Volume One, Chapter 20: How Blind I Was in the Past

“That bastard Shen Chi really is despicable! He actually bribed the healers!”

The atmosphere in the exploration team’s rest room was heavy and gloomy.

Zhuo Yu, the youngest member of Meng Wei’s squad, cursed angrily.

That morning, following the team’s decision, he had gone to negotiate with the designated healer about tomorrow’s mission.

Unexpectedly, the healer happened to be sick, running a fever.

Helpless, Zhuo Yu turned to another backup healer—only to find that person had sprained their ankle!

The coincidence was almost eerie.

Zhuo Yu had no choice but to reach out to all eleven healers the team could afford.

The result? They were all ill!

After some investigation, Zhuo Yu finally discovered that Shen Chi was behind the sabotage.

Meng Wei remained silent, clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles whitened and veins bulged along his arms. His lips pressed firmly together, a flicker of fury burning in his eyes.

The strategist Bai Ke removed his glasses and slowly wiped them clean. “Without healers to keep the team alive, not to mention completing the mission, our chances of everyone surviving drop to just twenty percent.”

“The A-level squad before thought they had enough ability after completing five missions smoothly and decided to save money by not bringing healers.”

Bai Ke put his glasses back on, masking the faint fear in his eyes. “That time, the entire squad perished. Not a single person returned.”

Suppressing his anger, Zhuo Yu said, “Old Bai, we know how crucial healers are without you having to say it. We had already planned to hire the highest-level healers we could afford.”

“Who the hell would have thought that damn Shen Chi would come up with such a dirty trick!”

Bai Ke analyzed, “I suspect Shen Chi not only bribed with money but also leveraged the power of the Wu family to pressure them. Otherwise, how could he afford to pay a reward comparable to completing an A-level mission? For eleven people, that’s a hefty sum.”

“He’s no longer the rich second-generation heir he used to be. Like us, he has to earn his own keep.”

Zhuo Yu was stunned. “The Wu family prides itself on its strict family values and never abusing power. Shen Chi is breaking their rules!”

“Then let’s find Officer Wu, or his uncle Wu Sheng!”

Before Bai Ke could reply, Yang Zheng, the oldest member of the team, shook his head. “It’s no use.”

“They’ll definitely side with their own family. At best, they’ll offer us compensation to back out of this grading mission. That’s how they handled the Wu Xingxue incident.”

Li Yu, who had not spoken and was mute, silently nodded and sighed.

The room was filled with gloom.

Zhuo Yu kicked the table leg in frustration, his voice heavy. “So, we really won’t bring any healers?”

Once a grading mission is registered, unless the entire team dies during it, failing to participate on time means losing the right to enter grading missions for the next year.

A whole year! So many people who laugh and chat face-to-face today could become corpses tomorrow.

For explorers, time is as precious as life itself.

They cannot afford to wait.

Everyone wants to secure the highest level of safe zone benefits for their families while they are still alive. If they die tragically one day, at least their family’s future will be secure.

Otherwise, the highest-risk profession of exploring wouldn’t attract so many willing recruits.

Meng Wei rubbed his shaved head and grinned, “Alright, brothers, it’s just one healer. We did fine on missions before without healers.”

Zhuo Yu hesitated, “But this time it’s different.”

Meng Wei waved his hand. “Zhuo, take the zombie source cores we hunted before and exchange them all for special medicine instead of hiring healers.”

Source cores can be absorbed by psychics to replenish energy and have high liquidity.

Explorers hunt zombies for these cores during missions and exchange them for Union Coins after returning to the safe zone.

It’s a source of income.

They exchanged looks.

There was no other choice.

Worry filled their hearts.

——

Wu Xingxue left the appraisal hall and headed to the supplies department.

They offered her 400 Union Coins for one stalk of hemostatic grass.

She refused; the price was too low.

She was confident the hemostatic grass was far more effective than the previous repair and beauty fruits, and she was unwilling to sell it cheaply.

Wu Xingxue tried contacting several secondhand dealers who hadn’t been at the appraisal hall earlier. They were well-informed.

In a short time, the rumor that Shen Chi claimed Wu Xingxue was a fraud had spread everywhere.

She was about to be stuck with the hemostatic grass she couldn’t sell.

Not only that.

“If this rumor isn’t quickly dispelled, no one will buy anything from me in the future.”

“That path will be completely cut off.”

Thinking of the culprit Shen Chi, Wu Xingxue wished she could rip his head off.

She had been blind to trust him before. Shen Chi was a scoundrel who had shamelessly let their squad pass missions without even taking commission.

Wu Xingxue stopped in her tracks and adjusted her breathing.

The safe zone was enormous, and without transport, her legs were weak from walking half a day—from the appraisal center to the supply department and then to those secondhand dealers.

She took a deep breath and entered the explorers’ building.

This building housed all the exploration teams registered in the safe zone. Rooms were assigned according to team rank.

They served as places for daily rest and meetings.

“Room 231...” Her eyes brightened. “Found it!”

Wu Xingxue had promised Meng Wei that she would come to him if she had anything good.

The beauty fruit from yesterday was unnecessary; the hemostatic grass would be useful to him.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Wu Xingxue knocked on the door. It opened quickly.

A young man appeared. Though ordinary-looking, a fierce scar ran from his right brow to his forehead, giving him a menacing air.

Zhuo Yu frowned instinctively. “Wu Xingxue? What are you doing here?”

Wu Xingxue was not surprised he recognized her.

With her current reputation, she could be considered a minor celebrity even before the apocalypse.

Unceremoniously, she said, “Is Captain Meng here? I’m looking for him.”

“Why are you looking for my captain?” Zhuo Yu’s expression grew more guarded, even disgusted. “Get out. We don’t welcome Wu family members here, especially not a traitor who abandoned her comrades!”

As an explorer, he despised Wu Xingxue’s past actions.

Zhuo Yu was about to shut the door when footsteps sounded inside.

“Zhuo, who is it?”

Wu Xingxue saw Meng Wei and smiled. “Brother Meng.”

Meng Wei’s attitude was no different than before—still hearty and warm. “Little sister, you’re here! Come on in!”

Meng Wei patted the disgruntled Zhuo Yu, who finally stepped aside.

Wu Xingxue passed by without changing her expression.

The safe zone’s assigned rooms were essentially meeting rooms.

Meng Wei’s squad was B-level, so their room was relatively spacious.

About thirty square meters, one wall held a metal locker for personal belongings. The center had an old conference table surrounded by chairs. On the other side was a simple foldable bed, and some exercise equipment underneath.

Wu Xingxue glanced around quickly and looked away, facing the wary gazes of the other four inside.

Invited by Meng Wei, she sat down on one of the chairs.

“Sis, I don’t have water or anything, sorry about that,” Meng Wei said.

Zhuo Yu muttered a low sound, earning a glare from Meng Wei.

Wu Xingxue pretended not to hear.

The attitudes of Meng Wei’s squad were so normal. Recently, the people she’d encountered were roughly the same.

Meng Wei’s impartial and peaceful nature was truly an exception.

“It’s fine, Brother Meng, no need to be so polite. I came to ask if you want some hemostatic grass I have.”

Zhuo Yu jumped up as if stepped on. “Great! Even a liar like you has come to our team!”