Chapter Eight: Intercepted Along the Way

The next day, Jiang Yu arrived at the meeting point at the agreed time. When she got there, some teammates were already waiting. Xiao He gave a brief introduction, and once everyone had gathered, they set off by car for the neighboring city, City A.

After driving for an unknown length of time, the vehicle suddenly came to a halt.

“What’s going on up ahead?” someone in the car behind asked over the radio, unaware of the situation.

“There are people blocking the road up ahead,” came the reply.

By then, an argument had broken out in front.

“You’re the rescue team, right? Why won’t you help us get out of here?”

These people had come across two vehicles while fleeing and sought assistance, hoping the rescue team would take pity and lead them to safety. But they were refused. Normally, refusal wouldn’t be a big deal—they could simply find another refuge.

However, they soon realized these people were from the rescue team.

Wasn’t the rescue team supposed to protect their safety? Weren’t they supposed to escort them to a safe place?

“Sorry, we have other missions and can’t take you with us,” the rescue team replied.

“Fine! If you won’t help us, then you won’t leave here today either. If we’re going to die, we’ll die together!”

The group reinforced their blockade in front of the vehicles. They refused to believe the rescuers would dare ram their cars into them.

“Brother, what if we take you back home? Given the current situation, your homes are safer than outside. We’ll clear out the nearby mutants, so you won’t have to worry about your safety for the time being. Following us might actually be more dangerous,” one of the team members reasoned.

“Are you just going to abandon us at home? Can’t you take us somewhere free of mutants?”

They still worried about food at home. The reason they had banded together and ventured out was to find supplies; otherwise, who would risk their lives leaving the safety of home?

“Mutants are everywhere now; nowhere is truly safe,” Xiao He patiently explained. “But don’t worry, safe zones are being established. Once they’re ready, rescue teams will escort you there.”

In truth, the safe zones had long been established, but the areas were still infested with mutants and needed to be fully cleared before officially opening.

“Should we listen to them then?” a man hesitated.

“All right, but you’ll have to help us find some supplies before we leave,” Xiao He insisted.

At the very least, they needed to ensure everyone had enough food to survive in the meantime.

Xiao He felt this wouldn’t delay them much and agreed.

Jiang Yu observed the scene and felt this approach was unwise. The world was no longer what it used to be; blindly accommodating these people would benefit others but harm themselves.

Next, they planned to escort the group home before dealing with the nearby mutants. However, the group refused to return home, wanting to keep a close watch on the rescuers, fearing they might be abandoned.

With no choice, part of the team went to deal with the mutants while others stayed behind to protect the group.

“Jiang Yu, come with me to hunt the mutants,” Xiao He said after calling two teammates and gesturing to her.

“Okay,” Jiang Yu replied eagerly. Her system’s main task was to kill mutants, and she needed to accumulate ten thousand points quickly to unlock the system shop.

As they searched for mutants, Jiang Yu hesitated before finally speaking up.

“Captain, there’s something I hope you’ll agree to.”

Xiao He turned to her. “What is it?”

“During the hunt, could you let me land the final blow? Of course, only if it’s safe for you all. If possible, please leave the mutant alive for a bit and let me finish it.”

She had used this method in her previous life; the system counted the number of mutants she killed but didn’t require her to be the one to inflict the initial or major damage.

“Why?” Xiao He couldn’t understand. Whether she or someone else killed the mutant didn’t seem to matter.

“You can think of it as a special preference of mine. Also, I won’t keep the mutant’s crystal energy for myself when you hand it over to me.”

Jiang Yu had said all she needed. Whether they agreed was up to them.

Xiao He and the others silently mocked her unusual request in their minds.

Still, agreeing wouldn’t hurt them.

“All right.”

They soon located and eliminated the nearby mutants. The teammates, except Xiao He, admired Jiang Yu’s skill. Their team consisted mostly of awakened individuals or specially trained soldiers, yet none matched Jiang Yu’s speed.

With only a dagger, she moved effortlessly among the mutants, swift and precise, with no wasted motion.

They could sense a ruthless fierceness deep within her when facing mutants.

“Here, your crystal energy,” Jiang Yu said after the battle, returning the collected energy to the others.

“We don’t need this,” some said, glancing disdainfully at the items in her hands.

“Who says it’s useless?” Jiang Yu looked at Xiao He. “Captain, didn’t you tell them?”

“I did. But this stuff is really of no use to us and can even be dangerous. If you accidentally inhale its energy… what then? So, we prefer to avoid it.”

“If you want it, keep it yourself!” Xiao He knew Jiang Yu was just an ordinary person; the crystal energy posed no threat to her.

“I think you should hold onto it. Maybe someday it’ll become an indispensable part of life.”

“Jiang Yu, do you know something?” asked Lin Shen, suddenly enlightened.

“That’s a common trope in post-apocalyptic novels, isn’t it? In the end times, money becomes worthless, and materials found inside mutants often become the new currency.”

Xiao He, however, didn’t think Jiang Yu’s insight came from just that. He felt she was hiding some secret. For example, he had learned about the crystal energy from her first and had received official news about it from higher-ups late last night.

Could this person have some special status?