Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Inside the base.

Lin Yang rushed forward, almost tripping over himself in his excitement, and hugged Qin Zheng tightly, his voice choked with emotion:

"Captain Qin! It really is you! You're alive! That's great! I thought you were dead!"

"Cough cough cough!!!"

Wang Lu, standing to the side, was practically coughing up his lungs.

While coughing violently, he mercilessly jabbed Lin Yang's side waist with his strong elbow.

The force was so great that Lin Yang was knocked to the side.

"Hey! What are you doing making braised noodles?!"

Lin Yang released Qin Zheng in pain, clutching his waist and grimacing as he glared angrily at Wang Lu.

Why are you poking my kidneys! Don't you know a man's waist is important?!

Wang Lu expressionlessly shifted his gaze, looking up at the sky and down at the ground, a look of utter helplessness on his face that said, "I don't know this idiot." ¯_(ツ)_/¯

"Alright, Lin Yang."

Lin, a middle-aged soldier with a calm demeanor and wearing glasses, shook his head helplessly.

He stepped forward and patted Lin Yang on the back of the head with considerable force.

"When will you learn to watch your mouth?"

Although he was speaking to Lin Yang, his gaze fell on Qin Zheng with satisfaction, looking him up and down.

It was confirmed that apart from his clothes being somewhat torn and stained, he was otherwise unharmed.

He was full of energy, even more so than before he left, and only then did he truly breathe a sigh of relief.

Lin Yang rubbed the back of his head, which had been slapped, and pouted in grievance.

Their gazes, however, involuntarily and with great curiosity, drifted toward the unfamiliar figure beside Qin Zheng.

Upon seeing this, their eyes widened even more instantly.

"Captain Qin, who is this?"

Lin Yang lowered his voice, leaned close to Qin Zheng's ear, and asked with a wink.

"Judging by your skills, is this... a comrade you picked up outside?"

Qin Zheng raised his hand and lightly tapped Lin Yang's forehead, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

He didn't answer Lin Yang's question, but instead stretched out his arm in a very natural gesture.

He firmly embraced Liu Yunshu's slender waist, pulled her closer to him, and introduced her to everyone in a clear voice:

"Liu Yunshu. My partner, and also my current captain."

He paused, then added, his tone carrying a sense of pride.

"We were able to fight our way back from the zombie horde thanks to her dual lightning and water elemental abilities."

"Dual lightning and water elemental damage?!"

"Partners? Captain?!"

"Captain Qin, you're calling someone the captain??"

The gazes of the crowd instantly became subtle.

His gaze lingered between Qin Zheng's firmly clasped hand and the "taken-for-granted" expression on his face.

That meaningful "Oh~~" was drawn out and took eighteen turns, filling the air with an unspoken, ambiguous atmosphere.

Qin Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly, and in the face of the crowd's commotion, he tightened his arms around Liu Yunshu, making her almost completely pressed against his side.

"Getting back to the main topic. What's the current situation at the base? What are the casualties? How many people have been confirmed to have awakened superpowers?"

Lin Yang stared at Qin Zheng's hand and muttered softly:

"Getting back to the point? Captain Qin, take your hand off Captain Liu's waist first... This roundabout way of showing affection, do you think we're blind...?"

"Can't you just shut up, you brat?!"

Wang Lu, unable to bear it any longer, delivered another precise elbow strike, this time hitting Lin Yang in the other side of his waist.

Lin Yang: Ouch! Why am I always the one who gets hurt?! ●^●

Instructor Lin pushed up his glasses, ignoring the antics of the clown beside him, and his expression turned serious again.

"The apocalypse broke out too suddenly. In the first wave, nearly 20% of the people mutated directly into zombies. We couldn't react in time, and some of our comrades were sacrificed."

"Of the remaining people, about 10 percent have successfully awakened their superpowers."

"Earth, metal, wood, fire, and wind elements, as well as those that simply enhance speed and strength."

"We originally sent a team of superhumans out to scout the surrounding area and collect supplies, but unexpectedly..."

Qin Zheng's brows furrowed more and more as Instructor Lin narrated.

The arm that had been around Liu Yunshu slowly loosened and hung down at her side, her fingers unconsciously curling up.

"How many people were in the team of superhumans sent out? Who was leading them?"

His voice was cold and hard, carrying the chilling edge of someone who had been through countless battles.

"Are the zombie attacks targeted, or are they indiscriminate attacks?"

"No distinction, the team leader is Li Xin."

"Li Xin?"

Qin Zheng let out a cold laugh through his nose.

His eyes were complex, a mixture of obvious displeasure, a hint of habitual criticism, and a deep-seated worry that was not easily detected.

"That cunning dead fox."

Liu Yunshu keenly noticed Qin Zheng's complex reaction to the name.

She turned her head and looked at him quietly, with a hint of inquiry in her eyes, but did not interrupt him.

"I know you and Li Xin have always... disagreed on principles. But what era are we living in? It's the apocalypse..."

Instructor Lin sighed and rubbed his temples.

"By the way, he awakened wind-based abilities."

"cut,"

Qin Zheng pursed his lips, but his tone wasn't as cold anymore.

"Wind element? That damned fox wasn't too bad off..."

"Hey~ what did I just hear? Who's praising me behind my back, saying I'm 'not bad'?"

A mocking and somewhat flippant voice suddenly came from behind the crowd, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

A tall, upright man walked slowly over.

He wore a well-tailored black combat suit, the fabric stained with a little dust and zombie blood, but it did nothing to diminish his nonchalant demeanor.

Her dark, tousled hair fell casually across her forehead, and her long, narrow, almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned.

A beauty mark at the corner of his eye gave him a cunning and bewitching aura; he was none other than Li Xin, whom Qin Zheng called "the dead fox."

Behind him followed five or six superhumans, dressed in rags but with resolute eyes.

Everyone bore the marks of battle, clearly having returned after a fierce fight.

Li Xin's gaze swept over everyone present, finally landing on Qin Zheng, a provocative smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Isn't this our steamed food captain? Why isn't it hanging outside?"

Even so, a fleeting look of genuine relief flashed across his eyes.

It was just that his cynical demeanor completely concealed it.

Lin Yang turned his head instantly, frantically signaling to Wang Lu with his eyes:

Team Leader Li also said Team Leader Qin is "dead"! Quick! Elbow him! Let's be fair!

Wang Lu looks at the sky and the ground but not at me. Do I look like I'm tired of living? I want to live a few more years!

Qin Zheng stood with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow to meet Li Xin's gaze, and chuckled:

"You're really disappointed. I'm tough as nails; even the King of Hell won't take me!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xin chuckled softly, her peach blossom eyes curving into a beautiful arc.

The beauty mark at the corner of his eye swayed slightly with his movements, adding a touch of allure.

He walked slowly to Qin Zheng. The two were of similar height, but their auras were completely different.

One is like a raging fire, fierce and intense; the other is like a wandering breeze, cunning and elusive.

"It's a good thing you're lucky to be alive."

Li Xin's gaze passed over Qin Zheng, and only then did she notice Liu Yunshu behind him.

Upon seeing this, Li Xin's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

My heart felt as if it had been lightly bumped by something, skipping a beat.

Who is this woman?

Why... do I feel a strange, almost instinctive attraction the moment I look at her?

My heart was racing uncontrollably, and my blood flow seemed to have changed.

Meanwhile, Liu Yunshu, who was half a step behind Qin Zheng, was mentally cursing wildly!

Damn it! That familiar, damned heat and irresistible attraction in my body is back again!

Liu Yunshu clenched her teeth, using her strong willpower to suppress the strange desire surging within her body and the muffled groan that almost escaped her lips.

He showed no sign of it on his face, but the nails of his hands, which were behind his back, dug deeply into his palms.

Damn it! In broad daylight! In full view of everyone! Do I even have any shame?! What kind of behavior is it to pounce on her like that?!

Li Xin's gaze seemed glued to Liu Yunshu.

They completely ignored the sudden drop in air pressure around Qin Zheng and the almost solidified killing intent.

He blinked his captivating eyes, which sparkled, and spoke first, his voice filled with undisguised admiration and interest:

"And this... beautiful and handsome young lady is... a new face. Captain Qin, aren't you going to introduce her?"

"She is my partner, and also my current captain."

Qin Zheng's voice was as cold as ice. He stretched out his arm again and wrapped it around Liu Yunshu's waist with a possessive gesture.

Liu Yunshu could clearly feel Qin Zheng's body tense up instantly.

And the irresistible force emanating from the arm wrapped around his waist.

She mentally criticized the two grown men for their childish bickering.

On the one hand, she had to desperately suppress the inexplicable urge to get closer to Li Xin, and she felt her scalp tingling.

"Liu Yunshu".

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm, natural, and concise: "A dual-elemental ability user of lightning and water."

When Li Xin heard the words "a dual-elemental ability user of lightning and water", the amazement in his peach blossom eyes intensified, and he even let out a light whistle.

They completely ignored Qin Zheng's murderous aura, which was almost solidified.

"Dual lightning and water elemental abilities? Qin Zheng, your luck is incredible! You actually found such a treasure."

"Li Xin!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to escalate into a fight, Instructor Lin quickly stepped forward.

He forcefully inserted himself into the invisible aura between the three people, which was almost bursting with sparks.

He cleared his throat forcefully, raising his voice:

"Um... Li Xin, you just returned with your team. Come quickly to the command room and give me a detailed report on what you found during your reconnaissance!"

As he spoke, he almost forcibly pulled Li Xin's arm and dragged him toward the makeshift command room.

He kept muttering to himself as he walked, trying to distract himself: "Let's go, let's not waste time here, we have important business to attend to!"

Li Xin was pulled a few steps by Instructor Lin, but she didn't forget to look back.

She casually gave Liu Yunshu a charming wink.

"Captain Liu, when you have some free time... I'd like to 'learn' from you about the application of superpowers~ I look forward to a deeper 'exchange' with you."

Liu Yunshu's smile froze for a moment when she saw the flirtatious look Li Xin gave her.

He then forced a more amused smile, while inwardly cursing his damned physical reaction eight hundred times over.

Qin Zheng's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the chill in his voice could almost freeze the air.

"Stay away from that fox. He's a scheming man, never tells the truth, has the most handsome smile, and is the most ruthless when it comes to ripping people off."

He paused, noticing that Liu Yunshu seemed somewhat absent-minded and her complexion was off.

Thinking she was tired or affected by the earlier commotion, I softened my tone:

"I'll go listen to the intelligence they bring back and get a better understanding of the situation outside."

"You don't look well. Are you tired? There's a temporary rest area set up at the base. Go and rest for a bit to recover your strength."

Liu Yunshu was now eager to leave this "place of trouble" as soon as possible, and get as far away as possible from that "fox" who made her blood boil.

Even if she's going to "eat," she has to find a secluded place to do it quietly. Losing control in public? She can't afford to be so embarrassed!

"Okay, sure." She nodded readily. "Then I'll go and rest for a bit."