NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 575: Silent as the Grave, a Sign of Something More
After snapping back to reality, the four people present suddenly felt a chill run through them.
They had gone to great lengths, even facing danger on multiple occasions, just to finally stumble their way here.
But what they had never anticipated was that a note was already waiting for them.
“Is it… him?” Gu Shuangshuang suddenly spoke up.
The others were taken aback for a moment, then nodded in silence.
Who else could it be but him?
The thought of Ling Mo sneaking into this place without alerting any zombies, quietly leaving behind a note, and then making a full retreat—and that the entire process might have been completed the night before—filled Ye Kai and the others with a profound sense of powerlessness.
The gap between them… was just too vast.
However, amidst this sense of inadequacy, Ye Kai and his companions exchanged glances, and in each other’s eyes, they saw a glimmer of hope.
Would following such a person brighten their own paths? Could they find hope in something beyond mere survival?
Ye Kai’s thoughts were the simplest. Beyond living, his greatest desire was to become stronger.
Stronger than he was now, strong enough to fend for himself in this world, strong enough… to find him and then kill him…
The moment he thought of him, a deep hatred and pain flashed through Ye Kai’s fierce eyes, a flicker that went unnoticed by everyone else.
What faster way to become stronger than to follow someone who was ten times, a hundred times stronger than oneself?
…
Zhang Xincheng, on the other hand, had more complex thoughts. He was a mature and prudent person. Despite not being powerful, he didn’t end up like Skinny Monkey in Team F. His presence was faint; he neither stood out nor was he oppressed underfoot.
Agreeing to join Ling Mo’s squad was primarily because he had never considered crossing Ling Mo.
In his view, Ling Mo was bound to leave sooner or later; he didn’t belong to Team F. So this squad was probably just a temporary arrangement.
But after joining, he realized that Ling Mo took this team very seriously.
And after a day of drills and training, Zhang Xincheng felt as if his potential had been suddenly unleashed.
He had never before experienced the many applications of special abilities and this kind of tacit team coordination.
This feeling… was excellent, truly excellent.
In the face of zombies, although he was still afraid, he now had the ability to fight back, instead of just running away as he had before…
If only he had mastered these techniques when his special abilities first awakened, then perhaps his family members wouldn’t have died before his eyes…
A sudden sharp pain in his chest overwhelmed Zhang Xincheng, but within this pain, he faintly sensed something different.
No amount of regret could change the past, but what about the future?
The Miracle Team was an excellent opportunity for him. Was he to continue drifting along aimlessly, or would he carve out a path of his own?
Skinny Monkey and Gu Shuangshuang were completely excited. Back in Team F, they were in a weak position and had never had any confidence in their special abilities.
But today, they discovered they weren’t useless or trash; they were real Psychics, with a status and a role no less significant than anyone else’s.
This feeling of validation was incredibly refreshing for them!
And this tremendous change was all thanks to the opportunity Ling Mo had given them.
“What do you guys think?” Skinny Monkey suddenly asked.
The four of them exchanged glances and then looked down at the note again.
“Let’s do it,” Gu Shuangshuang said suddenly, her hand outstretched and her voice filled with excitement. “Let’s create miracles with Ling Mo.”
“Yeah! Miracles!” Skinny Monkey added his hand to hers, speaking earnestly. Today’s events were nothing short of miraculous to him.
“Miracles,” Zhang Xincheng said in a low voice, placing his hand on top of theirs.
Their palms stacked together, and the three pairs of eyes turned to Ye Kai.
Ye Kai was slightly looking down, his eyes glancing upwards… His posture was cool, and he seemed a bit impatient.
“Don’t stare at me…”
“…”
“I give up,” Ye Kai said, somewhat helplessly slapping his hand on top of the others, “Surviving together, that’s the real miracle.”
“Definitely!” Gu Shuangshuang nodded vigorously.
“Yes!” Skinny Monkey now had confidence as well.
Zhang Xincheng just smiled slightly without speaking. He felt this was just the beginning…
…
“Why don’t you just join Team F?” Xu Shuhan glanced at Mu Chen, then looked back to make sure Ling Mo and the others couldn’t hear before walking over to whisper.
Mu Chen, who was smoking a cigarette, nearly dropped it in surprise. “What?”
“I mean, you’ve been working so hard, don’t tell me you’re actually planning to stay in Team F,” Xu Shuhan said.
“How could I…”
“It’s fine if you do stay; Xia Zhi has been eyeing your position for a long time,” Xu Shuhan continued.
Clatter!
Mu Chen’s cigarette really did fall this time. That woman was indeed a media person at heart, dropping bombshells so casually.
“Wait wait wait… you’re saying… Xia Zhi… he… no way, that taciturn guy actually covets my position!” Mu Chen stuttered, taking a while to get his words out.
“He covets your position, not you,” Xu Shuhan corrected.
“That’s what I meant…” Mu Chen felt depressed for a moment, “That taciturn guy, I knew he was up to something with his silence all the time!”
Xu Shuhan just smiled ambiguously and brought the conversation back, “What are you planning to do?”
“What can I do right now? The people in Team F are all wary of us, they don’t talk. Only he is willing to interact with us…” Mu Chen regretfully glanced at the cigarette butt on the ground, thought for a moment, and then squatted down to pick it up.
It might be a bit dirty, but in these times, cigarettes were a dwindling luxury…
Gaining his trust wouldn’t be a bad thing, and besides, we have no beef with Team F. We both know what Jian Qi has been doing here, right? Although we can’t really speak of guilt, but…sigh, it’s tough for everyone.” Mu Chen sighed and took another greedy puff of his cigarette, “Without some sacrifice, the things we need to do will never succeed. I’m clear on that.”
“Since it’s already done, stop looking for excuses,” Xu Shuhan gave him a look and suddenly said, “Do you think… the people from Team F have been ordered to keep quiet?”
Mu Chen blinked, then a thoughtful expression crossed his face: “You know… that’s actually quite possible.”
“If that’s the case, doesn’t it make things even clearer?” Xu Shuhan quickly got to the point.
She glanced at Mu Chen, suddenly pulled out a voice recorder, and handed him an earpiece: “Listen to this.”
Mu Chen took it with a puzzled look and put it in his ear.
Xu Shuhan pressed the play button, and a broken voice immediately came through: “…is… um… Ling Mo…”
“Ling Mo?” Mu Chen sharply caught the word, “Where did you get this?”
“Think paparazzi…” Xu Shuhan vaguely replied and then said, “That’s not important. The key is, this proves something. That Ling Mo is in Team F, and judging by their reaction, his presence is related to Jian Qi’s death. I think, he and the person we’re looking for are the same.”
“No… not ‘think.’” Mu Chen suddenly shook his head, “I’m certain it’s the same person.”
“The reason?”
“Intuition. Even though I haven’t met him, it feels like I’ve already been in contact with him.” As Mu Chen said this, he rubbed his temples in confusion.
Xu Shuhan stared at him for a while and asked, “Are you hiding something from me?”
“Nope.” Mu Chen denied.
Xu Shuhan scrutinized him for a moment longer, then turned and walked towards Ling Mo and the others: “I can’t get anything out of you; you’re only good for unpaid labor. I’ll go ask.”
“Oh. Good luck.” Mu Chen encouraged insincerely, then turned back to look out the window.
His fingers remained on his temples, his gaze as if looking into the distance, or just blankly staring into space.
“Give me a reaction, with such a vague sense, how am I supposed to find him…”
Mu Chen muttered to himself, then sighed deeply again.