Arrive

The boss and his group had navigated from the food distribution area, and the entire route they traversed was unsettlingly clean, as though it had been thoroughly ransacked. Consequently, Chi Bai hadn’t managed to eat there, and upon their arrival at this new location, they still had to endure a queue for registration.

Staring at the queue ahead, which easily contained over a hundred people, Chi Bai rubbed his stomach, a wave of despair washing over him as he wondered when he would finally get to eat.

The boss, observing Chi Bai’s dejected state, pondered for a moment before pulling out a chocolate bar, a complimentary item from the hotel breakfast, from his pocket. He gently poked Chi Bai, and when the younger man turned to look, he extended the chocolate.

“Chi Bai: !!! Oh, food! Awesome! The boss is truly a great person!”

Chi Bai, grinning widely, took the chocolate from the boss’s hand, quickly tore open the wrapper, and popped the sweet into his mouth. He thanked him profusely as he chewed, while the boss merely waved his hand, indicating it was nothing. After all, had it not been for Chi Bai’s overwhelming rampage, they might still be stuck in the passage, awaiting rescue.

Chi Bai considered this for a moment, then nodded, accepting the boss’s offering with a clear conscience. With a comradely pat on the boss’s shoulder, he said, “It’s nothing, really, just a stroke of luck. I was actually planning to grab some food from the supermarket, but I hadn’t expected so many zombies inside. It’s quite impressive you managed to find a place to hide. I only unleashed my area-of-effect attack after I saw there were no more living people inside.” After a brief pause, he added with a hint of trepidation, “It’s a good thing you were behind me, otherwise you might have been caught in the crossfire.”

“The boss: Well, thank you very much then. Thank you for your mercy.”

Hiding in the passage, the boss hadn’t actually seen much of Chi Bai’s skill usage. He stood behind Tang Hao, both of them peeking through the door crack to observe the outside, and had only happened to witness Chi Bai retrieving the transparent crystal core. After some thought, he decided to ask, “That thing you picked up earlier… what was it?”

Chi Bai stated directly, “It’s a crystal core. It helps ability users; it can increase their experience. However, I’m not sure if it helps ordinary people.” He reasoned that even if he didn’t say it now, the boss would find out later anyway, and there was nothing to hide.

Upon hearing that last part, a faint hint of disappointment flickered across the boss’s face, but he quickly composed himself. After all, simply being alive was good enough; what more could he possibly hope for?

A silence settled between them.

Fortunately, the registration process was quite swift, and it was soon their turn. The registrar asked about the information typically found on a personal status panel. Chi Bai reasoned there was nothing to hide about having an ability; in fact, revealing it might even prove beneficial. So he recounted everything, holding nothing back, figuring that among the people who had registered before them, quite a few must also possess abilities. After all, three out of their group of twelve were already ability users.

Moreover, the registrar’s face remained expressionless, revealing nothing. However, upon hearing that Chi Bai possessed lightning abilities, they handed him a special token and informed him that someone would seek him out once he entered. This token, they explained, served as temporary proof.

Chi Bai was inclined to ask what it was about, especially since Li Wei, who had entered before him, hadn’t been given such a token. Yet, seeing the registrar’s impassive face, he decided against it. He would find out sooner or later, and surely the country wouldn’t harm him.

Their group of twelve had arrived together, so everyone waited by the entrance. Once they had all entered, they proceeded forward as a single group.

The boss and Tang Hao continued to lead the way, with Chi Bai and Li Wei walking in the middle, and the rest following behind. Along the way, soldiers stood guard, directing them. The boss took the opportunity to inquire about the next arrangements.

The soldier simply instructed them to wait in the conference room for further arrangements. The boss asked no further questions, instead following the directions provided by the nearby signs.

At the end of the path lay their destination: the competition hall. A printed sign had been temporarily affixed beside the entrance, clearly indicating “Registration Desk.”

Inside, a bespectacled man holding a piece of paper noticed Chi Bai and his group entering and gestured for them to approach.

First, he explained the arrangements, dividing them into two groups based on gender and assigning their accommodations. He then added that since it was past mealtime, they could collect instant noodles to eat first. Dinner arrangements, he informed them, would be announced later in the district group chat, and they simply needed to gather back at this location at that time.

As he spoke, he gestured to a soldier, instructing them to escort the group to the living quarters.

What they called “living quarters” were actually just the offices and conference rooms of the stadium’s administrative area. Tables and chairs had been pushed together to serve as makeshift bed frames, with mats laid on top as mattresses. Each room could accommodate approximately six such “beds,” leaving very little space. The soldier who escorted them explained that each floor’s corridor had both a men’s and women’s restroom, conveniently located on either side of the staircase. This arrangement meant the women would stay on the side of the women’s restroom, and the men on the side of the men’s restroom, which worked out perfectly.

No one raised any objections to this arrangement; though it felt a bit cramped, it was clear that presidential suites were not an option in such times.

This building was the administrative block. The soldier further explained that the competition hall building they had just come from contained athlete changing rooms with showers, and those who wished to clean themselves could go there. He then pointed to a box near the office door, informing them it contained instant noodles; anyone who wanted some could help themselves. For drinking water, they could use the water dispenser in the office, which could also provide hot water for their instant noodles.

After the soldier departed, everyone began to find their spots. Chi Bai, however, had an ulterior motive. He waited until Tang Hao had chosen a spot, then deliberately lingered before casually settling into the space beside him. He placed his baseball bat by the edge of the “bed,” effectively claiming his territory. Then he stood up, preparing to make himself some instant noodles. Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, then turned back to ask Tang Hao, who was sitting on their makeshift “bed” and feeling the mat, “I’m going to make some noodles. Do you want some? I can make it for you.”

While Tang Hao and the others had eaten breakfast, they had expended considerable energy after hiding from zombies for so long. Consequently, everyone was feeling quite hungry now. Upon hearing Chi Bai’s offer, everyone else also stood up, intending to make some instant noodles to stave off their hunger.

Tang Hao, seeing Chi Bai looking at him, shook his head and said, “Thank you, but no, it’s alright. I can make my own later.”

Chi Bai rubbed his nose at the sight, and without waiting for Tang Hao, he turned and hurried off to get his instant noodles. He had just spotted his favorite cilantro spicy beef noodles, and it was a case of first-come, first-served; he knew they wouldn’t last long.