your own business."

Pushing open the supermarket's back door, the sun shone so brightly that Lin Che couldn't open his eyes. He heard gunshots and the sound of shattering glass behind him, but he didn't dare turn around.

Su Wanqing pushed the shopping cart towards the parking lot, with Lin Che following closely behind.

"Get in the car." Su Wanqing opened the trunk and stuffed the salt and other supplies in. "Hurry."

Lin Che climbed into the passenger seat, his fingers trembling as he fastened his seatbelt. In the rearview mirror, he saw several men in black rushing out of the supermarket's back door, scanning the surroundings for their target.

Su Wanqing started the engine and the car rushed out of the parking lot like an arrow.

“That Xiao Ran,” Lin Che whispered, “will he be okay?”

"Why bother?" Su Wanqing stepped on the accelerator. "He came to us on his own. Let's wait until we find X-7."

Lin Che fell silent. He thought of X-7, the red-haired girl who was always alone, whom Xiao Ran had mentioned.

Why did Xiao Ran call her sister? Experimental subjects were not allowed to have family relationships.

Unless Xiao Ran is not an experimental subject, but an ordinary person.

"Do you know that red-haired guy?" Su Wanqing glanced at Lin Che. "How do you know his name?"

“I don’t know,” Lin Che shook her head. “This name suddenly popped into my mind.”

Su Wanqing glanced at him thoughtfully, but didn't ask any further questions. The jade bracelet showed that Lin Che's supernatural power was fluctuating smoothly, showing no signs of lying.

The car drove into a remote road. The buildings on both sides had been abandoned, and only a few stray dogs were looking for food in the garbage dump.

"Tomorrow," Su Wanqing suddenly said, "you will come with me to see him."

Lin Che looked up at Su Wanqing in confusion. He didn't understand why Su Wanqing wanted to meet Xiao Ran, who looked dangerous and seemed to know a lot about the laboratory.

"but."

"Don't ask why." Su Wanqing interrupted him, "You just need to obey."

"Yes, Master." Lin Che lowered his head and twisted his fingers together.

The car continued driving on the deserted streets, and the scene outside the window gradually blurred into gray.

Lin Che remembered the place Xiao Ran mentioned: the abandoned hospital in the North District.

It used to be a mental hospital, but was later converted into a branch of the research institute, specifically for detaining out-of-control experimental subjects.

If Xiao Ran knew that place, he must be from the research institute or...
"Lin Che," Su Wanqing suddenly called his name, "How many times have you seen X-7?"

"Three times," Lin Che recalled. "She rarely left the isolation room."

"What is ability?"

"Fire element." Lin Che said softly, "Very strong, stronger than anyone I've ever seen."

Su Wanqing nodded and stopped asking questions. The car turned into a quiet road, away from the chaos of the city center.

Lin Che looked out the window, his mind full of Xiao Ran's persistent face and the men in black in the supermarket.

The institute will never give up on hunting down escaped experimental subjects, and they will keep searching until they catch every one of them.

Su Wanqing caught Lin Che's expression and her lips curled up slightly. X-7, SS-level fire ability, Xiao Ran, Lin Che—all the pieces began to gather.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, mentally calculating her plan of action for tomorrow.

The cracks on the jade bracelet widened a little, but she ignored them. Everything was going as she had expected, much more smoothly than in her previous life.

(End of this chapter)