Hao Zhenzhu had already been torn apart by the mutated vines, and considering the gruesome state of her remains, there was little they could do.
"Let's dig a hole and bury her," said Jia Yi calmly.
Silence enveloped the room. Everyone instinctively looked at Zhang Ming since he had spent the most time with Hao Zhenzhu and was the closest to her.
Zhang Ming swallowed hard but didn't say anything. He turned, put on gloves and a mask, grabbed a cloth bag, and left the room.
"Xiao Hu, we should go and help," Zhao Na urged gently. She and Hao Zhenzhu had been chatting just the previous day, sleeping together head-to-head, and now that Hao Zhenzhu had met such a tragic end, Zhao Na couldn't bear to just watch without doing anything.
Zhao Na and her son picked up shovels and went outside to help Zhang Ming deal with Hao Zhenzhu's body. However, dealing with the dead was different from dealing with the living. Zhao Na had mentally prepared herself for this. After all, she had even faced zombies before.
But seeing the bloody and gruesome scene on the soil mound made Zhao Na lose control, and she bent over, clutching her stomach, and vomited violently.
Speechless, Long Xiaohu glanced at his mother. He warned her not to come any closer, but she forced herself to suppress her nausea and, along with Zhang Ming, managed to clean up and bury Hao Zhenzhu's body.
On the other hand, Zheng Lanxin, holding onto her daughter, tried to keep her calm. She didn't want the child to be frightened by the mutated vines.
Meanwhile, Jia Yi started unloading supplies from Hao Zhenzhu's car and stowed them away. She also took the car keys and put them in her pocket. Hao Zhenzhu's car was of high quality, indicating that she came from a well-off family. Jia Yi decided to take it with her since it might be useful.
"Oh my goodness!" Just as Jia Yi was about to finish unloading the car and was planning to ask Tonton to put all the store items into his space, she suddenly heard a loud exclamation from Long Xiaohu.
Thinking that another mutated plant had appeared, Jia Yi turned around to look. She saw Long Xiaohu raising his hands, both astonished and delighted, as the ground beneath him sunk, creating a small pit.
"Could I have awakened an ability too?" Long Xiaohu exclaimed loudly, and his voice carried clearly to Jia Yi's ears.
Long Xiaohu tried a few more times, and not only could he make the ground sink, but he could also create a thin wall out of thin air. It seemed he had awakened the ability to control earth.
Seeing Long Xiaohu's transformation, Zhao Na was overjoyed. She rushed back into the store and said to Zheng Lanxin, "My son has awakened an ability too. He can control earth! I never thought that digging a hole could trigger an ability. This is amazing!"
Having already awakened the water-based ability herself, Zheng Lanxin couldn't help but think, "What's the big deal? I can create pure water!"
But she put on a fake smile of excitement and praised Long Xiaohu. She had no choice. In these turbulent times, she had to rely on her two children, whether she liked it or not. If she didn't go with her son, she would be abandoned by that heartless Jia Yi. If she had to choose between the two options, she preferred to stay with her son.
Just then, Zhao Na noticed a horrifying scene: all the pots, pans, bowls, and other utensils, as well as rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, disappeared suddenly.
"What's happening?" She was too shocked to speak.
However, Zhang Ming had a sudden realization and showed a knowing expression. He had always found it strange that Jia Yi, who seemed to be a solo traveler, had a young girl with her. Now he finally understood.
So, this little girl named Tongtong was actually a spatial ability user.
Jia Yi had planned to rush into the service area with her family. She felt the power dynamics were clearly shifting in their favor, and her previous premonition had been correct. Now it was confirmed that Tongtong, the little girl, was a spatial ability user.
Seeing this, she decided to offer them a place to join her group. She had never intended to invite Zhao Na and her son to join them in the first place; it was just a coincidence that Long Xiaohu had awakened his earth-based ability. But now, the situation had changed.
She looked at Zhang Ming and asked, "What about you?"
"I'll go with you," Zhang Ming replied promptly. Long Xiaohu hesitated a bit after hearing Jia Yi's question, perhaps influenced by his mother's warning, but now that Zhang Ming had agreed, he decided to follow along as well.
Zhang Ming: If I could, I wish I hadn't seen anything just now.
"Zhang Ming, can you drive?" Jia Yi, carrying Tongtong and having packed all the supplies, asked hopefully.
Zhang Ming nodded, saying, "I can, but I don't drive often, so my skills might not be that great."
"It's okay; you can practice driving later," Jia Yi encouraged him. She handed him the car keys to Hao Zhenzhu's vehicle, signaling for him to drive ahead.
Zhao Na, who had finally regained her composure, asked with surprise, "Wait, where are you going?"
Jia Yi nodded, confirming, "Yes, we're leaving."
Astonished, Zheng Lanxin chimed in, "Aren't we supposed to wait for the main group to evacuate together? It's safer in the base; they have military protection, and we wouldn't have to worry."
Jia Yi's response was to simply nod and reply, "We're not waiting; we're taking the national highway."
Zheng Lanxin's eyes widened in disbelief, realizing that Jia Yi didn't intend to go to the survivor's base.
"You're not going to the base?" Zhao Na was now fully aware of the situation, and her tone revealed her surprise.
Jia Yi nodded in agreement, and just as she was about to explain her reasons, Zhang Ming and Long Xiaohu returned to the scene.
Zhao Na took a moment to digest the situation before asking, "Are you sure you won't go to the base? It's definitely safer there. They have guns and military support, which makes dealing with those mutated creatures a piece of cake."
In her mind, the mutated creatures they had encountered were merely minor threats, easily dealt with using firearms. But she couldn't fathom the true horrors of the world outside, as she had never witnessed the devastating reality.
Jia Yi, who had already seen the world's true nature, knew better than to trust the apparent safety of the base. She understood that without experiencing the same horrors, it was impossible for others to truly comprehend the situation.
She didn't want to waste her breath trying to convince them. Her intention was never to invite Zhao Na and her son to join her group. It had just so happened that Long Xiaohu had awakened an ability, which had led to this conversation.
Seeing their determined attitudes, Jia Yi didn't press the issue further. Instead, she turned to Zhang Ming and inquired, "What about you?"
"I'll go with you," Zhang Ming responded readily. Although Long Xiaohu hesitated for a moment due to his mother's warning, he ultimately decided to follow suit.
Zhang Ming: If possible, I wish I hadn't witnessed that scene earlier.
"Zhang Ming, can you drive?" Jia Yi asked, her voice filled with hope.
Zhang Ming nodded, admitting, "I can drive, but I don't drive often, so my skills might not be that great."
"That's alright; you can practice driving later," Jia Yi encouraged him, handing over Hao Zhenzhu's car keys as a sign for him to lead the way.
With the decision made, they started loading their supplies into the car and preparing to depart. It was a critical juncture, and the path they chose would greatly impact their future.
Zhao Na watched them with mixed feelings, torn between joining the group for safety and staying with her son. She couldn't help but feel that her son had grown up, as he now had an opportunity to escape the horrors of this world.
As they were about to leave, Zhao Na noticed a startling sight: all the pots, pans, utensils, rice, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar vanished into thin air.
"What's happening?" She was left speechless.
However, Zhang Ming, who had a clearer understanding, wore an understanding expression. He had always found it strange that Jia Yi, who appeared to be a solo traveler, had a young girl with her. Now he had the answer.
It turned out that this little girl named Tongtong possessed a spatial ability.
Jia Yi had intended to enter the service area with her family, as she sensed the changing power dynamics were in their favor. She had previously had a premonition that this might happen, and now it was confirmed that Tongtong, the young girl, was indeed a spatial ability user.
Seeing this, she decided to extend an invitation to them to join her group. Initially, she had not planned to invite Zhao Na and her son, but the situation had changed due to Long Xiaohu awakening his earth-based ability.
She looked at Zhang Ming and asked, "What about you?"
"I'll go with you," Zhang Ming replied promptly. Long Xiaohu hesitated a bit after hearing Jia Yi's question, perhaps influenced by his mother's warning, but now that Zhang Ming had agreed, he decided to follow along as well.
Zhang Ming: If I could, I wish I hadn't seen anything just now.
"Zhang Ming, can you drive?" Jia Yi, carrying Tongtong and having packed all the supplies, asked hopefully.
Zhang Ming nodded, saying, "I can, but I don't drive often, so my skills might not be that great."
"It's okay; you can practice driving later," Jia Yi encouraged him. She handed him the car keys to Hao Zhenzhu's vehicle, signaling for him to drive ahead.
With the decision made, they were now focused on their preparations. They loaded their supplies into the car, and as they were about to depart, Zhao Na watched them with a mixture of emotions. She felt torn between the desire for safety and the instinct to stay with her son.
The group was on the brink of a crucial decision, and the path they chose would significantly impact their future.
Zhao Na was left with a sense of hope and uncertainty as she watched her son and Zhang Ming make their choice. Long Xiaohu, in particular, was given an opportunity to escape the horrors of the world and grow independently.
As the group was about to leave, Zhao Na noticed a bewildering sight. All the pots, pans, utensils, rice, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar disappeared into thin air.
"What's happening?" She was left speechless.
Zhang Ming, who had a better understanding of the situation, wore a knowing expression. He had always found it strange that Jia Yi, who seemed like a lone traveler, had a young girl with her. Now, he had his answer.
It turned out that the little girl named Tongtong possessed a spatial ability.
Jia Yi had initially planned to enter the service area with her family, sensing that the changing power dynamics were in their favor. She had previously had a premonition that this might happen, and now it was confirmed that Tongtong, the young girl, was indeed a spatial ability user.
Seeing this, she decided to extend an invitation to them to join her group. Initially, she had not intended to invite Zhao Na and her son, but the situation had changed due to Long Xiaohu awakening his earth-based ability.
Jia Yi looked at Zhang Ming and asked, "What about you?"
"I'll go with you," Zhang Ming replied promptly. Long Xiaohu hesitated for a moment after hearing Jia Yi's question, possibly influenced by his mother's warning, but now that Zhang Ming had agreed, he decided to follow along as well.
Zhang Ming: If I could, I wish I hadn't seen anything just now.
"Zhang Ming, can you drive?" Jia Yi, carrying Tongtong and having packed all the supplies, asked hopefully.
Zhang Ming nodded, saying, "I can, but I don't drive often, so my skills might not be that great."
"It's okay; you can practice driving later," Jia Yi encouraged him. She handed him the car keys to Hao Zhenzhu's vehicle, signaling for him to drive ahead.
With their decision made and their supplies loaded, the group prepared to embark on their journey, leaving behind the service area and heading out into the unknown.