Hina’s expression darkened. "So we’re stuck here?"
"Not necessarily."
Max flipped through his notebook and continued, "There is another possibility."
Everyone looked at him.
"We can build our own guild in a new base or follow strong individuals," Max said seriously.
"Those are two possibilities," Zhu Wang pointed out.
Everyone gave him a faint look, while he blinked innocently. "Hey, I was just trying to correct him!"
"He must have thought another one later on! Focus on the main point!" Dong Wei snorted and motioned Max to continue.
"Anyways, what I mean is we should leave and find a big shot to follow. My analysis and calculation are telling me that this base is soon about to collapse." Max said with a serious expression.
"Are you saying this because of the corruption in the base?" Hina asked; her expression became a bit serious.
"No... to be precise, the law and order of this base have been a mess. Young and weak are exploited. The strong have too much authority, and the food supply has been cut off. The zombie tide is about to arrive, and many bigshots have already left. This indicates..." Max didn’t finish, but everyone understood.
Hina was about to make a suggestion when suddenly she heard a strange mechanical voice in her mind.
Bzzz...bbzzzz. Des...tiny...
"Hina? Hina!" A sudden touch on her shoulder and the loud voice jolted her awake from her daze. She blinked and watched her teammates, who were looking at her with a worried expression.
"What happened? Why did you look so pale?" Dong Wei asked, his eyes flickering with worry.
"I seemed to have heard a strange voice, and then it... it said something... destiny... but before I could hear it properly... it vanished!" Hina murmured.
"Is it possible that you were going to awaken some power?" Zhu Wang asked with a hopeful expression. Dong Wei quickly took out a few zombie crystals and handed them to Hina.
Hina took it with an expectant gaze; however, even after a long while, none of the crystals reacted. The entire group felt disappointed.
The reason they were a mercenary group in the first place was their extraordinary strength; in reality... none of them were awakened, which was why they were hesitating so much.
"You said you heard strange mechanical voices? Is there a possibility that you were contacted by the legendary wish system?" Max asked as he took out a book from his backpack and quickly flipped through it.
"Idiot," Zhu Wang snorted. "Have you seriously read too many apocalypse novels that you are mixing reality with fantasy?"
Dong Wei didn’t comment, but he believed the same. At just the start of the apocalypse, someone had written on a forum about getting contacted by a wish system.
A system that can grant abilities. Someone even claimed that all the abilities that humanity possesses today are something the Wish System had given.
Many people later on commented about getting contacted by the wish system too. Just as everyone was starting to believe it, the IP address of the original thread’s owner was leaked.
That person was an author who had written his first apocalypse novel. To promote its sale, they had written about the most powerful plot point of his book: the wish system.
A further investigation led everyone to realise that all the other comments were left by that person’s followers. In an instant, the myth was busted.
Max’s eyes flickered, and he shook his head. "Things might not be as simple as they seem."
"Anyways... I think we should follow Miss Ni," Hina suddenly said, her eyes flickering with a glint.
"Ni Mengxue? She has changed, sure. However, we can’t deny that she would only recruit people useful to her... as for others, forget it." Dong Wei shook his head with a dejected expression.
"Or we can pretend to have a superpower and weasel our way into her group..." Zhu Wang began, but everyone’s glare made him stop midway.
"If only my dad were here... he could have guided us better..." Hina murmured with a nostalgic expression.
It was her dad’s insight that she didn’t die right away. Though weak, he had made enough preparation so that, even if he wasn’t present, Hina could live a good life.
"I have an idea that can attract Miss Ni’s attention." Max suddenly said, his eyes flickering with a glint.
..............................
Ni Mengxue walked toward Romeo’s shop. Even though she had taken a vow to never return there after the last incident.
She couldn’t deny the fact that he was indeed very useful. The only dealer in the entire apocalypse who could get his hands on rare items.
Romeo gave a cool glance when he saw Ni Mengxue. Since she had previously shopped in his store wearing a disguise, he didn’t recognise her right away.
Instead, he remembered because of the labels she had been given. Lazy, abusive, and manipulative, and the toad lusting after the swans.
"I want an RV; can you quote a price?" This time she didn’t hide her identity.
If she did so and Romeo’s man spotted her, then they would recognise that she was the lady who had bought from them previously.
"Miss Ni, we don’t give out items on credit." Romeo smiled; his implication couldn’t be any clearer.
"You might get a surprise because I’m planning to pay a deposit." She gave a sweet smile.
Romeo narrowed his gaze in contemplation before saying calmly, "100 zombie king crystals. In simpler terms, 100,000 high-tier crystals."
"What will the condition of the RV be?" Ni Mengxue didn’t even blink her eyelids when she heard the sky-high price.
"Secondhand, but it will be functional. Our company will reinforce it, and we will even throw in some self-defence devices." Romeo smiled.
Ni Mengxue gave a faint smile. "Since you don’t want to do the transaction, you should have told me earlier."
Romeo’s expression changed, and he quickly added, "Miss Ni, if you have any conditions, feel free to add. Maybe we can negotiate?"